Key Factors in YOUR Good Scoring

[Mike Hendren]

Which of the following is critical in significantly bettering your handicap on a given day (please rank from most to least)?

1.  Decent length (for you) and accuracy off the tee
2.  Overall good ball-striking
3.  Getting up and down around the greens
4.  Superior putting
5.  Avoiding OB, lost balls and water hazards
6.  Understanding and navigating the golf course's architecture
7.  Favorable conditioning
8.  Recoveries
9.  Avoiding courses that are ill-suited for your game

Then, based upon your priorities, how relevant is golf course architecture?

Bogey

[Mike Hendren]

I'll go first:

1.  Length and accuracy off the tee
2.  Getting Up and down
3.  Avoiding penalties
4.  Superior putting
5.  Ball striking
6.  Understanding architecture
7.  Recoveries
8.  Avoiding certain golf courses
9.  Conditioning

In my opinion, architecture provides the context for execution - the name of the game.

Bogey

[Peter Pallotta]

Bogie - neat idea. Ive never thought about this (hence, maybe, my consistently poor scores).

1. Superior putting.
2. Avoiding certain golf courses.
3. Avoiding penalities.
4. Recoveries.
5. Getting up and down.
6. Ball striking.
7. Length and accurancy off the tee.
8. Understanding architecture.
9. Conditioning.

I have 'understanding architecture' so low in part because the courses I tend to play on a routine basis don't have much 'architecture' (or at least architecture that needs much understanding).  Also goes to show that, if architects can get me to an interesting green without losing balls and with a good chance of recovery from various spots, I'll at least have a shot at scoring better, and will have only myself to blame if I don't.

Peter

[Brian Finn]

1.  Superior putting
2.  Getting Up and down
3.  Ball striking
4.  Length and accuracy off the tee
5.  Avoiding penalties
6.  Recoveries
7.  Understanding architecture
8.  Conditioning
9.  Avoiding certain golf courses

Understanding architecture allows me to employ good course management (although I often go against my own advice).  Understanding architecture has an impact on my confidence level (positive when I feel particularly comfortable, negative when I have excessive doubt) which can significantly impact #1 - #6.  I put it #7 because scoring still comes down to execution, which even with excellent understanding of the architecture is not assured.

[Lou_Duran]

1a.  Avoiding OB, lost balls and water hazards
1b.  Decent length (for you) and accuracy off the tee
1b.  Overall good ball-striking
1d.  Recoveries

5a.  Superior putting    
5b.  Favorable conditioning
5c.  Getting up and down around the greens

8.  Understanding and navigating the golf course's architecture

9.  Avoiding courses that are ill-suited for your game

8 and 9 are probably more important to beginners and high handicap players.  Recognizing the design features becomes ingrained the more one plays.  It is not necessary to know the buzz words or the history to execute the shots, though it might provide more enjoyment and appreciation.

[Andrew Buck]

1.  Length and accuracy off the tee
2.  Superior putting (Somehow, I'm a 1 that hasn't had less than 32 putts in the last 50 rounds)
3.  Ball striking
4.  Getting Up and down
5.  Avoiding penalties
6.  Understanding architecture
7.  Recoveries
8.  Conditioning
9.  Avoiding certain golf courses

The reality is, most courses can let you get away with not understanding it if you hit good shots.  

[Brent Hutto]

My most important is  

5.  Avoiding OB, lost balls and water hazards

But you left out the second most important contribution to my score

10. Reducing the number of duff, muffs, flubs, tops, bladed wedges, shanks and completely wasted (or worse) full strokes

Other than losing a couple sleeves of balls OB or in hazards or rough, the big difference between the days when I have a chance to play to my handicap and the days that I'm wasting my time and money even showing up is what I'm calling "10." on my list. Good days, maybe one or two such shots. Bad days it's 10+ strokes, easily.

Other important factors are

1.  Decent length (for you) and accuracy off the tee
4.  Superior putting

Put it in play off the tee and putt well, any course can be great fun to play. Do neither of those, both the score and the experience are greatly impacted.

Secondary factors, at best are

3.  Getting up and down around the greens
9.  Avoiding courses that are ill-suited for your game

With courses ill-suited for my game mostly being about forced carries or lost-ball opportunities combined with no bail-out "safe" routes.

As for

2.  Overall good ball-striking
8.  Recoveries

I'm never good enough at either of those to make up for a bad day otherwise. So they're kind of moot for my game.

