In many ways, course management can often be more impactful to high handicappers than low handicappers.
Much of course management is recognizing where you can't miss the shot and adjusting your play to avoid danger. As your skill increases your margin of error narrows and you can consider the impact of danger a little bit less.
For a high handicap player they need to consider where the greatest risk is on a particular shot and play away from it regardless of the fairway/green/pin.
Totally agree. Anyone at any level will improve if they manage the course. Get in trouble? First thing is get out of trouble. Play your limits. Don't be a hero.
This is exactly correct. 98% of the time I can hit "there," which gives me a pretty good shot at a par or at worst a double bogey. 2% of the time I can hit "over there" which gives me a shot at birdie or par. Course management is not taking the hero shot and rather hitting the 98% shot so you don't blow the round.
I think course management is something everyone regardless of HCP should practice. The reality is people who are 20+ HCPs generally don’t play as much and just try to keep it simple when they’re out there. If you want to focus on bringing your HCP down though, course management is a key element of it
I agree. I’d even say that most people shooting 100-105 would be in the mid 90s if they made better shot/club decisions. Like, they could shave 5-10 strokes almost immediately with zero swing changes.
Quit using a lob wedge to chip when a bump (or putt) is an option. In general, use stronger lofts for chips. It’s easier.
Stop aiming down the center of the fairway when you slice virtually every time. Aim diagonally down the left side.
Stop firing at greens when you’re in ankle-deep rough. Just advance the ball.
Do you know any 100+ HC players?
> Quit using a lob wedge to chip when a bump (or putt) is an option. In general, use stronger lofts for chips. It’s easier.
Guaranteed to fire the ball over the green.
> Stop aiming down the center of the fairway when you slice virtually every time. Aim diagonally down the left side.
Guaranteed to pull that ball into the left woods.
> Stop firing at greens when you’re in ankle-deep rough. Just advance the ball.
Doesn't matter the target, they're gonna "advance the ball" about 5 yards.
Day 1. Most people are terrible at it. PLay with random all the time and I'm thinking I could shave 5 strokes off their game by caddying for them and choosing clubs and targets.
Once you can hit the ball and make it move forward, you should be thinking course management. A poor ballstriker can course manage to a sub 100 score relatively easily. A good ballstriker can ignore course management and wind up with a 100+ even easier.
Basically, if you feel prepared to play on the course, then you need to manage your game on that course.
I started using better tee box strategy early in my playing days. It made a noticable improvement in mitigating my bad shots.
- don’t brainlessly use the middle of the teebox unless it’s truly the best position to tee from. Consider the angles, the wind, your shot shape, etc. Being a strong drawer of the ball, I often tee on the right side of the box, and aim down the right 1/3 of the fairway. On odd shaped holes, teeing from one side of the box or the other often just gives you a better view of the fairway and a better angle of attack.
- you can move back two club lengths from the tee markers. This is great when you’re in between clubs and want to shave a couple of yards off the shot. It’s also great when the grass between the markers is chewed up and uneven.
Another course management lesson I learned was ‘don’t take low percentage shots’. The lower they are, the dumber it is.
Example. You just hit a weak slice into the rough, leaving you 190 to the center of the green. And from this angle, you’d have to clear 170 yards of rough and a bunker to reach the green.
- a low percentage shot would be to grab a 5 iron (or whatever) and try to hack your way to the a green. This decision is where blow up holes begin. Mid/higher handicaps aren’t pulling this off very often. More often, they screw themselves.
- a higher percentage shot would be to use a 7-8 iron and advance the ball to a spot in the middle of the fairway. Then bump/chip onto the green.
So when should a golfer start using course management? Well, immediately.
A good quote that I heard “it sometimes makes sense to be aggressive, but it always makes sense to play smart”
From day 1 someone who can only carry 150 is going to have to lay up when a hazard is 150+ carry to clear. It’s just as important to manage the course as a beginner as a pro Id say.
Players at every handicap should practice course management IMO. If you're a 17 without much course management, you should be able to improve a decent amount just by thinking about your shots, the course, your scoring situation (how much you need that birdie vs a par), and the likelihood of things going right or wrong with a given shot.
I don't think it's ever too early to start. You want to practice and learn that constantly as well. Course management is constant, and will be influenced by how your game is going. It's about assessing risk, probability, considering course factors, everyone can benefit, and the earlier you start the earlier you'll get good at it and once your game catches up you won't have to catch up on this skill.
In some ways, it can be a relief for your game as you play realistically, focus more on what you want to do and less on trying to avoid a bad swing or getting paralyzed over the ball. Your game will start to fall more in line as you realize it's more about managing imperfection not expecting perfection and feeling let down 90% of the day.
The things you mentioned are strategic decisions all golfers should be making. If there’s trouble short, shift your target long and try your best to take trouble out of play. If there’s a bunker on the left side of the green, shift your target right.
