| No matter how many golf lessons you take, | | | | Using these two principals as our foundation, let's |
| there's no "silver bullet" in golf. There's no one | | | | look at four basic management strategies that |
| thing that will suddenly change you from a player | | | | can help you guide you around the course to |
| with a high golf handicap to one with a low golf | | | | achieve better scores. |
| handicap. Regardless of how much talent you | | | | 1. Carrying Over Water |
| have, how expensive your equipment, or how | | | | If you're not certain you can carry over water |
| many golf lessons you take, you must work on | | | | with anything but your career best shot, don't try |
| the fundamentals of the golf swing to improve. | | | | it. It's not worth the risk. Lay up instead. Then try |
| But there are ways of improving your game that | | | | for a pitch and putt. You have a chance at pulling |
| don't involve swinging a club. After ironing out the | | | | it off, and even if you don't, the worst that could |
| fundamentals of the golf swing, the fastest way | | | | happen is dropping a stroke. Failure to carry the |
| for a 90-plus player to become and an 80-plus | | | | water is doubly damaging. It can affect both your |
| player is by improving his or her course | | | | score and your confidence. |
| management skills. And in golf that general means | | | | If you happen to catch the playoff hole between |
| learning the fine art of damage | | | | Zach Johnson and Ryuji Imada at the AT&T |
| limitation-something the top players in the world, | | | | Classic (TPC Sugarloaf) on Sunday, you saw the |
| like Tiger, Vijay, and Phil, all excel at. | | | | damage not laying up can bring. Imada's tee shot |
| Be Like Jack | | | | landed in the left side of the rough and his 3-wood |
| Jack Nicklaus is probably the best model for | | | | failed to clear the water, costing him the |
| anyone trying to improve his or her course | | | | tournament. If he had laid-up instead, he could still |
| management skills. Nicklaus took the art of | | | | have ended up birding the hole with a pitch and a |
| damage limitation to a new level. He rarely hit the | | | | putt. That would have put pressure on Johnson |
| wrong shot at the wrong time, or gambled when | | | | and probably kept Imada alive for another hole. |
| the odds were too heavily stacked against him. | | | | 2. Playing Long Holes |
| His approach paid off. He still has the record for | | | | When playing long par 4s where you know you |
| winning the most majors, among other things. | | | | can't hit the green in two, decide from where |
| You can sum up Nicklaus' course management | | | | ideally you'd like to play your third shot to give |
| philosophy-and that of almost every other top | | | | you the best chance of making par. Don't force |
| player-using two fundamental ideas: (1) find the | | | | your drive and don't force your second shot. |
| easiest way and (2) avoid danger. Using these | | | | Keep the ball in play. Remember while a par is |
| ideas as the foundation of your course | | | | better than a bogie, a bogie is better than a |
| management strategy can propel you to better | | | | seven. Every shot counts. |
| scores and a lower golf handicap, even if you | | | | 3. Approaching the Green |
| have limited ball-striking ability or have a poor | | | | You don't always have to attack the hole with |
| short game. | | | | your approach shot. It's sometimes much easier |
| Finding the Way | | | | to hole out with two putts from the center of |
| A golf course can be looked at as an obstacle | | | | the green, no matter where the hole is, rather |
| course in which there are easier ways and more | | | | than have to get up and down from a green side |
| difficult ways to get around. One of the keys to | | | | bunker because your approach shot was just a |
| scoring well, even on days when you're not | | | | fraction or so off line or a foot or so short. |
| playing your best, is finding the easiest path | | | | 4. Safety First |
| around the course. That generally means taking | | | | Sooner or later we're all going to get into trouble. |
| fewer shoots. This principal may not help you | | | | You may find yourself in deep rough or up against |
| shoot scores low enough to win a tournament, | | | | an obstacle. Whatever the problem, the golden |
| but it will help you limit shooting those ultra high | | | | rule is safety first. Concentrate solely on getting |
| scores that can boost your handicap and shatter | | | | back into the fairway in a good position to hit the |
| your confidence. | | | | next shot, and you will minimize the damage |
| Avoid Danger | | | | down by your original miscue. |
| Learning to avoid potential disasters can | | | | Golf instruction sessions can help you iron out |
| dramatically improve your scores. Every round | | | | your swing fundamentals and improve your |
| has critical shots. Played poorly these shots can | | | | scores. But if you really want to become a |
| radically affect your scores. These shots may | | | | top-notch player with a low golf handicap, you |
| include your drives, approach shots, chips, putts, | | | | need to supplement your golf lessons by working |
| or any combination of these shots; but whatever | | | | on your course management skills. Base your |
| they are, they cost you strokes or maybe the | | | | strategy on two key principals-find the easiest |
| hole when misplayed. How we assess these shots | | | | way around the course and avoid danger-and |
| and deal with them makes the difference | | | | you'll see your scores and golf handicap quickly |
| between good scores and bad scores. | | | | improve. |
| Basic Management Strategies | | | | |