Course Program

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

Turn into birdies, for a 19-handicap player, ~15 minutes at Sagmuhle

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 19.49 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

8 to 45

Average HCP

19.4

Duration (single session)

3 hr 54 min

or

1 drill/day: 9 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Scoring46%
Distance Control32%
Visualization22%

Overview

Program Structure

Up-and-down contest: how many can you save in a row?. Save par clutch and up-and-down contest. Focus on Scoring, Distance Control, Visualization. For a 19-handicap player, in ~15 minutes.

Skill

Scoring

Shot

Mixed

What you will improve

  • Scoring
  • Distance Control
  • Visualization

Program details

Sessions
9 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
3 hr 54 min
or
1 drill per day
9 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 9 balls in easy spots around the green like sand, sloped rough, and deep rough. Each ball is a hole. Par is

2

Hit your chip or pitch shot, then putt to finish each hole.

3

Play all 9 holes once (18 shots total).

4

Do the 9 holes two more times, change ball spots each round (36 shots total).

5

Count the strokes for each hole. Try to stay at or below 18 strokes per round.

6

Count how many holes you did at par 2 or better.

7

Enter the number of successful holes (par or better) out of 36 attempts in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129272318141074
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 in easy spots around the short game area like sand traps and rough. Each ball is its own hole with par

2

For each ball, hit a wedge shot to the green and putt to finish the hole in as few shots as possible.

3

After each hole, move to the next ball and do the same until all 9 holes are done.

4

Do the 9-hole course 4 times, changing ball spots a bit each time, so you have 36 tries.

5

Add up all your shots for the 36 tries. Par total is

6

Mark a hole as a success if you finish it in 2 shots or less.

7

At the end, enter your number of successful holes out of 36 in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262318141074
03

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

Place 9 balls in different spots around the chipping green like light rough, sand, or short grass 20 to 40 yards from the hole.

2

Treat each ball as a PAR 2 hole. Hit one wedge shot to the green, then try to putt the ball into the hole.

3

Finish each ball before starting the next one.

4

Repeat this process 4 times for a total of 36 shots.

5

Count how many strokes it takes for each hole.

6

Count how many holes you finish in 2 strokes or fewer. After finishing, enter your total successful holes out of 36.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score2624221916131074
04

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

Place 9 balls in different spots around the chipping green, using spots like sand, sloped rough, and deep rough.

2

Each ball is its own PAR 2 hole. Get the ball on the green and then into the hole in as few shots as possible.

3

Do the 9-ball course four times, making 36 shots in total (you get 2 shots for each ball).

4

Play in order, trying to hit good chip or pitch shots onto the green and then putt into the hole.

5

Count every stroke for each hole. Total par for all 9 holes is

8

The best score is 36 shots or less for the whole test.

6

Add up how many times you finished a hole in 2 shots or less. Enter your number of successful holes out of 36 attempts.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score2826242118151185
05

DIY Course Hard

Short Game

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

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for DIY Course  Hard
1

Place 9 balls in hard spots around the green like bunkers, rough, or tight lies.

2

Each ball is like a hole on a 9-hole course. Par for each hole is 2 shots.

3

For each ball, hit onto the green with a wedge or chip.

4

Once on the green, putt until finished.

5

Count shots for each hole and track your total score for all 9 holes.

6

Do the 9-hole course 4 times, moving balls to new tough spots each round.

7

You will hit 36 shots (4 rounds × 9 holes). At the end, add up how many holes you finished in 2 or fewer shots (par or better). Enter your score out of 36 tries in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score262421181411853
06

DIY Course Hard

Short Game

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

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for DIY Course  Hard
1

Pick 9 tough spots around the green like sand, rough, slopes, or thick grass.

2

Put one ball at each spot. Each ball is one hole with PAR

3

For each ball, chip onto the green and putt until the ball is in the hole.

4

Count strokes for each hole (chip plus putts).

5

Do the 9-hole course 4 times, moving the balls to new tough spots each round.

6

This makes 36 holes total (9 each round, 4 rounds).

7

Add up your strokes for all 36 holes.

8

Check your total score against targets for your handicap group.

9

Enter how many holes you did at PAR 2 or less out of 36 in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score151617182022252830
07

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 places around the chipping area, like sand, sloped ground, rough, or deep rough.

2

Put 4 balls at each hole, one for each player.

3

Each ball spot is a PAR 2 hole. Chip or pitch the ball onto the green, then putt until the ball goes in.

4

Play all 9 holes, hitting one shot to the green and putting until you finish the hole.

5

Repeat the 9-hole course 4 times for a total of 36 shots.

6

Count how many shots were used for each hole, compare to PAR 2, and keep score (lower score is better).

7

When finished, enter how many times you completed holes at or below the expected score out of 36 attempts in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141064
08

DIY Course Hard

Short Game

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

26 minFocus: Short Game
Diagram for DIY Course  Hard
1

Make 9 hard spots around the chipping area, like sand, slopes, or thick grass.

2

Put 4 balls at each spot for a total of 36 shots.

3

Treat each ball as its own hole with par 2 scoring.

4

Hit the ball onto the green with a wedge, then finish with a putter.

5

Finish all 4 balls at one spot before going to the next.

6

Do all 9 holes a second time to try for a lower score.

7

Count strokes for each ball and keep a total score out of

8

Passing means making par (2 or better) on enough holes for your handicap group.

9

At the end, count number of pars or better out of 36 tries and enter score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3129272318141074
09

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

Make 9 holes around the chipping area using things like sand, sloped rough, and deep rough to make each hole different.

2

Put one ball for each player at every hole spot. If there are 5 players, put 5 balls at every hole.

3

Each ball spot is its own 'PAR 2' hole to finish.

4

At each hole, players chip or wedge from 20-40 yards onto the green, then putt to finish.

5

Finish the hole (chip and putts) before going to the next one.

6

Do this for all 9 holes to make one round of 18 tries (about 2 shots per hole).

7

To get 36 tries, play two rounds of the 9 holes, using new ball spots each time.

8

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

9

Enter the total number of successful holes out of 36 tries as your score.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score3028262218141064

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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

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