What does course management mean to you?

Question

What does course management mean to you?

Answer 1

Short and sweet answer,

Being smart and playing to your strengths.

Answer 2

It's shot selection to give you the greatest opportunity to score well.  By that I mean, assume you're teeing off on a dog-leg to the left.  The hole measures 375 but the dogleg is 195 off the tee.  If you hit driver 240 but obviously unless you can hit a big draw you don't want your driver.  Maybe you hit a 5 wood 185-195.  That would be the correct club for you to use when teeing off.  Another example would be your second shot on a long par five.  You've already hit your 240 drive leaving say 300 to the green.  You could hit a 3 wood 210 but are more comfortable with a 150 yard approach than with a 90.  So, instead of hitting that 3 wood 210 you hit an 8 iron to 150.  Now you're left with that comfortable 150 approach shot again that you hit so well instead of trying to hit a 90 yard shot that is between your A wedge and P wedge.   Basically it's knowing your own strengths and weaknesses and applying them to your knowledge of the golf hole.

Answer 3

In addition to what knh959 put down, Course Management is going for the lowest score AND also avoiding the big numbers.  When faced with the heroic and the safe, course management says when in doubt go safe.  ( I guess lefty missed this day of class.)

Answer 4

Happy Gilmore.

Answer 5

,Course management , to me, is a continuing  thinking process for the entire round. What is the proper approach after the first drive? First, How strong do you feel on that given day? Is there  risk and reward ? Do you go full bore or do you lay up? Are you  forcing clubs for maximum distance or are you swinging smoothly with more club? Are you shooting for " sucker pins" when safety is the better choice ? Are you challenging hazards when layups are a better choice? There are times when the exact opposite mindset is required. For example; If in match play you are up on your opponent , continue playing aggressive golf. Beat him as bad as your game allows. If you err on one hole, you've only lost one hole. If the competition is stroke play, at times, you have to play safe to avoid the big number. Often times that bogey is a respectable score. Summing up, course management is making smart decisions on every shot based on experience  and  similiar positions in the past.

Answer 6

It means assessing each shot and mentally evaluating the risk/reward.   It depends on how you are hitting the ball that day.  It depends on what your goal is;  somedays just getting around the course w/o losing a ball is the goal.  Somedays its trying to shoot a low score.  Somedays its trying to beat your playing partner or others if you are in a tournament.