Course Management
There's a saying that the vast majority of golfers should live by: "Putt when you can, Chip when you can't, and Pitch when you have to." I utilize this in my own game. Since I don't have much time to practice my short game, you'll usually find me putting off the green. There's just a lot less that can go wrong when you putt. For some reason, there's a stigma that people think you can't use a putter if you're not on the green. This can't be further from the truth. You will see me putting occasionally from 30 yards off the green. Now, if you have to go through thick rough, I obviously wouldn't recommend it, but here in North Carolina, when the grass goes dormant, you can almost put it from anywhere, and you'll lower your scores by doing so.
Also, if you're a 20 handicap or higher, you should not be flag hunting. If you aim at the center of every green rather than the flagstick, most of your scores will be lower. There are also pins out there called "sucker pins" that even the pros won't be aiming for. Instead, they will try to work their ball into the flag using a draw or slice instead of aiming right at it. Going for these flags can sometimes lead to a high number.
Remember, in golf, they don't draw pictures on the scorecard; they draw numbers.
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