Golf Trip Tip: Keep a Score Journal

“On my next golf trip, I'll play better”... That's easier said than done.

Crossing from novice to expert level is not as simple as most would hope. Moving from A to B in golf (or any sport for that matter) proficiently is a slow process involving an effort that is “multifaceted”. The best way to track your progress over time is to keep a score journal, which here are some tips to remember when doing so:

My total score was...

Sure it's nice to see your overall score improve but there's more to it than that. The systematic score tallies only tell two things: how much improvement you've made and how much effort you need to exert to achieve your annual goal. The most important thing to remember is the more numbers you include in the score journal, the more you can understand what pieces of your game need improvement. 

Count fairways, greens and putts

In case you still can't wrap your head around the score tally journal stuff, you can segment your scoring into some basic skill-areas. This method involves identifying three aspects of your technical game handicap. You can count how many times you've managed a quality trajectory in hitting your ball around the fairways. You can also track how many times you've landed on the “putting greens” while avoiding the hazards. Lastly, count how many putt attempts it takes before getting successfully completely each hole.

Let technology help you

In case you're still having a difficulty in simplifying your score journal, let those nice little handheld devices do the math. After all, crunching all those numbers on your own takes away from what you're really there to do... play some golf! Depending on what device you use, there are some handy applications that can do all the math-y stuff for you. It'll also allow you to enjoy the impressive landscape of the golf vacation destination more leisurely!

Eventually you'll see the numbers don't lie. In the competitive (and occasionally frustrating) sport of golf, numbers will tell you your areas of strengths and weaknesses. Be patient with numbers on the next golf trip, and learn how to use them in your favor.