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Golf is unusual because it combines a formal playing field with the unpredictability of nature. No two courses are the same, and because weather plays a major role, no two rounds are identical. Your strategy must therefore adapt to the conditions. This constant variation—in the elements and in the design of each hole—is what defines the essence of the game.

To become a skilled golfer demands a mindset that can analyse the features of a golf course, including the changing elements like weather and wind and that mind can decide what challenge is presented. On every hole there is a risk versus reward factor. The course forces you to evaluate every shot in terms of skill and your confidence to pull the shot off. The more decisive your shot selection and the clearer your thought process, the greater are your chances of mastering the course.

Golf is a game of attack and defence. Each hole has its own system of defences, from mounding and contouring to hazards. Architects may place these obstacles in plain sight or disguise them through the design of the hole. See my post on how course designers use camouflage. On approaching each hole become aware that there may be hidden elements or illusions waiting to sabotage your game!

Find the best route through these defences, aiming for the strongest landing and take-off areas. Pay attention to prevailing winds, as they should shape your shot selection. Every hole — and every course — requires its own strategy.

Golf requires control of spin, angles, and shot sequencing. It relies on clear strategic thinking. “Working the ball” means applying spin so the ball moves towards the target in the air and continues in that direction after landing. This brings skills such as fades, draws, backspin, and forward-bouncing shots into play.

A golf course is a field of hundreds of angled planes. These can deflect the ball in  various directions. Golf is a game of position. A series of shots in order to put yourself into the best position for the next shot. 

Consider the best leave for the subsequent shots. The value of positioning is that you begin to tailor your shot making abilities. Mentally take control. Your strategy is not restricted to tee shots. Approach shots onto the fat or safe side of the greens instead of at the flag may reduce your score dramatically. Architects try to tempt golfers into hitting risky shots. Know your limits and avoid trouble. 

On certain holes a designer may attempt to upset a golfer/s balance and mind set. He tempts you to push too hard or to take unnecessary risks.. Rhythm and positive thinking are essential to a good round. Losing balls and losing strokes lead to losing confidence.

Golf is also a target game. Technical advances in ball construction, club making and swing mechanics have led to higher shot trajectories and the game is an aerial assault on the course rather than a land campaign.

A golf hole is a series of defined target areas. With your tee shot you can aim for a reasonably large landing area – 20 to 30 yards wide, whereas hitting into the green that landing area can be around 20 feet in diameter.

One approach is to break a longer hole into a series of par threes. Visualise it as a sequence of clear targets — for example, a 250-yard shot followed by a 140-yard shot. Choose a specific target for each stroke and play within your ability.

A course presents different types of holes. A strategic hole offers at least one sensible route to reach the green in regulation with minimal risk of penalty for a mishit shot. It also provides several alternative routes; usually, the longer the route, the lower the risk of a severe penalty.

A penal hole is one where the only way to reach the green in regulation involves executing at least one shot that will incur a penalty if misplayed. Often this includes out of bounds or an escape proof hazard like water.

A heroic hole offers two clearly different routes to reach the green in regulation. One requires a bold shot that carries a penalty if misplayed, but rewards success with a much better position or distance advantage. The player must therefore decide whether the potential gain is worth the risk.

Strategic, penal and heroic holes are blended into the course to create a course with balance and rhythm. If an entire course is given one of these labels then most holes will be of that type.

Golf course settings

Golf courses can be of geographic type. Either linksland, parkland, desert, mountain or tropical. There are significant natural factors that should influence how you approach a course. 

Links land is sandy, undulating hills or drones formed along a coastline by the wind and waves. Some can be located on rolling sandy terrain next to estuaries. Links courses seem to lack apparent definition. The openness of the seaside setting does not provide natural markers such as trees and hills that golfers usually rely on to judge distance. 

Links courses have an irregular quality to them. As you walk on them your feet begin to feel the many bumps and rolls and the hidden swales which reveal more contour than expected. The ground is traditionally firm, sharp bounces are common and pot bunkers are a feature. Modern irrigation systems have made many links courses much lusher, softening them and compromising some of their unique characteristics. 

Links favour fescue grass which tends to produce tight or thin lies. Fescue rough tends to be swirly and light and playing out doesn’t cause much resistance to the club head. Gorse and heather will, however, usually be so difficult to get out of that it is best to play out onto the fairway. 

Links courses rely heavily on wind to provide part of their challenge. When the wind is strong a low ball flight or punch shots will have to be used. Find out about the local prevailing wind. The effective distance into the wind often affects club selection considerably. You may need two clubs more to carry the distance. 

The low, to the ground bump and run and knockdown shots are useful weapons on a links course. To keep the ball low and run it to the hole will help your score. 

Parkland courses are inland lay outs that are carved out of woods and forests with elevation changes, tees and water. 

Trees serve as both guides and obstacles. They can block sightlines, conceal course features, and create a narrow, chute-like feel. Parkland grasses are often lush and heavy, usually producing good fairway lies. However, courses built on clay can become soft and waterlogged, reducing ball roll, especially in the rough.

