Diamond Author
Every golfer's goal is to pass a benchmark score. Those three are the major ones, and when we do it for the first time, break out the champagne! What golfers approaching those benchmark scores don't realize is, they had the game all along to do it. They just weren't planning for it in the right way.
Here's the wrong way to plan for it: go out to the course, play 18 holes, and see what score you get. With this plan, eventually you'll have a good day but that can be a long time coming, with lots of frustration along the way.
If you want to take charge of your scoring, rather than leaving it to chance, prepare yourself by accepting The Realization and making The Plan.
The Realization is that good scores are not made by making great shots. They are made by getting the ball in the hole in the fewest number of strokes. In other words, stop playing to impress your buddies, or even yourself. Play to get the ball in the hole.
The Plan is to separate the eighteen holes into two groups -- the ones you can take an extra stroke on, and the ones you can't.
For example: you want to break 100. That means you can get bogey on nine holes, and double bogey on nine holes. Identify the nine holes that are hardest for you, and play them deliberately for double bogey. Play safe off the tee, safe up the fairway, safe onto the green, and safe into the hole. The other nine holes are bogey holes. Play to get onto the green in one extra stroke, then take your two putts. All that adds up to 99.
Now you don't have to hit great shots to do that. If you do hit a few, fine. Passable shots with a handful of good ones will do. You'll keep the ball in play and avoid blowup holes that you can't recover from.
Meet the other benchmark scores the same way. Play every hole for bogey except the easiest one, and you play that for par, and that's 89. Play the hardest seven holes for bogey and the rest for par, and there's your 79.
The point is to stop trying to be a hero on every hole. Pick your spots and play within yourself the rest of the time. That's how professionals play, that's how you should play.
About this Author
Bob Jones is a golf researcher who can show you the reason why you don't strike the ball as consistently as you would like to. It's a little thing, and anyone learn to do it right, in just minutes, right at home. Find out what it is in this FREE download at www.therecreationalgolfer.com.
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