Golf Course Management - Tips

Golf Course Management - The Toughest Outlook in Golf. 

Lets dissect the words Golf Course Management.

Golf Course - A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick ("pin") and hole ("cup"), all designed for the game of golf.

Management - Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of coordinating the efforts of people to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively.

With the two definitions above you have to take a look at Managing your round at the golf course.  You have to establish goals of your round with objectives to accomplish what you are seeking your outcome to become.

Below are tips on how to better course manage and get your score lower.

Goal/Objectives -

• Final Score
• Plan of attack
• Hole by hole objective
• Execution

1. Determine the Final Score Goal
2. Plan of attack
• Evaluate the Course
• course layout
• yardage
• rough
• elevation differences
• Wind direction and speed
3. Hole by Hole objective
• Plan each shot per hole (work from pin back)
• Is green sloped, flat, undulating
• determine spot you need to hit green with approach shot allowing position needed for optimal chance at 1 putting.
• Determine yardage you desire to hit to spot determined on green
• Distance from Tee area to determined yardage of approach shot (this will determine club you will want to hit from Tee area
4. Execution
• Be Accurate
• Avoid the common mistake of trying to hit the ball as far as you can every time off of the tee on par fours and fives at the expense of accuracy.  The benefit of having a shorter approach shot to a green is more often than not lost one the ball rolls out of bounds or into a hazard because you have tried to hit the ball as far as physically possible  Novices will typically struggle to hit their driver with any degree of accuracy ad until the club is mastered the lower-numbered woods should be used off the tee to keep the ball in the fairway and give the player a realistic shot at hitting the green.
• Have Targets
• Try to have a tangible target for every shot you take on the golf course.  Rather than hitting the ball towards the green and hoping it lands somewhere that gives you a decent chance at an approach, you need to plan for the hole.  Once you have become acquainted with the course and have a good concept of where it is advantageous to be on each of its holes, pick out targets n the background to aim for.  Know where the hazards are, especially the "blind" ones that cannot be seen from the fairway, and have targets chosen that can keep you clear of them  One of the key aspects of golf course management is hitting shots that make your next shot less difficult.  Rather than try to hit at a flagstick on a green, it is sometimes advisable to hit to a spot that gives you an uphill putt at the hold or keeps the ball away from a bunker.  Having a target in mind during a shot can help you to achieve these goals.
• Play Intelligently
• Playing smart and controlling your emotions are a large part of good golf course management.  By not abandoning a game plan and focusing on each shot, you can become a consistent player.  Many golfers make the error of thinking about upcoming shots and lose their concentration on the shot about to be played, causing a poor result  The mistake then gets compounded when he tries to recover with a shot that is well beyond his ability  It is important to realize your limitations, understand which clubs you have a good feel for and which you need to work on, and then use this knowledge on the course.  Realize that you cannot duplicate the shots that you have seen professionals make on television and don't let your ego dictate your next move on the course.

By using the above information you should be able to better understand not only your game and limitations but be able to manage the course to allow you to score better than you ever have.

Until next time,  by learning your limitations, staying within yourself, and checking your ego at the door you will have a lot of fun on the course....

 

Tournament Practice - Taking a Break Playing a Golf Scramble Best Ball Tournament

I took a break yesterday from my regular practice to play in a scramble best ball tournament.

Every now and then you need to do something fun and enjoyable instead of steady focus on the work.

During the scramble I was paired up with a 3 gentlemen from a minor league baseball team franchise.  The neat thing is they were the General Manager, Director of Marketing and Directory of Graphics.   They played great golf and we enjoyed the communication of what goes on in their lives as professionals in the baseball field. 

During the tournament I still practiced though I didn't have to focus as much as I do when I practice and play in regular tournaments.

The warm up for the tournament I still used my same warm up drills as I would for a regular tournament.  Some things I don't change.

• Stretch
• 52 degree wedge half shots (warming up my body)
• 52 degree wedge
• full shots
• draw
• fade
• trajectory (different flight paths)
• 8 Iron
• full shots
• draw
• fade
• half swings
• 3/4 swings
• trajectory (different flight paths)
• 5 Iron
• full shots
• draw
• fade
• half swings
• 3/4 swings
• trajectory (different flight paths)
• hybrid
• full shots
• draw
• fade
• stingers
• 3 wood
• full shots
• draw
• fade
• stingers
• Driver
• draw
• fade
• 60 degree wedge
• full shot
• half shot
• flop shot
• low trajectory
• high trajectory
• fade
• draw
• Chipping around green
• pitch run
• chip
• flop
• Putting
• 25 foot range lag putting
• 6 foot range
• 3 foot range

This is my normal warm up for tournaments.  Some things I just don't like changing routine on.

One thing I have learned is that to have a good game and swing you have to learn to have the same routine for every practice and swing.  All swings should look and feel the same with no changes if possible.   

The more it becomes part of you the more it becomes intuitive.

Now for the Scramble Best Ball Tournament.  We had a wonderful time.  Everyone played fairly within their own strengths.  I enjoy these kind of tournaments for I can experiment  in different situations attempting shots that I have been practicing on and not worry if they go array.

As a group we ended up 7 under par and in third place.

Like I stated at the beginning, sometimes you just got to have fun and relax and take away from the focus and grind.

Until next time, take it easy and don't worry about the small stuff.......

Following the Golf Dream - Another Day of Practice - 3 hole drill Course Management

Well it has been a couple of days since my last post.

Between the rain, power outage and practice it has been an interesting couple of days.

As I mentioned in my past post, I am recovering from a broken finger so I am easing into my game.

I spent a lot of time on the short game the last two days.   I have worked on the routine presented in the last post.  As I have stated before, the most important part of the game is 150 yards in.

