By:
Kolby Oliphant, Director of Golf
As PGA Professionals, one of the questions we get most often is, "How can I lower my scores?" While there are certainly benefits to improving your golf swing, I've found that many golfers can save several strokes each round simply by making a few smarter decisions on the golf course.
Throughout the season, our Golf Professional Staff watches hundreds of rounds and shots from the first tee, around the course and at the Practice Park. The golfers who consistently score well aren’t always the longest hitters or the ones with the prettiest swings, but often the players who make smart decisions, stay patient, and avoid putting themselves in difficult situations.
Here are five simple tips that can help you enjoy the game more and play your best at Cordillera Ranch.
1. Choose the Tees That Fit Your Game
One of the easiest ways to make golf more enjoyable is playing from the tees that best match your game. Every set of tees at Cordillera Ranch was designed to provide an enjoyable challenge, allowing you to hit the clubs you were meant to hit into each green.
If you’re consistently hitting hybrids or fairway woods into most par 4s or struggling to reach par 3s with anything less than a long iron, consider moving up a tee. You’ll find yourself with more birdie opportunities, shorter approach shots and, ultimately, a more enjoyable round.
Remember, golf isn’t about playing the longest course possible; it’s about playing the course in a way that challenges your game while allowing you to enjoy every hole.
Play the right tees, and the right clubs will follow.
2. Let the Hero Shot Be the Exception
We’ve all watched our favorite professionals pull off incredible recovery shots from the trees or around hazards. What television doesn’t always show are the countless times they choose the smarter play.
After a wayward tee shot, ask yourself one simple question: What’s the easiest way to get back into position?
Sometimes that means pitching back to the fairway instead of trying to thread a gap through the trees. While it may not be the most exciting decision, it often turns what could have become a double bogey into a simple bogey — and those are the decisions that add up over 18 holes.
Golf rewards patience far more often than it rewards gambling.
Take your medicine today to save strokes tomorrow.
2. Let the Hero Shot Be the Exception
We’ve all watched our favorite professionals pull off incredible recovery shots from the trees or around hazards. What television doesn’t always show are the countless times they choose the smarter play.
After a wayward tee shot, ask yourself one simple question: What’s the easiest way to get back into position?
Sometimes that means pitching back to the fairway instead of trying to thread a gap through the trees. While it may not be the most exciting decision, it often turns what could have become a double bogey into a simple bogey — and those are the decisions that add up over 18 holes.
Golf rewards patience far more often than it rewards gambling.
Take your medicine today to save strokes tomorrow.
3. Aim for the Largest Part of the Green
Every flagstick can be tempting, but the center of the green is one of the best targets in golf.
Professional golfers don’t attack every pin, and neither should we. Instead, think about where a good miss would be. If a pin is tucked behind a bunker or close to the edge of the green, aiming toward the middle gives you much more room for error while still leaving a realistic birdie opportunity.
A 25-foot birdie putt is always a better option than a difficult bunker shot or a delicate chip from a short-sided position.
Playing to the safest part of the green doesn’t mean you’re playing conservatively; it means you’re playing smart.
The pin is a suggestion. The green is the target.
4. Give Every Putt a Chance
One of the most common tendencies we see is golfers leaving putts just short of the hole. While nobody enjoys facing a four-foot comeback putt, a ball that never reaches the hole simply can’t go in.
Instead, focus on rolling your putts with enough pace that they would finish about 12 to 18 inches beyond the cup if they miss. That pace gives every putt a chance while still keeping the comeback manageable.
You’ll likely be surprised how many more putts begin to find the bottom of the cup.
The hole can’t catch what never gets there.
5. Think One Shot Ahead
The best course managers aren’t just thinking about the shot they’re about to hit — they’re already planning the next one.
Rather than asking, “Can I hit this shot?” try asking, “Where do I want my next shot to come from?”
Choosing the correct side of the fairway, leaving yourself a comfortable yardage, or simply avoiding trouble can make the game much easier. Good golf is rarely about hitting spectacular shots. It’s about consistently putting yourself in good positions and allowing the course to come to you.
Over time, those smart decisions become lower scores.
The best shot is the one that sets up the next.
Final Thoughts
Lowering your handicap doesn’t always require a new swing or new equipment. More often, it’s the result of making better decisions throughout the round.
The next time you’re on the first tee at Cordillera Ranch, challenge yourself to focus on just one of these habits. You may be surprised how quickly a few simple adjustments can make the game more enjoyable — and your scorecard a little smaller!
If you’d like to learn more about course management or discuss your game, our Golf Professional Staff would be happy to help. Sometimes the best way to improve is by learning how to think your way around the golf course.
Kolby Oliphant is the Director of Golf at The Clubs of Cordillera Ranch. He can be reached at koliphant@cordilleraranch.com and 830.336.4653.
