I received several questions the last two weeks that all related to this topic. So I decided to address them as one article on managing the golf course during a round. When I started getting my act together and started lowering my golf scores, I got a bump when I stated using smart course management during each round of golf.

To me course management really has two phases. The problem is that they both get pushed to the side by one big problem, ego. Too often we let our ego get in the way of lower scores. As an example, when I played with a group recently at a fantastic resort course, we came to a long par 5. The second shot was a risk/reward shot. If you decided to go for the green in two you had a huge hazard to clear. One of my buddies threw out the comment, "Well, we didn't come here to lay up."

So if we can put that ego aside, we can address both phases of course management and score lower. The first piece is managing the specifics of a golf course. If you play a course on a regular basis or from time to time, you should be studying the course to learn the spots that the architect who designed the course set up for you to use as you play.

Every golf course has some level of risk reward. Depending on your skill level you should use course management to avoid trouble and maximize your opportunities to score. As you step up to the tee box on each hole, play it backwords in your mind. What are the spots to avoid and what spots offer the the best position for the next golf shot. If you do this with knowledge of the golf course and forget about who can hit the golf ball the farthest, just watch your scores go down.

Part two of course management, to me anyway, is not playing the standard shot or just always hitting the farthest shot from wherever you are standing. This part is managing to your best shots.

For example, let's say you normally hit your five wood really well and you are real comfortable at 100 yards with your pitching wedge. If you are playing a par five that is 475 yards. Well rather than hitting your driver and ending up in jail off the tee box, why not hit two five woods in a row and then your pitching wedge and giving yourself a real good chance at par?

But again, ego gets in the way and we think we have to crush a driver and then try for the green in two. When I finally put the ego aside and started playing smart golf, it lowered my handicap another 3-4 strokes pretty quickly.

Manage the course, manage your ego, and shoot better golf!