If you watched much golf this summer you probably saw the USGA commercials about slow play.  I think it’s great that they have addressed the problem, but what is the problem?  What is slow play and how can you avoid being part of the problem?

Now I know that you are all reading this for information to give to someone else, because “we” are never the slow ones, slow play is always caused by someone else…so let me be the first golfer in history to admit that I have played slow, and I have had the ranger tell me to play faster (at Pinehurst #2 no less!).  It is not fun to see that red “RANGER” flag heading your way, so here are a few ways to play faster without ever being in a hurry.

  • Always leave your clubs/cart on the the way to the next hole.  Don’t back track to get your equipment.  If you have to chip onto the green from the side away from the next tee box, move your clubs/cart immediately after you hit.  You should have time to do this before your turn because your chip shot should always be close to the hole…
  • Play “Ready Golf” not “You can go first because you are away or got a lower score even though you are no where near ready and we’ll just stand here waiting on you golf”.  Lets face it, most of the time we are buddies with the people we are playing with and we know who isn’t going to be ready, so go before him, and if it makes him mad then he may be ready next time.  And if people start going before you when its your turn, well…
  • Don’t make the guy who holes out last put the flag back in.  Once your ball is in the hole go pick the flag up and wait for everyone else to hole out.
  • Count strokes on the way to the next tee or on the next tee, not on the green like these guys…
  • The only thing you should have to do when it’s your turn to hit is hit.  Your glove should be on/off, yardage should be determined, club should be selected, target should be chosen, etc…

SCGC Scorecard-2Far too often people think because they are waiting on the group in front of them that they must be playing slow, but many times that is not the case.  Just because you are faster than the group in front of you doesn’t mean that they are slow-the guy that finished second to Usain Bolt wasn’t slow, just not as fast.  Slow is defined by the clock.  Here at StonyCreek we define slow as taking more than two hours for nine holes, and we even give the pace hole by hole on our scorecard.  So just because you waiting on the group in front of you doesn’t make them slow, and if they do happen to be behind on the clock, it may not be their fault.  They may be held up by a group somewhere in front of them.

If each person in your group could save five seconds per shot and shot even par 72, that’s a 24 minute savings over the course of a round and it would be even more if anyone in your group didn’t happen to be even that day! Five seconds doesn’t sound like a lot of time, but it certainly adds up over the course of an entire round.

If you have more ideas on how to play faster please share them in the comments section.

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