Traveling Chicago Golfer.com

Speed of Play Yet Better Golf !!

By Gary Benson

I go on quite a few guy's trips, and on some of these trips, I sometimes get comments about my alleged slow play.  I have a few comments to make about this myself.

I agree I am probably more deliberate than your typical club player.  But I do believe that I play at a fairly high level for a 58-year old amateur.  What is important to me whenever I tee it up is to strive to shoot a low score, say in the low to mid 70's.  That is not easy to do without making a thorough reading of a tricky or longer putt, or considering how to hit an iron shot close, considering distance, pin position, wind, whether to possibly hit a draw or fade, etc.  You can’t miss-hit to many shots in a round and still shoot a 75!

Regardless, some other things to consider are this.  I don't lose my ball very often, so time is saved in not having to search for it.  As I know I need more time on certain shots, I try to move promptly between shots, and engage in other actions that save time on the golf course (See the attached list of things I always try to do to speed up play.)

I also have a slightly different perspective than some people on the objectives of the game.  Some players seem to think it is quite important to play, in say, three and a half hours. I am happy to play in the time allotted by the course.  On golf trips to vacation destinations, those courses often recognize that they are difficult, have lengthy distances betweens greens and tees, that the players are unfamiliar with the layout, and thus advise their guests that they hope play can be completed in 4:15 to 4:30 hours.

It is often humorous to me that I will be advised that I am playing slow when I have spent time conducting multiple five minute (or longer) searches for the lost balls of my playing partners who don't keep it in (or near) the fairway as readily as I do.

I should also mention that I often play in local tournaments, and my experience is that the better players competing there are much more deliberate in their play than the average club player.  In September 2009, I played in the Illinois Senior Open (open to professionals and amateurs). I found it quite interesting to watch these local Illinois professionals spend quite a bit of time repairing multiple ball marks on their putting line as they prepared to putt.  Most took more time than me.
Oh well, in golf, as in life, there are many varying perspectives.


Tips for playing quicker while still staying relaxed and taking your time on your shots.

• Choose the correct set of tees from which to play. If you're a 20-handicapper, you have no business playing the championship tees. Doing so only adds strokes, which add time.
• Members of a group should not travel as a pack, with all members walking together to the first ball, then the second, and so on. Each member of the group should walk directly to his own ball.
• When two players are riding in a cart, drive the cart to the first ball and drop off the first player with his choice of clubs. The second player should proceed in the cart to his ball. After the first player hits his stroke, he should begin walking toward the cart as the second golfer is playing.
• Use the time you spend getting to your ball to think about the next shot - the yardage, the club selection. When you reach your ball you'll need less time to figure out the shot.
• If you are unsure whether your ball has come to rest out of bounds, or may be lost, immediately hit a provisional ball so that you won't have to return to the spot to replay the shot. If you are playing a recreational match with, shall we say, a "loose interpretation" of the rules, then simply drop a new ball somewhere around the area where your ball was lost and keep playing. Generally you would take a one-stroke penatly in this case.
• If you're following the rules, you won't be using mulligans. But if you are using mulligans, limit them to no more than one mulligan per nine (you should never hit a mulligan if players behind you are waiting - or if you want to later claim that you played by the rules).
• Begin reading the green and lining up putts as soon as you reach the green. Don't wait until it's your turn to putt to start the process of reading the green. Do it as soon as you reach the green so that when it's your turn you can step right up and putt (or at least finish your green-reading in 10 or 20 seconds.
• Never delay making a stroke because you're having a conversation with a playing partner. Put the conversation on hold, make your stroke, then pick up the conversation again.
• If using a cart on a cart-path-only day, take more than one club with you when you walk from the cart to your ball. Getting to the ball only to find out you don't have the right club is a huge time-waster on the golf course.  (The recommended protocol is to take the club you expect to hit, i.e., a 7-iron, and the two clubs on either side of it, i.e., a 6-iron and an 8-iron.)
• 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 up. If there is no group behind, then a few practice putts are fine if you are on pace overall.
• 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 and wedges.
• Likewise, mark your scorecard after reaching the next tee, not while lingering on or near the just-completed green. While you mark the scores, your cart partner can be teeing off.
• 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.  Always try to be aware of where the cart is and which steps can be taken to save time with the cart.
• 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 (tournament conditions), you should never spend more than a minute (maybe two) 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," or “trudging around,” 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 loose.  We like to say, “Step Lively!!” (Sometimes when I feel my group is moving exceptionally slowly, I will jog 100 yards or so to my next shot or the next tee.!!!)
• 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.  The bottom line is, as soon as it's your turn to play, you should be ready to step right up and make the stroke.

Always be thinking of ways to save time, especially when you are NOT engaged in your actual stroke.  You don’t want to rush your shots. That leads to bad shots which only take up more time in the long run. “Keep it in the short stuff” (literally ) if you can--to speed up play!!

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