5 tips to play smarter (and better!) golf this season

Welcome to our spring-primer series in which we’re getting you and your game ready for the golf season. In this installment, we offer five tips on playing smarter golf this season.

Part I: How to quickly shake the rust off your game | Part II: Get your golf muscles primed for the season | Part III: Spring clean your golf bag for the new season

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The long wait is finally over — winter is gone and spring is finally here. With another offseason behind us, it’s time to get your game in shape for the season ahead.

Shaking the rust off your swing can be a challenge during the early portion of the season, but that doesn’t mean your scores have to suffer. If you can be smart about your game, you can save strokes without having your best swing. Plus, once you do knock the rust off your swing, you’ll be in great shape to fire low scores the rest of the season.

Here are five tips for playing smarter, and better, golf this season.

1. Manage your expectations

For the sake of your own sanity, you must learn to manage expectations. Having confidence in your abilities is important, but you must be realistic. If you’re constantly comparing your shots to those of Tour pros — or even scratch golfers — you’re just setting yourself up for disappointment. Be realistic about what constitutes a “good” shot for you, and celebrate the little victories. If you can stack up enough solid-but-not-great shots, you’ll start to see your scores drop. If you can manage your expectations, you’ll keep your mental game in a better state — and that typically correlates to lower scores.

2. Get a handicap

Most golfers don’t carry a handicap — but they should. First off, an official handicap index gives you an objective measure of your skill and allows you to compete against anyone else. Having an accurate handicap can also help you better gauge which tees to play from. Better players usually play from longer tees, so as your index drops, you can start moving back toward the tips. Plus, once you get a handicap index, you can track your scores and trends in your game, making you a more-informed golfer. Don’t have a handicap index? You can sign up right here.

3. Keep your stats

Analytics aren’t just for the pros anymore. There are a handful of options available to consumers that log your stats each time you tee it up — and they can help make you a better golfer. With enough rounds logged, you’ll begin to see trends and tendencies about your game which will inform your on-course strategy. Once you have those understandings and apply them to your game, you’ll be able to play smarter, better golf.

4. Know the rules

Everyone thinks they know the Rules of Golf, but few actually understand the nuances and finer points. If you come to understand the minutiae of the rulebook, though, it can help you improve your scores. Everyone hits offline shots, and when they do, the rules can often times be used to their advantage. Study up on the rules and next time you’re in a tricky situation, use them to your advantage. Download a mobile version of the rulebook here.

5. Play it safe

Hitting the hero shot might be great for stories at the 19th hole, but it’s not often good for your scorecard. Boring golf is good golf — even if it means playing for bogey. Firing directly at every flag is not a sound strategy, and it can have catastrophic results. Play the percentages, aim for the center of greens, and take your two-putt. It might not be the most exciting brand of golf, but over the long haul, it’ll give you the best chance to post lower scores.

Zephyr Melton

Golf.com Editor

Zephyr Melton is an assistant editor for GOLF.com where he spends his days blogging, producing and editing. Prior to joining the team at GOLF, he attended the University of Texas followed by stops with the Texas Golf Association, Team USA, the Green Bay Packers and the PGA Tour. He assists on all things instruction and covers amateur and women’s golf. He can be reached at zephyr_melton@golf.com.