Planning Your Golf Game: Three Easy Strategies

The best golfers start every round with a plan for how they're going to approach the course. They know which holes they can attack and which holes are best to play safely. So should you.

Many people say that golf is 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical. You'll find a lot of truth in that statement. The fewer mental errors you make, the lower your score will be. And the great thing about bad thinking is that everyone at every level of play can work on eliminating it.

Think of golf as a game of chess. You have to think two or three moves ahead every time you hit the ball. Over every shot, you should be thinking, "Where do I need to put this ball in order to make my next shot as easy as possible?"

Strategy 1: Don't be a sucker

You're playing a 170-yard par-3 hole (see Figure 1). As you can see, the hole is cut toward the left side of the green, behind a large bunker. If your first inclination is to fire straight at the flag, think again. Ask yourself these questions:

• What are your chances of bringing off such a difficult shot successfully?

• What happens if you miss?

• Is the shot too risky?

Figure 1: Don't be a sucker and aim straight for the flag, as the dotted path shows; instead, take the safer path away from the bunker.

If the answers are (a) less than 50 percent, (b) you take five to get down from the bunker, or (c) yes, then play toward the safe part of the green. Only if you happen to be an exceptional bunker player should you even attempt to go for the flag.

Think of it this way: Golf is a game of numbers. If you shoot at the pin here, you bring the number 2 into play. If you hit a great shot, you have a great opportunity for a deuce. That's the upside. The downside is that missing the green makes the numbers 5, 6, and maybe even 7 possibilities, especially if you aren't too strong from sand or if you're unlucky enough to find a really bad lie.

If, on the other hand, you play for the middle of the green, your numbers are reduced. Say you hit the putting surface with your first shot. In all likelihood, the most you can take for the hole is 4, and you can take that only if you three-putt. You'll get a lot of 3s from that position, and once in a while you'll hole the long putt — so a 2 isn't impossible.

Even if you miss the green on that side, the odds are that you're going to be left with a relatively simple chip or pitch. So unless you mess up terribly, 4 is again your worst possible score for the hole.

Strategy 2: Know that your driver isn't always best

You're on a par-4 hole of just over 400 yards (see Figure 2). But the actual yardage isn't that important. The key to this hole is the narrowing of the fairway at the point where your drive is most likely to finish.

Figure 2: Go for the wide part of the fairway by using less club (a 3-wood or 5-wood, for example).

When this situation comes up, tee off with your 3-wood, 5-wood, or whatever club you can hit safely into the wide part of the fairway. Even if you can't quite reach the green in two shots, that's the best strategy.

Again, it's a question of numbers. If you risk hitting your driver and miss the fairway, you're going to waste at least one shot getting the ball back into play — maybe more than one if you get a bad lie. Then you still have a longish shot to the green. If you miss the green, you're going to take at least 6 shots. Not good.

Now follow a better scenario. You hit your 3-wood from the tee safely down the fairway. Then you hit your 5-wood, leaving the ball about 25 yards from the green. All you have left is a simple little chip or pitch. Most times, you're not going to take more than 5 from this position. Indeed, you'll nearly always have a putt for a 4.

All this requires of you is that you pay attention to the layout of the hole and plan accordingly.

Strategy 3: Play three easy shots

The par-5 hole is long, just over 500 yards (see Figure 3). Your first inclination is again to reach for your driver. Most of the time, your driver is probably the correct play — but not always. Look at this hole. You can break this down into three relatively easy shots with the same club.

Figure 3: Turn long holes into three easy shots.

Say you hit your 4-iron 170 yards. Three shots can put you on the green. Breaking down the shot is easier for the beginning player than trying to squeeze every possible yard out of the driver and getting into trouble.

Remember, no law of golf says that you have to use your driver from the tee!

If you don't feel comfortable with your driver, go with your 3-wood. If your 3-wood doesn't feel right, go to the 5-wood. And if you still aren't happy, try your 3-iron. Don't hit until you're confident that you can hit the ball into the fairway with the club in your hands.

Most golfers would rather be 200 yards from the tee and in the fairway than 250 yards out in the rough. If you don't believe this, try this test: Every time you miss a fairway from the tee, pick your ball up and drop it 15 yards farther back — but in the middle of the fairway. Then play from there.

Bet you'll shoot anywhere from 5 to 10 shots fewer than normal for 18 holes. In other words, it's much better to be in a spot where you can hit the ball cleanly than in a tough spot — even if the clean shot puts you farther from the green.