Course Strategy

Using Course Maps

Read a course map to plan each hole.

Why it matters

A course map tells you the distance, the par and where the trouble is before you have thrown anything. Thirty seconds reading one is the cheapest stroke saving in the game, and on an unfamiliar course it is the difference between playing the hole and discovering it.

How to do it

Read the distance and par first, then decide what the hole actually asks of you.
Find the trouble before you find the basket. OB lines, water, steep ground — those determine the shot more than the target does.
Identify the safe miss: which side can you be on and still play from?
Pick a target landing zone from the map before you walk to the tee.
Check whether the basket position shown is the one in use. Many courses move pins and the map may show a different placement.

Common mistakes

Looking at the map only to find out how long the hole is.The length is the least useful thing on it. The OB lines and the shape are what change your decision.

Trusting the map over what you can see.Maps go out of date, pins move and trees grow. Use the map to form a plan and your eyes to check it.

Reading it on the tee pad with the group waiting.Read it while walking to the hole. Decisions made with people waiting are rushed decisions.

Key points

Note distance, par and OB before you tee.
Identify the trouble first.
Plan a target landing zone from the map.

The drill

Drill · Map before tee — 18 holes reading the map before arriving at each tee. For a whole round, read each hole’s map while walking to it and form a plan before you can see the hole. Then check the plan against the reality. You will find the map tells you most of what you needed, and the habit transfers directly to playing somewhere new.

Watch: How I Break Down Holes on The Disc Golf Pro Tour — Gannon Buhr