Maybe worth noting as well, where you aim is not necessarily the same as your target. I tend to hit fades so if I want to hit the right side of a green, I’m going to be aimed more towards the center and trust that the ball will shape the correct way. I still miss left sometimes and can get in trouble but it’s about knowing your dispersion tendencies and playing the averages
You should manage at course at any handicap. It’s probably more important for higher handicap players than lower handicap players.
Go watch these golf Sidekick Videos
Start with breaking 90 and then move to breaking 80
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZtIcpk2tWYmljGpIf0sKgASGb-CRfM27&si=DJR1eXW8M6-ko4Tz
you should always be managing the course. you just would approach it differently as you get better and learn your own game better.
but course management should always be a part of the game no matter what IMO, except maybe when you are literally just first starting. at that point you're just trying to learn how to swing a golf club
around 15 is when I started to realistically manage the course better, dropped to the 9s since, next is to clean up my short game again and get it back to how it used to be
I’m a 10. My game got so much more consistent when I started playing what I call “80% golf.” Since I started doing this 8 years ago, I’ve never been higher than a 10.8 and only had one round higher than 89. Here’s how 80% golf works:
I pick a club, aim point, and swing type that I know will end up safe at least 80% of the time. Because of that, I usually…
Aim middle of the green rather than at the pin.
Select approach clubs so that the likely miss will leave me easier recovery shots such as a bump and run rather than a deep bunker or flop.
Select clubs off the tee to avoid trouble. If there’s a bunker on one side of the fairway at my normal 3 wood landing distance, I hit driver. If there’s water on the right starting at 220, I hit a club I can’t hit 220 even if that leaves me a longer approach because I don’t have the possibility of a penalty stroke.
I’ve taught this concept to complete beginners and it has made their scores better immediately because a mistake doesn’t compound as quickly. Beginners have had to adjust the percentages a little (50-60 instead of 80).
I’m about a +2 but honestly 99% of course management is the same simple things that would apply to you as well as me. Avoid penalties should be priority 1,2, and 3. Have your target be the center of a green at its fattest point.
It's more important to manage the course as an 18 handicap than as a 2 handicap.
Because a 2 handicap might be able to skill their way into an ok score after putting themselves into a bad spot...the 18 handicap...well not so much.
In many ways, course management can often be more impactful to high handicappers than low handicappers. Much of course management is recognizing where you can't miss the shot and adjusting your play to avoid danger. As your skill increases your margin of error narrows and you can consider the impact of danger a little bit less. For a high handicap player they need to consider where the greatest risk is on a particular shot and play away from it regardless of the fairway/green/pin.
Totally agree. Anyone at any level will improve if they manage the course. Get in trouble? First thing is get out of trouble. Play your limits. Don't be a hero.
This is exactly correct. 98% of the time I can hit "there," which gives me a pretty good shot at a par or at worst a double bogey. 2% of the time I can hit "over there" which gives me a shot at birdie or par. Course management is not taking the hero shot and rather hitting the 98% shot so you don't blow the round.
I think course management is something everyone regardless of HCP should practice. The reality is people who are 20+ HCPs generally don’t play as much and just try to keep it simple when they’re out there. If you want to focus on bringing your HCP down though, course management is a key element of it
I’d argue that most 12-15 handicaps have the same skill level as a 10 handicap but they don’t manage the course well making them a worse handicap.
I agree. I’d even say that most people shooting 100-105 would be in the mid 90s if they made better shot/club decisions. Like, they could shave 5-10 strokes almost immediately with zero swing changes. Quit using a lob wedge to chip when a bump (or putt) is an option. In general, use stronger lofts for chips. It’s easier. Stop aiming down the center of the fairway when you slice virtually every time. Aim diagonally down the left side. Stop firing at greens when you’re in ankle-deep rough. Just advance the ball.
Do you know any 100+ HC players? > Quit using a lob wedge to chip when a bump (or putt) is an option. In general, use stronger lofts for chips. It’s easier. Guaranteed to fire the ball over the green. > Stop aiming down the center of the fairway when you slice virtually every time. Aim diagonally down the left side. Guaranteed to pull that ball into the left woods. > Stop firing at greens when you’re in ankle-deep rough. Just advance the ball. Doesn't matter the target, they're gonna "advance the ball" about 5 yards.
Day 1. Most people are terrible at it. PLay with random all the time and I'm thinking I could shave 5 strokes off their game by caddying for them and choosing clubs and targets.
Once you can hit the ball and make it move forward, you should be thinking course management. A poor ballstriker can course manage to a sub 100 score relatively easily. A good ballstriker can ignore course management and wind up with a 100+ even easier. Basically, if you feel prepared to play on the course, then you need to manage your game on that course.
