The Six Rules

1. 1Aim at the fat part, not the flag.

   The middle of the green is the biggest target on the hole. A flag tucked near water or a bunker invites a miss on the wrong side; the fat part leaves a two-putt even when you miss your line.

2. 2Tee off away from the big trouble.

   Find the trouble that costs a penalty stroke, then aim your tee shot at the half of the fairway away from it. If your usual miss still finds it, hit the club you trust most.

3. 3One shot to get out of trouble, back to the fairway.

   From the trees, take the shortest safe route back to short grass. The hero shot through the gap turns one bad swing into two; the pitch-out keeps a bogey in play.

4. 4Club for the back edge, not the pin.

   A shot that comes up short finds the front bunker or the false front. Pick the club that carries to the middle of the green plus a few yards, never one that carries past the back edge.

5. 5Lag to a 3-foot circle.

   From long range, the job is speed, not the hole. Picture a 3-foot circle around the cup and roll the ball into it. The next putt is the one you hole.

6. 6Bogey is a good score on hard holes.

   On a long par 4 or a hole with trouble everywhere, plan for bogey from the tee. Taking it calmly is how a round of 89 is built.

Why bogeys are enough

On a par-72 course, 89 is par plus 17. Seventeen bogeys and one par breaks 90, with no birdies needed. If your card already has a par or two, the strokes to find are in the doubles, and a double usually starts with a penalty, a failed recovery or a 3-putt.

Mark Broadie’s strokes-gained research found that most of the gap between golfers of different levels comes from shots of 100 yards and out; putting is only about 1.5 strokes of the gap between a 70 and an 80 shooter. For a golfer in the 90s, much of that long-game cost is target choice, which is what these rules change.

Source: Mark Broadie, Every Shot Counts (2014). Not affiliated with or endorsed by Mark Broadie.

Join the waitlist