Fairways often have a sweeping rolling character. Use the contours to your advantage. Rolling slopes force you to consider intended landing areas carefully because shots frequently finish on sidehill angles or roll into difficulties. Scan the tops of trees for the movement of the wind. Sometimes it can come from an unexpected direction.

Desert courses now give designers more flexibility through modern irrigation and maintenance techniques. Although deserts are generally flat, courses near mountains can include significant elevation changes. Holes set against mountain slopes can also make uphill and downhill transitions feel deceptive.

The desert sun creates intense light and shadow that can distort perception, while shimmering heat may produce a mirage effect. Double-check visual markers to judge distance accurately. Warm, dry desert air is often thin, like mountain air, so allow for extra carry; however, cold air pockets can reduce distance and deaden shots.

Due to the sandy composition of the soil, desert fairways and greens have two common characteristics. These conditions are very firm. The turf grass can be tightly manicured and will result in extra bounce and roll increasing distance. The extra roll can impact your short game and recovery play making it more difficult due to the reduce control in stopping the ball on the greens.

Desert courses are often tight and narrow where there are restrictions on using water for irrigation. Desert rough is difficult to recover from. Areas off the fairway will contain native vegetation. 

Desert courses are sometimes found on rising plateaus near the foothills of mountain ranges. Not only do these provide dramatic backdrops and create contour, elevation and perception puzzles.

Mountain courses  These feature dramatic changes in elevation and often give players the feeling of negotiating a slalom course on a ski slope. These courses are exhilarating but require precision and clear thinking. Because of the topography many holes are routed through narrow canyons and accuracy is a must. Don’t hesitate to sacrifice yardage for direction. It’s easier to take a shorter club than look for an errant 300 yard drive. 

Mountains mean water and streams. Occasionally these streams will be difficult to see so check the scorecard for maps. 

The added elevation of mountain courses means thinner air and shortness of breath for the golfer. Shots will travel further. Add 5% for each 1,000 of elevation. Test your distances on the practice range before going out onto the course. Distances and dimensions can seem quite different at elevations of 10,000 feet. 

Tropical courses Unlike desert environments where there are sparse vegetation and trees, the forests and jungles pose opposite problems for golfers. Prevailing trade winds affect how the holes are laid out.

Lush vegetation forces designers to use special techniques for mountain holes. The composition of the grasses and the way the ball plays off them. Grasses in these parts of the world, like zoysia, can be as tough as wire. 

Many jungles grow on mountains so courses here combine mountain and jungle environment. The jungle environment can conceal dangerous obstacles that magnify the challenge and excitement. Grass can grow uncontrollably and sporadically in these regions causing a variety of lies.

Golf courses have many faces, depending on where they are built. You must know the territory and its specific conditions and adjust your game plan. 

Golf, as some of us know, is a game of emotions and overcoming negative thoughts. One of the keys to this is to understand hazards on a golf course and how to avoid them or tackle them if the shot requires it. As Bobby Jones wrote “the value of a hazard is oftentimes more psychological than penal”. Or as Shakespeare put it “nothing is good or bad but thinking makes it so”.

We’ve already had a look at bunkers, now let’s look at water and trees. 

Your perception of a hazard might be that escape from it will be difficult or impossible. But it’s all about shot making skills. It is rare that a situation is impossible to escape from and the only course of action is to take a drop and a penalty shot. These inescapable hazards are out of bounds, lakes, and the sea. Deep rough as we I wrote about in a previous post can be penal and cost you more strokes than taking a drop from water. 

Work out the shot’s  degree of difficulty. When a hazard must be carried the landing area must be your focus, not the challenge. Many golf course designers make holes look more difficult than they actually  are. It may be less difficult than it appears 

Most hazards will offer you several shot making options. To carry your ball over a pond look at the adjacent slopes running into it. Identify a target area that will give you a good subsequent shot – calculate accurate distances on the golf course and know how far you can reasonably expect to hit each club. Use a yardage book or laser measuring device, know how far you hit each club and look at sprinkler heads to see if distances are marked on them. If you have a lake to carry work out how far you are from the water’s edge, then calculate the carry across the lake to the front portion of the green. The total should provide you with a reasonable estimate of the distance you have to hit the shot. 

When you practice work out your distances you hit each club. That will help you calculate your club selection on the course. This is a very important part of your game to know your individual skill in hitting each club. Work out your own club distance chart.

Hazards are placed to make the game more interesting, not to punish bad shots. The feeling of carrying a drive across an ocean and the achievement of landing the ball on the green is worth all the effort in learning how to work out distances. 

Water Hazards

Water on a golf course can be lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, creeks, oceans or marshy wetlands. Look at the location, its angle with respect to the hole and its shape. 

A water hazard may run parallel to the hole, cross it diagonally, curve around it, or sit at an angle. It may be near the tee or green, alongside the fairway, and can take many shapes. Occasionally a stream could cross a fairway at a right angle to the configuration of the fairway and green. 