Today, I decided to walk 3 holes after a little warm up on the range to see what else I need to practice on.  I also wanted to see how my finger would do in game conditions.

Even though I warmed up, I still was a little skittish on whether my finger would hurt or not.  I pushed my drives leaving me in deep rough on all three holes.  Being in the deep rough I would have a good test of how my finger would do.  It didn't feel bad, but could feel it.  I also learned that my distance was a little shortened because I was favoring my right hand.

With the first two holes being par 5's I left my self short of the green on my second shot.  The first hole from 10 yards just off the green and the second hole 75 yards short of the green.  Utilizing my chipping drills I have been practicing, I was able to get up and down giving myself 2 birdies.

On the third hole, a par 4, again pushing the drive right and hitting from the rough I left my second shot short of the green again.  I was able to chip to 5 feet and one put to get my par.

What the 3 hole practice and course management has told me, I am still mentally hesitant and concerned my finger will hurt or I will re-injure it again.  I also saw that the work on my short game has definitely paid off.   Because of the work I have done on my short game, I am not concerned over temporary loss of distance with my full shots and missing the green on my approach shots.

Well time to close and spend some time with my wife before we go to sleep.

Until next time, remember perfection is not achievable in golf, but progression is.......

Warming up at The Range, 9 tips

Well it is another day at the Range.

Most people when they go to the golf range they just buy the bucket of range balls and then start hitting with their driver usually.  Everyone seems to like the long ball.  They like seeing it go beyond the border of the range.  Well, they would like to think so anyway. 

If you want to improve your game go to the range and practice with a purpose.

1.  What am I going to work on today.
2.  Plan a time frame of approximately 15 minute intervals working on different areas
3.  Before you start stretch.
4.  Warm up with the wedge group taking half swings loosening your muscles.
5.  Start working on what you planned and stick with it.
6.  If you start getting frustrated change what you are working on, take a break and come back to it later.
7.  Once you have completed your planned work out, cool down
8.  Hit the last few balls from the bucket with half swings of the wedge aiming at same distance target.
9.  Stretch again before leaving range.

When practicing at the range and not on the course you will become more consistent with your shot making and will be able to reduce your score.

I was listening to Gary Player during an interview and he told a story; He was practicing hitting sand shots at the practice green and three shots in a row went into the hole on the green.  A fellow golfer saw this and commented, wow, that was sure lucky.  Gary responded, yep, the more I practice the luckier I get.

Remember, enjoy the game and have fun.

Until next time take your frustrations out on the range and not the course.

Bye for now.....

My Golf Dream

Hello.  I have just been led to start blogging about my dream from childhood of becoming a professional golfer, player, and teacher of the game I have found out that dreams do come true if you have patience, work hard and never give up.  I was told for many years in my childhood that I couldn't do this or that, that I wasn't good enough or smart enough by many different people. I listened to those people and began to believe it for many years,  instead of listening to myself and what God was leading me to do.  People are not always right!

I was five years old when I started learning the game of golf.  You see my dad was playing it quit a bit and bringing home trophies and I thought that was cool.  He watched the game on TV on the weekends after he returned from the golf course or if the weather was not cooperative.  We watched because he controlled the TV even when he was snoring (clearing his throat).  As children we didn't want to watch golf really and while he was clearing his throat we tried to change the channel.  Only to hear, hey I was watching that, turn it back.  We informed dad, your eyes were closed and you were snoring and he would reply, "I wasn't snoring, I was clearing my throat and my eyes were resting not closed."  My dad was a very talented golfer who loved the game and still does.  You see he is 83 years old and still loves and plays the game.  He is still tough to beat.  He told me at end of last year he shot his age which at the time was 82.  Wow, I hope I can do that at his age. 

I started playing with my Mom's clubs, I don't think she played much after I started using them.  I don't think she ever found her clubs again, because I had them all the time.  I started caddying during the summer months in between baseball and football.  I remember caddying for my dad at the local golf club pushing his cart.  Every now and then when the course wasn't busy we were allowed to play a hole or two.  I think I was 8 years old I had my first par on a par 4 golf hole.  My dad was a very patient and talented player in his own right.  When we were young kids we saw his trophies as play things and didn't understand their importance until later.  When I was older in High School I played a lot with my dad and found out that while he was in the military in the 50's he had played with Chi Chi Rodriquez and Gary Player down in Texas.  I also found out that I caddied at the same course my Dad did when he was a child.  That was another wow in my life.  Doing something that both my Dad and I enjoy has given me great memories throughout all my life. 

I have always loved he game.  Watching my Dad play, playing rounds with my Dad, watching Jack Nicklaus on TV.  Caddying in the Hawaiian Open in 1996 in the Pro-Am was delightful and awesome.  Watching Corey Pavin win, following Jack Nicklaus and listening to Andy Bean and Fuzzy Zoeller on the Practice tee with an amateur between them cutting on the amateurs on how they think they don't need to have a practice round for the amateurs and only for the pros because the amateurs always play well and then choke during the actual pro-am.  The amateur was listening to this and then asked the two pro's, " Why do you pick on us amateurs like that?",  Only to hear Fuzzy spout back "because your pay for this abuse".  They all laughed.  Even though I was 26 at the time and in the Military, wow, what a great opportunity that was seeing for the first time in person some of the greats in golf and played on a great course.  Of course now it is called the Sony Open in Hawaii.

Well it is time to get some practice in and spend some time with my fabulous wife.  I will write on how I started getting back to my dream on my next entries.   Take Care.

I will leave with two statements:  One I don't agree with because I enjoy good walks and that is Mark Twain who stated:  "Golf is a good walk ruined".  apparently Mark Twain never understood or played Golf.

The other is:  Walter Hagen stated, "Three bad shots and one good shot is still a 4".

Until next time....