When Things Get Slow
Just got back from my morning round and it seemed that at about every other hole there was a 5 to 10 minute delay on the tee box because of some backup in front of us. I watched as one player surveyed his shot, surveyed his playing partners shot, then returned to the cart for his club. Then his playing partner took his shot. Then, finally, they both would return to the cart after surveying the results from the fairway. Aggravating? Yes. Affects your play? Yes. Is there a better way? Yes.
In case you didn’t know, there is a proscribed, unwritten set of behaviors that separate a “conscientious” golfer from a “selfish” golfer. Below are just a few that will help you keep things “on pace”.
1-Play to the pace of the group in front of yours, not just to stay ahead of the group behind. Remember, your group sets the pace for every group behind yours, all the way back to the first tee.
2- Be prepared to hit your shot before it is your turn to play. Gather your yardage, pin placement, wind, and slope conditions in advance when possible.
3- Limit practice swings when it is your turn to play. If practice swings are a necessity in your routine, take them before it is your turn.
4- If sharing a golf cart, do not become a spectator. When you arrive in the vicinity where tee shots are located, get out of the cart and begin to plan your next shot even if it’s not your turn to play. Go to your ball with a few clubs and a seed bottle and plan your shot while your fellow competitor is playing his/her shot.
5- Do not spend more than five minutes searching for a golf ball. USGA rules prohibit this practice and the pace of play will suffer. If you hit a shot that may be out of bounds, play a provisional ball. Going back to play again takes too much time.
6- Hunting for lost balls in lakes and hillsides is best way to upset the group behind you. If you are hunting, you are not playing and not moving.
7- Practice - Nothing promotes quicker play than keeping the ball in play. A bucket of balls before a round goes a long way to ensure that you have less errant shots and more playable lies.
See you on the tee box….