Stuck in the Rough? How to Master Golf Course Terrains
Stuck in the Rough? How to Master Golf Course Terrains
The work week is a stressful time for the vast majority of adults. Obviously, the easiest way to escape the grind of it all is to disappear on a Saturday or Sunday at the golf course.
More than 25 million people play golf each year in the United States. Skill levels and scorecards will vary greatly, but all of these people decide to play every year because they enjoy spending time on the course.
The only tough part is figuring out how to spend time on the course and play a really solid round. More often than not, players will hit a few great shots, a few more good shots, and then many other less-desirable shots in each round.
While the score at the end of a round may be disappointing, it's easy to fix! Here are a few quick tips to improve your game.
Visit Your Local Driving Range
You'll find there are two different options for driving range practice, and your time should be spent on both.
Pad Ranges: Rather than hitting off of a patch of real grass, you'll be using artificial grass instead. Sometimes this is nothing more than thin green carpet, while others it's a true turf pad. Either way, it is a chance to practice swinging on a smooth surface, similar to the fairways!
Grass Ranges: As you might have guessed, these will use real grass for practice. Lucky for you, this tends to be a thicker cut than the fairway and is a good representation of the first or second cut of rough.
When you're feeling extra ambitious, try hitting directly out of the divots as well to replicate some of the extreme circumstances you face during a round.
Spend Time on the Chipping Green
Many courses and driving ranges have come to incorporate a dedicated chipping green. This is great news for the aspiring golfer, as the short game is where many extra strokes are picked up. Work on lies in thick cuts, inclines, declines, and sand traps.
Learn From the Pros
There's nothing more beneficial than grabbing a few lessons with a golf pro at your local golf course (no, not the ones you see on TV). These folks have decided to make a living from teaching golf, so you can be sure they've got the requisite skills you want to learn from.
If buying time with a pro, you should expect to work on lots of different fundamentals including proper stances, swing path and speed, ball flight and spin, even the short game!
Most Important: Get on the Golf Course!
As with many things in life, you're bound to learn more faster by doing, so get out and play. The golf course is going to ask you to hit from the fairway (if you're lucky), from the rough (if you're not lucky), and from the sand (if you're really unlucky).
Thankfully, practicing on the course can also better prepare you for success on the course as well. If you're interested in any of our courses, keep up with our latest news or get in touch with us about your game.
No matter what, join the more than 25 million people who are playing golf every year in the United States. Do that much you are sure to improve your game from all different terrains!