Water hazards are generally not neat; they are irregular haphazard forms. They may have inlets or other jagged features requiring a carry of several more yards than a smooth edged hazard. 

Estimating distance over water can be deceptive because a large body of water may appear flat and shorter than it really is. Check the surrounding land to see if it is contoured so that balls landing there may turn into the hazard. The water hazard may be part of the course/s drainage system and be situated in a low area. If the land flows towards the hazard consider this factor when making your club selection.

When faced with a carry over water you must consistently be aware of your lie. One of the trickiest shots is hitting from a downhill lie across a water hazard. A bad lie forces you to be conservative. If you have a decent lie you can be more aggressive. Laying up might be the most sensible option if it gives you a good angle of approach for your next shot.

Water placed near a tee is a distraction. It may be well clear of a tee shot but will put doubt in a golfer’s mind. Water near a fairway may tempt you to play close to it to get a preferred angle of attack or a better distance for your next shot. The water here can capture poorly planned or executed shots. When water is placed across the fairway the designer is asking if you can play safely across or should you take a conservative approach and lay up short.

Water in front of a green is commonly used and is one of golf’s trickiest shots. Not only are you trying to clear the water but you must land and stop the ball on the green near to the pin. Make sure you select a club that will carry the hazard, with the least margin of error. 

A good way to block out water in the front of a green is to focus on a feature behind it such as the edge of a bunker, a tree or a mound and play to a distance at the rear of the green. Features behind make for visual definition and shifting your attention to this area will make the water hazard secondary to your field of vision and thought process. 

Water surrounding a green offers little room for error. It is sometimes found on short par 3s and on par 5s that call for a short approach shot. Calculate the distance to the middle of the green and aim for it. Shooting for a flagstick close to the water/s edge is the temptation. It calls for conservative strategy.

Consider the area between the edge of the water hazard and the putting surface. It may be a slope, mound, bunker, or flat ground. Allow for the extra distance from the water’s edge to the front of the green, and remember that if your ball finishes there, you may face deep rough.

This buffer zone is sometimes thick grass along a body of water. It may save a misplayed shot from going into the water and let you recover your score. On the other hands rocks, waste material and more penal rough won’t give you any help. Look for a little room for error to ensure carrying the hazard and the buffer zone.

One of the best recoveries from water in professional golf was when Seve Ballesteros, playing in the Masters, found his ball in Rae’s Creek on the par 5 thirteenth hole, partially submerged. After taking off one she he blasted the ball out and he made his par keeping his momentum intact and propelling him to winning the tournament.

Playing from Trees

Trees are not just a hazard, they can also be a safety barrier against errant shots. They can also help you with your shot selection by indicating the proper line or providing a backdrop for a green to help you calculate distances. 

If you have a misaligned shot that hits a tree and you end up under or behind one of them then you are in an area of the golf course that you want to avoid. 

But trees are three dimensional challenges, These vertical hazards often require a more complex shot selection if you plan to play over, under or through a  tree or group of trees. You must not only select the proper line and calculate the distance but you must determine how you are going to shape your shot around the tree hazard. If there is a large tree inside a dog leg then you must calculate how much fade or draw to put onto the shot. So there is a third parameter to be worked in: line, distance and shape of shot. Assess the situation. Will you go over, under, around or through the trees? 

When you are on the practice ground not only work out how far you hit each club but how high you hit them. Work out the trajectories and practice hitting right to left and left to right. This knowledge will help you successfully tackle the three dimensional challenge of tree hazards.

Small groves of trees can be used to guard any portion of a golf hole from the tee through to the green. A shot may be required over, under, around or away from them. Trees near a green may guard a corner of the putting surface. Look at how difficult it would be to escape from them should you find yourself in them.

Occasionally, a single tree will be in the landing area off the tee to make a tee shot tighter and requiring more accuracy. If the golfer gambles and hit nearer to the tree they may be rewarded with a shorter approach shot and better angle to the green.

Sometimes you will find a lone tree directly in the centre of a fairway at the landing area. Or a single tree may guard a corner of a green surface and make a portion of that green inaccessible from parts of the fairway. 

Trees are growing and change height, width and shape due to pruning or storm damage or diseases. Changes in the trees, gradual or sudden, will change the strategic role they play on the course over time. 

Water and tree hazards create varied challenges on the course. Managed well, they can help you protect your score, and understanding their purpose can guide smarter shot-making.

On Monday Bryson posted that he was going to make an announcement about “Coming Home”. This was a teaser to make people think je was rejoining the PGA Tour. On Tuesday we found out the “coming home” comment is about nothing exciting really.

His backyard games challenge on his you tube channel involves him literally coming home.

In his own backyard a combination of 10 influencers and social media followers will play for $100,000 over 10 days. One hole matches from whacky routes around his backyard. Each day one is eliminated. The finalist will play a 3 hole shoot out against DeChambeau to win the prize. If De Chambeau wins a random Instagram follower will be chosen to receive the prize.

Still no news on his own future but the clock is ticking on his decision.

