You’ve been hacking it out every weekend. Whacking golf balls on the range. Blisters and calluses on fingers. Yet, you’re stuck at 85, or maybe 82. Breaking 80 has been a dream, and that has not happened yet. Maybe it’s some fundamental mistake you’ve been making and some rules you’re not checking. Here are seven things you need to keep in mind while teeing off.

Where is the safe miss on the hole?

What is a safe miss? It’s an area where a golfer can miss the intended target and still get a good enough lie for the next shot. Most golfers, including amateurs, usually aim at the pin, but that is not enough. Good golfers consider everything, including penalty areas, fairways, greens, pin positions, and more.

So, how to find a safe miss?

Look at hazards, thick rough, and out-of-bounds stakes. Aim toward the wider fairway area or safe apron, giving yourself room for error even if you don’t hit a perfect shot. Remember, the goal isn’t to avoid every penalty area, but to make sure you don’t get a huge number on that particular hole.

For instance, suppose the right side of the green has water, and the left has an easy chip. The safe miss is probably the left. When there’s a front bunker guarding the pin, aim to the center of the green. In 2006, during the U.S. Open, Phil Mickelson needed a par on the final hole to win but chose an aggressive strategy with his driver. He found trouble, made a double bogey, and lost the championship by one shot.

Where is the pin located—front, middle, or back?

So, when you’re playing golf, you want to picture the green as being divided into three sections: the front third, the middle third, and the back third. The front third lines up with a front pin, the middle with a center pin, and the back third with a back pin.

Every placard on the golf course is measured to the center of the green. So in the fairway, a red placard might say 100 yards, a white placard 150 yards, and a blue placard 200 yards. The same idea applies to the placards on the tee boxes.

That’s why course management matters so much. If you’re standing at the white placard, that distance is to the center of the green. You also want to allow for a little bit of roll. So wherever the flag is, you should probably land the ball about 10 yards short so it can roll out toward the pin.

A perfect example came during the final round of the 2019 Masters. On Augusta National’s par-3 16th, the hole was cut in the back-left portion of the green, 30 paces from the front and only four paces from the left edge. Instead of aiming directly at the flag, Tiger Woods hit an 8-iron toward the safer right-center of the green. The ball caught the ridge, rolled toward the cup, and stopped about four feet away, setting up a crucial birdie.

If you hit a club that’s exactly the distance to the flag, your ball will likely land near it and then roll to the back of the green or even off the green.

What’s the wind doing up high, not just where I’m standing?

One of the hardest things about golf is playing in the wind. Sure, you cannot avoid it, but there are ways to manage play during these times, too.

In a video, Me and My Golf advises playing one or two clubs more than normal when you’re hitting into the wind. If the shot is uphill too, factor that in and trust the longer yardage rather than the raw distance to the flag.

You can also pick a lower-lofted club, if needed. That’s because more loft can launch the ball higher and let the wind knock it back. The goal is to keep the flight more penetrating and reduce spin so the ball carries its full distance.

Now, is there a good setup? Yes. Set up with a slightly narrower stance to encourage a smoother swing. Then make a shorter, smoother swing instead of trying to hit it hard, which helps keep the ball flight down and more controlled through the wind.

Even Tiger Woods has experienced how quickly severe weather can change a round. During the third round of the 2002 Open Championship at Muirfield, players faced driving rain, strong winds, and a significant drop in temperature. Woods, who had opened with rounds of 70 and 68, shot an 81 as the brutal conditions caused major movement across the leaderboard.

What are the local rules for the day?

Indeed, every sport has a regular rule book that remains in use for almost every sphere of the game at different levels, whether pro or not. But there’s another set of rules called Model Local Rules.

These rules are implemented by the “Committee” that is hosting the tournament. During regular play, this Committee includes the golf professional and/or superintendent. You can find these rules on your scorecard or somewhere in the clubhouse.

At the 2010 PGA Championship, Dustin Johnson reached the final hole with a chance to win. His ball landed in a sandy area surrounded by spectators, and he grounded his club before playing. However, the tournament’s local rules classified that area as a bunker. The resulting two-stroke penalty removed him from the playoff and cost him a possible major championship.

Am I playing the correct set of tees for my skill level? 

Choosing the right tees can (and will) decide how your round of golf proceeds. So, don’t be embarrassed if your fellow weekend hacker is different than yours. For example, more experienced golfers can move back when they can handle the extra distance.

Forward tees are one good challenge. There are some pointers to keep in mind, in this case:

• You can experience the course from new angles and lines when you move forward.
• Shorter approach shots (40–60m) can improve feel and distance control with wedges.

Remember, it’s fine to feel intimidated. A 6,700-yard course can feel like a big task for amateur golfers, just as an 8,100-yard course can feel for the pros.

Are we keeping pace with the group ahead?

Yes, golf is a leisure activity, but no one wants to stand and play a 9-hole round for four hours. You might have also heard pros complaining about the same during tournaments, or even majors.

A lot of golf clubs schedule tee times too close together in an effort to squeeze in more business, and that can create problems that aren’t always the golfers’ fault. But you can always do your part.

At the 2013 Masters, 14-year-old Tianlang Guan received a one-stroke penalty for slow play during the second round. He still made the cut, but the incident showed that pace of play is not merely a matter of courtesy.

So, if you’re keeping pace with the group ahead of you and not holding up the group behind, you should be fine to play at a comfortable rhythm. Just be mindful of the usual pace-of-play issues, like taking too long over your routine, or spending forever lining up a putt.

What was one positive takeaway from that round?

We spend so much time thinking about the unsuccessful things that we barely pay attention to the successful things we did. So, try to be more gracious to yourself after a round.

If after a round, you want the things that make you feel good, grounded, and hopeful to show up more often, write them down. There’s real substance behind it. Once you understand how your thoughts, body, and emotions actually connect, you’ll see why it matters so much.

Rory McIlroy delivered one of golf’s greatest comeback stories after disappointment.

At the 2011 Masters, the 21-year-old held a four-shot lead after 54 holes and was still one ahead at the 10th tee on Sunday. However, a final-round 80 dropped him into a tie for 15th. At the very next major, McIlroy responded by winning the U.S. Open at Congressional by eight strokes to claim his first major championship.

One good shot can even make your week. Who knows!