Luis Rivero
6 minutes
Wanna lower your Golf Handicap? Well… Have you ever notice that all of the Golf Courses you play don’t have the same Course Design making some are easier than others?
This is because all of the Courses are designed by different Architects and each of them (most likely) are from different Schools of Design. There are 6 Schools and depending on how the Course is designed and how the Course is set up, you can determine the School that specific architect follows or belongs to. Knowing this, will help you develop your strategy, and figure out the plan that was thought when designing the Golf Course from the beginning. If you are able to see and play according to the Architects’ plan, then you will successfully play and master your favorite Golf Course.
By knowing the schools and knowing the patterns of each design, it will help you plan and manage your game much better, giving you the advantage and help you lower your Golf Handicap. Of course, you should take advantage of TheGrint's Golf GPS App to help you out, but there is nothing more pleasing and exciting than to step up on a Tee and knowing what your plan is and how you are going to play the Hole.
Natural SchoolPenal SchoolStrategic SchoolHeroic SchoolFreeway SchoolFraming School
For now, we will go with the first School ever, the Natural School and the most challenging one and the one most Tour Players play nowadays, the Heroic School.
The Natural School:
This is the School that doesn’t change anything; it leaves the Golf Course as it is, as Nature wanted it to be. This school evolved during the mid-seventeenth century at St. Andrews. Is the School that gave us some of the greatest Holes by accident. One of the most recognized Architects from the Natural School is Old Tom Morris, who worked around whatever Nature left behind, accommodating the Golf Course around all of the features, including man-made elements, just like St. Andrews.
This one, on the other hand, is the type of Course that combined the best principles of the Strategic School and the dramatic hazards found in the Penal School (both Schools we will discuss in our next blog). The Heroic School created Holes that require a very good strategy and precision , but most importantly they require you to make a decision (typically a risk-reward decision).
The founder of this School was Robert Trent Jones and he only made a handful of truly Heroic Holes that are nowadays, among the world’s most talked about and popular to play.
Valhalla's 7th hole is a perfect example (image above). A par 5 with an optional island Fairway that would allow the golfer to reach the green in 2, but with a much higher risk.
All of these Schools have their unique features and strategies, and not every golfer will play well without having the correct strategy before teeing off.
So remember to figure out the school of design of the course (easier when using our GPS feature) and then create your strategy accordingly.
Enjoy your golf!
