Each golfer experiences course management differently, making it an intriguing topic to explore and discuss. Depending on your performance level, i.e., how repeatable you are at hitting a shot, can change what your course management looks like.
Throughout our exploration of this pillar of SSG, we will discuss how to apply course management promptly to your game. A summarized definition of course management is a golfer’s ability to manage their golf game around the course. I like to think about this in two different ways.
One aspect is a player’s ability to create a game plan before starting a round and to adhere to it throughout the game. What this looks like is Hole 1: I am going to pull driver and aim at the first tree on the left. Then you draw it out of bounds. I re-tee and hit one down the middle. Then, on Hole 2, I pull the same driver and aim down the left again. Your goal is sticking to your plan. I rarely alter my game plan. The biggest reason to alter my game plan is if I have lost all confidence in the club I am about to hit, meaning I can’t say with any certainty what my ball will do in the air.
The second aspect is to avoid making cascading mistakes on the course. A cascading mistake, also known as a cascading failure, occurs when one initial mistake leads to additional mistakes without stopping. This type of mistake often shows up in the golf game as double bogeys or worse, and any mistake can lead to one. The upside to a cascading mistake in golf is that it happens even to pros, and it can be stopped as long as the next shot you hit has the highest chance of success and gets you out of trouble. This can mean punching out of the trees only 25 yards than trying to hit it low through the trees.
Considering course management in this way helps reduce the likelihood of mistakes while also acknowledging that mistakes are inevitable. After all, golf is a game of mistakes; it’s up to you how you manage them.
A lot more goes into having a game plan and being able to stop a cascading mistake. In this weekly newsletter, we will break down every aspect of course management.
I want to hear from you: how do you use course management in your game?
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