Finally

6.  Understanding and navigating the golf course's architecture
7.  Favorable conditioning

These can add immensely to the experience but really unless we're talking about extreme lack of understand or dog-track conditioning, neither can have much influence on my score.

[Carl Nichols]

1.  Getting up and down around the greens  [Clear #1 because my chipping and pitching has become a disaster.  I'm a 5 that chips and pitches worse than almost anyone I play with]

2.  Superior putting
3.  Overall good ball-striking
4.  Decent length (for you) and accuracy off the tee
5.  Recoveries

6.  Avoiding OB, lost balls and water hazards [If 3 and 4 happen, this isn't an issue]
7.  Understanding and navigating the golf course's architecture
8.  Favorable conditioning
9.  Avoiding courses that are ill-suited for your game

[Steve Kline]

I based my answers on when I was playing regularly a couple of years. Right now my answers would be totally different because I'm so inconsistent.

1. Superior putting
2. Understanding and navigating the golf course's architecture
3. Getting up and down around the greens
4. Recoveries
5. Avoiding OB, lost balls and water hazards
6. Overall good ball striking
7. Decent length (for you) and accuracy off the tee
8. Favorable conditioning
9. Avoiding courses that are ill-suited for your game

Putting is and always be the great equalizier. Good putting days keep the momentum going by avoiding bogeys and piling up birdies. Because my ball striking was consistent and I could maneuver my ball well, understanding the architecture was the next most critical aspect. When I knew it well, I knew what shots I was comfortable hitting on certain holes, what trouble I really needed to avoid, where taking risks made sense, and, most importantly, where to miss around the greens. The last part, where to miss around the greens, really facilities numbers three and four on my list. Missing in the right spot makes up and downs and recoveries much easier. Avoiding etc. becomes part of understanding the course. Knowing the architecture (can I aim away from it, lay up, work the ball away from it etc. and which is the better option on this hole) really helps avoid that stuff and prevent potential big numbers. Ball striking and length of the tee are low for me because I took for them granted (not any more though). I don't really care about course conditioning in terms of affecting my score. It only does if the greens are horribly bumpy. Course conditioning (firm and fast please) is more about enjoyment for me than scoring. If I can understand the architecture then I don't think there is any course that I can't play well on.

[Josh Tarble]

1.  Accuracy off the tee - length typically isn't a problem...I need to keep it in play
2.  Good ball striking
3.  Superior putting
4.  Getting up and down

To me, all of these factor in to understanding the architecture.  Especially at my home course, you have to play the angles.  Otherwise, you are playing defensively.  If I can play to the proper spot in the fairway, then either hit the right spot OR make the proper miss (that one is pretty critical for me) I feel like I can putt together a good round.

Interestingly though, my two best rounds this year happened when 1) I hit a ton of greens and made 0 putts and 2) I missed a ton of greens and made a bunch of putts - but to me, keeping it in play is the starting factor - I can have a bad round with good driving, but rarely have a good round with bad driving.

[Keith Grande]

1. Superior putting
2. Overall good ball-striking
3. Getting up and down around the greens
4. Decent length (for you) and accuracy off the tee
5. Understanding and navigating the golf course's architecture
6. Avoiding OB, lost balls and water hazards
7. Recoveries
8. Avoiding courses that are ill-suited for your game
9. Favorable conditioning

Some of these are inter-related.  When I'm having a good ball striking round, I'm generally hitting the ball off the tee in good locations, hitting greens and avoiding OB, hazards, etc.  Getting up and down around the greens often involve holing difficult par putts.  My worst rounds occur when I am not striking the ball well, leading to lost ball penalties, difficult shots from rough/bunker.

However, My lowest rounds are when I make putts, whether they are for birdie, a difficult two putt (avoiding 3 putts), or par saves.

I did rank understanding golf architecture for the course (the architect's intent on the hole) as an important element, as they frame my approach to tee shot, approach shot, putting and short game.  I have found that when I play a course the second time, I often score better, as I understand the layout, playing lines, green countours and adjust my game accordingly.

[Steve Kline]

I find it quite ironic, especially on this site, that that the few answers so far other than me have the architecture so low. Getting up and down, recoveries, and mitigating disasters are largely about understanding the architecture and how it interacts with your game. You can have the greatest short game in the world, but if you don't understand the architecture you will not get up and down.

Are all of you saying you just like the architecture because its pretty? Because the few that have answered don't seem to think it's important in terms of scoring.

