Minimizing the risks and challenges of the golf course can improve your scores as much, if not more than swing mechanics alone.   Golf professionals will generally play at least one practice round before a tournament. Shooting lasers such as the Bushnell Lazer for yardage or pacing out distances to hazards, out of bounds, flat spots to hit from and lay ups for ideal approaches.   The practice round does not necessarily have to be a routine round of golf; quite often professionals will have a practice round without scoring. Preferring to hit shots from various situations and testing putting greens for break from multiple directions. Please ask your course professional before doing this and be considerate towards the following group.   Playing to your strengths is the sure way to better scoring.    Some examples would be if your full wedge is deadly from 100 yards however your lob is not as sharp as it should be. Perhaps you are better off laying up on that almost reachable par four.     If the pin is tucked just on the front edge of a long par three over water perhaps the center of the green is the place to aim.   On a short par four maybe you will be better off laying up with a five iron to the middle of the fairway, as the fairway bottle necks at your three wood distance which would just bring more trouble into play.     If there are several deep fairway bunkers on a long par five at driver distance but a three wood could not possibly reach. Hit the three wood into position. Then a club to your strongest approach length, hit it on the green, knock it in, walk to the next hole.     Map out the course reducing the number of hazards and penalties that are in play.   By mapping out a game plan and sticking to it we can stay focused on the task at hand. Insuring that the pressure of the battle does not erode our focus. As a general rule you are best to stick with your game plan having assessed risk versus reward in a non pressure environment. By knowing your yardages and having a specific targets we can play strategically like a game of chess. Work on this as golf pros do, learn to play to your strengths and use your mind to maximum advantage.