How to Read Golf Course Maps

There's nothing like the anticipation of a big round of golf. Perhaps you are playing an "important" match with friends at a course you have never played. It may be the home course of one of your opponents. You won't have the experience of having played on that course, but you can look it up online and find a map of the course. This will help you gain at least some familiarity with it and give you a better chance of knowing how to play it.

Step 1: Look at the overall layout and determine the yardage and topography. A quick look at an online scorecard will give you the yardage for the 18-hole round and illustrate hills, valley, water hazards and bunkers. If there is plenty of blue on the online layout, you know there is plenty of water. Bunkers are illustrated by grayish-white kidney-shaped areas that resemble the traps you see on the fairways.

Step 2: Study the layout and take a close look at the par 3s and the par 5s. While these can be dangerous holes, they can also be your best chance for putting a few birdies on the card.

Step 3: Check out the par 4 holes. These are usually the most difficult holes on the course. Any shot off the fairway is usually trouble unless you can make a great recovery. Par 4s on many courses are narrow, and if you miss the fairway with your tee shot you can be in a fairway bunker or deep rough. You should be able to determine where the bunkers are while online, but you may not be able to determine deep rough.

Step 4: Check out the size of the greens as you look over the course. Small greens are usually the norm, but be aware of the larger ones. The large greens that appear to be double the size of the smaller ones are usually multi-tiered and very difficult to putt on.

While it's great to call a friend and ask for his experiences at a particular course, his impressions will mean a lot more if you are looking at a course map. Look online for a map or try to get your hands on a scorecard.