How To Forget a Bad Golf Hole

Resisting the natural impulses will help ensure you get the most out of your round of golf and post the best score possible for that day. Here are some general rules that may swim against the current of human response to adversity, but they are a good battle plan for conquering the golf course after suffering a bad golf hole.

1. Have a game plan. Before you even tee-up your first ball of the day, have a plan for how you will attack the golf course during the round. If your game plan is based upon a good knowledge of your own golf game, your chances for encountering the bad golf hole in the first place are minimized. Having a plan for when disaster strikes will lessen the chances of a downward spiral in the aftermath. In short, you'll know how to react and quickly recover.
2. Play smart golf. Knowledge of the golf course, in conjunction with knowing and staying within your own golf skills, will go a long way toward posting that good score. Know when you can play aggressively and when to play conservatively. For example, if you know it will take a 280-yard drive to clear the water hazard, and your best drive is normally 280 yards, you can dig a deep hole by going for it. The smart play would be to lay up short of the hazard.
3. Resist the urge to make up for bad play. The bad shot is in the past. It's done. Over. So, going for that perfect 280-yard drive to clear the hazard will usually only add more strokes to your score. If you are coming off a triple-bogey hole, adding a double-bogey won't help matters. A par will soothe your wounds. Stay within your game plan and play smart.
4. Refuse to be overly aggressive. See the trouble Padraig Harrington caused himself in the 2007 British Open for a good example of what not to do. Harrington recovered, but by not continuing to be overly aggressive thereafter (and by applying Rules 1-3). Forcing shots to make up for bad play usually happens when the adrenaline is flowing and your swing isn't as reliable. A little bit of aggressive golf isn't a bad thing, just do it at the right time.

Sure, it's easier said than done to get over a bad shot or a bad hole; however, if you can put it behind you quickly, before addressing the next ball, you've won a major battle against the golf course. Failing to get past adversity on the golf course will result in total destruction of your score. Having a game plan, playing smart, resisting the urge to make up for a bad hole, and refusal to be overly aggressive will maximize your chances for posting a score of which you are proud. These same rules will also give you an advantage over your competitors who are mostly still fighting the bad hole war.