I played a tournament today at my course Whistle Bear and I shot the best tournament round of my life, finishing the round at +1 (72). I had many birdie opportunities but my putting is not good enough, I left a lot of shots out there in that regard.

Anyway, this post isn’t about my putting. It’s about golf management and a strategy that I employed a lot today, which I think was a major factor to my success.

This strategy is playing to avoid the big number, instead of the birdie. There were many holes, where I played to take the double and triple out of play. I did this by not hitting driver off the tee.

Let me use some examples to illustrate my point.

Watch this short video (12 seconds), this is the opening hole at Whistle Bear, bunkers on the left, the road far left and water right. I had 2 other people in my group, they both hit driver, I hit 3 wood. One guy found some trouble on the left and the other was middle of fairway. I hit a bad 3 wood right into the bunker (which wasn’t that bad at all, I had a 9 iron in and hit the green.)

So why did I hit my 3 wood instead of driver?

My driver is not strong, it’s a hit or miss club and the way I saw it I could make or break my round with this opening tee shot. I could start with a lost ball and provisional right off the bat or I could hit the safe 3 wood. I’d have to hit an 8 or 9 iron into the green instead of a wedge but that was a sacrifice I was willing to take. By doing this, I also took the high number out of play. I was even okay with a bogey (which is what I took). A bogey is recoverable, double is not.

I see way too many players taking driver, to get that extra 20 yards and the feeling of a big drive only to put themselves in a miserable situation and make it a tough par or bogey.

You also have to play to your strengths. The way I saw it, I’d rather rely on the strongest part of my game (iron play, short irons) to get my birdie than the weakest part of my game (driver).

Golf is a position game, your position is much more important than hitting the big stick and having a wedge in. You play to the position and angle that you are most comfortable with. I think players forget this and I know last year, I didn’t understand this either. I figured every hole you just rip your driver and get as close to the hole as possible. Which can work (depending how strong your driver is) but you want to play to the best position for your next shot. That’s the point of hitting your tee shot, setting your next shot up.

Let me use another example.

This hole is a par 5 and it can be reachable. I hit a 3 wood off the tee. Why? Because I wanted to take the big number out of play (OB Left) and I figured if I hit my typical pull hook with the 3 wood, I’d still be safe. I ended up pulling it a bit and putting it slightly right, to which I hit an okay 3 wood into a bunker 75 yards from the hole, which I then hit to a foot and tapped in for birdie.

Now, had I hit driver I would have had about a 50 yard, 40 yard pitch shot for my 3rd BUT if I missed my driver, I’d be fucked. OB left and if I really pulled it I would be in the long grass on the right. Guaranteed big number.

Now, you must also realize that some holes the consequences of hitting driver isn’t that costly and on those holes I did hit my driver. Take number 18 for example.

On 18, I had just made a nice par on 16 and 17, I really wanted the birdie and I know my miss is a pull hook which wouldn’t put me in that bad of a position. If I sliced it, I’d be hazard but honestly, I just wasn’t feeling a slice so I hit the driver. I bombed my drive straight down the middle, giving me a great chance to get my birdie. I followed the drive up with a 120 yard pitching wedge slightly into the wind which landed 5 feet from the cup (I 2 putted). Now, I hit driver because I knew I wasn’t putting the big number into play. I COULD have hit 3 wood but I really wanted the birdie and 3 wood puts me back quite a ways.

If the hole has trouble on the right AND left, I would have hit 3 wood because that would have once again took the big number out of play. It’s crazy how much golf is about positioning and how little your average golfer thinks about the position of their shot.

Positioning IS golf. Golf is a position game. The best swing or shot in the world doesn’t matter if it puts you in a poor position.