Course Management 4: Getting Out of Trouble and Limiting the Damage

The number one goal when you are in trouble is simple: get out of trouble. Don't try to be a hero. One bad shot should not be compounded by a foolish decision that leads to a second bad shot. Learning to "take your medicine" is the key to eliminating those round-killing big numbers.

Build your trouble-shot toolkit

Joe Hallett demonstrates the low punch, the chippy escape, and the mindset that keeps double bogey off the card.

Need more tools for damage control? Course Management Basics: The hidden fundamental reinforces the discipline that keeps big numbers off the card, and The Chip and Run: Your Most Reliable Shot Around the Green gives you the safe escape once you're back around the green.

How do you escape when you're tucked in the trees?

• The Amateur Play: You've pushed your drive into the trees. You find your ball and immediately look for a path to the green. You find a tiny, V-shaped window between two trees. You think, "I can punch a 5-iron through there." You try the miracle shot. It hits a branch, ricochets deeper into the woods, and now you're lying three in an even worse position.
• The Smart Play: Your first question should always be: "What is my guaranteed escape route?" Find the largest, most obvious opening back to the safety of the fairway, even if it's completely sideways or slightly backwards. Take a club with enough loft (like an 8- or 9-iron) to ensure you clear any ground trouble. Hit the ball back into play. From there, you still have a chance to get on the green and salvage a bogey. A bogey from the trees is a fantastic score. Need a feel for the punch-out swing? How to Hit it High and Low: Taking Control of Your Trajectory shows how to flight it under branches, and Understanding Uneven Lies and How to Adapt keeps your balance when the slope tries to spin you out.

How do you tackle the 150-metre fairway bunker shot?

• The Amateur Play: You find your ball sitting perfectly in a fairway bunker, 150 metres from the green. You think, "It's a perfect lie, I'll just hit my normal 7-iron." They forget about the high lip in front of them and the instability of the sand. They try to "pick it clean," but catch it slightly heavy. The ball hits the lip and stays in the bunker.
• The Smart Play: The priority is getting out. Take one extra club than you normally would (a 6-iron in this case). Grip down on the handle by an inch to improve control. Dig your feet into the sand for stability. Make a smooth, 75% swing with the goal of striking the ball first. The extra club ensures you'll still have enough power to clear the lip and advance the ball, even with a shorter swing. Your goal is not the pin; your goal is the fat part of the green or even just short of the green.

How do you manage a recovery from deep rough?

• The Amateur Play: You're 140 metres out, but your ball is sitting down in thick, heavy rough. You grab your 8-iron, the club you'd normally hit from that distance. You take a mighty hack, but the thick grass wraps around the hosel of the club, shutting the face down. The ball comes out low and hooks hard left into even more trouble.
• The Smart Play: Assess the lie. The deeper the rough, the more loft you need. From deep rough, a long iron or hybrid is not an option-the clubhead is not designed to cut through that much grass. You must take a club with more loft, like a pitching wedge or even a sand wedge. The steep angle of attack will help you chop down and get the ball out. Forget about the distance to the green. Your only goal is to get the ball back onto the fairway.

When is it smartest to declare the lie unplayable?

• The Amateur Play: Your ball is nestled right up against a tree root, or deep inside a thorny bush. Ego takes over. You refuse to take a penalty stroke. You try to hack it out, risking injury to your wrists or breaking a club, and the ball only moves a few feet.
• The Smart Play: Know the rules and use them to your advantage. Taking an unplayable lie for a one-stroke penalty is a smart, strategic decision. It allows you to get a fresh start from a safe position. It turns a potential 9 or 10 into a manageable 6. Don't let pride cost you three or four extra strokes.

Good course management in trouble situations is about honest assessment and disciplined execution. Play the shot you know you can hit, not the one you hope you can hit.

What are the quick questions golfers keep asking?

Q: What's the first question you ask when you're in trouble?
A: Where can I leave this ball so bogey is still on the table? Pitch out, pick your best angle, and move on.

Q: When is taking an unplayable lie the smart move?
A: When hacking it out brings double into play. Take the drop, accept the penalty, and keep the damage to a single stroke.