| I have some great golf course management advice, | | | | course management advice comes into play. |
| and it all started a few months back. Like almost | | | | A number of 150 -170 yard seven irons and a good |
| every golfer I know, we all like to hit that crisp drive | | | | few pitch and putting strokes later, I had gone round |
| straight down the middle of the fairway. The only | | | | in less than my handicap and picked up a couple of |
| problem is that it doesn't always happen like that, and | | | | nice cool ciders in the club house. |
| we often drive into an area that proves difficult to | | | | The important lesson I learnt this day was that |
| recover from. | | | | distance is not always the way to achieve a low |
| I'm going to tell you what happened some months | | | | score, but accuracy is second to none. |
| ago that changed the way I now play the game. | | | | While my friend was hunting for his ball in the trees |
| My golfing buddy and I, who I play with nearly every | | | | or the rough, I was sitting pretty on the fairway. I |
| weekend, turned up at our local course. We are fairly | | | | also found that my friend was taking clubs from the |
| close in our handicap so it's always a good contest. | | | | rough that, if hit sweet, would hit the green. But |
| We always turn up about an hour and half before we | | | | more often than not he topped the ball or hit the ball |
| tee off, so we can relax with a nice breakfast and a | | | | fat and didn't really get anywhere. If I did find myself |
| few coffees. We normally start to boast about how | | | | in the rough, I could easily get back on the fairway |
| well we are going to do and have bit of banter. On | | | | with a good bit of distance to leave a pitch to the |
| this occasion my friend was being really full of | | | | green. |
| him-self and really started to get on my nerves, so I | | | | Of course I wouldn't recommend only playing with a |
| just said, out of pure annoyance, I could beat him by | | | | seven iron of the tee, but I would concentrate on |
| just playing my seven iron and putter. Well he | | | | what clubs would get the best results. If you're in the |
| laughed and said you're on, let's have a friendly bet, | | | | rough, ask yourself if you really want to risk dropping |
| loser buys the drinks after the game. Well I was | | | | a shot or two by taking out your 3 wood or a long |
| thinking oh dear, what have I done. After some | | | | iron, or would it be better to just pitch the ball to the |
| more banter I agreed on the condition that I could | | | | centre of the fairway for a short chip to the green. I |
| use my pitching wedge also. Well he agreed and we | | | | know I now leave my driver in the bag more than I |
| headed for the first tee. | | | | used to and my handicap has come down |
| Now this is where it gets interesting and my golf | | | | dramatically. |