In this post I examine two putting factors: (1) using Regular Putting boards vs. Major Tournament Putting boards on overall putts per round and (2) using the Putting Probability Tool and Putting Probability Tool for Major Tournaments to assess whether there is an initial putting distance range at which strategies might change when using these […]
Category: Strategy
Dogleg “Common Sense”
I wince anytime I hear someone say something is “common sense.” What they basically mean is, “This is obvious to me and should be obvious to anyone who isn’t stupid.” Well, I assure you history is full of examples where what seemed obvious to people (e.g., the world is flat) turned out to be just […]
Putting Probability Project
I’ve begun work on developing a spreadsheet tool that can help APBA Golf players make smarter decisions about “going for it” on long putts. The Putting Probability Tool shows you the percentage of time an APBA golfer makes putts at different distances and how likely they are to 3-putt from that distance. This tool is […]
Revised Chipping Tool
Scott recently updated the game boards to more accurately align with APBA’s boards. This post updates an earlier one about this tool by incorporating these changes and adding Sand lies to the table. When pins are located at the very edges of greens (less than a full square away), the user may also want to […]
Strategic Club Selection
Which three clubs you pick to add to your bag at the beginning of a round can make a big difference in how you score. At this point, I don’t have an algorithm I can recommend, but I do have some basic questions you can ask yourself that might make the selection process a bit […]
Fred Couples: First Take
This post is an initial look at the 1992 Frederick Steven “Fred” Couples card, focusing mainly on his carry distance and accuracy off the tee using a driver. We’ll dissect it, so that you can get a leg up on your competition… Most tee shots with a driver roll 25 – 30 yards if they […]
Driver vs. 2-Iron Off the Tee
I thought it might be interesting to look at the strategy of club selection when teeing off by using some extreme examples. For that reason, I decided to look at the differences between teeing off with a driver and a 2-Iron using two golfers with vastly different driving abilities. The first golfer is Bryson DeChambeau […]
How to Speed Up Master Game Play
[An earlier version of this post first appeared on the APBA Between the Lines forum.] Having completed 3 full tournaments and being well into two others, I’ve come up with a few strategies that may offer those who enjoy the choices made possible by APBA Golf’s Master Game rules (and its many innovations) a way […]
Using Irons Off the Tee
In my experience, an often overlooked and underused strategy is hitting an iron off the tee on par 4’s and 5’s. The tendency is to go with a driver or another wood in order to get as much distance as possible. While you might not go as far off the centerline (CL) with an errant […]
Hitting Through Trees
In some cases, the Master Game rules are not explicit about how to handle certain scenarios. Since their publication, the game’s designer and others have attempted to clarify how some of these situations should be dealt with. This post is my take on how to handle hitting through trees. The Master Game rules are clear […]