Zoe North: 3 On-Course Challenges & How to Play a Tricky Par 3

When you're out on the course, it’s easy to get stuck in the same comfortable habits. However, real improvement comes from pushing your mental game, challenging your course management, and sticking to your habits even when things aren't going your way.

In this two-part guide, PGA Professional Zoe North shares three simple on-course strategies to level up your mindset, followed by a real-time walkthrough of how she managed a tricky 135-yard par 3 when her swing wasn't feeling 100%.

Part 1: 3 On-Course Challenges to Elevate Your Game

1. Mix Up Your Tees to Test Your Strategy

It’s easy to get comfortable playing from the exact same tee boxes every round, but repeating the same layout can make your course strategy stale.

• The Challenge: Next time you head out for a practice round, move back to a longer set of tees.
• The Benefit: Playing a longer course forces you to hit longer approach clubs into greens and tests your course management under pressure. You’ll quickly discover which areas of your long game need work, making your standard round feel much more manageable.

2. The "3-Second Rule" for Bad Shots

Golf is an emotional game, and trying to suppress your frustration completely can actually build up physical tension. The trick isn't pretending you aren't annoyed—it's learning not to carry that frustration into your next shot.

• The Challenge: Give yourself permission to be annoyed at a bad shot, but limit yourself strictly to 3 seconds. Once those 3 seconds are up, take a deep, calming breath, put your club back in the bag, and move on.
• The Benefit: Acknowledging the disappointment gets the emotion out of your system immediately, preventing one bad swing from spiralling into a double bogey.

3. Protect Your Pre-Shot Routine

Whether you’re playing the round of your life or struggling to find the fairway, your pre-shot routine should never change. It is the ultimate anchor for your golf swing.

• The Challenge: Treat every single shot with the exact same process—take your practice swings, align your clubface, take a breath, and commit.
• The Benefit: Keeping your pre-shot routine consistent creates familiarity and comfort, which calms on-course nerves and brings order to your game even when your swing feels slightly off.

 

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Part 2: Play a Hole With Me – The 7th at Ruby Golf Club

Course management is all about adapting to how you are striking the ball on the day. Watch how Zoe breaks down the 135-yard par 3 7th hole at Ruby Golf Club, stepping through her decision-making process from tee to cup:

Shot 1: The Approach (135 Yards)

• The Scenario: Zoe stepped up to the tee striking the ball a bit off-centre on the day.
• The Strategy: Rather than trying to force a swing to get extra distance out of her usual club, she chose to club up to ensure she had enough power to reach the surface.
• The Result: Hitting a solid strike with a longer club meant the ball carried slightly past the pin onto the back of the green. But because the lie was clean and the greens were soft and receptive, it left an ideal position to work with.

Shot 2: The Chip (58-Degree Wedge)

• The Strategy: Evaluating the soft turf and good lie, Zoe selected her 58-degree wedge to pop the ball up soft and control the rollout towards the hole.
• The Result: The distance and pace control were spot-on, though a slight pull left the ball a few feet short of the cup.

Shot 3: The Par Putt

• The Strategy: The short putt featured a slight left-to-right break. The key focus here was execution and trust: committing to starting the ball squarely on the target line rather than steering it.
• The Result: A clean stroke, starting right on line, sinking the putt to secure a clean par.