• After putting out, don't stand around the green chatting or take any practice putting strokes. Leave the green quickly so the group behind can play. If there is no group behind, then a few practice putts are fine.
• When leaving the green and returning to your cart, don't stand there fussing with your putter or other clubs. Get in the cart, drive to the next tee, and then put away your putter.
• Likewise, mark your scorecard after reaching the next tee, not while lingering on or near the just-completed green.
• When using a cart, never park the cart in front of the green. Park it only to the side or behind the green. And don't mark your scorecard while sitting in the cart next to the green (do it at the next tee). These practices open up the green for the group behind.
• If you're the type who likes to offer tips to playing partners, save it for the driving range - or only do so on the course when you're sure that you're not slowing down play.
• If you are searching for a lost ball and are willing to spend a few minutes looking for it, allow the group behind to play through. If you are playing a friendly game where rules aren't followed closely, just forget the lost ball and drop a new one. If you're not playing by the rules, you should never spend more than a minute looking for a lost ball.
• Don't ask your playing partners to help you search for a lost ball - unless you are absolutely certain there is time for them to do so (e.g., there is no group behind waiting). If the course is crowded, your partners should continue moving forward, not slow things down further by stopping to help your search.
• On the tee, pay attention to your partners' drives. If they lose sight of their ball, you can help direct them to it and avoid any searching.
• When waiting on the tee for the group in front to clear the fairway, don't be so strict about order of play. Let the short hitter - who can't reach the group ahead anyway - go ahead and hit.
• Work on building a concise pre-shot routine. If your pre-shot routine is a lengthy one, it's probably in your best interests to shorten it anyway. Limit practice strokes to one or two at the most.
• Don't bother marking lag putts - go ahead and putt out if it's short enough.
• Leave your cell phone in the car.
• Walk at a good pace between shots. No, you don't have to look like a race-walker. But if your between-shot gait can be described as a "shuffle" or an "amble," you're probably going too slow. Speeding up your gait a little is both good for your health, but also might help your game by keeping you lose.
• Carry extra tees, ball markers and an extra ball in your pockets so you never have to return to your bag to find one when needed.
• When chipping around the green, carry both the club you'll be chipping with plus your putter so you don't have to return to the bag.
• Try playing ready golf, where order of play is based on who's ready, not on who's away.
Add Your Faults and Fixes
What are some of the things you've seen golfers do on the course that slow down play? And what are some of the ways that you speed up play? Share your comments in the Golf Forum.
