Preparing for Tournament Golf

Golf tournaments are a very good way to measure your game up against other quality players from around the area.  They give us a feel of where our game really is and how it stacks up in competition.  Preparing for a golf tournament takes a little bit more than one might think.  I would like to explain some ways to get prepared for a golf tournament.

Know the Golf Course

My first piece of advice for tournament golfers is to know the course where the tournament is held.  Look at overhead pictures of the course and scorecard to get an idea of how the course looks.  Pictures are definitely no substitute for the actual course but you can at least get an idea.  With that being said, it would be wise to set up a practice round at the course maybe a few days to a week prior to the tournament.  You can gain a lot of confidence and it will help you greatly knowing the course during the tournament.

Practice, Practice, Practice

After you go and see the course for yourself, you should practice up until the tournament.  Visualize shots that you will need to hit under pressure and practice them at the driving range.  Go through the bag and feel comfortable with all your clubs.  Clean them up and get them ready to go.  Make sure your bag has enough golf balls.  You do not want to be that guy that runs out of golf balls in the middle of the round.

Don't Forget the Short Ones

Make sure your short game is sharp as it is needed to score well in tournament golf.  What might usually be a “gimme” in an average Saturday round with your buddies may be a missed putt in the tournament as you need to hole everything out.  Practice those short putts that you may not usually worry about as they come up big in tournament play.

Enjoy the round.  Tournaments allow you to play with players you would never have played with otherwise.  Many times, you can even learn something from them.  It may be a tournament with pressure and all but at the end of the day it is just a round of golf and you can make some friends in the process.  So go out and enjoy the day and just maybe post a low number.