Golf Tips: Increasing Pace of Play (Part Two)

This is the 2nd in a one billion part series on combatting slow play. Slow play is one of the primary reasons the golf industry is struggling. It simply takes too long to play golf as 9 hole rounds can take up to three hours and 18 hole rounds taking 5-6 hours. Here is the next set of four big pointers to help speed up play. Though we are trying to speed up play, we’re not rushing our golf shots. A great saying in golf is to “quickly proceed to your next shot but take time hitting it.” Take Some Clubs When searching for your ball, take the clubs you think you may need so you don’t have to return to your golf bag or golf cart to get them. A player riding in a golf cart with a partner should be dropped off in the area of his/her ball and should take the clubs he/she thinks he will need for the next shot. The cart driver can then proceed to his/her ball. Both players can be preparing to hit their next shots at the same time. Don’t Travel In Groups Along the same lines as the previous paragraph, don’t travel in groups. Often times I see a foursome which all walks (or rides) to a player’s ball. They watch him hit. Then the group walks to the next player’s ball to watch him hit. This repeats for every player on every shot. This is a HUGE waste of time! Each player walking should proceed to his own ball and do whatever is needed to get ready for his shot, like reading the wind and the yardage.  Think about the time in the round which could be saved. Play From The Correct Tee! This one is a big problem. Too often amateur golfers think they’re better than they are. 15 handicap players should not be playing from the tips on a course which is 7,400 yards and has a course rating of 73.9. They’ll shoot about 500 over par, each shot taking up more and more time. Playing from the correct tee will not only present a more matched challenge for the player, it will result in a quicker round with a lower score! Read The Next Shot Before You Get There When approaching your next shot, be reading the conditions, the layout, the course setup, the breaks in the green etc. Much of the process of choosing what club and what shot to play next can be done en route to one’s ball.