Ask a pro about scoring well and the answer is: "It all happens from 100 yards in." As amazing and consistent as they are with their booming drives, the world's best golfers are magicians around the greens. They view a pitching wedge or sand wedge the way artists view paintbrushes--not so much as a tool but as a means to express their creativity. The closer one gets to the hole the more challenges become apparent.

 

Bunkers flare up to protect the putting surfaces. Humps and slopes threaten to kick the ball off line. Water hazards lick the edges of the target line, testing one's nerves. Of course, the closer a golfer gets to the hole the more the mistakes are magnified. The slightest flaw in a pitch shot can leave the ball nearly unmoved; another miscalculation can send it skipping across the green before it dives into a pond.

 

Misjudge a putt on a slick green and you might find your ball back on the fairway. That's why pros spend hours on and around practice greens, putting and chipping. The purpose of their practice is to get the ball as close to the hole as they can so their next shot will be their last. Better players realize quickly that golf is a game that constantly challenges one's ability to be consistent. There are so many essential parts to have in tune to put together a great round. Thus, it is around the greens where they make up for errant shots or poor judgment. For the secret to the game is not hitting it well and shooting 68, but hitting it poorly and posting a 72. That's called having a short game.