August 2017Golf World 21WINNING GOLF
Why you must get pin
high on approaches
A slightly pushed or pulled
approach shot will not cause
too many problems as long as
you get the ball hole high. A
10-yard push or pull will leave
a 30-foot putt. Get the
distance and direction wr
however, and you make lifeong,
much more difficult.
PLAYING TIP
1 3 4
Avoid
complacency
Many amateurs
walk onto the tee
on par 3s and
automatically
assume they’re
going to make a
par because the
hole is short. It
should come as
no surprise when
that complacency
results in a sloppy
bogey – or worse.
Pay extra attention
to your aim, club
selection and
strategy when
preparing to hit
your tee shot on
a par 3.Think green,
amber or red
Instead of aiming
straight at the pin
every time, split
greens into green,
amber and red
zones. On green
zones, where
there’s little risk,
you can go at the
pin. On amber
zones, where the
risk is higher,
decide if the
reward is worth the
risk. On red zones- the left or right
side of this green
here, for example –
avoid firing at the
flag at any cost.
Look for the
bail out area
Some longer
par 3s can appear
intimidating from
the tee, but even
the very toughest
holes, like the 6th
here at PGA
Catalunya in Spain,
usually have a bail-
out area. On this
hole, straight and
short is the safest
play. Short right
leaves you dry but
facing a pitch over
sand. Both are
preferable ‘misses’
to splashing into
the water on the
left of the hole.Accept a
good bogey
While a collection
of 3s on your
scorecard is great
for your round and
your confidence,
a bogey at a tough
short hole is not
necessarily a
disaster. In fact, on
a hazard-laden par
3, actually playing
for a ‘safe’ bogey
instead of risking
a disaster score in
pursuit of making
a heroic par can be
a smart strategy –
and one that keeps
a great score
ticking over.