Links, Lies, & Letters

1. No double bogeys!
Jack gave Rory this one advice to prepare Rory for his second Masters win, and little wonder why–making double bogeys is a surefire way to kill one’s scores. Each double bogey cancels out two pars, and the more you make them, the recovery simply becomes Sisyphean. Thus, an amateur’s best bet for lowering scores is avoiding blow-up holes, not hunting for birdies.

2. No 3 putts!
Putts are 50% of the score for a par player. Every 3 putt you make puts pressure on the rest of your golf game where the required movements need more effort, there are hazards on the way, and the room for error is smaller. It’s easier to avoid blowing up your scores on the green, so brush up on lag putting. And for amateurs in particular, practicing distance control has a better ROI than a perfecting greens-reading abilities.

3. No double chips!
Be a good enough at chipping to avoid flubbing it or setting the ball sailing across the green; for once it’s on the green, it takes no special heroics to 2 putt it for the win. Once you can accomplish that, work on increasing chipping accuracy so the first putt gets shorter and more makeable. Getting it in the hole is nice, but optional, so don’t put yourself in a worse position for it. Amateurs, particularly high handicappers, can make more accurate chips by opting to use a Texas wedge whenever possible, or defaulting to bump and runs with longer irons. The soaring, spinny chip shots with the high-lofted wedges may be more satisfying, but they are more difficult to execute–they need more energy, a finer touch, and they are more affected by the wind.

4. No bogeys on approach shots!
Within approach range, the name of the game is avoiding mistakes. Approach shots drive scoring more than any other category besides putting: without the accuracy and the distance control of a tour pro, it will serve you better to hold off on the pin-seeking and aim for the fat part of the green, which is generally, but not always, the center. The higher the handicap, the greater the shot dispersion. Pin-seeking behavior could very well lead to a ball in cat litter, in the drink, buried in highly-flubbable rough, on a nasty, severely sloping lie, or on some diabolical combination of the above.

5. No bogeys on par 5s!
Par 5s are the scoring holes, but this does not mean piling on the pressure and playing par 5s like eagle holes–not even Tiger had a birdie average for par 5s–it means avoiding bogeys. Par 5s present you with the opportunity to make comfortable GIRs and comfortable pars. Don’t fret about not reaching the green in two. In fact, refrain from the temptation of making aggressive second shots that will likely put you in a bad position. No one is making you do forced carries over hazards or use long clubs on nasty lies. There’s no rule saying you have to follow driver with your unstable 3-wood swing.