PGA Tours: What Score Did You Shoot Today?

The only true measure that really counts for a tour golfer is their competitive score average. PGA money winners know that to move higher up the money list you need to shoot lower golf scores consistently.

When did we lose sight of the fact that this is what the game of golf is all about? Golf has always been a game of score and not a game of swing.

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When you go into the golf history books from the nineteenth century you will read fascinating accounts of classic battles on the golf course between the golfers from different parts of Scotland. These golf battles were battles of score. This is the essence of golf, and the best golfers have always known that to get to the heights of the game you must master the scoring aspect of golf. This is also what the spirit of golf is all about. Golf is a game of score, and to play the game really well you have to learn how to adapt to all types of weather and course conditions and skilfully execute all types of golf shots.

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"The only true measure that really counts for a tour golfer is their competitive score average. PGA money winners know that to move higher up the money list you need to shoot lower golf scores consistently"

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When I was a young man all I wanted to do was play golf on tour. PGA golf professionals in Australia train for three years as an apprentice under the guidance of a senior professional golfer. I trained at one of the best golf courses in Australia and my boss, a former tour player and fine golfer taught me many important things about how to play golf on tour.

Of all the things I learned from him in my quest to play on one of the pro golf tours the most important lesson, which was really a question has significantly affected my thinking and continues to do so because it’s simple, straight to the point and highly relevant.

“What score did you shoot today?”…

Not “how did I swing the club today?”, or, “how many birdies did I make?” or "who did you play golf with today?" just simply “what golf score did you shoot today?”

If I proceeded to go into a song and dance about all that could have been on the golf course he would cut me off, raise his voice a little and ask me exactly the same question again, followed by silence.

"I quickly realised that to him all that really mattered was what golf score did I produce? I learned a very important distinction about golf, that above all else golf is a scoring game and not a golf swing game."

To me this way of thinking was a paradigm shift of epic proportions, because as a kid growing up I couldn’t wait for the next issue of golf magazine or golf digest to read about the views of expert analysts dissecting the golf swings of great golfers.

However in learning to become a pro tour golfer my mentor was telling me to get my focus in the right place.

"Focus on developing your golf scoring skills!"

As a full time golf instructor for more than twenty years I have witnessed countless male and female golfers spending most of their available time perfecting their golf swing mechanics rather than developing their golf scoring skills.

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Many pro tour golf instructors are employed by leading pro tour golfers mostly to keep their golf swing in check or to improve them, and the golf media sells the story of the golf swing transformation enthusiastically to a large and thirsty audience every month.

Golf magazine publishers know that this is the ‘hot button’ for most golfers and you quickly have this confirmed when you have a look around the golf forums on the internet.

But if you really want to lower your golf scores and your golf handicap then you should take a really good look at how much time you currently spend on the scoring skills of your game.

Why don’t you make it a goal this year to spend eighty percent (you read correctly) of your time working on your chipping, pitching, putting and sand shots and twenty percent on improving your golf swing technique?

Imagine what this will do for your golf score and when you are asked the question; "what score did you shoot today?" you can confidently respond by saying...

Lawrie Montague

P.S Don't forget that our 1st semester for Pro Tour Golf College 2011 is just around the corner and if you're really serious about lowering your competitive score average in 2011 then make contact with us today. You won't regret it.