golfrewind.com

Well Monday I have my first high school golf tournament, and would like some tips. I've played in tournaments before, but I'm more nervous about this one because we compete as a team and I'm playing for a spot in the next tournament. So how do y'all who've played in tournaments prepare? I'm trying to play the course tomorrow just to get a feel for it as I've never played it before.

Just play your game. Golf is, after all, an individual sport.

Most importantly, have fun!

Team golf is great, and playing off can be stressful....The first thing is tommorow, DO NOT keep score...nothing good can come from it...Just learn yardages to things, and slopes on the green and get INFO....When the tourney comes, focus on hitting the shot where you want too, and not where you dont want to....Execute each shot, and commit to EVERY SHOT....Bad swings, you can deal with, but mental mistakes are no good! Also...Do NOT get caught up in what everyone else around you is doing, and trying to figure your score and other peoples score out to see if your going to make it....When the round is over, that is when you can see everyone's score added up! Don't play scared! Be confident, and KNOW how good you are! Good luck and have fun...Playing High School golf is one of the best experiences of my life! Just have fun playing free golf, and playing with the guys around you!

Yea, just play your game don't worry too much about the competitive aspect. I don't play in tournaments much, but I played on the team in high school. You'll get more used to it the more you do it. Good luck.

The key to golf, if you ask me.

That and not keeping score.

You have to figure out what works best for you. Golf is an individual sport even while you may be on a team. I played my best rounds when someone says so and so is the best or they can't be beat. I get more focused and play my best golf. I wish I could keep that feeling all the time.

My best round in HS came when we were playing in a four some , 2 from our team 2 from the other team. Well me and the other guy on the team was getting "phsyched" up and talking trash to each other so do speak, talking about how we were going to destroy these people. I ended up shooting a 33 , and we won the match by 2 or 3. I play better angry haha.
If I get "angry" it helps me focus, cause I just think about beating the guy by the most possible strokes. Its not even true anger , its just the fact that I wan't to beat the guy so bad, it makes me think I am angry.

hmm after writing this down, I am going to try and get "angry" at the golf course, it just may work.

I am glad that works for you, but I would highly recommend NOT trying this method

LOL yea dont try that also when you go to the course today it seems spend all day and hit as many shots as possible without holding people up aim for different parts of the course and take say 10 shots or so. Reason being is you wont be stuck with trying for that 1 place you aim for different places and play from them this way you find out if its better playing down the right or left side or just down the middle. I found this really helps on course. I now think of aiming to where I have the best shot and if I do mess up and hit it to where its a poor shot I now have an idea of what I can do from that area whether I need to knock it back into the fairway hit a low hook etc etc....

I really don't have any advice that hasn't already been said, but I can tell you that the best thing you can do out there on the course is relax and enjoy the time to it's fullest. In the grand scheme of things, high school golf and athletics for that matter, don't amount to squat down the road, but you will look back on it 5,10,40 years from now and you'll have some wonderful experiences of which you can be proud. If you shoot some low scores, and medal a few times, then all the better, but most important is having fun with your team and enjoying your game.

I didn't mean to sound like Tony Robbins there, but that's how I look back at my high school golf years, and at the time, I was so stressed about the competition that sometimes I forgot to have fun with it. You shouldn't do the same. Good luck in your match. I'm sure you'll be great.

Plan your course strategy.
Think of one shot at a time. (Distance, landing and wind).
Play your own game.
If making a choice between two shots take the one you practiced.
One high risk shot can cost you three but, a recovery shot cost only one.

If all else fails remember this is EXACTLY where you want to be. Smile at the sky and look at the target. It is after all just a game.

Ughh...frustrating round of golf. I wasn't nervous at all after I got there, and started off pretty well (for me) with a 41 on the front. On the back, though (my backside as it was a shotgun start) I couldn't hit a fairway and shot 50. I tried to play conservatively but when I'm punching out sideways from the trees on every hole it's hard to score. I finished double-double-bogey-double-quad.

I had fun, though, and hopefully I'll have next week to make up for it.

Listen, like a lot of us, we've had the High School golf experience. It's going to be some of the best times of your life, even if you haven't played up to your potential. Go out there and be confident, play your own game, and have fun. Success comes to those who want it. Take it easy, one shot at a time, and don't lose your cool.

Ryan

If you are playing "conservatively" make sure you are conservatively aggressive....I know too many people who play conservative, but then play scared even after that! Also...Don't worry about it...Seems like you had it goin pretty well on the front nine...Just use that, and do the same on the back! You aren't out of it! Keep you head up and put a good round together!

It's your first tournament. Let me tell you a little story. My junior year we had a fall qualifier. I'd been averaging in the mid-high 70's. So I was expected to go out there and play well. When the time came, it was 2 nine-hole qualifiers in two days in 30 degree weather. I shot 45 and 50 and didn't make the fall team. Next spring, with a little practice... I went out and shot 2 rounds of 72 to take the number one slot on the team. A little experience is always good. You just got it so go out there and work at it!

Ryan

It is single digit weather her in the midwest (home of the frozen), so even a bad round of golf sounds good.

Better luck next time.

Next time that Ping starts to let you down pull one of the Sonartecs out. Occasionally I play a 5 wood round (tee offs) to remind myself that it isn't all driver.
It is surprising how close the scores are. What really nags me is my par 5 average usually gets better.