Course Management Techniques.
Golf strategy is more important than ever as your skills improve. During your learning and as you work to improve, it is important to start looking for ways to improve your game and score. One aspect that is frequently overlooked in golf is the management of the course. The goal of course management is to manage the greens in a way that reduces your risk while still allowing you to enjoy high quality golf. Like a pool or billiards gamer, the best strategy is to create a game plan that doesn’t allow you to miss a shot. In this instance, a difficult shot is one that has high risks and low rewards or requires you to take a risky shot you don’t feel comfortable with. You should never attempt a shot that is unfamiliar or unpracticed. This is a difficult task for many, if not everyone. It is important that you have a strategy in place.
What Is The Relative Importance Of This With All The Other Golf “Stuff”?
Golf course management is not something you hear about often. So how crucial are they to your score? Ben Hogan stated that pro golf is possible with an average swing, and a controlled approach to managing the course. A good swing combined with an excellent game can make it possible to win at golf. Hogan stated at one time that the 20% of hitting the ball was responsible for Hogan’s career, and the 20% responsible for the course management (or the planning) accounted to an astonishing 80%. It is clear that Hogan did not consider a poor shot to be one that was mishit. That is what happens during a round. Hogan considered a bad shot a shot which, even though it was hit well, is not good due to the difficulty in executing the next shot. Hogan needs to know that disciplined course administration was one of his key factors in his continued success on the professional tour, even though he nearly went bankrupt three times. His success was transformed from struggling to win the tour in early 1938, when he became its most successful winner. He also had a record of about 117 straight money finishes. Hogan worked hard at course management until his breakthrough in 1946. Tom Watson wrote a book about it. Finally, I should add that not every golfer believes in strict adherence to strategic play or adopting a relatively “dogmatic” approach to this element of the game. Ray Floyd was a strategic player. However, he didn’t like creating a game plan in advance to attack the course. He preferred to execute and then come up with a strategy. He didn’t want to make a plan. This was either a personal or temperamental issue. He knew his game very well and it “scrambled” his brain if he failed to execute according to his plan, having and adverse affect on his confidence. You won’t find many Ray Floyds, but if this is you, congrats! For the rest, read on.
What is Golf Course Management?
Did you ever play a round of golf and notice where bunkers and other hazards were in relation the green? You most likely have. Perhaps you also noticed the hazards from the other side of the green. Perhaps that view wasn’t visible from the tee. Another way is to look at the hole from the back and realize that the architect didn’t show you enough room. This is also known as golf course management. It refers to the planning and positioning of your shots so that you can play the hole in the most efficient way possible. It is important to remember that not all holes are the easiest or best. This aspect is part of the design of golf courses and can be used to determine the risk/reward ratio of particular shots. It is important to consider your game’s strengths and weaknesses. Stonewall Golf Course is a superb course in Gainesville with great strategic planning. You can play the 18th hole from the tips, which is a par 5, of 517 yards. It’s best to use the short or middle bunker to get a great angle to green. The bunker to the right of the fairway keeps the slices out of water. If you are able to carry the ball about 265 yards, you will be able blow the bunker over and only need a 7- or 8 iron to reach the green. Similar in layout, the 5th hole par 5, is at 558 yards. However, you will have to face a little challenge with a long or hybrid shot towards a shallow green. The risk/reward calculation for the 18th hole differs from that of the 5th hole. This will likely impact the overall round’s character. The 18th hole is the most popular, and players will go anywhere to play it. Most golf courses have already had their lunch.
Why have I not heard much about golf course management? What are the elements I should consider?
