Negotiating the golf course is about more than plotting a path from point A to point B. Good course management requires strategic thinking, knowledge of one’s strengths and weaknesses, and recognition of personality traits that may affect how you hit certain golf shots. 

Here’s a quick guide to mentally sound course management: 

• Match style with personality: Off the course, are you a go-getter with an aggressive, Type-A makeup? Or are you more laid-back, content to let the world come to you? Whatever your personality, you’ll play your best golf when following those instincts. Hard chargers will focus more intently on risky shots, increasing their odds of success. Likewise, cautious types are more comfortable hanging back; attempting an all-or-nothing play makes them fretful and uptight. 
• Know your limitations and play within them: Be honest when assessing your own skills. If faced with a 200-yard carry over water, ask yourself how many times you might realistically pull off the shot. If it’s less than five out of 10, then lay up. Don’t make decisions based on the best-case scenario. You’re better off playing the odds. 
• Do you have it today? Some days the swing feels great, others… not so much. When everything is in sync, take a chance you’d normally pass up. That’s how career rounds are made.