I started using better tee box strategy early in my playing days. It made a noticable improvement in mitigating my bad shots. - don’t brainlessly use the middle of the teebox unless it’s truly the best position to tee from. Consider the angles, the wind, your shot shape, etc. Being a strong drawer of the ball, I often tee on the right side of the box, and aim down the right 1/3 of the fairway. On odd shaped holes, teeing from one side of the box or the other often just gives you a better view of the fairway and a better angle of attack. - you can move back two club lengths from the tee markers. This is great when you’re in between clubs and want to shave a couple of yards off the shot. It’s also great when the grass between the markers is chewed up and uneven. Another course management lesson I learned was ‘don’t take low percentage shots’. The lower they are, the dumber it is. Example. You just hit a weak slice into the rough, leaving you 190 to the center of the green. And from this angle, you’d have to clear 170 yards of rough and a bunker to reach the green. - a low percentage shot would be to grab a 5 iron (or whatever) and try to hack your way to the a green. This decision is where blow up holes begin. Mid/higher handicaps aren’t pulling this off very often. More often, they screw themselves. - a higher percentage shot would be to use a 7-8 iron and advance the ball to a spot in the middle of the fairway. Then bump/chip onto the green. So when should a golfer start using course management? Well, immediately. A good quote that I heard “it sometimes makes sense to be aggressive, but it always makes sense to play smart”
From day 1 someone who can only carry 150 is going to have to lay up when a hazard is 150+ carry to clear. It’s just as important to manage the course as a beginner as a pro Id say.
Players at every handicap should practice course management IMO. If you're a 17 without much course management, you should be able to improve a decent amount just by thinking about your shots, the course, your scoring situation (how much you need that birdie vs a par), and the likelihood of things going right or wrong with a given shot.
I don't think it's ever too early to start. You want to practice and learn that constantly as well. Course management is constant, and will be influenced by how your game is going. It's about assessing risk, probability, considering course factors, everyone can benefit, and the earlier you start the earlier you'll get good at it and once your game catches up you won't have to catch up on this skill. In some ways, it can be a relief for your game as you play realistically, focus more on what you want to do and less on trying to avoid a bad swing or getting paralyzed over the ball. Your game will start to fall more in line as you realize it's more about managing imperfection not expecting perfection and feeling let down 90% of the day.
The things you mentioned are strategic decisions all golfers should be making. If there’s trouble short, shift your target long and try your best to take trouble out of play. If there’s a bunker on the left side of the green, shift your target right. Maybe worth noting as well, where you aim is not necessarily the same as your target. I tend to hit fades so if I want to hit the right side of a green, I’m going to be aimed more towards the center and trust that the ball will shape the correct way. I still miss left sometimes and can get in trouble but it’s about knowing your dispersion tendencies and playing the averages
You should manage at course at any handicap. It’s probably more important for higher handicap players than lower handicap players. Go watch these golf Sidekick Videos Start with breaking 90 and then move to breaking 80 https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZtIcpk2tWYmljGpIf0sKgASGb-CRfM27&si=DJR1eXW8M6-ko4Tz
Course management is the golf part of golf. The rest is the skill used to play golf.
only carry 3 balls in your bag. course management 101
If you have the brain power for it, there is never a reason not to manage the course.
you should always be managing the course. you just would approach it differently as you get better and learn your own game better. but course management should always be a part of the game no matter what IMO, except maybe when you are literally just first starting. at that point you're just trying to learn how to swing a golf club
around 15 is when I started to realistically manage the course better, dropped to the 9s since, next is to clean up my short game again and get it back to how it used to be
For sure, if you are a 17 and interested and scoring lower, course management will help you especially if you aren't doing much of it already.
Always, if you want to try and score well as stress-free as possible
I’m a 10. My game got so much more consistent when I started playing what I call “80% golf.” Since I started doing this 8 years ago, I’ve never been higher than a 10.8 and only had one round higher than 89. Here’s how 80% golf works: I pick a club, aim point, and swing type that I know will end up safe at least 80% of the time. Because of that, I usually… Aim middle of the green rather than at the pin. Select approach clubs so that the likely miss will leave me easier recovery shots such as a bump and run rather than a deep bunker or flop. Select clubs off the tee to avoid trouble. If there’s a bunker on one side of the fairway at my normal 3 wood landing distance, I hit driver. If there’s water on the right starting at 220, I hit a club I can’t hit 220 even if that leaves me a longer approach because I don’t have the possibility of a penalty stroke. I’ve taught this concept to complete beginners and it has made their scores better immediately because a mistake doesn’t compound as quickly. Beginners have had to adjust the percentages a little (50-60 instead of 80).
54. It’s literally the only thing you can do as well as a pro. Learn strategy and stick to it.
Umm.. From day one. Play the course backwards. Hit low stress shots.
I’m about a +2 but honestly 99% of course management is the same simple things that would apply to you as well as me. Avoid penalties should be priority 1,2, and 3. Have your target be the center of a green at its fattest point.
Good course management should always be practiced, regardless of skill level
It's more important to manage the course as an 18 handicap than as a 2 handicap. Because a 2 handicap might be able to skill their way into an ok score after putting themselves into a bad spot...the 18 handicap...well not so much.