Fun Golf Games to Play on the Course

Fun Golf Games To Play On The CourseI was thinking today about some fun golf games to play on the course when Daniel and I have the chance to get in a round together.

I want Daniel to think of playing golf as a chance to have fun, rather than something that he has to do. If he enjoys being on the course, he’ll play more often and play better, which will make the experience even more enjoyable for him. It would certainly help him as he learns how to get better at golf.

We will have a great time if we can come up with fun games to play on the golf course. We’ve been getting ready for warmer weather by looking at some 2012 golf club reviews, but I want us to be prepared when we actually get out on the course.

I think that when he and I play golf together, he concentrates on trying to beat me. That’s fine (and it’s becoming much easier for him) but I want him to think about more than just the competitive nature of the game.

The need for fun also extends to his golf practice routine. When I video Daniel’s swing for him, I always try to lighten the mood. Here’s a clip where I first try to apologize for moving the camera back and forth, then joke around about not talking while he’s about to swing.

Daniel, to his credit, doesn’t seem to mind my antics. Well, maybe just a little bit. Later on, he hits a pretty good shot after I had to explain that an L-Wedge stands for lob wedge.

Here’s a clip where we joke around after Daniel hits some overhanging power wires for the third time in four shots. The screen shot of the expression on my face is hilarious by itself.

As you can tell, we like to joke around … a lot. Of course, you can’t and shouldn’t joke around to much on the golf course. Other players might not appreciate it much. They might want to tee off on you if you mess up their game.

But that does not mean that you can’t come up with fun golf games to play on the course. In general, I would think that we would want to be able to play the games in the course of the round. In other words, we would be able to play the games and still keep up with our scores as we normally would.

Here are a few ideas of fun games to play on the golf course that I came up with off the top of my head.

We could come up with a point system based on hitting fairways and greens. Each could count as a point, but you also could get bonus points.

For example, you might get an extra point if your ball was within 10 yards of the 150-yard marker. Or perhaps you could get a point if you had an uphill putt on the green and lose a point if you had a downhiller.

Another option would be to add bonus points if you were on the left side of the fairway and the pin was on the right side of the green or if the opposite were true. I think something like this would help Daniel think strategically on the course. After all, even fun golf games to play on the course can help you improve your game.

Another game could emphasize the importance of playing each hole. We could count each hole as a separate mini-tournament. The score on that hole would be multiplied by 18 with a stroke added for par 3 holes and one taken away on each par 5.

We could also make up games to focus on staying out of the rough or avoiding bunkers. Perhaps we’d come up with a point system that penalized you if you were in the rough or a bunker. Fun games to play on the golf course are even more enjoyable if they help you learn to stay in the fairway.

Maybe we’d have a game centered around putting. We could add up the number of putts we made over five feet or 10 feet to determine the best putter of the day. Or maybe we could add up the total length of our putts for the round.

Another option could emphasize driving. We might add up the lengths of the drives and subtract the distance from the center of the fairway.

I also thought about adding a semi-imaginary element to the fun golf games to play on the course. Perhaps, Daniel and I could act like we were playing a best ball match against two of our favorite professional golfers.

We could look up their most recent scores on the PGA Tour website to come up with their score on each hole. We might have to tweak them of course to match up with the course that we are playing.

And, it goes without saying that they would have to give us a stroke or two on each hole. But it would be a fun and interesting way to see how we matched up. And it would help us to help each other through the round.

These are just a few ideas that I thought of this morning. I’m sure I could come up with even better ideas if I gave it some more thought. And there’s no doubt that Daniel could help come up with fun golf games to play on the course, too.

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Daniel’s Golf Practice Routine

One of the great things about our house is its location just across the street from an open area that allows Daniel to have a golf practice routine where he can at least hit some short irons whenever the weather allows it. Practice like this is an important part of his effort to learn how to get better at golf.

We live in North Carolina, so it’s often warm enough to hit a few balls even during the winter months. When the weather is colder, we often take a look at some 2012 golf club reviews.

On the last day of 2011, Daniel and I went outside so he could hit some shots across the road.  I manned the video camera. Here he is hitting a pitching wedge.

When he was younger, Daniel could hit a three-wood or hybrid without worrying about the balls getting to some woods and a backyard just past the open area. Occasionally a wicked slice would find a lake, but it wasn’t really in range either.

Now, he can’t hit more than a seven-iron into the open space, which extends about 140 yards from our front yard.

Daniel doesn’t have a set golf practice routine. He usually goes outside, grabs five of six golf balls and whichever iron is handy.

You might think this is not the best strategy, because he doesn’t have a set order to practice. But it works for him because he does not feel any pressure to hit balls at any certain time.

Here’s Daniel hitting a nine-iron into a tree in the area across the street from our house.

Daniel’s golf practice routine often includes a trip to the range, which is about a half mile from our house. He usually practices the most with a club or clubs that he feels have been giving him some trouble lately.

If he hasn’t been getting of the tee very well lately, he will spend some time hitting his driver. If his iron shots have not been hitting many greens in regulation, he will hit plenty of shots with those clubs.

He also will take a few minutes to hit some chip shots if that area of his game has been a little off, but that does not happen often because he’s a pretty good around the greens. He likes to practice putting, as well. He will practice long and short putts in no particular order because you never know how long your putts will be once your out on the course.

It might seem like Daniel’s golf practice routine is not much of a routine at all, but I think he has found the a way of practicing that is best for his game right now. I want him to want to learn how to get better at golf. As long as that desire is there, I think he’ll continue to improve. After all, golf is a game, so I think it’s OK that he treats it that way.

 

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Hello world, it’s time to learn how to get better at golf!

Welcome to How to Get Better at Golf!

My son, Daniel, and I started this website as a way to document his golf journey. It will include pages and posts about how he is doing and what he is trying as he seeks to learn how to get better at golf.

Thanks for reading. Here’s hoping you hit ’em long and straight.

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