Every golfer has scoring patterns — tendencies that show up round after round. Understanding yours is the fastest path to lower scores.
Pattern 1: The Blow-Up Hole
You're cruising along at 2-over through 12 holes, then you make a triple bogey. One bad hole ruins an otherwise solid round. This is the most common pattern among mid-handicappers.
**The fix:** It's not about avoiding mistakes — it's about limiting damage. When you're in trouble, take your medicine. Punch out sideways. The difference between a bogey and a triple is usually one aggressive decision.
Pattern 2: The Slow Leak
No blow-up holes, but you bogey 10+ holes. Each one feels minor — a missed green here, a three-putt there — but they add up relentlessly.
**The fix:** Your short game and putting need work. If you can save par 30% of the time when you miss a green (instead of 10%), you'll save 3-4 strokes per round.
Pattern 3: The Par-5 Problem
You play par 3s and par 4s reasonably well, but par 5s eat you alive. This usually means poor course management on long holes.
**The fix:** Stop trying to reach par 5s in two. Lay up to your favorite wedge distance and give yourself a scoring opportunity. Playing par 5s in 3 shots + a putt is almost always better than a heroic second shot into trouble.
Pattern 4: The Front/Back Split
You play the front nine well and collapse on the back (or vice versa). This is usually a fitness or focus issue.
**The fix:** Physical stamina matters more than most golfers realize. If you're consistently fading on the back nine, work on your fitness. If it's a focus issue, develop a between-hole routine that resets your concentration.
Pattern 5: The Three-Putt Epidemic
You hit enough greens, but you three-putt 4-5 times per round. Each three-putt adds a full stroke to your score.
**The fix:** Lag putting. Spend 80% of your putting practice on putts over 20 feet. If you can consistently leave your first putt within 3 feet, three-putts nearly disappear.
Finding Your Pattern
Track your rounds for a month. Enter them into Coach Harvey's debrief tool. The AI will identify your patterns across multiple rounds and give you a clear action plan.