So you may have watched some of the U.S. Open golf tournament on television last month.

If so, you may tune in this week and watch some of the British Open.

You watch how the pros try to work their tee shots into just the right spot in the fairway, to give them just the right angle to attack that flag tucked just behind the bunker, four steps away from disaster.

You watch them land their approach shots past the flag and spin the ball back toward the hole like a yo-yo. Or they land the ball seemingly far from the pin, but it takes the slope just right and feeds down near the hole.

And you think, maybe I can do that.

BUT CAN you really? Can you really learn anything from watching the pros on TV?

Yes and no.

"Sit back and relax and enjoy watching great shot making," suggests David Hobson, general manager at the Coeur d'Alene Golf Club. "The average player is not going to be able to work the ball right to left or left to right like the pros on TV. You also have to remember the pros on TV hit thousands of range balls and practice up to eight hours a day."

Darrell Hull, course manager at Prairie Falls Golf Club, says it would be more realistic to watch the LPGA or the Champions Tour players on TV.

"The guys on the regular tour just hit it so much further than everybody else," Hull said. "And you end up trying too hard, and getting yourself out of balance, so then pretty soon you're struggling and you can't figure out why."

Why watch the ladies and the seniors?

"Just because of the distance they hit their shots, and the smoothness to which they hit those shots," he said. "And the golf courses they play are more realistic. They're not 7,500 yards. A U.S. Open course, you take one of our 20-handicappers, he's going to go down there and shoot 150. He has no chance."

Plus a U.S. Women's Open course might feature par-4s of 380-400 yards, as opposed to the mammoth 500-yard par-4s the men play. And without the nasty thick rough.

"I think if there's anything the average player can take away from watching the pros on television, it would be to take note of the patience and preparation given to each shot while keeping a good pace of play," says Andy Mackimmie, head professional at The Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course. "Once they take a shot, they're already focusing on what they need to do with the next shot."

Golf course management is something TV viewers can learn from watching the PGA Tour pros, says Tony Cuchessi, head professional at Circling Raven Golf Club. For instance - club selection, on a narrow or demanding par-4 or par-5 with bunkers and/or water hazards.

"Many times the driver is not the first choice," Cuchessi said. "They will hit a fairway wood, hybrid or iron to help them stay in the fairway and avoid the hazards. When they do hit off line and into the trees or heavy rough, they smartly select the proper club to get out of trouble and back into position for the next shot. If the pin is tucked behind a bunker or water hazard, the play might be, aim for the middle of the green to avoid disaster."

THERE IS one thing we do that is similar to what the pros do. In the British Open, on the 17th hole at St. Andrews, the pros are required to hit their tee shots over top of the Old Course Hotel.

You and me have probably hit it over a building or two in our day - albeit unintentionally.

But overall, your best bet might be to just sit down, enjoy the golf, agree or disagree with the analysis of Johnny Miller or Nick Faldo. Because once you get out on the course, chances are you are not going to be precise enough to put it exactly where you want on the fairway, so you can work the ball exactly how you want on your approach shot.

As Hull says, "We're just trying to HIT the fairway."

At Prairie Falls, each day they make available what is called a "pin sheet" - which tells the golfers where the flag is located on each green.

"I can't tell you how many times I've offered that to people and they go "I'll never use that," Hull said. "I'm just lucky to hit the green ... I'll worry about where the pin is later."

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter at CdAPressSports.