Keeping right pace is a subtle but important element of every round of golf. It all hinges on knowing the rules — and when to bend them.
Your pace of play is set by the group ahead of you, says Sandra Post, eight-time LPGA champion, golf instructor and founder of the Sandra Post Golf School in Caledon, Ont. “If they’re on the green ahead of you, you should be on the tee-deck.”
Here are a few tips to keep your golf game moving along:
> Get ready
Play “ready golf,” an informal alternative to the traditional order of play for a group.
The customary honour rule says the player with the lowest score goes first on the next round. Ready golf is a more casual method of play in which players go when they’re ready, according to PGAProfessional.com
“You don’t worry about who is in the way,” Post says, “you just keep going.”
> Keep your short game moving
Use “continuous putting” to save time on the green.
According to the formal rules of golf, a player who has putted close to the hole marks his or her ball and waits while the player farthest from the hole puts next.
With continuous putting, a player who puts close goes ahead and finishes the round, according to PGAProfessional.com. That saves time.
The traditional rule was designed to keep players out of the lines of other players, Post says, where the metal spikes on their shoes could damage the green and disrupt a subsequent shot. The spikes on today’s shoes aren’t a problem, she says, and that rule is no longer necessary.
“Sometimes it’s just best to keep putting,” she says.
> Let others play through
If you or your golf partner is slow and holding things up, let the group behind you play through.
If you are playing with a client, you may not want to tell him or her to hurry up, says Post. In those cases, it might be best to suggest that the people waiting behind you go ahead.
> Pick up the ball
If you are struggling and holding up the group, don’t be afraid to admit defeat on that hole. Pick up the ball and start fresh at the next tee. It may be frustrating, but your fellow golfers will appreciate your consideration.
“If you’re a new golfer and you’re at double-par, pick up [the ball],” says Post. “People aren’t going to tell you to pick it up because they don’t want to make you feel bad.”
> Stand your ground
None of this means you should feel intimidated and rush through the course if you don’t want to.
Women in particular may start to feel pressured and that they’re holding people up, Post says. As a result, they start racing through the round.
“You’ve paid your green fee just like everybody else,” she says. “You have a right to enjoy your game.”
IE