It’s another day in the Golf Shop at my Golf Club and I am passing out scorecards for the weekly golf competition, when in walks Jim, a club member bemoaning his luck on the golf course. What’s wrong i asked and he said that they should destroy the 13th hole. It’s a nightmare for me he says, it always destroys my scorecard along with a few other holes I could tell you about.
Jim has a mid to high golf handicap so I asked him what’s your handicap these days Jim? i am a 17 handicap he said. just to let you know The 13th Hole on 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 put him out of his misery.
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 the 13th tee and think about making a par 4 you are making it harder for yourself. Now if you stood on that 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 sure you would be more relaxed and think, that’s not difficult 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 scratch golf. This is where good course management and mental approach comes in to play.
You must make out a your own personal scorecard relative to your handicap. With Jim’s handicap there is only one hole on the golf 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 get my drift here because it’s an important part of golf course management.
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 golf hole. A par 4 on the golf course where you have a shot 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 ended by telling Jim to think about your 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 left the shop and set off to the bar to join his friends and have a well-earned drink.
This great game of golf is difficult enough without putting a lot of pressure on yourself. Manage your own game better by thinking correctly and your course management will improve along with your enjoyment of the game. Look at every hole at your golf course in a different light. Draw up your own personal scorecard.. NOW !!
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