A Different Way to Look at the Scorecard

When I was in middle school and trying to break 90 for the first time, I divided a golf course into six three-hole sets. The goal was to shoot 15 or better in each set. If I shot a 12 or 13 in one, I felt pretty good about my chances of posting a score in the 80s. A 17 or 18, not so much. Sets with par 3s helped my cause, whereas those with multiple par 5s made things difficult. It wasn’t the most scientific way to go about improving, but it made sense to me.

As I got older, I realized that my younger self was onto something. It didn’t really matter where I was in relation to par. I had a goal based on my playing ability, and I tracked my progress by stretches of holes, not one hole at a time. This can be a healthy shift of perspective.

This week on the PGA Tour, Riviera Country Club offers multiple sequences of holes which are helpful to view as groups.

The first stretch begins in the shadow of the clubhouse. A par 5 on the scorecard, No. 1 is a two-shot hole for the pros. They often have mid- or even short irons into the green and are disappointed when they don’t get an eagle look. The next two holes are medium-length par 4s that typically rank somewhere in the middle in terms of score-to-par at the Genesis Invitational. Together, Nos. 1-3 have a par of 13, but if you want to contend, you need to average between 11 and 12.

The approach into No. 2 at Riviera. Courtesy of Jon Cavalier (@LinksGems)

After that trio comes the 240-yard par-3 fourth and the Alps template par-4 fifth, both of which often rank among most difficult in relation to par. Last year, the Genesis field averaged 0.4 shots over par on these two. Those who can get through Nos. 4 & 5 in seven shots gain over a shot-and-a-half on the field over four rounds. That’s just two holes!

The final pair of holes at Riviera worth grouping together are the par-4 10th and the par-5 11th. They add up to a par of nine, but the pros consistently need to walk away with eight in order to compete. First they have to avoid making a mess of the diabolical 10th green, securing a four when the pin is back right and ideally a three when it’s on the left. Then they need to get aggressive off the tee on 11, which averaged a half stroke under par last year and strongly rewards a 350-yard tee shot over a 300-yard one. One of these holes is a drivable par 4 and the other is a 580-yard par 5, but four-four is a good result.

The drivable par-4 10th at Riviera. Courtesy of Jon Cavalier (@LinksGems)

It’s easy to think of useful groupings on other courses. At Augusta National, for instance, par is a notoriously unreliable guide. Players may look to average a full seven strokes on the par-3 fourth and the par-4 fifth and a mere eight on the back nine’s two par 5s, Nos. 13 and 15.

On that note, groupings of holes don’t necessarily have to be in succession. Take Nos. 11 and 17 at Prairie Dunes: a par 4 and a par 5 on the scorecard, these two holes play in opposite directions, one into the wind and one with it. Sometimes the wind flips, though. In those cases, you can mentally swap the par numbers of the holes—or just regard them as a combined par nine every day.

Of course, this is just how I think about scoring in golf. I might be crazy. Have you ever tried something like this method? And if so, which holes have you grouped together?