Turn on any PGA Tour broadcast and you will see perfect roads, smooth greens and pristine bunkers. However, these are not the conditions that most amateur players take. You will find delightful grass, bare lies, bumpy greens and bunkers that have not seen a robbery since last season.
The good news? You can still play well, but you will need to adjust your expectations and strategy. This guide covers the most common conditions you will face in a rough golf course and how to treat them with confidence.
Bare or narrow lies
When you are in a fairway or rough section, this is more impurities than grass, pure contact is the sole purpose. These lies do not offer a pillow, making the ball or blade easier.
Think about this on how to hit a low punch or stinger, not a high, soft stroke.
- Get an extra club.
- Play the ball slightly back in your attitude.
- Come back for better check.
- Keep your weight forward through swinging.
- Focus on compression with a smooth, controlled stroke.
The goal is strong contact and a lower, more predictable ball flight.

Harsh or unpredictable
In maintained courses, you can learn how the ball will react outside. In those neglected, it can be a thoughtful game. The rough can be thick in one hole, naked in the other and you can go back and forth from burying to sit.
Before you swing, take a few seconds to read the lie. Is the ball sitting clean, buried or surrounded by grass? If you are sitting, be careful of flight shooting that can carry farther away with less rotation.
If it is buried or sitting in dirt, take your medicine and take back into play. A short wedge or iron is often the best choice.
Bumpy greens, carbonated or burnt
One of the most disappointing parts of a rough course is the unpredictability of the greens. Bumps, dead points and counter -contradiction speeds can make it feel more like luck than skills.
- Aim to leave the ball below the hole at the shots of access– uphill points are easier to control and allow a stronger, more secure shock.
- Favor the rhythm over the perfect line – In bumpy greens, a calm and dedicated blow reduces the shaking and stays true.
- Don’t be afraid of chip – If you are just out of green and the surface looks rough, a short chip can keep its line better than a blow.

Coated or uneven boxes
Tee boxes can be complicated for two main reasons: they are often torn and they are not always level. Between scattered sofas and unpleasant slopes, you can start the hole with weak bases.
According to the Golf rules, the Teeing area extends two lengths of the club from the tee markers, so use the area to look for a better place to remove your ball. Walk around and find the best place, even if it is farther from the front edge. If the Tee box is steep, assemble it on the lower side and adjust your intention to calculate it. You may also need to regulate your attitude or behavior to maintain balance.
And in a par-3, don’t stress to find the perfect lie, paint the ball a little. This is what the rules allow, so you benefit.
Compressed or wet bunkers
We would all want to play from soft sand, fluffy as good, but our reality is often different, especially in early morning rounds or courses with poor bunker maintenance. Damp sand It does not allow you to hit the traditional outbreak of the explosion.
To fix, start by feeling the sand with your feet. If your feet do not sink, it is likely to be filled with difficulty and shallow. In this case, Square Clubface slightly more than usual to help the main edge dig.
You should aim to hit only half a inch behind the ball, much closer than the two inches you would aim for fluffy sand. Keep the neutral shaft (not relying forward) and your ball position slightly in front of the center. Then make a compact pace and turn your body.
Purpose with some of them These bunker shots is to draw the ball out and on the placement surface. It will not look as beautiful as when the goodies do it, but you will finish the job.

Waste and roots of trees
Around the edges of many rough courses, you will be rooted in trees, leaves, pine straw and bare dirt. While these areas can tempt you into a miracle kick, they are also where injuries live and double double.
If you see a root, do not be confused with it. Get relief if possible or shred side. Adjust your standing attitude and remember that comprehensive shots with lower clubs are often the safest way to save clean. The goal is to go back to the good grass!
General strategy advice on approximate golf course conditions
Here are some other things to keep in mind that can help you note:
- Aim for the green center more often: Flag hunting in rough greens or from bad lies often leads to rods or worse.
- Club up and swing smoothly: A controlled pace is more reliable than to force it in difficult conditions.
- Play Bump-and-Run when possible: It is safer than the ball flight in unpredictable greens.
- Get shorter carries problems: Do not risk carrying during the base or contact is controversial.
- Check your base before any shakes: Especially on slopes, near roots or in wet ground
- Bring up a towel and clean your grooves often: Dirty clubs kill rotation, especially in mud or sandy conditions.
- Use your hybrid or right wood from bad lies about green: It is often more forgiving than a wedge.
Final thoughts
Not every golf course can provide perfect golf course conditions. Instead of letting it destroy your day, use these adjustments to go as little as possible.
office How to play Golf on a course that is in rough shape first appeared in MygolfSSS.