It’s a truth universally acknowledged in golf: you drive for show, but you putt for dough. While the thrill of a long, booming tee shot is undeniable, the real strokes—and the most significant opportunities for improvement—are saved within 100 yards of the pin. At Twin Hills Golf & Country Club in Joplin, we understand that perfecting your short game is the quickest path to lower scores and more enjoyable rounds.
That’s why we’ve invested in world-class practice facilities that allow you to hone every aspect of your game, from a 50-yard pitch to a tap-in putt. These aren’t just patches of grass; they are dedicated, meticulously maintained arenas designed for deliberate, high-impact practice.
The True Value of Dedicated Practice: Saving Shots That Count
Many golfers spend the vast majority of their practice time hitting driver after driver on the range. While critical for building confidence off the tee, this habit ignores the shots that make up nearly two-thirds of your score: chips, pitches, and putts.
A dedicated short game area, like the one here at Twin Hills, offers the diverse lies and terrain necessary to simulate on-course conditions. This specialized environment allows you to focus on the elements that truly lower your score: distance control, spin, and trajectory. By consistently practicing these touch shots, you develop the muscle memory and feel required to convert those crucial up-and-downs and save par when you miss a green.
Dialing In Your Distance Control on Our Short Game Facility
The heart of an effective short game is precision. Do you know exactly how far your ball will fly and roll with a quarter-swing of your sand wedge? Do you trust your gap wedge from 40 yards? Our Short Game Practice Facility is designed to help you answer these questions with confidence.
We encourage our members to use this area to work through practical drills:
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The Clock Drill: Learn your yardages by using different swing lengths (e.g., a “9 o’clock” backswing for one distance, a “7 o’clock” for another) to hit various targets.
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Target Practice: Use a handful of balls to hit the same yardage with three different trajectories—low (bump-and-run), medium (standard pitch), and high (soft landing). This versatility is essential for navigating different pin positions on our 18-hole championship course.
Regular, focused practice on these shots will not only build confidence but drastically reduce those costly second and third chips that balloon your score.
Sharpening Your Touch on the Practice Putting Green
No discussion of the short game is complete without putting. Our Practice Putting Green replicates the speed and contours of our championship course greens, giving you a consistent surface on which to master your stroke.
The best putters have repeatable tempo and impeccable distance control. We encourage you to work on:
1. Lag Putting: Use the length of the green to practice lag putts from 30 to 50 feet. Getting a long putt within a three-foot circle is a par saver.
2. Pressure Putts: Place a circle of tees six feet around the hole and try to sink 10 putts in a row. This drill builds the mental toughness needed when a key putt matters on the 18th hole.
By working through these drills in a dedicated, pressure-free environment, you’ll feel a new level of confidence standing over that five-footer to save the hole.
Take the Next Step: Instruction and Club Fitting
The facilities are here, but the knowledge is just as crucial. One of the greatest assets available to Twin Hills members is the ability to leverage the expertise of our certified PGA Professionals. Whether you need an individual lesson to fix a chipping flaw, or a custom club fitting to ensure your wedges have the correct bounce and grind for our course conditions, our Pro Shop staff is here to guide you.
The combination of premium practice facilities and personalized instruction creates a pathway to golf improvement that is truly unmatched in the Joplin area.
Ready to turn those three-putts into pars and save shots around the green?
If you are a member, we look forward to seeing you at the Short Game Practice Facility soon. If you are considering joining the Twin Hills family to experience the difference world-class golf amenities can make to your game, we invite you to explore our various membership options. From our Full Golf Membership to our Young Executive Tiers, there is a path to finding your new golf home.
Contact us today to inquire about a membership and begin your journey to a better short game!