There are many reasons for slow play, and one contributing factor might be found among the world's best players. The golfers on the pro tours are notorious for slow play - stalking the green for minutes before making a putt; agonizing over the choice of clubs before each shot. Many recreational players learn parts of their on-course behavior from the pros, so the pros' slow play might carry over.
In some ways, it's understandable. The pros are playing for hundreds of thousands of dollars, sometimes millions, each week, after all. And in many ways, pros can get away with spending more time on each stroke: a Tour player might take about 30 strokes fewer per round than a 20-handicapper. Those 30 fewer strokes played means more time to spend on each stroke that is played.
But when recreational players attempt to emulate Tour players - stalking the green, agonizing over club selection - they add far more time to a round of golf than is necessary.
Heck, even Tour players complain about slow play. The problem for Tour players has always been that those complaints are rarely acted upon, either by the Tour or by the players doing the complaining.
Until, that is, the LPGA Tour decided to take aggressive action.
While the PGA Tour's players continued to complain about slow play, and the PGA Tour continued to back away from improving its pace of play regulations or aggressively enforcing its existing guidelines, the LPGA Tour, early in 2004, put into place stringent new rules governing pace of play.
And - get this - the rules have actually worked.
The LPGA Tour instituted its new pace of play rules early in the 2004 season with an announcement to its players.
Along with the policy announcement to its players, the LPGA Tour also offered six tips to its members for speeding up play. The tips were headlined "Fast Play Makes Fast Friends," and they are great tips for all players to keep in mind:
"1. Be ready to hit when it’s your turn to play! (Have club in hand)
"2. Walk faster between shots
"3. Eliminate lengthy discussions with your caddie - get the information and GO!
"4. Think about the upcoming shot BEFORE you get to your ball
"5. Reduce the length of time of your pre-shot routine
"6. Speak to your fellow competitors and encourage your group to stay in position before being timed!"
The pace-of-play rules the LPGA Tour put into effect shaved some seconds off each player's time allotment per hole, then backed it up with severe penalties. And the LPGA proved early that it would enforce the rules.
Next Page: How the LPGA Tour's Pace Rules Work
