If you want to play great in tournaments, you need to approach practice rounds the right way. This is something I’ve struggled with over the years and after talking with a ton of other competitive golfers, I’m not alone.

So, why are practice rounds so difficult to stay mentally engaged? 

Because it’s not always easy to focus when there’s nothing on the line and you’re eagerly waiting for the tournament to begin. But once I learned what to do in a practice round, it made it easier to stay laser focused and prepare for the event.

A practice round isn’t the time to grind over three footers, try to break the course record, and waste your mental energy. The main goal of a practice round is to create a solid game plan for the event, not try to play your best golf. 

After competing in nearly 200 tournament days (and countless practice rounds) in the past five years, here are my five biggest tips to get prepared for competitive golf. 

1. Invest in a Yardage Book 

To make practice rounds easier, invest in a yardage book in the pro shop or buy one online at Putt View in advance. I like these types of yardage books because they have a detailed heat map of the green, which should help you read putts easier. 

You will also want a yardage book to log notes about carry distances, club selection, wind direction, slope, and more. Also, invest in a yardage book holder to keep your book fresh and it should last you for years to come. 

2. Create a Tee Box Strategy 

Once you’re on the golf course, the first thing to focus on is your tee box strategy. You need to figure out which club you will hit on every hole to set yourself up for success. 

For the majority of par 4s and par 5s, it’s probably a driver, but on holes with tight fairways or lots of trouble, it might be 3-wood or hybrid. Hit different shots on those holes with other clubs to find the best play and feel comfortable on the tee box. Figure out the optimal place to tee the golf ball for your game based on our guide.

Then, notate all carry distances over hazards and fairway bunkers in your yardage book. Additionally, if it’s windy, add a note of wind direction in your book too. 

From the fairway, don’t forget to measure slope for your approach shot too. Since you can’t use the slope feature on your rangefinder in tournaments, notate the amount of slope in your yardage book. 

3. Study the Greens   

The next part of the course to pay attention to in your practice round is the greens. Specifically, you want to notate how receptive the greens are with different approaches. 

Are your wedges getting backspin or hitting the green and releasing forward? Is your 6-iron hitting and rolling 15 feet or stopping in its divot? 

The receptiveness of the greens will play a big role in determining where to land your shot in the event. Hit some full wedges and some flighted wedges to determine the receptiveness of the greens on both types of shots.

4. Test Your Short Game 

Once you’re around the greens, the next thing to focus on is how the ball reacts once it lands. Does it spin? Check and then release? 

Hit different types of chips/pitches to see how the ball reacts from the fringe, fairway cut, rough, and sand.  

Don’t forget about the bunkers either. It’s always a good idea to throw some golf balls in the bunker to test out the thickness and type of sand on the course. 

5. Hit Tons of Putts 

The final thing to pay extra attention to in your practice rounds is putting. You want to spend a good amount of time hitting all kinds of putts; practice uphill, downhill, sidehill, long, and short putts so you get acclimated to the speed. 

Don’t just putt to the pin that day either, insert a tee or divot tool into other areas of the green and putt to them as well. Try to anticipate where the pins will be for your events (or see if they’ve already marked them ahead of time) to simulate putting in competition. 

Wrapping Up

After the round, make sure you have a clear game plan for each hole leading up to the event. Try to eliminate “winging” it during the tournament by having a solid strategy for every hole on the golf course. Then, stick with your game plan during the tournament to avoid letting your emotions get the best of you. 

If you can’t make it out to the golf course for a practice round, I suggest using Google Earth and a free GPS app to preview each hole. It’s better than nothing and should give you a good idea of carry distances, hole layouts, and more. 

Never forget the main goal of a practice round is getting prepared for the big event, not trying to play well that day. The more you’re prepared, the more confident you will be on game day.