While it's always nice to have a good round on a course you've been dying to see or play, and may only get to play just once, I would say the best way to make sure you enjoy the COURSE is to not take your round so seriously. And who knows, a positive subliminal perk to this idea may be that you actually play BETTER by not focusing so much on scoring and playing well. You'd be amazed by how much time is lost by the majority of golfers just trying to save a stroke here and there that rarely ends up actually improving their score. Here's a few rules I've mostly tried to follow in making this conversion from score-focus to course/environment focus:
1) Just take the penalty. The majority of time wasted on any course is looking for lost balls or balls in the hazard. If it's staked red, look for maybe a minute (hopefully others in your group help you) and if you can't find it, just drop. Even if you had found your ball, it's unlikely that the shot you TRY to make out of the hazard yeilds a substaintially better result than it you had took the drop penalty. If it's OB or water, re-tee/drop immediately....hell, take a mulligan if you want. Unless you're playing for cash or drinks, no one cares if you just do it quickly and only once per 9.
2) Go back to "putting by feel." Warm up on the putting green to get the speed. Practice putting more often to train your eye to read breaks better. Learn to "feel" your stroke better so you know how to manage the speed and the break. All of this will help you save time on the course from plumb-bobing, setting up your "cheater line," walking 3 circles around your putt, taking 5 practice strokes, then remarking your ball 1 foot away from the hole when you miss just to do it all over again.
3) Get rid of all the practice swings already. One is more than enough. If you're a high-handicapper, practice swings are even worse, they only make you more tired!
4) Write down your scores on the next tee. Don't meander off the green looking back and pointing with your finger..."Ok, that was one shanked off the tee, two out of the native area, three short of the green, four chili-dipped, five on, and 2 putts....."
5) The most important and best way to improve your score AND have more time to enjoy the course......drop a few bucks with your local teaching pro! Hit more fairways and greens!!
