The obstacles you face on the golf course range from sand traps to water and trees. Even though you will not usually encounter more than one obstacle during the game, having to move your golf ball from behind a tree or trying to get it out of a sand trap could end up costing you a higher score. Golf balls that are lost in the water cannot be retrieved, so you will have to place a new golf ball near the water and sacrifice a shot in order to get back on track. Because of these obstacles, your game may never be as good as another golfer, but it is the obstacles that make the game much more interesting.
If you dread the obstacles on the golf course, you are not alone. They can be a real pain to get around and could cost you valuable strokes. In order to avoid these obstacles, the best way is to perfect your swing so that you can purposely avoid these obstacles. If you see a few sand traps, or brush up ahead, plan your next move. This could be anything from shooting over the trees, shooting around the sand trap, or shooting past the water to get to the green.
Once you reach the green, you should not think that you are safe from obstacles. Greens that are on hills are...