Chipping Area
The chipping area is the practice area around a practice green where you train chips and short approach shots.
The chipping area is part of the practice infrastructure of almost every facility, usually directly at the pitching green or the putting green. Here you may play your own balls from short lies onto a practice green — chips, pitches and bunker shots, depending on the equipment of the facility. It differs from the driving range, which is about the long shots. For your score this area is at least as important, because the majority of all strokes in a round happen within fifty meters of the hole.
In practice, it is best to use the chipping area with a clear routine. An example before the round: ten balls from the green edge to three different landing spots, getting to know how the course rolls. On practice days it is worth working on the short game with a fixed structure — for example ten chips with the wedge, ten with the 9 iron, comparing the results in between. This is how you train club selection for the short game instead of just the hand movement.
Typical mistake is chipping on the wrong green. Approach shots are forbidden on the greens in play, and even on the putting green many facilities only tolerate putts — chips damage the surface and endanger others. Use only the designated chipping area and observe the notices; some clubs strictly separate putting and chipping zones. Second classic: endless machine-gun chipping without a target. Every practice ball deserves a pre-shot routine as on the course, otherwise you train the tempo of a ball dispenser, not that of the score.
FAQ
Am I allowed to chip on the putting green?
No, approach shots are forbidden on the greens in play anyway, and even on the practice putting green many facilities only tolerate putts. Chips damage the sensitive surface and can endanger other players. Use only the designated chipping area and observe the notices — some clubs strictly separate putting and chipping zones, for example around the pitching green.
What should I best practice in the chipping area before the round?
Take ten balls and play them from the green edge to three different landing spots to get to know how the course rolls. This is how you tune your feel for tempo and green speed to the day. Give each practice ball a short routine as on the course instead of hitting balls at machine-gun tempo.
Do I need my own balls for the chipping area?
As a rule, yes: while the yellow range balls come out of the dispenser on the driving range, you usually play your own balls around the practice green. Some facilities provide baskets, but that is not a given. Take a handful of older balls with you, then you are on the safe side and simply collect them again after practicing.