Andy

Since nobody responsed to your qestions, I'd like to offer some thoughts. You're thinking about too many things at one time, ( numbers and scores for example). Any response to your questions won't be any benefit to your game improvement if you don't put in the range time and better yet, lessons from a qualified Pro.

My real simple tip:

Play every hole as a Par 5. That gets you a 90. Take your time and make 5 really nice 4 's anywhere during your round and you arrive at 85.

Good Luck !!!!!

Actually, this post was posted on the 29th and the 30th for some reason. Maybe a time delay. This happens all the time. It had 27 responses on the 3oth.

www.titleist.com/.../questions-for-scratch-to-15-handicappers

That's great advice

Hello Andy, giving what I shoot or scores won't really matter. But I will say this I have coached highschool 11 years, and collegiate golf ( 16 years). What I tell my players you lose strokes when you try to recover from a bad shot by hitting another bad shot. In other word if you hit your drive into the trees, how many times do you just just try to advance the ball, instead of going for the risky shot? I counted one day and my one player lost 10 strokes to trying a risky shot. And he shot a 87, take half of those risky shots away he shots an 82.
The idea is to score smart, and move the ball forward. How many times have you hit the tree again, how many times did you go across the fairway into the trees on the other side, or just didn't move the ball at all.
There is nothing like playing a ball from a perfect lie, found that lie and hit the third shot close. Decision making usually adds more strokes to your game without realizing it. So when you count your shots count the trouble shots, and how many times you took the risky shot. Be aware of what you can hit and can't hit admit your weakness and practice them when you have a chance. Here's a weakness I see alot of, around the green do you pick a landing spot with your favorite club or do you force the club you think you must hit? Good luck.

Dino makes some great points and I agree. Something else that might help is something like Golfmetrics or other app that tracks your scores and can give you some idea where your biggest areas for improvement lie.

My thoughts:
- anytime you two-putt a green, you are doing good.
- don't worry too much about fairways hit, just keep it dry and out of trees
- GIR's will come when you get better with approach shots.

Me? Approach and chip shots are usually my nemesis.

Short game, short game, short game. I am currently a 9 but have been as low as a 5. When my short game is working and I give myself a lot of putts within 10 ft or less, that is when I score. A recent example, I only hit 2 greens but shot 82.

I would find a good instructor to get some lessons and have something you can work on as opposed to going out and just hitting balls at the range and trying to figure it out on your own.
Long Game - Ball Striking is everything
Short Game - Chipping is important but minimize 3 putting. Super Critical.

Just my take. You only get out what you put in.

Being a +1 for me the biggest areas are good course management and a good short game
If I miss a green I am confident that the majority of the times I can chip and putt and walk off with a par
Good course management starts on the 1st tee when you look down the fairway at the target you are aiming for..... how many times do I see the same guys go to the exactly same place and start with a poor hole and never get over it