[Brian Finn]

I find it quite ironic, especially on this site, that that the few answers so far other than me have the architecture so low. Getting up and down, recoveries, and mitigating disasters are largely about understanding the architecture and how it interacts with your game. You can have the greatest short game in the world, but if you don't understand the architecture you will not get up and down.

Are all of you saying you just like the architecture because its pretty? Because the few that have answered don't seem to think it's important in terms of scoring.

I think it is incredibly important, but I ranked it below several other items because you still need to execute a shot.  Even when I believe I have an excellent understanding of the architecture (let's say for sake of argument it is occasionally true), I am still not a consistent enough player to score well.  So, my putting, ball-striking, et al rank ahead of architecture.

[Keith Grande]

I find it quite ironic, especially on this site, that that the few answers so far other than me have the architecture so low. Getting up and down, recoveries, and mitigating disasters are largely about understanding the architecture and how it interacts with your game. You can have the greatest short game in the world, but if you don't understand the architecture you will not get up and down.

Are all of you saying you just like the architecture because its pretty? Because the few that have answered don't seem to think it's important in terms of scoring.

This would apply to very low HDCP and tour level players.  They have the ball striking/putting thing on reflexes alone.

[Garland Bayley]

Unless you have the right architecture to play, understanding the architecture has little to do with scoring. So many everyday courses are line of instinct courses that there is little need to understand more. I suppose this is particularly true of the Pacific Northwest were we mostly play down the middle of swaths cut from trees.

The few times I play Chambers Bay, for example, architecture pops up much higher. I maintain I was able to beat Kalen at Chambers Bay handily by my ability to choose the correct shot to attempt given the many options there.

[Josh Tarble]

Steve,
I think understanding of the architecture is probably the most important part of scoring for me on my home course - but I know it's a constant.  I don't understand it less or more varying on the day.  I can create the perfect game plan for the day but if I don't execute exactly, that game plan is irrelevant.

[Andrew Buck]

I find it quite ironic, especially on this site, that that the few answers so far other than me have the architecture so low. Getting up and down, recoveries, and mitigating disasters are largely about understanding the architecture and how it interacts with your game. You can have the greatest short game in the world, but if you don't understand the architecture you will not get up and down.

Are all of you saying you just like the architecture because its pretty? Because the few that have answered don't seem to think it's important in terms of scoring.

I think on most courses I've played, understanding architecture comes much easier than executing shots.  In most scenario's, you can see where you don't want to miss shots, or at least after one play you have a good idea.  Also, since 80% of my golf is played on 2 courses, it certainly becomes inherent at those places.  

This is not to say I couldn't improve in this area, just simply it's rare that I walk off the course and count the shots I gave away because I didn't understand how to play a hole, or misjudged an option or slope.  It's relatively common I walk off the course and realize I failed to execute a good swing which left me in the wrong place, or had a three put, or didn't execute a solidly struck chip shot.  

[Andrew Buck]

I find it quite ironic, especially on this site, that that the few answers so far other than me have the architecture so low. Getting up and down, recoveries, and mitigating disasters are largely about understanding the architecture and how it interacts with your game. You can have the greatest short game in the world, but if you don't understand the architecture you will not get up and down.

Are all of you saying you just like the architecture because its pretty? Because the few that have answered don't seem to think it's important in terms of scoring.

This would apply to very low HDCP and tour level players.  They have the ball striking/putting thing on reflexes alone.

I would expect even the tour player has more break downs in execution of shots than they do in decisions related to the architecture (regardless if Johnny Miller says every mistake is a mental one). 

[Tom_Doak]

For me, by far the two most important factors are

1.  Getting up and down around the greens, and
1a.  Driving the ball in play consistently (including avoiding o.b. and hazards, if they exist)

I am pretty consistent in other areas of the game.  I can putt reasonably well anywhere, although I have more and more days where I don't make the 5-10 footers.  Conditioning is not a big factor ... I'm pretty good on fast greens or slow greens or perfect fairways or ragged ones.  And though I do sometimes go for shots I shouldn't, because I just feel like it, I can generally read the architecture well enough to get by    

[Andrew Buck]

And though I do sometimes go for shots I shouldn't, because I just feel like it, I can generally read the architecture well enough to get by    

Which introduces another factor - discipline.  The guy on the board who likely has the best understanding of architecture, admits he doesn't always have the discipline to follow it.  Step up to most shortish, but not drivable par 4's and most decent life-long golfers know that 3 wood/gap wedge is the best play, but sometimes, you just want to hit driver.  Most know not to short side yourself with certain pins, but yet sometimes still decide to take dead aim.  

