Perhaps an explanation of "Good Course Management", thru the eyes of an 18-20 capper is in order, because i suspect it differs a a fair bit from a good player. Here are a few examples:
1) First and foremost, my rule of thumb... play for the easy bogey/hard par and put double or worse into a far lower % category...unless its a wide open course with little trouble, then fire away at will.
2) You get on a medium length par 4, but maybe its tight with some trees or water. The average high capper just automatically reaches for the driver and bangs away, whereas i'll reach for the 3w and give up some distance in hopes of finding the fairway.
3) You hit a bad tee shot that goes into the rough with 190 in and a poor lie. The average joe gets the 5w and gives it a go, but that's low %, so i'll take out the 9 iron and get it back in play instead.
4) You play a dogleg, where you can get 20-25 extra yards by challenging the deep bunker on the corner where you have to hit one of your best drives to clear it. Do you take it on or aim away from it?
5) You're on a hole with OB down the entire right side, perhaps even with a 20 yard buffer between the fairway and fence. Do you aim down the middle or go up the left hand side to hedge your bets knowing that its rare you'll hit one that far off line to bring it into play?
6) You stripe one down the middle and only got 140 in, but the pin is tucked just over a bunker on the front. Do you play right at it, or to the middle of the green with 1 extra club?
7) You short side an approach where it'll take an amazing chip to leave it close. Do you go for the low % chip to hit it close at the risk of leaving another short side chip, or go 15 feet past and hope to make the come backer.
You play a short par 5 and you've got 210 to the middle with thick trees up one side of the hole. Do you go for the 1 in 10 shot with a good result, or layup for a relatively easy par.
9) You have a 100 yard approach, to a somewhat tucked pin on the side of the green with sand short and rough long. You know you're much better out of rough than sand, so which side do you error on?
10) You miss a fairway and there's a smallish gap between trees to have a line to the green, but its wide open if you chip out 45 degrees to the left of there.
11) You hit a good drive on a par 5, with only 220 in, but there's a centerline bunker right in the way for going in the green. Do you layup or risk the 60 yard bunker shot and fire away?
12) You're playing a shortish par 3 into a stiff 2 club wind with a nasty hazard in front. Do you take the 2 extra or go three extra and make a short miss low %?
ON and on these scenarios go with HH'ers and almost always they go for the "pro/good player" shot....completely ignoring the percentages and bringing double or worse into the equation time and time again. This isn't to say I don't have some abysmal holes where everything goes wrong. But when you look at holes thru the eyes of a high capper, nearly every hole is a fairly easy bogey... if you're willing to play it that way and concede it will be a hard par.P.S. I've played more rounds than I can count with my Spokane buddy. Hes 30-40 yards longer than me from the tee, hits his irons longer and higher, chips way better that me, better bunker player, but putting wise I have the edge. I beat him most of the time though because he always goes for the "good player" shot and recovery, instead of understanding the basics of percentages as a High Capper....