From Golf Digest:

LIV Golf announced a proposed restructuring agreement that could transfer majority ownership of the league to its players.
The filing, showed that several of LIV’s biggest names—including Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson and Cameron Smith—are owed millions of dollars. LIV also hopes the proceedings will extend U.S. bankruptcy protections to its international assets.

Under the proposed restructuring, London-based private-equity firm BC Partners would finance an attempted return in 2027 through what LIV described as a “recapitalization transaction.” The plan requires court approval. 

Questions remain about the nature of the firm’s commitment, including whether the financing is structured as a loan, dependent upon additional investors or contingent upon a number of players remaining with the league.

“This process gives us the structure and time to pursue a landmark transaction and begin the next chapter of LIV Golf—one built around the fans, an innovative, player-first ownership model, and a part of the global golf ecosystem,” LIV CEO Scott O’Neil said in a press release. “We are excited about what lies ahead and yet, there is still much to accomplish in the months ahead. We believe deeply in LIV Golf’s future, the opportunity in front of us, and the people who will help us realize it. We are grateful to our players, the incredible team at LIV Golf, our Board, BC Partners, and our partners all over the world standing tall with us, and we thank them for their belief in our next chapter.”

The restructuring would likely release LIV players from their existing contracts, allowing them to pursue opportunities elsewhere. Golf Digest reported earlier this year that agents representing several LIV players had contacted the PGA Tour and DP World Tour to explore possible paths back.

The bankruptcy filing had been expected for months after Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund withdrew its financial support from the five-year-old league. It comes a little more than a week after LIV terminated most of its remaining staff. LIV concluded its 2026 season in Indianapolis in late August, one week earlier than scheduled after canceling its planned finale in Michigan. The shortened finish followed months of questions about the league’s finances and future.

PIF has agreed to provide nearly $50 million in debtor-in-possession financing, which would allow LIV to continue operating during the proceedings. BC Partners and other prospective investors are expected to provide financing once the league emerges from Chapter 11.

PIF announced in April that it would stop funding LIV as part of a broader shift toward domestic projects and away from global investments that had failed to produce sufficient returns. The economic effects of the regional war with Iran also placed greater pressure on the sovereign wealth fund’s holdings. The sportswashing experiment cost an estimated $5 billion to $8 billion from its 2021 launch through this year. Yasir Al-Rumayyan—PIF’s governor, LIV’s architect and the chairman of its board—resigned after the funding was withdrawn.

LIV’s financial troubles have extended beyond its players. Several contractors say they have not been paid for their work, while the league also faces a lawsuit from the Premier Golf League alleging breach of confidence and conspiracy by unlawful means.

Sometimes bunkers can be a better option to recover from an errant shot than playing out of the rough. From the sand you can control the ball more easily and have a better chance to save par.

The more you practice in bunkers and work on your technique the less worried you will be landing the ball in the sand. 

Course designers use bunkers aesthetically to contrast against the green landscape as well as a shot making challenge. They are part of the strategy in the routing of a course. Some courses can have as many as 100 bunkers to make sure there is plenty of risk reward. But more doesn’t mean more difficult. It depends on where they are positioned. 

Augusta National has 44 bunkers, but it has strategically placed creeks and water hazards. They are balanced with other challenges. 

Types of Bunkers

A carry bunker is a flat, low bunker which protrudes out into the fairway and normally allows golfers to directly carry it. It is usually positioned short of the preferred landing area and is easily carried. They are usually easy to get out of due to the flat lies. Often carry bunkers are found in the corner of a dog leg hole. 

 A collection bunker gets its character from the ground surrounding it which is sculpted to channel the ball into the bunker. Sometimes these bunkers can be deep and big with a high front wall. They force you to play backwards or sideways to recover the shot. The monster hole on the 4^th at Royal St Georges is a collection bunker. You should try to avoid these and this should inform the type of shot you play. If you do find yourself in a collection bunker play the easiest shot to get out. 

A definition bunker highlights a target zone, off the tee, a landing zone on a par 5 or around the green. This is the type of bunker you will encounter most frequently. The degree of difficulty depends on the length and type of shot required and its position to the fairway.  These bunkers can help you judge the distance of your approach shots to the green, especially on elevation. Study the flagstick to see how much is visible. If you can see most of the pin you are close to the bunker. If you can’t see most of it it’s likely to be positioned further back on the green so adjust your shot selection for this additional distance.

Target bunker. Some holes will use a bunker to show a direction. Sometimes these are just for aiming purposes. On dogleg holes these give golfers a feel for how the hole opens out. 

Pot bunkers These small round-shaped bunkers with steep sides make recovery difficult because of a severely elevated shot and a small space to get your stance. Pot bunkers are common on links courses – they often guard the front edge of greens. They can be so steep and deep that escape may only be by playing out sideways.

Face bunkers these show their face to the golfer. They can be used to conceal a green’s distance. The face’s incline will determine the severity – the steeper the slope the more difficult the bunker. 

Sometimes if a green is elevated with a severe side slope a bunker may be placed in front or on the edge to keep the ball from rolling all the way down to the bottom of the hill. 

