You can shave strokes off of your golf score with a number of different strategies. Some of these require you to improve your swing, your short game, or your putting. Some strategies simply require you to be a better thinker out on the golf course. Golf has always been known as a thinking man’s game, which is why some very smart people have been masters of the game. One of those was Ben Hogan, who is one of the most famous golfers to ever walk the course. He had some of the strongest course management skills, as evidenced by the enclosed video. In this article, we will address some of the ways that you can go to improving your golf course management.

Golf instructions video to go along with this article:

• Don’t Neglect the Wind
  On some courses, this is more important than on others. If you are playing near an ocean, the wind might have the ability to make you change a shot by two clubs or more. Regardless of if you are on a links course or you are playing an inland course, don’t neglect the wind. Golf balls are small, and their course can be significantly changed by what happens with the breeze. Get into a routine of checking the wind before each and every shot. It doesn’t matter if you are hitting a drive into a wide fairway or you are lining up a tough iron shot. The wind must be one of your chief concerns.
• Play Within Yourself
  One of the most important aspects of golf course management is knowing your own game. You can’t truly and effectively play a course unless you are fully in understanding and fully confident in your own abilities. This is true of all golfers, from the pro level down to the average weekend duffer. If you know you can’t likely hit a 3-wood shot 240 yards over water onto a small green, then your best bet is to lay up with your approach. If you know that you are likely to slice with your driver, then you shouldn’t be hitting it on a hole with water running down the right side (or left side for you left-handers). Don’t try to do too much on the course and you will find success.
• The Perfect Shot
  Too many times, golfers go out looking to hit the perfect shot every time. Even for the best in the world, the perfect shot sometimes doesn’t exist. This Youtube video talks about how Ben Hogan was never able to land a hole in one in his career. He hit a lot of balls to within birdie range, though. Sometimes it is better to just avoid a mistake rather than trying to be a hero. Par is a great score, especially for amateur golfers. You will run into trouble when you start trying to birdie every hole on the golf course. This is when you are going to hit on into the lake and take an 8 on a hole.
• Think One Shot Ahead
  The most basic principle of golf course management is to think one shot ahead. You should know, with remarkable clarity, how each shot you hit will set you up for the next shot. This way, you won’t be blindsided when you hit a drive and find out that you are blocked off from the green. If you are constantly one shot ahead, you would have known that hitting the ball to the right side of the fairway left you a straight shot at the green. Golf doesn’t have to be such a difficult game. You can make life much easier on yourself if you keep in mind what needs to happen on the next shot. That’s how Ben Hogan made his name in golf and it’s how you will take strokes off of your handicap.

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