Why Going For Par Is Hurting Your Game

Answer these questions:

On par 3s, do you typically aim directly at the flag and try to reach the green in one?

On par 4s, do you typically try to reach the green in two?

On par 5s, do you typically try to reach the green in three, or even two?

If you’re a mid-to-high handicap golfer and you answered yes to these questions, then you are hurting your game. Going after greens-in-regulation and pars can actually lead to higher scores as opposed to simply trying for bogeys. This may sound counter-intuitive, but it’s true. Let’s examine why.

Say you’re standing over a 410-yard par 4. You take out your driver and hit it 230 yards down the fairway, leaving you with 180 yards to go. It’s a front hole location so you take out your 6-iron and go for the green, hoping to set yourself up with a two-putt for par. But, like most amateurs tend to do, you it it short and leave yourself a tricky up-and-down chip shot with little green to work with. And, again like most amateurs tend to do, you blade the chip across the green and have to do it a second time from the other side. You manage to two-putt from there and end up carding a 6. All because you just had to go for the green right away.

Now let’s rewind back to the fairway shot. Maybe you’re really comfortable hitting a 90-yard shot with your gap wedge, a lot more comfortable than a 6-iron from 180 out. Two of those and you’re on the green, two putts and you’ve got a 5, which is still better than a 6. So why not just do that? Many golfers look down on the idea of laying up, but in reality it’s often the much safer and smarter choice. In fact, most professional players say they don’t usually go for the green with anything longer than a 7 or 8-iron. It’s a much better idea to create an approach shot from a number that you like hitting from rather than trying to force one in with a club you’re not particularly great with,

What if we examine this from a broader perspective? A lot of golfers probably scoff at the idea of aiming for bogeys, but there’s really nothing wrong with them, especially if you’re a high-handicapper. Let me prove it to you. If you’re on a par-70 golf course and you bogey all 18 holes, that’s an 88, which is probably a pretty good score for 15-20 handicappers. For professional golfers, pars are good and birdies are great, but amateurs shouldn’t think that way. For them, it should be that bogeys are good, pars are great, and birdies are fantastic. Thinking that way will cause you to play smarter and safer, which will lead to lower scores.

Let us know what your thoughts are about going for the green as quickly as possible! #MakeItHappen