Hey Quite The Chap here for GolfersRX. Is course strategy part of your strategy when you’re on the course…in today’s video.

You walk up to the tee pull driver and blast away. Or you stand on that 155 yard par 3 and pull your 155 yard club and blast away. But there might be some decisions we can make before we pull that club.

Here’s a short par 4 with water starting 210 yards out on the lefthand side.

Three options depending on your shot shape:
1. layup short of the water and play it safe
2. if you play a cut, take your driver and aim down the right side of the hazard and cut it back to the fairway
3. if you draw the ball refer to option one

Take the big number out of play on this, pretty straightforward hole.

Here’s a 155 yard downhill par 3 with the pin tucked in the back right corner
1. take a club that you hit less than 155 yards…long here is dead and short you can get up and down
3. if you play a cut start the ball at the left side of the green and cut it back towards the pin…worse case scenario is that it ends up in the middle of the green
4. if you play a draw…start it at the pin and work it back to the centre of the green. Worse case scenario is that you end up on the left side.

It’s not always about smashing and bashing. It’s not always about going for the pin. It’s about playing smart shots when smart shots are required. You can shave off a handful of strokes if you just take a second to visualize how the hole is played in an ideal situation. Get in the fairway and aim for the fat part of the green.

Until next time, keep it simple.