Course Management Basics: How to Think Your Way Around the Golf Course

Brian Smith, Owner B.A. Golf Instruction

March 1, 2025

Golf is more than just a test of skill, it’s a game of strategy. While a great swing is certainly important, making smart decisions as you navigate the course is just as critical. Course management is about thinking ahead to the next shot, playing to your strengths, and avoiding unnecessary risks. Hitting the longest drive isn’t always the most important tactic, but rather making the smartest decisions.  We do not want to score big numbers.

Pick the Right Target

Don't always aim at the flag.  That is usually not the smartest choice.  Most professionals during any given round only aim at a small percentage of pins.  If a pin is well protected, aiming for the center of the green is the better play. Two putt, get your par, and move on to the next hole. The goal is to give yourself the best chance at par or birdie without bringing big numbers into play. 

Know When to Lay Up

Going for a par-5 in two might be exciting, but if there is water or deep bunkers around the green, laying up to your favorite wedge distance is the smarter move. The same goes for difficult approach shots. Don’t let your ego or your knuckle head buddies pressure you into making a bad choice.  That's what they want so they can win the hole. Play smarter, play better. Going for position, rather than attacking a difficult pin or hitting a low percentage second shot on a par-5, is often the best play.  Remember, we do not want to make more than bogey.  No big numbers!

Adjust for Conditions

Golf courses change throughout the day. Morning dew, afternoon wind, and firm greens all play a role in how shots react. Pay attention to these factors and adjust your club selection and shot shape accordingly. If the greens are fast, aim for safer spots. If the wind is strong, don’t force aggressive shots that could get blown offline.  Be able to recognize when to take more or less club.  Look at the trees and toss some grass in the air to determine wind direction and speed.  If there is dew on the greens, you will need to hit a putt a little firmer than normal.  If it is colder, the ball will not travel as far, so club up.    

Stay Patient and Avoid the Hero Shot

Every golfer has faced that tempting over, around or the low shot through the trees. While it’s fun to attempt, it’s usually not the smart move.  If you do go for the under the trees shot, play the ball back in your stance, use a lower lofted club, get a slight forward shaft lean and finish with low hands. Be ready for the ricochet back at your noggin because unless you practice this shot and have it in your bag, it probably won't go well.  Punching back into the fairway and saving bogey is better than trying a miracle shot that leads to double or worse. Golf rewards patience and decision-making.  Trust your strategy and you will score better. Again, no big numbers!

 Play Smart, Leave the Driver in the Bag

It is tempting to pull out the driver on every par-4 and par-5, but that’s not always the best move. If a hole has tight fairways or hazards in play, consider using a 3-wood, 5-wood, hybrid or long iron to ensure accuracy.  Something you are confident can find a fairway.  Being in the fairway with a slightly longer approach is often better than hitting a driver into trouble and risk scoring a big number.  Becoming proficient with multiple clubs off the tee is a necessary skill to shoot lower scores.

Basic management strategy for a short par-4 with water down the right side.

Situational Practice

One way to make practice more exciting is utilizing situational practice.  By using your imagination and even some technology (a course GPS map on your phone), you can practice hitting certain shots tailored to specific holes.  For example, if a hole that gives you trouble at your home course is a right dog leg, practice hitting your tee shot on the range to mimic how you would off the tee of that particular hole.  Use a tree in the background at the range as a starting point and pick another target for the desired end point of your shot.  Then switch clubs and hit the iron you would likely hit as your approach shot to the green.  You are now playing that golf hole on the range using your imagination.  Not only is this situational practice, it is differentiated practice, meaning you are not just going through your bag on the range with no real purpose.  You are hitting clubs in a manner similar to that on the golf course.  Situational practice focuses the mind and makes practice more realistic and fun.  Practicing can be frustrating and even boring. So make it as fun as possible. Ben Hogan said, “the secret is in the dirt.”   The fact is, hitting hundreds of balls is key to improvement, as is taking lessons so you are implementing proper technique in your swing, and then practicing more.

Most habitual golfers have had a round where they felt, for their skill level, unstoppable.  Hitting fairways, sinking putts, and managing the course. But we’ve also had days where nothing goes right.  Where bad decisions make a poor swing worse. The key is learning from those mistakes and trusting that smart, simple golf leads to better scores. The next time you're on the course, focus on making one good decision at a time. Play within yourself, keep the ball in play, and remember, golf is meant to be enjoyed.