Think about a round of golf for a moment.

How many times do you pull out a driver or a 3-wood just because you get to put a tee in the ground?

My guess is, too many.

Whether it’s comfort, habit or sheer bravado, too many people forget that golf isn’t always about how far you hit it. In fact, hitting it too far on your first shot might hurt you on your second and third shots.

Take the 9-hole track at Apple Valley in Lewiston as a prime example of a course where middle handicappers might run into some trouble. The first hole is listed at about 250 yards, with a bunker short right and a row of trees up the left side. Also, too far to the right is the second hole, and a row of white stakes signifying out of bounds.

A driver on this hole makes sense only if you are deadly accurate with that club. Most golfers have an easier time hitting a full wedge at a green than trying to choke up of half-swing on a lofted club, which brings all kinds of swing types into play and creates more potential problems. Any hitch in a half-wedge could send the ball 90 degrees to the right, to the left or (and yes I’ve seen it done) even backwards.

What to do?

Put the driver and 3-metal away, and don’t even think of picking up a 2- or 3-iron. Simple math will tell you that a 250-yard par-4 is reachable in two with two 125-yard shots. That distance is, to most golfers, a 7-iron or less. Instead of winding up for a drive that might go out of bounds, pick a landing area about 125 to 150 yards from the tee, grab a comfortable club and take a nice easy swing. Accuracy is also easier to achieve with shorter clubs. Sure at this time of year, after a prolonged wet season, some of those balls might plug, but you can still take relief from a plugged ball in the middle of the fairway at most courses.

The next shot, meanwhile, becomes a 100- to 125-yard shot from a decent lie with a full club. That is much more appetizing to me than a 50-yard half-wedge.

Some people are different and have developed a consistent half-wedge. For those people, 200+ yards off the tee in that situation makes sense as long as they can hit the ball straight off the tee.

Incidentally, the next hole at Apple Valley is about 265 yards long and presents the same potential shot sequences with a twist – there is a pond in the way. At the top of the hill in front of the tees, though, is a giant bush marking 150 yards to the hole. Using that bush as a guide, it’s easy enough to pick a spot about 25 yards beyond it, pick a club to go about 135 yards and hit an easy shot to, again, within a wedge, 9- or 8-iron of the green.

Apple Valley isn’t alone when it comes to holes with odd lengths, and sometimes this will happen on a par-5, too. A nice drive on a medium-sized par-5 in central and western Maine often leaves a shot too long for people to reach the green in two (like any good par-5 should), and too long for two full swings using the longest possible club. Use your best judgment, do some simple math and hit the two best clubs that will make the shot easier for you.

Etiquette Corner

A couple of pointers on proper course etiquette for those teeing off:

• Golfers just having left the teeing area and on their way to play their second shots do not enjoy being pelted by golf balls. If a group of golfers is playing slowly ahead of you, slow down, breathe and relax. Golf is supposed to be fun and enjoyed at a leisurely pace. If they do not allow you to play through after two or three holes, politely ask if you may play through. Likewise, if people are obviously agitated behind you, allow them to pass. There is no shame in wanting to take your time, but at the same time there are, on several courses, time limits for playing each hole.

• If you should hit a ball from the tee on a wide open course (we’re talking pasture-like wide open, especially), and it slices wide right or hooks hard to the left, be aware of groups that may be approaching your landing area and yell “Fore!” to warn them. Upon reaching them, if your shot is not out of bounds, apologize to them prior to hitting your next shot. If your ball is out of bounds, even though it may be playable and you may have a line of sight to the green, pick it up. The white stakes are there for a reason.

The best way to start a round off well is to start it properly – from each hole. It makes it that much more enjoyable for everyone involved – especially for the golfers that get spared from a sharp pain in the back of the head.

“Fore!”