Scoring on the Golf Course

Congratulations, you learned to hit golf balls and you are playing golf with your friends. Imagine that you and I are now on the first tee and you are going to learn about Scoring on the Golf Course by better navigating your ball around the golf course. Imagine we got started and since there were few players on the golf course we took our time to discuss each of our shots.

We decided to play a scramble, which is a common game that is not recognized by the USGA so we are allowed to make our own rules. We decided to let you tee off first and if you get a good shot I will go for it; otherwise, I will play conservatively. The first hole is a par 4 with two trees on the left and a fairway bunker on the right, which are all in play from the tee. At the green, there is a greenside bunker on the left front side of the green and today the pin is tucked in behind the bunker making it difficult to shot over the bunker to the pin from the left side of the fairway. This is the picture we will have in our minds as we plan, organize and execute our shots.

You hit your drive to the left side of the fairway and if we use your ball it will require the difficult shot over the greenside bunker. I played safe, used a hybrid and tried for the right side of the fairway. Assume that I managed to hit down the right side of the fairway and had a clear shot to the pin from 120 yards. We used my ball; we took our second shots and both balls were on the green, good start!

Our balls were both about 15 feet from the hole; from your ball we have a straight uphill putt and from mine we have a side hill putt the will break a few inches. We played our imaginary scramble from your ball’s position because straight uphill putts are infinitely easier to sink than side hill putts. Woops, you left your putt an inch short. I sank mine and reminded myself to explain to you that you shouldn’t leave straight uphill putts short; remember “Never up, never in”! You now have an idea that navigating the golf course is the secret to Scoring on the Golf Course.

We will play several rounds of golf together and I will explain the strategy for navigating each hole. During these rounds we will often get into some difficulty that will require our hitting a special shot. We may have to hit a fade or draw around a tree; near the green we will certainly need to chip, and hit lobs and bunker shots. Forming the mental pictures and the feelings to mastering these shots will help you to start Scoring Better and then you will become a Player and want to start Competing All Around Town.

Somewhere along the line we will have to work together to form the mental pictures and develop the feelings we need to putt really well. It is said “That you drive for show and you putt for dough”.

Before you leave take a look at the video by Brandel Chamblee, PGA and Peter Kraus, PGA where they discusses how to manage your approach shots on par 5's and short par 4's to have an optimum distance for your pitch shot to the green. Allow time for the video to download and after watching the video use your browser's back button to return to here.

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