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Trade In Intermediate
Two Great Tips to Help You Play Better on Your Next Golf Trip
Bandon Dunes.
Tip No. 1: Do your research!
Tip No. 2: Practice to play the courses
- A large bucket of balls.
- 5 alignment sticks (two pool noodles if you have them).
- An app-based scorecard, with GPS and pull up the course(s) you will be playing.
- A personal launch monitor if you have one or use the Toptracer Range app.
- A short game practice area at your disposal to hit wedge shots and roll putts.
- Your imagination.
- Set an alignment stick for your target line, behind the ball.
- Set an alignment stick for your toe and body line.
- Set the two of the remaining sticks up about 15-20 yards in front of you as seen in the picture below, with one representative of your left target area line and one representative of the right side. Place colorful pool noodles over top of each alignment stick. Put the last alignment stick in between the others to represent a center target.
- I write down the clubs they are using for each shot. If you are hitting a driver off the first tee, mark the driver, and so on.
- Looking at the course map on the GPS, visualize the shot you will need to hit. Use the center alignment stick in front of you as a center-point for your aim line on the shot you are about to hit in your simulated round. Make note in your mind of any obstacles you see on the GPS map and make those part of your visualization process.
- The alignment sticks and pool noodles in front of you represent your fairway, or approach into the green. Keep in mind that those markers will exponentially get wider as those lines project outward, down the hole. You will need to rely on your visualization skills and imagination, along with the GPS map to predict where your shots wind up after hitting each of them.
- The personal launch monitor or Toptracer Range app will help you see your shot distances and how far offline each shot was in relation to your target. Use the combination of the GPS map and launch monitor to hit any of the full swing, or short wedge shots.
- On the notepad, mark each shot, what club you hit, and what yardage you had for each shot.
- When it comes to the around the green shots, and putting, make note on that pad what you have left to finish up on each hole after you finish the full swing and shorter wedge shot distances. For example, if you had 150 yards into a green and according to the launch monitor you hit it 145 yards and 10 yards right, you will guesstimate how far of a putt or chip you will have left. Mark that on the pad. If you feel as though you hit into a greenside bunker, then mark that.
- Play out all your around the green shots and putts at the short game practice area after you finish the range portion of this exercise. You are basically finishing up your round.
Sorrento, FL
Brendon Elliott
Director of Instruction, Freelance Golf Writer[Brendon Elliott, PGA](https://brendonelliott.com/), is an award-winning PGA Professional, player-development coach and nationally recognized golf writer with three decades of experience in the golf industry. As of 2026, he has been a PGA Professional for 17 years and has earned more than 25 PGA Section and Chapter honors for his work in coaching, education and player development. In 2017, he received the PGA of America National Youth Player Development Award. ## Coaching Competitive Teenage Golfers Through [BE A GOLFER](https://beagolfer.golf/home), Brendon specializes in working with competitive teenage golfers who want to improve their performance, better understand their games and prepare for the demands of high school, junior tournament and college golf. His primary focus is [Remote Coaching](https://beagolfer.golf/remote-coaching), which allows him to remain actively involved in a player’s development regardless of location. Rather than relying on occasional lessons or isolated swing fixes, Brendon works with players throughout their competitive journey. His coaching covers much more than the golf swing. Players receive ongoing guidance in structured practice, short-game development, putting, course management, tournament preparation, performance analysis, goal setting and the mental and physical habits required to improve over time. Using video analysis, virtual coaching sessions, performance data and regular communication, Brendon helps each player understand what to work on, why it matters and how to make meaningful progress between practices and tournaments. Brendon accepts only a limited number of in-person students in Central Florida. His priority is building long-term [Remote Coaching](https://beagolfer.golf/remote-coaching) relationships with competitive teenage golfers and their families. The goal is not simply to help a young player hit better shots. It is to help that player become more prepared, more accountable and more capable of navigating everything competitive golf demands. Brendon’s career has included serving as a head golf professional, general manager, college golf educator, career development director, academy owner and longtime junior golf leader. He founded Little Linksters Golf Academy in 2008 and led the organization for more than 16 years before selling the academy in late 2024 and launching [BE A GOLFER](https://beagolfer.golf/home). ## Golf Writing and Media Brendon is also a nationally recognized and prolific golf writer and storyteller. He is the Senior Golf Writer for [Athlon Sports](https://athlonsports.com/author/brendon-elliott) and has written extensively about professional golf, instruction, player development, equipment, golf history and the people shaping the game. His work has also appeared with PGA.com, GolfWRX, PGA Magazine, MyGolfSpy and several other prominent golf media outlets. Through [One More Roll Golf Media](https://onemorerollgolf.com/), Brendon provides editorial content, feature writing, consulting and media services throughout the golf industry. His background as a coach and educator shapes the way he writes, while his work as a writer strengthens the way he coaches. He understands how to explain complicated ideas clearly, ask better questions and connect the technical, strategic and personal sides of golf.
