Look at the decisions needed to be made when you see obstacles like water, trees, bunkers and a sloped terrain. Decisions need to be made PRIOR to hitting your golf shot. Pick the best club for the shot and then hit the shot away from obstacles and penalty areas.

Have you ever pulled out your driver on a short narrow par 4 with water right and out of bounds left. Your playing partner hits his driver down the middle and now its your turn to drive. However, you are contemplating hitting the 5-fairway metal because you have not yet hit a solid drive and missed every fairway to this point in the round. You decide not to look like a "party-popper" so you hit the driver into the water. What happened here? The challenge is golfers need to learn to hit a golf shot with a club they feel comfortable with rather than hitting a club they have no confidence with. - it takes time to learn how to hit a driver. (The most difficult club to hit in the bag) There is an adage in golf called "fairways and green." Golfers tee off with the intention to hit the golf ball into the fairway then onto the green followed by a two putt par-4. Sounds simple-but is it? A golfer needs to use golf clubs that fit them for loft, shaft flex, length and grip size - it is referred to as being properly fit! Dustin Johnson -PGA Tour player recently won The Travelers Tournament but almost lost when he hit an ill advised driver off a par 5 with only 4 holes to play and a two shot lead - out of bounds left. He should have hit his fairway metal just to put the ball in play but instead used the wrong club that almost cost him the victory. He eventually won by one shot.

I have given many lessons to husbands and wives with the husband insisting his significant other needs to hit the driver. He says, "sweetheart you need to hit your driver even if you can not hit the ball in the air. Keep trying and you will learn how to hit it." (there is some truth here -but at what point in time will she hit the driver better?) Unfortunately, little does the husband know, it was his hand-me-down stiff shaft - he cut to her length. The 10 degrees of loft worked for him - she needs 12-degrees of loft - and the grip is a bit too large because he wears a large glove and her hands are small. This example happens too often which is exactly why his wife needed to hit the #7 wood or # 5 wood off the tee rather than the driver. Here are a couple additional example of making the right choices during a round of golf.

• Golfers try to carry the water at 260 yards but end up in the water hazard. The better choice is a lay up.. Golfers - too often - go straight for the flag stick and end up in the bunker when the safe play was to the middle of the green.
• Golfers will over swing with the 8-iron when the 7 or smooth 6 was the better golf choice.
• Golfers try to make the putt on a 30 footer when a lag was a better choice.
• Golfers fail to play a practice round before a tournament and expect to shoot a good score. (always know your yardage before hitting a golf shot)
• Golfers forget to have breakfast because the alarm did not go off and expect to play well.
• Golfers drink beers on the front nine and more beer on the back nine expecting to play better golf.
• Golfers need to be reminded to play away from the trouble by getting consistent yardage distances - even if it cost you a stoke.
• A golfer should never hit a golf shot, at any point on the golf course, unless they know where the trouble is, the distance to the hole, and the corresponding golf club to be used in that situation.
• Know the direction of the wind. Are you hitting into the wind -take more club - or is your shot down wind - take less club.
• Notice how important it is to do what you need to do to improve your golf game and score, rather than continuing to do things that make you suffer. If you do not know a rule or have question about golf etiquette ask someone with more experience than you.
• Try to plan for your next golf shot while others in your group are hitting their golf shot. Look around and stop - do not speak until after they hit - for a few second while your playing partner hits.
• Always look for the opportunity to complement your fellow competitor after they hit
• Always encourage your fellow competitor if they hit a bad shot - Like, "that's ok, it won't hurt your score" or say, " it will get better - hang in there."
• Always stay positive during a round - do not get mad and lose your cool!