Golf Confidence Wins Over Narrow Fairways and Small Greens

Did you see the amazing performance and golf confidence exuded by Brian Gay in the Verizon Heritage this weekend? How can anyone thread their drives and approach shots down those narrow avenues of trees at Harbour Town Golf Links at Hilton Head Island let alone consistently hit those tiny well guarded greens? We shouldn't forget the weekend performances of Briny Baird with 133 for 9 under and my fellow member at Beaconsfield, Luke Donald, with 131 for 11 under.n
At the end, I was transported back in my mind to some of my own less elevated experiences of playing on tight courses and small greens. Please bear in mind that this was long before I got into golf psychology and had any inkling of what this all meant. Anyway, it brought to mind how much better I play in those conditions. One of the tightest courses I can remember playing on regularly was Blackmoor Golf Club in Hampshire with narrow the fairways threaded through dense woodland to fairly small greens. In my 20's and early 30's I used to just scrape into their open amateur tournament, the Selborne Salver. We used to play 36 holes there on the Saturday and a further 36 on the Sunday in the Hampshire Hog at North Hants Golf Club, home of Justin Rose, with a combined 72-hole competition, The Hampshire Salver. I notice that you now need a handicap of plus 2 just to enter - scratch players need not apply!n
What's also very noticeable now when I look at these past events through the eyes of a hypnotherapist is how my golf improved when I played there and how I always took the increased accuracy and golfing confidence with me to the next few tournaments. n
The small greens at Harbour Town also reminded me of playing to temporary winter greens at Brookmans Park Golf Club. That was where I started to play golf and like many beginners, I was a fanatic. I played in all weathers and conditions. Brookmans Park was a fairly damp course in the winters back then and we were often on temporary greens. I'm pleased to report that they've improved the drainage there over the last 40 years since I started there and it's now a good venue all year round. n
I remember two big improvements in my game playing to those temporary greens. Firstly with an 8-yard diameter green, my approach shot accuracy improved greatly and my chipping got better and better. When we got back on the main greens, my golf was much more confident and assured.n
Now, I don't suggest that you find a course where they use temporary greens a lot of the time. However, there's no reason why you can't get the same benefits that I got back then by using your imagination. Visualise you're playing to a much narrower imaginary fairway within the confines of the real fairway and an imaginary and much smaller green, perhaps an 8-yard diameter circle around the flag and within the confines of the real green. Alternatively just imagine you're playing a course like Harbour Town or Blackmoor. n
Do this, and you'll probably play with more confidence and score much better, because even if you miss your imaginary fairway or green, you'll still be in a good position on the fairway or green you're actually playing. What's more, you'll also have a good chance of playing better of the next few rounds, as I used to.