Manage Your Golf Handicap
It’s another day in the Pro Shop at my Golf Club and I am giving out scorecards for the weekly tournament, when along comes Jim, a Golf Club member grumbling about his bad luck on the golf course. I asked him what’s wrong and he replied that they should dig up the 13th hole. I can never make a par there he says, it always destroys my scorecard as well as a few other holes I could tell you about.
I knew Jim to have a mid to high handicap so I asked him to tell me his exact handicap, I play off a 17 handicap he said. just to let you know The 13th Hole at our golf course is a 368yd par 4 with a stroke index of 2. So I asked Jim what is your par for that hole? It’s a par 4 Kevin you know it is, he replied. It is for me I said, but what’s your par? He looked at me with a vacant stare so I proceeded to explain to him my meaning.
Your par for that hole is 5 not 4, with your handicap you can take a 5 and still not lose anything in relation to your handicap. So each time you stand on that tee and think about making 4 you are making it harder for yourself. But if you stood on the thirteenth tee and said to yourself it’s a par 5 you can bet the hole is gonna seem a lot easier to play. I am positive you would be more relaxed and think, that’s not hard I can do that, and that is exactly how you should tackle every hole you play.
And that’s the problem most mid to high handicap golfers have, they are not playing their own game they are trying to play low handicap golf. This is where good course management and mental approach comes in to play.
What you should do is make out a your own personal scorecard relative to your handicap. With Jim’s handicap there is only one hole on the course that he is expected to par and that is stroke index 18 the easiest hole on the course. If your golf course has a par of 70 and you are playing off 15 then your par for the course is 85. I hope you can understand this here because it’s an important part of managing your game.
I know it goes against the grain but it will make each hole seem easier and allow you to play with and relax. Instead of getting out the driver on these tougher holes and then messing up because you feel you must try to get a par, take golf clubs you are more confident with. Now you have your new mental approach with regard to par you will be pleased to see how much easier it is to play each individual hole A par 4 on the golf course where you have a stroke means 3 strokes to reach the green and 2 putts. Think this way and you will be pleasantly surprised how many times you make an actual par, which in your case means … BIRDIE ….
I finished off by telling Jim to think about your mental approach to the golf course now! Standing on par 3′s that now become par 4′s .. How much easier is that on the mind? With a nod of thanks and a gleam in his eye Jim wandered off to the bar to join his friends and have a well-earned drink.
This great game of golf is difficult enough without putting too much pressure on yourself. Manage your own game better by thinking correctly and your golf course management will improve along with your enjoyment of the game. Look at every hole on your golf course in a new light. Draw up your own personal scorecard.. NOW !!
Tags: golf course, high handicap, more confidence
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