Make a course game plan with AI

The problem

Big numbers usually come from a few holes and a few decisions: driver into trouble, a hero shot from the trees. Most golfers don't plan those decisions before the round.

Why AI helps

A plan made calmly at the kitchen table beats one made over a ball in the rough. AI can apply simple strategy (play away from your miss, take the club that keeps you in play) to holes you describe, and condense it to a pocket card.

Using Projects: Projects are folders that remember your instructions. Per the official help pages (checked October 13, 2026): ChatGPT Projects are available to signed-in users and free accounts can add up to 5 files per project; Claude Projects are available on free accounts, which can create up to 5 projects. In Claude, chats in a project don't share context unless the information is in the project knowledge. See how to set one up.

Step by step

1. Write down the 3 to 5 holes that hurt you most, with yardage and the trouble on each.
2. Paste the game plan prompt with those holes and your tee.
3. Ask the driver-or-not prompt to get personal rules of thumb.
4. Ask for a one-page pocket version and save your course notes as a project file so you only describe the holes once.
5. After the round, run the post-round review on the lesson prep page and update your notes.

Copy-paste prompts

Replace anything in [square brackets] with your own details. AI answers vary from person to person, so we don't show a "typical" answer here; try it and see what you get.

I'm playing [course name] from the [tee color] tees. Here's what I know about the trouble holes: [describe holes, for example "Hole 4: water right, 380 yards"]. Help me make a simple, safe game plan for each hole I described, aimed at avoiding big numbers.

Help me decide when to hit driver off the tee and when to hit something else. My [3-wood/hybrid] goes about [distance] and is [more/less] accurate. Give me a few simple rules of thumb.

I'm in trouble: [describe, for example "behind a tree, 150 yards out, ball in thick rough"]. My comfortable shots are [describe]. What are my safe options, and which would you choose for a golfer at my level? Explain the setup for that shot.

Put this on one page I can keep in my pocket.

Limits and safety

• Describe the holes yourself. The AI may get a course's layout wrong, even for well-known courses.
• Distances in the plan are only as good as the yardages you give it. Check your real club distances on the range.
• Make the plan before you play, so you can keep your phone in the bag during the round.

Sources

• Prompts adapted from the AI Starter Pack newsletter and the AI for Golfers prompt pack by Austin Christensen.

Related uses

• Ask AI golf rules questions, then confirm them
• Set up a Golf Coach Project in ChatGPT or Claude