Be mindful of the group behind you
- If you keep in mind the group behind you, you will automatically pick up your speed. Also, in a tournament, if the green of the next hole is empty, you MUST be playing VERY slow.
- —Guest GolfManiac
move
- We generally play in groups of 4 - the first 2 to putt out go to the next tee and hit off. Also walk smartly down to your next hit - the lowest handicapper should ensure the group keeps up with the group in front.
- —Guest mm
slow play
- I believe it is up to other players to make sure those playing with us or those holding up play be made aware of their slow play and how they can speed it up. Many people now on courses haven't had proper instruction in etiquette. This can be done in non-confrontational ways and should be.
- —Guest enueber
course responsibility
- Put some of the slow play onto the course and the club management. Overbooking tee times(may have learned this from their Dr. members), golf carts that are not maintained and fail, low charge etc.; rough not cut and ball searches increase, fall leaves not raked and ball searches increase, course personnel, movers, cart girls, etc. holding up play. etc etc. etc.
- —Guest rbm
high rough, high handicaps
- some courses cater to high-handicap golfers but they keep the rough higher than US Open all year. Players lose their ball then spend all day looking for it. The players I play with keep the putting to three shots - if you can't make it in three give it up.
- —Guest Bob Delahunt
Talking
- Leave the cell phones and Blackberries in your car. Especially among younger players, this is a big time waster. No texting either!
- —Guest Deltona
Group Therapy
- All too often the rules committee/governing body are reluctant to penalize players for an action that is not swing related, i.e. slow play or etiquette. This is very obvious when we watch our favorite player on TV every weekend. Perhaps a few penalties on Sunday for taking 2-3 minutes to line up a putt will get the message out to all of us. All too often in the amateur ranks the time is wasted between shots and not in the actual execution of the shot. I have issued slow play warnings to a player in a group and received a round of applause from the others in the group who often know that the other player is too slow. But all players in a group need to take some responsibility for slow play. If you have someone who is playing slowly and struggling to keep up with the group then help him and make him understand that he is a problem. If you can't make him understand then perhaps you need to replace him next time out. If you are playing in a sanctioned event call a rules official to help you deal with the problem. The policing of slow play has to start with all in the group and you will find that if 2 of the 3 are on the slow player that you will get results much quicker than having officials look after such incidents.
- —34rules
speed up play
- When play is slow you should as everyone knows play ready golf. But when it starts backing up when you get to your cart you should get in and drive away and put your clubs in at the next tee box and then mark the card with the scores. It would speed up play for the average golfer. And a little less talking.
- —Guest Barbara
Speed on the tee
- 1. If you have the honour on the next tee, mark your card AFTER you drive, not before. 2. When the last player drives, the rest of the party should start walking, and the last to drive can catch up (this assumes that you are walking and not taking it easy in a buggy!)
- —Guest Glengolfer
Keep pushing even when you don't have to
- I notice golfers hitting extra drives when nobody is pushing them. This means the group ahead will likely also waste time since nobody is pushing them! And so on and so on.... This is one way how slow play forms. And, like a traffic jam, once it forms, it takes a while to dissipate. So, keep pushing that group ahead of you, even if you feel you don't have to.
- —b7bingo
photos
- Please - unless you are at a course that isn't busy, don't stand on the green taking pictures knowing people are behind you.
- —Guest johnny bunker
keep walking
- The rule seems to be not to walk past somebody who's preparing to hit on the fairway UNLESS your motion will distract him. But if your ball is ahead and WAY to either side, you should keep walking - or at least walk until he's about to hit, then stop as he hits before continuing to walk to your ball.
- —b7bingo
Putting
- Don't take 5 minutes reading 6 different angles on the putting green. It always seems to be the better golfers that do this. Just because you need to get the right shot doesn't mean you can take the whole day trying to find it.
- —Guest Trobes05
Playing par 3's quicker
- We have laser distance finders but it would be nice on par 3's to list on a changeable copy poster the exact distance to the hole so each player doesn't have to check it the distance every time the pin placement changes.
- —Guest C Waggoner
Concede lost balls
- Don't spend more than a couple of minutes looking for a lost ball. You should help out another player by looking, especially if you are on the same side of the fairway. If a gap opens up to the foursome ahead and there are players crowding from behind, then be reasonable, admit it's lost, take the penalty and move on.
- —Guest wacker
