One way to work on your mental focus and to learn to score is competitive play. Real competition (not the fun-golf-outing-scramble-sort) forces players to learn to concentrate and to make every shot count. Real competitions make players abide by ALL of the rules so that they may better judge their true abilities.
While it is unlikely that the weekender ever will find himself (legitimately) competing for a spot in the US Open (or perhaps even a State Open) there still are a large number of opportunities offered by local and state golf associations. Many of these are flighted, or net competitions, so even higher handicappers can enjoy the pressure of competition. In Michigan, there’s a Bogey Golf Tour that tries to offer a competitive environment for golfers of a wide variety of skill levels.
Club championships are another way to get into a competitive mode. So are the more serious weekly leagues (ours not not at all serious). Barring any of this, you can try playing your own mind games. At various critical points, imagine that the hole is for the Claret Jug.
This tip is an excerpt from The Five Inch Course: Thinking Your Way To Better Golf
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