Besides the expense of clubs, green fees, lessons, etc., the main reason golfers say they don’t play as often as they’d like to — and one of the main reasons individuals never try the game in the first place — is that a round of golf simply takes too long.
We all agree on this, right? I’ve never met a single golfer who said they prefer a five-hour round to a four-hour round — yet, almost every single time I go to the course, I see someone taking 5-6 practice swings, searching through the woods for 5-10 minutes to find a lost ball, sending texts when it’s their turn to hit, or otherwise adding unnecessary minutes to their round (not to mention the group behind them, or the group behind them, etc.).
Most course staff strive to maintain a 4:15-4:30 pace — and honestly, even that seems longer than it needs to be. As golfers, we can’t do anything about tee-time intervals or course setup, both of which have been proven to have at least as much impact on slow play as anything golfers do themselves. But we can control the following things — and if we do, there’s no reason we can’t shave our average rounds down closer to four hours — not only will we save ourselves some time, we just might save the game’s future in the process.
And yeah, we could have come up with a nice, round 10 tips — but we’re trying to save time, right?
CHOOSE THE RIGHT TEES
Honestly, it all starts before you even step on the first tee. If you’re a 20-handicap playing a 7,000-yard tee box, you’re not going to get around the course in a speedy fashion. There’s no shame in playing it forward — I’ve often been the guy hitting from the whites while others in my group play the blues. Not only will you play faster, you’ll score better, too.
KEEP UP WITH THE GROUP AHEAD
This is the single most-misunderstood aspect of pace of play. “Well, no one was pushing us, so we figured we were OK.” We hear that all the time at our Cascade Golfer Cup events. Your proper place on the course is directly behind the group in front of you, NOT directly in front of the group behind you. Bottom line, if it’s a busy day and you’re never within a shot of the group ahead of you, you’re playing too slow – regardless of what the group behind you is doing.
PLAY READY GOLF
Honors is a lovely tradition — but it makes for a long round of golf. Short of standing in another player’s line, if you’re ready to hit before your playing partners, just hit. Trust me, they’ll barely even notice.
MAKE WAITING COUNT
If you do have to wait – for the group ahead, or one of your playing partners – make the time count. Determine your yardage and make your club selection. Put your glove on and be ready to go. Make a practice swing or two. That way, when it’s your turn, all you have to do is hit.
PLAN AHEAD
If your partner is dropping you off at your ball, or you have to walk a ways from the cart, take three clubs, not just one. Even if you’re 99 percent sure of the yardage, factors like wind, hazards by the green, lie condition, etc., can make you wish you had one more (or one less) club once you’re actually standing over the ball. You don’t want to have to run back to the cart, or wait for your partner to return.
HELP YOUR PARTNERS
Track every tee shot, not just your own – if you think you know exactly where a ball went, help find it before moving to your own ball. If a player hits out of a bunker and is still away, offer to rake it for them. Little things like this can shave 4-5 minutes off a round. It all adds up.
PUTTING
Greens are often one of the main causes of slow play. If possible, evaluate your line as you approach the green. The time to plum-bob your putt is BEFORE it’s your turn, that way you can just place your ball and go. When you’re finished, clear the green quickly and write down scores on the tee, not on or by the green – you’ll have to wait there anyway while everyone hits, and by moving, you clear the area for the group behind you.
PICK UP
Unless you’re playing in a sanctioned tournament, there’s no need to post a 10-plus. In fact, the USGA’s Equitable Stroke Control (ESC) formula limits the number you can post on a certain hole, for handicap purposes — double bogey for single-digit handicappers, seven for mid-handicappers (10-19) and eight for high-handicappers (20+). If you’re already over that number, just call it a wash and save your good shots for the next hole.
MOST IMPORTANTLY – PLAY AT THE PACE YOU WISH THE GROUP IN FRONT OF YOU WAS PLAYING. As our parents, teachers, coaches and others have told us throughout the years — if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.
