From a land perspective, visualize yourself threading a path through the defenses in search of the best landing and takeoff areas, much the way ground troops move from position to position when assaulting an enemy fortification. Obviously, attacking a hole by air is a major weapon in your arsenal. Be aware also that designers employ illusion, prevailing wind currents, and landscape to challenge your attack. Simply getting the ball into the air isn t enough if it lands in the wrong place. Thinking about golf as a giant chess game played between designer and golfer will help you understand the need for long and short-range strategies.
Chess masters are great because they have a custom-made strategy for each opponent.
You need the same for each hole and each course. If you think the pros play a different game, you re right. They ask numerous strategic questions before they see a new course and often rely on caddies to scout the most subtle nuances. Practice rounds are used to probe the design, and holes are analyzed shot by shot after each round. Nick Faldo of England and Bernhard Langer of Germany are two outstanding professionals who leave nothing to chance.