One of the many great aspects of playing golf is the different types of courses which are available to play. We have links style courses which are located near the coast, some great examples of which can be found in Scotland.
We also have inland parkland style golf courses, which often have features like lakes and trees. However, today we are looking at mountain courses and this, just like a links or a parkland course throws up its own specific challenges when playing golf.
If you are heading to a mountainous golf course to play with friends or in a competition, you should first check the altitude of the golf course. Why is that?
Altitude will have a big impact on how far the golf ball will travel in the air. For example, if you take a 10,000-foot elevation, you can expect the golf ball travel an extra 10% further in the air than at sea level.
If you are faced with a downhill par-3 which is playing to 200 yards from the tee, you would usually take this as being around 180 yards, thanks to the fact the hole is going downhill. If you then take the altitude into account, you must take more off the distance and using the example of the ball travelling 10% further due to the altitude, this will leave you with a shot of around 160 yards.
To step on the tee and trust yourself to play a 200-yard shot at just 160 yards takes some confidence in your reading of the situation. Try using the driving range at the course before you start your round and this will give you some idea of what to expect.
When playing a mountain course, check the contour of the land and see if you can locate the bottom of the valley. If you can find this, you will be in a better position to judge your shots, especially your putts. Even if a putt may look as though it is breaking towards the mountain, they are more likely to be breaking towards the bottom of the valley.
Finally, if you are playing in a tournament, you will want to keep your head down and focused on the golf course, not the scenery of the mountain backdrop.
If you spend a lot of your time looking around your surroundings and admiring the views, you will find it tough to get your head down and switch to the small details required to play a good shot.
If you are playing with friends purely for fun, then you will want to make the most of your day, which includes taking in the scenic delights of a mountain course but if you want to score low, admiring the views could cost you shots.
Keep these tips in mind when playing a mountain course and be prepared to adapt your play to meet the needs of this environment.
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