Miscellaneous Thoughts on Course Management Angles

In this last section, we have a few final points related to angles that we would like to share. With any luck, one or more of the tips below will help you continue to improve on your course management abilities.

Sometimes, you can just fire away. With all this talk about angles and playing it smart on the course, there are times when it will be best to simply aim at the hole and go for it. This is usually the case when there are no serious hazards around, and no big slopes to worry about either. When the hole is cut near the middle of a flat green, and you have a good lie in the fairway, you can forget all about angles and just do your best to knock the ball right up next to the cup.

The rough is an option. Most modern golf courses keep their rough cut at a moderate length in order to encourage a reasonable pace of play. With that in mind, playing a tee shot into the rough – on purpose – is an option you should consider in some cases. If the course you are playing doesn’t feature long or thick rough, and you would really like to have a specific angle into the green, feel free to aim for the rough off the tee. This isn’t going to be the right strategy on most holes, but you will probably find a hole from time to time where the rough is actually the best place to be.

Practice your ball flights. Without a doubt, the most powerful way to use angles to your advantage in golf is to be able to turn the ball in both directions on command. When you can hit both fades and draws, you will be able to ‘create’ angles even out of shots where there don’t seem to be many angles available. During your practice sessions on the range, work on learning how to alter your swing to produce specific ball flights when they are needed. This is an advanced skill, to be sure, but it is one which can take your game to new heights.

Even beginning golfers can use angles to their advantage on the course. Don’t ignore this important topic just because you think it is above your head – you can start using angles right away, even while you are working on improving your swing technique. As you gain more and more experience looking for angles to use on the course, your confidence will grow and you’ll make far better decisions than when you were just aiming at the hole and hoping for the best. Good luck!