Although there are many books available on the game of golf and its elements, such as putting and short game, few books exist about managing a golf course. Making golf course management a part of your golf “kit bag” can be as simple as making note of where the bunkers and other hazards are and simply avoiding them. The bunkers are there for a reason. Some bunkers are used to protect errant shots from getting out of bounds and/or worsening the situation. By collecting all errant shots, the most visible bunkers defend the green. You can approach the green from the most advantageous positions by using the less visible or subtler bunkers. The best position to approach from is often referred to as the “A” position, or the “green” position, with the context of it being a green or go flag to shoot at as opposed to a yellow or caution flag or a red flag. This refers to a flag that you wouldn’t shoot at regardless of your fairway position. On better courses you will likely find the so called “A” or green positions protected by a strategically placed bunker or protected by out of bounds (OB) or some other lateral hazard intended to catch wayward or aggressive shots played to open up the green . One example of the latter type of bunkers is the one along the Pebble Beach 18th-hole seawall, which helps to prevent the balls from going into the water. Augusta National’s 12th Green has a bunker to protect the middle green. The bunker, along with the speed and wind of the green reduces how narrow the green is. As on holes 11-13, water and Rae’s Creek provide natural protection which severely limits your options for approach shots. The best approach shots to greens have been protected by numerous bunkers, which are strategically placed to capture the perfect tee shot. If the bunker is too short, the player must hit a longer shot. This makes it difficult for the player not only to keep the greens fast but also to get to the greens in the most advantageous positions. A second shot may not reach the green due to the bunker’s severe lip. Draw off the tee at the 13th hole. If you overcook your shot, the bunker will make it difficult to reach the green. The 6th at Carnoustie is a famous risk reward hole at 578 yards, with the “A” or green position a flat space on the left side of the fairway dangerously close to OB. The 6th at Carnoustie was his only play in the 1953 Open.
How can this be made to work in my own game?
It isn’t difficult to implement strategic or golf course management strategies in your own game. It is important to think about the way you currently play your holes. Perhaps you lack control over the golf ball and believe it would not work well for you. This is a reason to think strategically. Your scores could be improved by making the best use of what you have and avoiding your weak points. This is a warning: nothing that I advocate should slow down your game. You should think most of the time before you get behind the ball or trigger your pre-shot routine. Is it difficult to hit the ball in multiple directions, or prefer a draw/fade as your preferred shot. A default shot should be one you are able to hit at any time. You can also choose which shot is more comfortable for you. Strategist play is planning your shots with consideration for your predominant ball flight. Let’s suppose you are facing a hole measuring 420 yards with bunkers to the left and right. The pin lies in the narrow back part of the green and is protected by a deep bunker. All other things equal (e.g. conditions, wind, etc.), if you have assessed the hole properly, you likely took note of the “A” or green position just beyond and protected by the bunker on the left side. To get to the pin, a good player will likely use a wooden to blow over the bunker on the left. A fade will open the green. An average player may try to throw a driver or wood from the right, passing the bunker to create a wedge or shorter iron that angles to the green. Another option is to hit a 3 or hybrid up the left side, just short of bunker. Then you can hit a 7 or 8 iron straight at the middle of green. This will allow for a fade and take the bunker out. You would do what? It is amazing how often I’ve played on the same tee with golfers who hit the driver straight up. This ensured the worst approach to green, bringing in the bunker as well as the narrow portion of the green. This play, even with the most perfect tee shot, has hit the red position. Tom Watson noted in his excellent book Tom Watson’s Strategic Golf that the golf course architect should require or dictate no more than about 5 heroic or challenging shots over 18 holes of golf. Watson spoke of challenges that experts face and was not referring only to positions players can hit. The example above shows that a non-thinking player who doesn’t apply strategic play can inflict heroic or difficult shots on a hole the architect believed to be free of such obstacles. The golfer managed to make the hole as difficult as possible. This is a clear example of how inconsiderate play can result in frustration, poor shots, and even high scores. This player likely regrets the unfortunate outcome of playing a fantastic shot, but finding himself in a difficult position to reach the pin. It is not bad luck. The shot meets Hogan’s criteria of a shot that will always be bad, regardless of the outcome. Do you ever take another club off your tee? How often do the drivers get up to the favorite yardage in a round of golf? What is the last time that you considered how to approach the pin and made adjustments accordingly before hitting the tee shot? Is it your practice to assess pins and determine if they are worth shooting at or just to aim for any pin you find because that’s the way golf is played.
The conclusion.
Although this article may be a little long, it covers important aspects of course management and strategic playing. Take a look at the layout of your next round and consider the different approaches to the holes and the pin locations. Assess your playing on the next course and the one before you go. Then, think about your approach to the hole. You can either find the shortest path to the pin or play alongside better golfers, and ask how they approach certain holes. Ask your pro for a lesson and get his opinion. If you feel that your hole play is too difficult, you can map a strategy for changing the way you approach the hole. There are variations to every type of play, so no article will be able to help. As a guide to how to approach golf strategically, I recommend Tom Watson’s book. Ray Floyd, Johnny Miller, and others have written excellent books about the subject.
Great golf! Mark Choiniere