Course Program

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

Up-and-down contest, for a 9-handicap player, ~10 minutes at Poltak

Short GameAll teesProgram HCP 8.88 drills

Program Snapshot

Handicap range

8 to 45

Average HCP

8.8

Duration (single session)

3 hr 28 min

or

1 drill/day: 8 days · 26 min/day

Ideal tee

All

Skill Distribution

Scoring48%
Distance Control31%
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 9-handicap player, in ~10 minutes.

Skill

Scoring

Shot

Mixed

What you will improve

  • Scoring
  • Distance Control
  • Visualization

Program details

Sessions
8 focused drills
Recommended
2–3 sessions / week
Total duration
3 hr 28 min
or
1 drill per day
8 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 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
02

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

Set up 9 balls in tough spots around the chipping green, like sand or deep grass. Each ball is a separate hole with a par of

2

For each ball, hit a chip onto the green, then putt the ball into the hole.

3

Finish the hole before going to the next ball.

4

Do this 9-hole course 4 times, changing ball positions each time. This makes 36 tries in total.

5

Write down your score for each hole, counting how many shots you took for each one.

6

Add up your scores. Count how many holes you got a score of 2 or less.

7

Enter the number of holes you completed in 2 shots or less out of 36 attempts in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score282624201612963
03

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
04

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
05

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

Set up 9 holes in tough spots like sand or rough, 20-40 yards from the green.

2

Put 4 balls at each hole (36 balls in total).

3

At each hole, hit the ball towards the green with a wedge.

4

Use the putter to get the ball in the hole after reaching the green.

5

Do this for all 4 balls at the hole, then move to the next hole. Do this for all 9 holes.

6

Count as a success if the ball goes in within 2 shots.

7

When all balls are played, count the number of successes out of 36 and enter the score in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score312926221713963
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

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
07

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
08

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

Put 9 balls in hard spots around the chipping green, like sand, slopes, rough, or uneven ground.

2

Each ball is a PAR 2 hole. Chip onto the green and putt in, aiming for 2 strokes per hole.

3

Play all 9 balls, counting strokes for each.

4

Do the 9 balls two more times in new spots if possible, for a total of 36 shots.

5

Add up all your strokes for 36 shots. Fewer strokes is better.

6

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

7

Enter the number of holes finished in 2 strokes or less out of 36 attempts in the app.

Scoring benchmarks

Repetitions36
Handicap+9+5+151219273654
Score161718212427303336

Next Step

Ready to start this program?

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