Playing on a soft golf course should not only change the way you approach the short game – it should change your entire techniques and strategy from tee to green. Much as is the case with the short game, you can afford to play more aggressively with the rest of your game as well. Mistakes will not be punished as harshly in soft conditions, meaning you can aim for smaller targets with a higher degree of confidence than you would be able to do on a firm course.
To wrap up this article, let’s talk quickly about some of the strategic changes you can make with the rest of your game when playing a soft and slow course.
Hit more drivers. One of the risks associated with hitting driver from the tee is having the ball run out of the fairway and into trouble. This is less of a concern when the course is soft. Since you aren’t going to see much bounce and roll after your drive lands, you can feel free to play more aggressively off the tee. As long as you have enough room for your driver on a given hole, feel free to send the ball as far down the fairway as possible. Also, since you aren’t going to get much roll, it isn’t as desirable to hit shorter clubs off the tee, as these conservative tee shots may leave you with extremely long approach shots to the greens.
Take reasonable risks. The decision to take on more risk during your rounds should never be taken lightly, as even a soft course will have plenty of places for you to get in trouble. With that said, it can be a good idea to take on more risk in certain situations. For instance, you don’t have to worry so much about short-siding yourself around the greens when the course is soft, since getting up and down is generally pretty easy. So, if the hole is cut near the edge of the green, you can feel more comfortable firing away, hoping to set up a birdie putt. With that said, you still have to be smart about your risks. For example, a water hazard is still a water hazard, no matter what the course conditions are like. If you hit a shot into the water, you’ll be adding a stroke to your score, so be smart and pick the right opportunities to be aggressive.
Play the ball through the air. Whenever possible, you want to fly the ball all the way to your target when playing a soft course. Playing shots that use bounce and roll to your advantage is a nice idea on a firm course – and it can be highly effective – but such a strategy will not work consistently when the course slows down. Golf is an air-based game when turf conditions become soggy. As you make your way around the course, plan to play shots predominantly through the air and only look to the ground as a last resort.
Golfers tend to have mixed feelings about playing on soft conditions. On the one hand, it can be fun to play an aggressive game, and you might shoot some of your best scores. On the other hand, there isn’t as much creativity involved when the course is soft, and the fact that the course is soft usually means the weather isn’t great. However, there isn’t anything you can do to change the course conditions, so your best bet is to make the most of it. Good luck!