Most of the money games I've played disproportionately reward birdies, as a result, I really have to pull yourself back when playing stroke play.  

[Bill Seitz]

I think a lot of these get covered twice (i.e., avoiding OB and lost balls could be subsumed under decent accuracy off the tee).  I'd put them in this order.

1.  Overall good ball-striking
2.  Getting up and down around the greens
3.  Recoveries
4.  Decent length (for you) and accuracy off the tee
5.  Superior putting
6.  Understanding and navigating the golf course's architecture
7.  Favorable conditioning
8.  Avoiding OB, lost balls and water hazards
9.  Avoiding courses that are ill-suited for your game

Primarily for me it comes down to hitting greens, and making pars when I don't hit greens.  I generally hit the ball pretty straight off the tee for the most part, so while that's a very important component to low scoring for me (which also leads to avoiding hazards and lost balls), it's a pretty consistent part of my game, so my difference in scoring from one round to the next is usually a function of how I'm striking my irons and how well I'm playing around the green.  9 is irrelevant, as I'll play anywhere, and adjust my expectations accordingly.  I don't really factor conditions into scoring, though I like playing well conditioned courses (who doesn't?).  

With regard to the architecture, if anything playing Kingsley so many times has probably hurt me in this area, as I'm constantly looking for slopes and hills to move the ball around at courses that simply don't have contours to the same extreme, or the conditions to take advantage of the contours that do exist.  It has helped me, however, at places like Ballyneal because I feel I'm trying to execute similar strategies, and I'm used to doing so.  

[Carl Rogers]

many overlapping factors:
1. hit the green
2. if no. 1 is not possible, then hit it where you can hit it again
3. hole short putts

to quote Tommy Armour "play the shot you know how to play, play the shot that makes the next shot easy"

[Wayne Wiggins, Jr.]

1.   Getting up and down around the greens
2.   Superior putting
3.   Decent length (for you) and accuracy off the tee (15-20 yds more off the tee would help)
4.   Overall good ball-striking
5.   Recoveries (i.e. taking my medicine vs. being a hero)
6.   Understanding and navigating the golf course's architecture
7.   Avoiding courses that are ill-suited for your game (I think this kinda ties in w/ #6)
8.   Avoiding OB, lost balls and water hazards (I think this also ties in w/ #6)
9.   Favorable conditioning (have difficulty adapting to slower greens than my home course)

When I'm not completely in an Ian Baker-Finch type funk, i'm fairly consistent.  I'm not the longest off the tee, and am rarely really out of position w/ my tee shot that i don't have at least an attempt to get the ball on or very near the green.  So a better short game (i.e. chipping and putting) woud save me probably 4-6 strokes a round.  

The architecture, course features, and conditioning all factor in after this but in reality probably only count for 1-2 missed strokes (on courses w/ which I'm not familiar).

[Steve Wilson]

Twenty to twenty five years ago I started thinking critically about why I was losing to people who weren't as good as I was.   I realized it was my short game and penalties that were keeping me back.  Accordingly, I went to shorter clubs off the tee and practiced my short game a lot.

I developed this philosophy:  Keep the ball in play and with one good shot you can par any hole and with a great shot you can make birdie.

So for me:
1.  Avoiding penalties  off the tee implies accuracy and decent length (I think understanding and navigating the architecture helps here)
2.  Overall good ball striking
3.  Getting up and down (knowing where to miss makes this easier thus understanding and navigating the architecture)
4.  Putting (one putts redeem a multitude of sins)
5.  Recoveries (understanding the architecture helps here)
6.  Conditioning (and recognizing how it affects the architecture, i.e., is the ball running or stopping dead)

To fall back on something else I've said before.  Golf is strategy and tactics.  Strategy is what we conceive of on the tee, tactics are what we employ after we hit our tee shots and find them.  The tee shot is a set piece battle, and if we hit it where we want to the strategy continues.  But once we stray then it all becomes a meeting engagement and we have to adapt to the changed circumstances.

Unless you have the skill set to overwhelm the course with length, accuracy, and spin then understanding the architecture is vital to managing your game and reducing your scores.  

[Sean_A]

Its really down to three things for me

1a. Superior putting
1b. Getting up & down
3. Good driving

Everything else is just fluff.  I mean really, good ball striking from a 9 capper?

Ciao