How to Beat a Golf Course That Has Your Number

Playing a variety of golf courses is one of the best ways to keep the game fun as the years go by.  Needless to say, it can get a little boring to play the same course over and over again.  However, while it is great to get around to play different courses, this plan comes with one little problem – you are bound to come across a course that simply has your number.

For whatever reason, some golf courses do not agree with some golfers.  Even if a course isn’t particularly hard, it might have just the right combination of hazards and dog legs to give you fits.  These problems don’t always make sense, either – sometimes it is a course that you love to play that just won’t reward you with a good score.

To get over this hurdle and post a good score on a course that has historically given you all sorts of trouble, you will need a good plan and some fresh thinking.  Hopefully the ideas below will be what it takes to allow you to conquer this dreaded course once and for all.

The Definition of Insanity

You have probably heard the expression that the “definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result.”  In other words, if you keep playing a course the same way, you are going to keep shooting the same disappointing scores.

The first thing you should do in the pursuit of changing your luck on a particular course is change the way you approach it from the first tee onward.  Do you usually unload with drivers on all of the fours and fives?  Try hitting fairway woods and long irons to play for accuracy.  Or, if you normally take the conservative route, try opening it up and see how it goes.  Even if your change in approach doesn’t work on every hole, you just might locate a few opportunities to position your ball in a better spot.

There is simply no reason to keep playing a course (or hole for that matter) the same way over and over if it isn’t working.  Take a step back, evaluate your usual plan of attack on the course, and go in the opposite direction.

This approach might take you somewhat out of your comfort zone, but it will be good for you to experiment with playing the course using a different style.  Hopefully, at the end of the day, you will find that your change of pace led you to posting a score that is better than what you usually manage to record.

Look for Small Victories

One problem that is dealt with by many golfers when playing a course that gives them trouble is the weight of expectation.  Knowing they don’t usually play well on a particular course, some players will head into the round already expecting to fail.  That is obviously a bad way to play golf.

Instead of thinking about your final score before you even tee off, start the round simply looking for small victories.  Did you manage to hit the first green, or did you make par on the first hole?  Feel good about that accomplishment, and look to add to it on the second hole.

By simplifying your thinking and congratulating yourself on small victories, you can slowly change your mindset and attitude about the course.

Play Different Tees

It shouldn’t be seen as a white flag if you want to move up and play some shorter tees on a course that usually takes your lunch.  You don’t have to commit to playing these shorter tees forever – just try them out once or twice to see if you can build some confidence by shooting a lower score.

Photo via Flickr

Simply seeing some pars (and a couple birdies) on your scorecard at that course might be all it takes to pump you full of confidence.  Next time, when you move back to your regular tees, you will have good memories and you may be able to post a much better performance than ever before.

Swear Off Penalty Strokes

Okay – so it might not be as easy as just ‘swearing off’ penalty strokes.  However, this concept should be at the heart of your approach to a course that tends to beat you up.

It’s hard to post a terrible score without taking on several penalty strokes along the way, so pick each shot as you move through the round with the goal of avoiding penalties.  If you can steer your ball around all 18 holes without finding any water or out of bounds or anything else that will add a stroke to your score, you will be in good shape.

Patience is required when playing to avoid hazards, but then again patience is always required when trying to play good golf.

Avoid It for A While

If all else fails, you might be able to get over this mental (and physical) hurdle simply by not playing the course for a while.  If you just avoid making a tee time on this particular course for a month or two while you are busy playing other places, you may have a fresh perspective when you do return.

It is easy to keep running headlong into the same problems in life when you are too close to see a solution – and that is very much true in golf.  If you keep playing the course over and over with bad results, you are going to get frustrated as you continue to make the same mistakes.  Step back, take a break, and come back with the right attitude for success.

It’s certainly annoying when a golf course seems to have your number, but it doesn’t need to stay that way.  By taking a fresh look at the course and trying some alternative strategies, you should be able to crack the code and post a score that you can be proud of in the near future.

Cover Photo via Flickr