Waste bunkers these are long, flat bunkers with vegetation surrounding it. The often protect a large portion of fairway. They sometimes contain small islands of rough inside them that jut out of the sand, creating unusual lies. To play a shot from a waste bunker pick the ball cleanly off the sand with a full shot or chip out.

Looking at the topography of a hole start by analysing the placement of bunkers on a course. This will help you formulate a strategy. Some bunkers will force you to hit harder to get more distance to get past them, others will force you to position your shot at a certain angle. 

Patterns of bunkers

Central bunkers these will divide the fairway into two sections. Look for them in the tee shot landing area or the second landing area on a par 5. These bunkers tend to be long and thin – or pot bunkers – allowing room for two sections of fairway to be either side of them. 

Cluster bunkers this concept makes use of grouping three or more bunkers to add definition and contrast to an open hole. They tell you to steer clear and position your ball to the side of them.

Cross pattern bunkers these bunkers are usually set at a diagonal bisecting the width of the fairway at a sharp angle. The more yardage you cut off the greater the risk and you will not carry the bunkers. You will need to consider distance and direction.  Sometimes cross bunkering will cut directly across the fairway with little angle. The distance becomes more relevant than direction to club selection is paramount to carry the obstacles comfortably.

Bracket bunkers These are arranged in a series of pairs on opposite sides of the fairway  or green. They squeeze the fairway landing area and entrances to the green challenging players to hit the ball between or over them. They force you to plan how you should place your tee shot or what angle you want for approach. 

These bunkers around the green help players to visually determine where the edges of the putting surface began. Bracket bunkers near greens serve to produce pin locations of varying degrees of difficulty. Pin positions near the centre of the green will be easier, near the edges will be tougher to attack. 

Staggered bunkers are placed at varying distances on opposite sides of the fairway rather than in balanced pairs. This forces golfers to decide which bunker is most likely to affect their shot. The pattern can create a snaking fairway and requires players to choose the best part of the landing area as their target. It is used both off the tee and near the green.

Surrounding bunkers This pattern is used near greens when the designer guards the edge of the green on all sides because the golfer has a short approach or tee shot on a par 3. Miss the green and you are in a bunker. This can be seen on the 7^th hole at Pebble Beach.

Characteristics of bunker sand

In windier areas a heavier, coarser type of sand is used so that it doesn’t blow out. In areas where there is frequent rain a more porous type of sand is used so that it drains and dries more quickly. On slopes a sand with drainage and compaction so that it doesn’t slide away from the slope. Look at the different colours some of which have been chosen for better aesthetics.

Softer, finer sand gives golfers the chance to play higher shots to elevated greens. The best way to determine the type of sand you are faced with is to use your feet. As you go into the bunker feel the texture and depth of the sand. Does it give way easily, making deep footprints, or are your feet secure in the bunker? This will tell you how the sand resists and what shot you need to hit for a good recovery.

The four most common types of sand are silica, limestone, river and coral. 

Coral sand is common in tropical climates. Its large, loose particles usually keep the ball sitting on top rather than letting it bury. Limestone sand, often found on inland courses, can range from very fine and powdery to coarser in texture. The softer and deeper the sand, the more the club is likely to sink into it. Limestone sand is good for generating backspin. River sand drains well and is durable. The ball tends to sit up reasonably well. Silica sand is pure. It looks white, lending a contrast to the green fairway. The particles of the sand tend to be round, increasing the chances of a fried egg lie. A ball buries halfway in the sand. An ordinary explosion shot from a bunker will not impart much spin from this type of sand.

Dry sand and wet sand have very different playing qualities. Dry sand is less firm and you can bury your club behind the ball. Take a minimum amount of sand and follow through properly. Wet sand is more compact and the club can bounce off the surface causing you to skull or blade your shot. Swing easier and take less sand because the ball will come out low and fast.

Designers use bunkers for definition and strategy. Sometimes a bunker will save you extra strokes if you know how to escape. Sand is friendlier than water or trees on a golf course.

The fairway is the target for any golfer off the tee. It provides the best lie to hit the approach to the green and is a marker of an accurate tee shot. However, there is always more than one way to skin a cat, as one of my teachers liked to say. Missing the fairway need not mean disaster if you understand how to play the ball from the rough.

The fairway is more than short grass, It connects the components of the hole. Trees, rough, bunkers, water hazards and the position of the green are all tied to the fairway. The fairway contours connect all the other features of the hole, the greenside bunkers, the trees, the putting surface. The fairway is a path the main link between the tee and green. 

Mentally  draw a centre line down each fairway to find its natural path and you will be able to work your ball along the line of the hole. The more you go with the flow of the hole the better, don’t fight the natural path of the golf course.

Look at how the fairway expands and contracts, how it turns and what angles it has. Focus on the widening and narrowing of the fairway to work out where to land the ball. Certain points will be tightened with rough, trees, a bunker or a lope. Take a moment to work out the width of the fairway. Analyse this then decide about where to aim. Always aim for a small target.

