Par-3 course strategy

Setup

1. Book a par-3 or short course, or a few short holes on the main course at a quiet time. Players warm up and hit a few irons first.
2. Before each hole, the pair stands on the tee and agrees what the trouble is: bunkers, water, out of bounds, a slope that runs off the green.
3. Brief the safety rules: stand behind and to the side of the player hitting, wait until the group ahead has left the green, and shout "Fore!" loudly if a ball heads towards anyone.

How it runs

1. On each tee, each player says their target and club before hitting: 'flag' or 'middle of the green', and why.
2. Aim for the flag only when a miss on either side still leaves an easy chip. With the flag tucked behind a bunker or near an edge, aim at the fat part of the green.
3. Play the hole out, keeping score. After the tee shots, the player farther from the hole normally plays first, but in friendly stroke play be ready to play when it's safe (ready golf).
4. On the next tee, each player says whether their plan worked. After six or nine holes, compare scores to the plans made.
5. Rake bunkers, repair pitch marks and replace divots as you go; leave the green promptly and mark scores on the next tee.

Coaching points

• Pick the club that carries to the middle of the green, using your usual distance, and check where the trouble is front and back.
• Look at where the ball would finish on a miss, not just where it lands on a good shot.
• Tee the ball up low on par 3s; it's allowed and gives a cleaner strike.
• After a mistake, the next shot is the one to get right: choose the safe recovery.

Common mistakes

• Firing at every flag, then short-siding yourself in a bunker.
• Choosing the club for a perfect strike instead of the usual one.
• Spending too long over the decision and holding up the group behind.