Golf Tips: Don't Be a Sucker

Too many times our egos get in the way of good golf scores.  If we could just bring ourselves to reality and check our egos, we'd probably make better choices on the course and shoot lower scores.  But it is soooo tempting to go for the hero shot or try to carry that driver over the longest part of the hazard, or go for that sucker pin. Sucker #1 The pin is tucked right on a green which goes away from the fairway from left to right.  On the right short of the pin is a deep bunker and right of that is a water hazard.  When we're presented with this shot we think of the "perfect" club.  Let's say that the perfect distance is that of a 7-iron.  A 7-iron struck perfectly will get to pin high and carry that bunker.  We pull the 7-iron, let it fly and what happens nine times out of 10?  We go in that bunker or worse, we find the water hazard. What we fail to realize, because our egos take over, is that as amateurs we probably mis-hit that shot more times than we hit it pure.  So most of the time we're going to end up short and in trouble.  A more wise choice would have probably been to aim for the meat of the green, left of the sucker pin, with an 8-iron.  From there we'd probably two-putt and save par.  From the bunker or the hazard we're looking at bogey or worse. Sucker #2 The tee shot on a par-5 presents two options.  Left is a water hazard with a 240 yard carry, but the path to the green is shorter.  Clearing the water could mean getting home in two shots and perhaps an eagle!  Going right off the tee takes the water out of play, but also takes getting there in two out of play.  What to do? In this case our egos probably take over and we try to fly the driver over the water.  Once again, as amateurs we don't hit our shots pure as often as we think we do.  The ball flies 239 yards, missing clearing the hazard by a yard.  But now we must hit from where it last crossed or re-tee.  From this point making a par is going to nearly impossible.  A double is the likely score, worse if we try to challenge the water again. The safe play for the non-sucker, was to play the hole as a three-shot proposition and take a chance at making birdie after the 3rd shot approach.  Instead, we're looking at a 7 or 8. Conclusion Go for the fat part of the green.  Go for the shorter carry.  Go for the conservative shot.  It may seem less exciting, but when you shoot lower scores, you'll be glad you did.