The course will have a combination of shapes and styles on each hole. A fairway can be flat, tilted or a combination. Elevation changes on a hole improve the challenge but also improve surface drainage.

Trees, mounds, and water hazards around the fairway add definition and visual contrast. Consider both their advantages and challenges when choosing your shots.

Mounds around the fairway, greens and aprons produce a variety of lies, stances and shot making requirements. Fairway mounds can be a defence. They can deflect a drive into trouble, and leave you with a difficult downhill, sidehill or uphill lie. They can also block your view of the target and create uncertainty in your mind. 

If a mound is situated in front of a green it will require an accurate pitch shot to clear them and stop the ball quickly. Mounds can act as markers off the tee as indicators of the friendly sides of the fairway. Do they tell you where to hit or are they just an artificial aesthetic? Do they hide a potential landing area? How severe are they in terms of deflection and playability?

Rolling terrain affords ups and downs like moguls on a ski run. Undulations from swales to plateaus affect the amount of roll that you will get on a shot. When you approach a ball that has landed on a slope try standing to the side of the ball to learn the angle of the rise. This becomes part of the equation of choosing loft and distance. Draw an imaginary line off the angle of the ground to see how much it adds to the trajectory of the shot. Careful evaluation of a slope can increase your chances of selecting the proper club and shot.

Fairways can be tiled sharply. When you encounter this estimate how much angle will be added to your shot after it hits the slope. Take this into consideration because on a severe slope the wrong bounce can send you off the fairway into serious trouble.

Lie of the ball

The lie comprises two parts – the slope where the ball has stopped and the way the ball rests on the grass or rough.

A contoured fairway will test your shot making skills and club and shot selection. You may need to adjust your stance and swing for an unlevel lie. Uphill, downhill, ball below the feet which will cause the ball to fly right to left and ball above the feet which will cause the ball to fly left to right.

Before setting up, assess both the direction and severity of the slope, then adjust your stance and swing to create as level a swing plane as possible. Downhill lies tend to make the ball fly lower and travel farther, while uphill lies add loft, sending the ball higher and shorter.

Note the grass you are on (see my post “types of grass”) and think about its playing characteristics. Some courses have more than one type of grass. Be prepared to adjust to the shot making challenges that these situations give you.

A tight lie is where the ball sits close to the ground and will travel shorter distances. This is because greater contact with the soil causes the clubhead to resist. It will spin more because of the lack of turf, so strike the ball with a sharply descending blow and clip the ball into the air.

In warmer climates the ball will sit up and there will be little clubhead resistance and the ball will carry further. 

Playing from the rough

Rough can be used to define a hole and defend against errant tee shots. This can be tall natural grass growing along the fairway. In the US Open there is often a second cut of rough of four or five inches. This rough is often so punishing that it takes other defending features out of play and becomes the biggest hazard.

Sometimes the course designer will have left a collar of rough around a bunker or a water hazard to stop a ball from going in there. Often the grass on the fairway is different from the grass in the rough. Look for the difference in colour. The rough will define the shape of the hole and can help your distance perception. Grasses of different colours and textures such as a blend of rye grass and fescue in the rough can sometimes be used.

Look at how the rough has been cut. Rough is often mowed in a straight line from tee to green. If the grass has a dull look it is growing away from the green, so swing harder, if it has a shiny look it is growing towards the green so swing slightly easier.

What is a flier?

A flier lie is when at impact a small amount of grass gets caught between the ball and the clubface. This has these consequences:

• It shuts the clubface slightly and reduces the loft on your club and increases distance.
• The grooves on your clubface will not be able to put any spin on to the ball so you will lose distance control.
• As a result, the ball comes out of the rough lower and rolls further. 

Another type of flier is when water comes between the ball and the clubface, The results are similar. This sometimes happens when grass is wet due to rain, dew or irrigation.

With a flier lie you want more loft on your club which means you will hit a shorter club to compensate for the increased distance a flier produces. Open your clubface more because the rough will grab the clubface and close it. Swing with a sharply descending blow and factor in the extra distance.

At impact if there is a lot of grass between the clubface and the ball you will have the opposite effect of a flier because the ball will travel shorter than normal. With a heavy lie be realistic about how far you can hit the shot. If the grass is four to six inches high you will get heavy resistance. Choose a high lofted club and don’t try for distance. Just hit out back onto the fairway.

Identify the challenges

Look at the challenges in your next target zone. What are the obstacles and where is your landing area. Check your lie and factor in other conditions that will affect your shot. What type of grass, what direction does the slope run?

Formulate a strategy for finishing the hole. Look at your shot as it relates to reaching the green or setting up for the next shot. Pick a small target – a portion of the green. Create a positive mental picture of your swing. Walking up to your next shot look at what lies ahead, elevation changes, a bend in the fairway a slop or the pin position.

Linear

Holes with linear fairways are one of the most common styles to be found on golf courses. The fairway flows in a straight line between the tee and the green and provides you with a clear view of the entire hole. Although at first appearance it seems that a shot down the middle of the fairway would be ideal, one side of the fairway will generally provide a preferred angle of attack to the pin, depending on its position and the location of any hazards around the green.

