Course Program

Up-and-down contest: how many can you save in a row?

Turn into birdies, for a 23-handicap player, ~20 minutes at Esmeralda Golf Course

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 23.16 drills53% match to course practice profile

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

8 to 45

Average HCP

23.1

Duration (single session)

2 hr 36 min

or

1 drill/day: 6 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Scoring47%
Distance Control33%
Visualization21%

Overview

Program Structure

Up-and-down contest: how many can you save in a row?. Turn into birdies and up-and-down contest. Focus on Scoring, Distance Control, Visualization. For a 23-handicap player, in ~20 minutes.

Skill

Scoring

Shot

Mixed

What you will improve

  • Scoring
  • Distance Control
  • Visualization

Program details

Sessions
6 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
2 hr 36 min
or
1 drill per day
6 days · 26 min/day

Drill Framework

Program breakdown

Each drill is designed to prepare you for the course. Follow the program or repeat the drills to improve key areas of your game.

01

DIY Course Easy

Short Game

Make a DIY 9 hole easy-difficulty course. Every hole is PAR 2. Count the score.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for DIY Course  Easy
1

Set up a 9-hole short game course around the green. Each hole is PAR

2

Put 9 balls in easy spots around the green, like in sand or rough.

3

For each hole, hit a wedge onto the green and then putt the ball in.

4

Finish each hole (chip and putt) before going to the next ball spot.

5

Do the whole 9-hole course 4 times, moving balls for variety if possible.

6

This gives 36 total tries (9 holes × 4 rounds).

7

After all 36 tries, count your total strokes and compare to PAR 72 (36 holes × PAR 2).

8

See how many strokes over or under par you got.

9

Write down how many holes you finished at or under par, out of 36 tries, in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score141516182022242628
02

DIY Course Easy

Short Game

Make a DIY 9 hole easy-difficulty course. Every hole is PAR 2. Count the score.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for DIY Course  Easy
1

Set up 9 balls around the green, each 20–40 yards from the green in easy spots.

2

Each ball is a separate hole. The goal is 2 shots (par) per hole.

3

Hit one wedge shot to get the ball on the green.

4

Putt the ball until it is in the hole, trying to use 2 shots or fewer.

5

Write down the number of shots for each hole.

6

Finish all 9 holes in order.

7

Do the 9 holes 3 times with new ball spots each round, for 27 total tries.

8

Set up 9 more balls in easy spots and play those, so you have 36 tries total.

9

Count how many holes you finished in 2 shots or less.

0

Enter your score in the app: number of successful holes out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score181818192123252832
03

DIY Course Easy

Short Game

Up to 5 players play easy-difficulty 9 hole ‘PAR 2’ DIY course. Best final score wins.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for DIY Course  Easy
1

Set up 9 holes in different easy spots like sand or rough.

2

Hit 4 shots at each hole (total 36 shots).

3

Keep the ball setup the same for each shot.

4

At each hole, use one wedge shot onto the green and finish with putts if needed.

5

Try to finish each hole in 2 shots or less.

6

Count each hole finished in 2 shots or less as a success.

7

After 36 shots, count total successful holes and enter the total out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3029272420161285
04

DIY Course Medium

Short Game

Up to 5 players play medium-difficulty 9 hole ‘PAR 2’ DIY course. Best final score wins.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for DIY Course  Medium
1

Set up 9 target holes around the chipping area using different lies like sand, sloped rough, and deep rough.

2

At each hole, take 4 shots: chip once, then putt until the ball goes in.

3

You will hit 36 shots total (9 holes x 4 shots each), using the same setup for each hole.

4

Finish all shots for one hole before moving to the next. Each shot counts as a stroke. Par for each hole is

5

If the ball is holed out in 2 shots or less, count it as a success.

6

After all 9 holes, count up your total successes out of 36 and enter your score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score2826242118151285
05

DIY Course Hard

Short Game

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for DIY Course  Hard
1

Place 9 balls in tough spots around the chipping green, like sand or deep rough.

2

Treat each ball as a PAR 2 hole.

3

Hit your wedge shot onto the green and putt to finish the hole.

4

Do all 9 shots, then repeat this two more times with balls in new hard spots each time.

5

You play 36 shots total.

6

Count every time you get the ball in the hole in 2 shots or less.

7

Add up your successes and enter your score in the app, out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129262218141063
06

DIY Course Medium

Short Game

Make a DIY 9 hole medium-difficulty course. Every hole is PAR 2. Count the score.

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for DIY Course  Medium
1

Put 9 balls in different spots around the chipping green in areas like sand, sloped rough, or deep rough.

2

Each ball is its own hole with par 2, so total par is 18 for all 9 balls.

3

Hit one wedge or chip shot to get each ball onto the green.

4

Use a putter to finish each hole by putting the ball in the hole.

5

Go through all 9 holes once.

6

Do the 9 holes again, then another time, to reach 27 holes.

7

Play 9 more holes so you have played 36 holes total (4 rounds of 9).

8

Count your total shots for all 36 holes and compare that to par

9

At the end, enter the number of holes finished at or under par in the app, out of 36 tries.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score2220181614121086

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

Start the drills at your own pace or work with a coach to inside drills.golf.