Golfdirt

Play Ready Golf – Speed Up Your Golf Round

April 17, 2008 – 7:00 pm | by Golfdirt

By Sean Lensborn

Five hour rounds are a pretty common occurrence at a public golf course. And honestly, there is no need for it. I don’t care if you’re a 40 handicap or a 5 handicap, you can play in 4 hours or less, as long as you follow some simple rules…

Play Ready Golf!

How often have you stood around on the tee of a par 3, watching the group in front for what seems to be an eternity? Three of the guys are on the green. One is in the bunker. The guy in the bunker was the last to hit… so he’s also the last to get to the bunker.

The other three guys are standing around chatting as bunker guy gets his sand wedge… heads over to the bunker… and thinks about not screwing up his sand shot. He hits his sand shot, which flies over the green, into a bunker on the other side of the green. The other three guys chuckle, and continue to chat. Bunker guy rakes his bunker (nice job!), walks to the other side of the green… and hits an OK shot that ends up on the green, but he’s still ‘away.’ Bunker guy rakes… oops… he forgot his putter in the cart… three guys continue to chit chat… and laugh at bunker guy… you really screwed this hole up Charlie! Bunker guy finally putts, makes a great one… saves his 4. And now the other three, one by one, take their time reading their putts, lining up the putts, hitting their putts… missing… marking their balls… and begin the routine once again.

This is absolutely insane.

This is an ‘extreme’ example, but I see it happening in so many different circumstances. People do it on the fairway… one by one, completely serially, people select a club, think about their shot, take some practice swings and then hit the ball… waiting for their playing partner on the complete opposite side of the fairway to hit their ball… watch it fly through the air, and land wherever it went.

You do NOT have to wait for your playing partners. While the guy is hitting his bunker shot, read your putt… heck, use a golf ball with an alignment mark, and line up your putt. While your playing partner is thinking about his shot out of the rough, you should be selecting your club for your approach shot out of the fairway… you can pick your intermediate target, get a clear image of what you are going to do. Just be ready to step right into your pre-shot routine as soon as the other guy hits.

The Ball is Lost… Forget About It

This does not bother me nearly as much as the first problem, but if you hook your tee shot into some deep woods, with lots of underbrush… you are not going to find it. Yes, I understand the rules give you 5 minutes to look… but the vast majority of people take more than that… and for the most part it is a fruitless effort.

Look for a minute or two… if you seriously think you have a reasonable chance of finding it, sure use your 5 minutes. But, come on… if it looks like a Costa Rican jungle… you are not going to find the ball. Do not waste any more time looking for it.

Gimme Putts

Unless you are playing for $100 a hole, please do not spend 5 minutes lining up your 183rd putt. Tell your playing partner it is good, and have him pick up. How many times have you watched and wasted another 2-5 minutes while the group in front of you is standing in a 5 foot circle surrounding the pin?

Develop a Pre-Shot Routine

If you do not already have one, work on developing a consistent pre-shot routine. Just don’t make it a 5 minute one that involves 35 waggles, and constant re-gripping of the club.

Mine involves lining up behind the ball, envisioning my shot, walking up to the ball, grip, look up, check alignment, look up… hit. It probably doesn’t take more than 20 seconds. And it’s consistent. I don’t spend minutes hemming and hawing over what to do. Not only does it help speed up play, but it will clear your mind and help you stay focused.

Leave Your Bags in the ”Path” Towards the Next Tee

I don’t see it as often as other slow down mistakes, but it definitely happens. Leave your bags to the side of the green, and in the direction of the next tee, never in front of the green. Nothing worse than watching a slow group take forever to putt out, then all walk back toward me… to get their bags and put away their clubs… then walk back over the green toward the next tee.

Play Level-Appropriate Tees

I don’t worry about this as much as some people do, but you are only doing yourself a disservice if you are a 20 handicap playing off the back tees. But, I’m not going to say that everyone that does it slows down play. If you’re a high handicapper who plays quickly, by all means, torture yourself from the back tees.

Cart Riders…

Two very simple things. First: Drop your cart partner off at his or her ball… then drive to your ball and get ready for your shot. Second: Take at least 2 or 3 clubs with you to your ball.

Beginners

Last thing I will mention…. I am all for people learning the game… but do it on an executive course or at the driving range. You will have a lot more fun on a shorter course, and will have more time to work on your short game, which is the quickest way to start shooting lower scores. However, if you must play that 135 slope course, play off the front tees, and pick up your ball if you have not reached the green in 5 shots.

Sean Lensborn is the author of The Deep Rough, a blog detailing his struggles and triumphs in the game of golf. His frequent entries cover anything from golf equipment reviews, golf tips, to golf travel reviews.