Mentally play the hole backward because the pin location will dictate which side of the fairway provides the best angle of approach.

If the pin is positioned to the right behind a large bunker, the left side of the fairway is a better place from which to attack. If the pin is on the left side of the green, the right side will afford you the best opportunity for success.

Dog Leg Holes

As courses were built inland and trees became part of the strategic challenge, designers bent holes to hide the final target. These became dog leg holes. You can expect to see three or four dog leg holes in a round.

The dog leg creates uncertainty about the landing area off the tee because you can’t see it or the preferred route to the green which is also hidden.

On a par 5 hole you may sometimes see a double dog leg. Where the hole bends again towards the green. The fairway will bend in two different directions. Holes of this kind require careful thought and planning because most golfers need at least two shots to set up the approach to the green. 

Ask yourself these questions on a dog leg:

• What line should I take to shorten the hole?

• Is it worth the risk to cut the dog leg?

• How much landing area do I have beyond the corner of the dog leg?

• Can I hit through the dog leg?

Corridor holes

Routing the course through thick forests of trees provides a perceptual challenge for the golfer. The course designer will  use the trees to defend against misdirected or poorly struck shots. These are major obstacles and you should take all efforts to avoid the woods.

Split holes

These are holes where the fairway is separated into sections by inserting a hazard such as a lateral water hazard or ditch or burn in between them or by creating an elevation change.

Where the fairway is split into two sections on the same horizontal plane the sections are divided by bunkers, rough or water hazards. One fairway segment will offer the best position from which to attack the hole but reaching it may involve greater risk. The safer option will result in a longer, more difficult route to the target. The area that separates these two fairways generally penalises you depending on the type and design of the hazard.

The second type is a fairway split into two elevations with or without a hazard or obstacle dividing it. The elevations are tied together by severe slopes.  This design is more forgiving than the first type because there is a larger landing area but one side has a better angle of attack to the target.

You have to think about the route you are going to take. What will give you an advantage on this hole. Be decisive.

Island holes

Island fairways provide a distinct challenge. They usually have severe penalties on their perimeters meaning that an errant tee shot will end up in a hazard. They need you to hit the ball a certain distance to the prime landing area, so club selection is paramount. Know the distance to the furthest edge and choose the right club – know your own distances from your work on the practice ground.

How do you make decisions connected to the approach shot? What shot does the course designer want you to hit to the green? What hazards does a designer incorporate into the landing area from the tee shot, what is the length of the approach shot? As the length decreases to the green you can typically expect to encounter more hazards of increasing severity.

On par 3s where there is no landing area you can expect deep bunkers, swales and hummocks around the green and often rough which is difficult to escape from. This is less likely on par 4s and par 5s because you will have challenges in the lie, stance and angle from your approach shot. If that approach shot is relatively short there may be hazards in the landing area to punish a poor shot. The fairway may be narrowed by rough or bunkers to force players to lay up short to a safe area or to hit longer to carry beyond the hazard. Sand dunes and fairway bunkers can narrow the landing area towards the green.

Bunkers positioned at 40 yards or further from the green present a difficult problem. It’s too far to explode the ball from the sand and land it onto the green. 

As you walk towards your approach shot you will see features that may not be apparent from further away, The rough may be taller, bunkers may be deeper or steeper and slopes may have more inclination. You may notice grassy hollows, pot bunkers or subtle mounds. Looking at these characteristics in closer detail you’ll be able to form a clearer picture of their potential effects on your approach shot.

It’s unlikely that two par 4s of similar length will be defended in the same way. Some can be defended by bunkers at the green – another may have much stronger contouring of the putting surface making it more challenging so the defences around the green will be less.

Before you address your approach shot see what you can work out about the green’s size and shape. Next, determine whether the green is flat, convex or concave.

Concave or ‘bowled’ greens make the ball roll towards the centre of the green, Concave or “crowned’ greens are more difficult because approach shots tend to roll off them. Course designer Donald Ross used convex greens as his signature. Check the scorecard for a diagram of the green and walk round the landing area to get a better view.

Once you’ve determined the size and shape of the green, carefully see where the pin is located. Then decide where you want to land your approach shot given the location of the pin and the green’s shape and size. 

On uphill holes the green is often pitched from back to front for improved visibility, Shots that carry too far may require you to negotiate a tricky downhill pitch or chip back onto the green. 

Course designers often incorporate slopes or mounds into the green. These can be defensive or penal so determine whether it can help you get close to the flagstick and factor this into your shot selection. Be aware that some mounds will be completely out of play for a certain shot but may be important with a different flagstick position or angle of approach. Slopes in the green may deflect a ball away from the putting surface they may be used to work a shot into a particular pin position. Always consider the severity or degree of tilt to determine how the ball will react when it lands. The greater the tilt, the larger the effect and the more the ball will move when it deflects off the mound or slope. 

Designers generally use swales and grassy hollows to help surface drainage of the green. They test your ability to execute different recovery shots. Drainage is one of the most important issues that golf course designers deal with and swales and hollows can contain a drain for capturing water run off.

