Dad's Ten Commandments Plus of Smart Play and Low Scores

• Play the course, ignore what your competitors are doing. 
• When in doubt about marking a short putt, mark it. 
• When in doubt about stepping away from a shot when not ready, step away. 
• When not committed to a shot, or in doubt, step away until you are committed. 
• When in doubt about an unplayable lie, take a drop. 
• When playing out of a fairway bunker, hit one club higher than one that will definitely get you over the lip. 
• When in trouble, unless you can make a difficult shot 4 out of 5 times, take your medicine and avoid the double plus. 
• Don’t expect to be able to work a shot off a difficult or questionable lie.  Hit straight to most advantageous position. 
• When in trouble, hit a shot that will guarantee you’re out of trouble on the next shot, e.g. If you’re in the trees, get out of the trees; If you’re in fescue, get out of fescue. 
• When hitting to a back pin with trouble long, play short. 
• When hitting to a front pin with trouble short, play long. 
• For sucker pins, favor the safe side.
• When approaching fast slanted greens, play to the low side even if you might miss the green. 
• When you feel your focus drifting, stop and regain it.