Lessons

[chipsandegg]

Hi Guys,
What i would like to know if anyone could enligthten me is, i know you are told to find a pro to have your lessons with that you are comfortable and at ease with and stick with that pro, but what i was wondering is... i travel up to Scotland quite a bit and play a few courses up there and thought would it be a good idea to get course management lessons on some of the courses i like to play? Do you think that would be a good idea or am i still best to just stick with my same pro at my home course?
Thanks for your help, Andy

 

[USER1999]

Stick with your own coach. Course management is the same, where ever you play. Can't see any difference.

If you want local knowledge, you need to hire a local caddy, or buy a gps.

 

[birdieman]

Course management isn't too hard.

Good example was young Larrazabal on Sunday at French Open - left driver at home as he'd been loose with it and only hit 3 wood off long hole tees, won the thing easily in the end by keeping the ball on the short grass.

Don't take on the shots you can only make 1 in 5 times, accept you need to lay up.

Leave yourself below the hole on sloping greens.

If your timing is off, accept it, take less club and accept that you're going to need to scramble well round the greens.

Best advice for amateurs is to put the driver away. I hit 3 wood at a lot of holes I used to drive and although you're maybe hitting 8 instead of wedge into the green you are on the fairway far more often = better scoring.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Pick a coach and stick with him. I only swapped from the pro I was using last year to my club pro as the former moved to set up his own teaching studio at a club some 40 minutes (2 junctions down the motorway) and I couldn't reconcile the extra cost in terms of petrol and time plus his lesson fee.

I was reluctant to use my own clubs pro as he is a bit like marmite. However I'm so glad I made the change as he has explained things in simple terms and got me focussed on the little things needed.

As for course management I wholeheartedly agree with murph and birdieman. Course management is about keeping the ball in play and is the same on whatever course you play. It is about hitting the right shot to make the next one as easy as possible so if that means clubbing up after hitting a 3 wood then that has to be better than chipping out sideways after hitting driver.

The nuances of course management such as lay up vs carry and moving shots left to right and vice versa will only come as you become more competent and is definitely something your local pro can show you