What is wrong with slow, relaxed play? You paid your money. You should be allowed to enjoy yourself, right? Well, yes and no. If each person in your 4-some wastes just 15 seconds on each hole, your round will take an additional 18 minutes! And if your group takes an extra 18 minutes, everyone playing behind you will have your extra 18 minutes added to their round of golf, too.
There are good ways and bad ways to speed up your round. Some players begin running, foregoing practice swings, hitting fast – all the things that cause miss-hits and slow up play even more. The best way to speed up play is to do so between swings. Speed up your play in little ways, 15 second ways, which can add up to big savings.
To save 15 seconds, do smart things like always taking a club when walking to your ball and if in doubt, taking several. At the green park your cart so that after you have putted out, when walking off the green you will be walking towards the next hole. Take practice swings before it is your turn to play. Be ready to swing when it is your turn. Play ready golf. Don’t wait for someone behind you to hit when she is still walking to her ball.
Encourage your group to play quickly but don’t pressure them. During a recent tournament I waited for my guest on each hole. With a hole open in front of us, we were trying to catch up. As we walked off each green I’d jump in the cart and then wait – for at least 10 or 15 seconds – while my guest hurriedly put her clubs away, pulled out her driver for the next hole and then climbed into the cart beside me. She thought she was hurrying. She was actually wasting 15 seconds on each hole.
Finally I patted her cart seat impatiently and said, “Come on, just hop in.” She hurriedly put her clubs in her bag and then literally hopped in, landing on the metal arm of the cart seat (ouch!) and bruised herself. I felt so bad for hurrying her. Then I explained, “What I should have said was, ‘Don’t put your clubs away. Get in the cart, carrying them.’” I explained how that would save time. She could put her clubs away at the next tee while someone else was hitting. She wouldn’t even feel hurried.
REMEMBER: Seconds add up. Find your own little 15 second ways to save a lot of time. Your pace of play will improve. And the golfers behind you will rejoice.
There are good ways and bad ways to speed up your round. Some players begin running, foregoing practice swings, hitting fast – all the things that cause miss-hits and slow up play even more. The best way to speed up play is to do so between swings. Speed up your play in little ways, 15 second ways, which can add up to big savings.
To save 15 seconds, do smart things like always taking a club when walking to your ball and if in doubt, taking several. At the green park your cart so that after you have putted out, when walking off the green you will be walking towards the next hole. Take practice swings before it is your turn to play. Be ready to swing when it is your turn. Play ready golf. Don’t wait for someone behind you to hit when she is still walking to her ball.
Encourage your group to play quickly but don’t pressure them. During a recent tournament I waited for my guest on each hole. With a hole open in front of us, we were trying to catch up. As we walked off each green I’d jump in the cart and then wait – for at least 10 or 15 seconds – while my guest hurriedly put her clubs away, pulled out her driver for the next hole and then climbed into the cart beside me. She thought she was hurrying. She was actually wasting 15 seconds on each hole.
Finally I patted her cart seat impatiently and said, “Come on, just hop in.” She hurriedly put her clubs in her bag and then literally hopped in, landing on the metal arm of the cart seat (ouch!) and bruised herself. I felt so bad for hurrying her. Then I explained, “What I should have said was, ‘Don’t put your clubs away. Get in the cart, carrying them.’” I explained how that would save time. She could put her clubs away at the next tee while someone else was hitting. She wouldn’t even feel hurried.
REMEMBER: Seconds add up. Find your own little 15 second ways to save a lot of time. Your pace of play will improve. And the golfers behind you will rejoice.