Swales are shallower than grassy hollows – where the grass is maintained at fairway height you are presented with a variety of choices of shot. Chip, pitch, bump and run or putt. Shot selection can be just as important as execution. If the grass is maintained as rough you will need to pitch the ball out. Hollows are usually deep and can obstruct your view of the putting surface or bottom of the flagstick. They are usually maintained at rough height, limiting recovery options to high lob shots with lofted clubs, The slopes on grassy hollows can be steep. The course designer wants to encourage you to take a safe escape route rather than a daring recovery.

The fringe surrounding the putting surface is an important feature. This small section of two to three feet wide grass can have a major effect on shorter approach shots. When playing from bunkers or rough near the green you are often forced to land the ball in this area to get it close to the hole. The height, texture and condition of the grass become extremely important. For example at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles very tangly kikuyu grass presents a strong challenge. The best way to tell what confronts you is to closely survey the area itself and walk on the fringe to feel how firm it is.

The lower or tighter the grass is manicured, the greater the opportunity to keep the ball low to the ground by running, chipping or putting. The longer the grass the more you will need to elevate the ball by pitching or lobbing it. Take this factor into account before you select your shot.

At the US Open the USGA sets up courses to have deep heavy rough. As a result this makes using the short game very challenging chipping pitching and bump and run are rendered treacherous. 

Look at the entrance to the green. It will also play a part in determining the shots that will get you on the green. An open entrance will allow you to bounce the ball on to the green, Another type of entrance is where the fairway connects directly into the putting surface where there is no elevation. This is used where a long approach shot is required. It opens up options to bounce roll pitch bump and run, chip or putt onto the green. With a short approach you may find a narrow entrance only half the width of a green, 

Another type of entrance is a narrow runway that sweeps between bunkers or other features to an elevated green. This requires an accurate shot to get through the runway onto the wider green. The elevation will slow or stop an approach shot. With this type of runway entrance the course designer intends you to attack the green through the air rather than use the runway to bump and run a shot on the ground.

Another type of entrance is a side angle one. The front portion of the green is closed with bunkers or other obstacles but an alternate route is created to the side of the green by looping a a portion of the fairway around the obstacles giving players another entry option.

Sometimes there is no entrance because the designer has cut off the front of the green with bunkers, rough or other hazards, forcing you to carry the ball to the putting surface. These situations force you to play a safe shot to the green.

The closer you get to the green full shots are no longe possible and delicate, finesse shots must be mastered. Pitching, chipping, punch shots – low trajectory shots to combat the wind but played close enough to the ground to avoid any major obstacles that need to be carried.

The bump and run shot lands short of the green and then utilises the slopes and contours to help the ball work its way toward the hole. Through the incorporation of entrance areas, swales and other manicured features, designers frequently create opportunities to play the bump and run around greens as a means of testing a player’s feel and touch. The trick is in working out how hard to hit the shot, where to land the ball and how far the ball will roll.

Another shot is the lob shot which can be played from anywhere around the green – from deep rough, grassy hollows or a manicured fairway The lob, also known as a flop shot is the best way to deal with green side defences that require a short carry such as a deep bunker or a water hazard, It is also useful in negotiating major slopes and undulations on the putting surface.

Another useful shot from just off the green is the Texas wedge. This is played with a putter and can even be played from a bunker with no lip or face or the light rough around the putting surface. It can provide better distance control in many situations just off the putting surface. There is less risk of mis hitting it than a short pitch or chip. For players that don’t play often or beginner players the Texas wedge is easier to execute than other recovery shots, especially if your lie is bare, tight or less than perfect. 

The importance of the approach shot to the green cannot be underestimated. The more proficient you become in manoeuvring the ball to the hole, the easier time you will have on the greens.

When American Billy Horschel won the BMW PGA Championship it was his love of West Ham United that cemented his ties to the UK. With today’s winner J J Spaun, it is Jeremy Clarkson… so much so that JJ’s wife walked round the course holding a mask of Jeremy so it looked like he was supporting him in his gallery. 

JJ explained “we’ve grown fond of him, along with the English culture. We actually take holidays in December in the Cotswolds and we really enjoy his show. I went to his pub, the Farmer’s Dog, with the hopes to catch a glimpse of him!

Challenge to Jeremy Clarkson to put down the pitchfork and pick up a golf club!

Congratulations to J J Spaun who has won the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club on his first attempt. JJ birdied 4 out of the final 5 holes in his last round to finish at -17 beating Manuel Elvira, Rory McIlroy, Aaron Rai and Adam Scott who were all tied on -15.

His ‘W’ as he called it is the perfect answer to American captain Brandt Schnedeker leaving JJ out of next week’s Presidents Cup side. Once again in team matches a place was given to Justin Thomas controversially. JJ Spaun is 10^th in the Presidents Cup standings, the 2025 US Open Champion and a current Ryder Cup player. 

“I’ve always wanted to be a global player” he said “I’m so glad there was time in my schedule to come over to England and play here”