In a recent Pro-Am golf tournament, I had the opportunity to
play with several different amateurs of varying skill levels. The
one consistent flaw that was repeated by almost all the players was
not choosing the right club for the shot.
In a recent Pro-Am golf tournament, I had the opportunity to play with several different amateurs of varying skill levels. The one consistent flaw that was repeated by almost all the players was not choosing the right club for the shot.
When choosing the proper club, yardage is only one of the factors to consider. Most people make their first mistake right there. Take the time to measure what the “true” yardage is on the shot that you are faced with. True yardage means taking in account if the shot is uphill or downhill, into the wind or with the wind, and where the pin placement is on the green.
I had one of my playing partners learn this the hard way. After reading on the scorecard that this particular par 3 was 153 yards long. He proceeded to hit the right club for that yardage. I got to the tee after he had already hit. As his ball sailed over the green, I showed him that the tees were about 10 yards closer that day and we had a substantial prevailing wind making the true yardage only about 135 yards.
Unfortunately, he went on to take a six on that hole. A much higher score than he deserved considering how well he hit his tee shot.
Pin placement is another area that most players neglect to account for. Most courses are measured to the center of the green. It is not uncommon to have green depths that are 20 to 40 yards deep. That means it could be as much as three clubs difference from a forward pin placement to a back pin placement.
So before you blame your three putts on your putting, make sure that your yardage is correct so you aren’t faced with a 50-foot putt because you didn’t hit enough club to begin with.
Finally, make sure you take in account if you are hitting to an uphill or down hill green. Depending on how much elevation change it could be a couple of clubs difference. I’m sure many of you can relate to our No. 8 hole at Gilroy GC. It measures 260 yards on the card, but plays about 220 because of the severe downhill drop in elevation.
Remember when all else fails take a lesson, you’ll be surprised how much we can help.
To schedule a lesson with PGA-certified instructor Don DeLorenzo, call Gilroy GC at 848-0490.
