Golf Tips for Beginners

The following Golf Tips are reprinted with permission from the "Golf Beginner Guide", a full 272 page resource for Golf Beginners. For only $29.50 you get an incredible amount of invaluable tips, lessons and advice - great value for money. Click the above link to find out more!

Effective course management can improve your game markedly, just as poor course management will end up costing you more shots than you deserve to. Being careless, not putting in the effort, and not concentrating can easily become habits, and a costly one at that.

Course management is one of the most misunderstood terms in golf. It's often thought to be what you use once you're already in trouble. But it goes further than that. If you approach golf as a thinking game, course management can become a part of every shot you take.

"Getting out of a bad situation without going more than two shots over par" seems to be the most common definition of course management. This is an important aspect, but by no means is it all there is to say.

Effective course management, however, consists of being strategic when your game isn't in trouble. It should go down to the smallest aspects, like which side of the tee you choose on par 4 and 5s. with a tree line going down the left side of the fairway, driving from the right is the smarter way to play. Loft is also a consideration, along with the wind. Think before you hit: it's no use complaining about the wind because you haven't factored it into your shot.

Par 3 tee shots are a good place to employ course management. Deciding where you want to leave the ball is important, depending on the slope. If the pin is hidden behind a trap, it's more strategic to aim for the middle of the green tan straight at the pin. Many seniors don't use a big enough club when it comes to par3s: a five-,or even a seven-wood can be a good choice.

Don't leave course management out when contemplating chips and pitches. Deciding where to leave a pitch or chip shot is doubly important on a severe slope - think about it before your shot. Try to put yourself below the hole. You can't put yourself precisely where you want to be every time, but a plan will help, as opposed to unthinking play.

The greens are where course management comes into its own. We all like to be aggressive sometimes, but prudence that really helps sink putts. There's nothing worse than getting a bogie for being to bold on a birdie shot.

Effective course management comes down to concentrating and seeing every shot as part of a broader picture. If you think throughout the game, you put yourself at an advantage over those playing a series of disconnected shots. Don't leave it until you're in big trouble: prepare mentally for each and every shot. That's what effective course management is all about.