It is the start of the season so here is a friendly reminder to help us all have fun on the golf course. Golfaround has a great reputation for keeping the pace thanks to the efforts of our members and we just want everyone to keep up the good work. Pace of play is becoming a large issue in the world of golf, regardless of skill level. Here are some tips to play better, have fun and “be ready” We are recreational golfers not professionals playing for the coveted green jacket, Those long putts for double bogey do not need to be read for five minutes. Stand behind the putt, read it for about ten seconds, and give it your best effort.
Use the golf course to your advantage, believe it or not, golf courses are designed to help you. Yardage is typically well marked, whether it be through stakes on the fairway or numbers on the scorecard. A pet peeve is those golfers who spend far too long with their rangefinders on the tee box measuring how far it is to the pin. If the scorecard says one-hundred and fifty yards to the middle of the green, and your rangefinder says its one-hundred and fifty-three yards, do the three yards really matter?
The most important is to play #ReadyGolf. From shot to shot, always be thinking about the next one. After you hit your tee shot, grab your bag, and start walking towards your second shot. As you walk, think about all the factors that are going into your next shot. Then when you get to your ball, all you have to do is pick a club and swing away. If you are playing in a group, always be thinking about your next shot while your playing partners are doing their own thing.
Simply put, “ready golf” is a replacement for the traditional farthest-from-the-hole system of determining order of play in golf. When implementing ready golf, the first person ready to play their shot is free to play.
Playing ready golf is intended to help maintain pace of play, but in a safe way. With this in mind, don’t just approach your ball and whack it; make sure your playing partners and any other groups are out of the way first.
Ready golf should not be confused with being “ready to play”, which consists of simple behaviors such as arriving to your ball with your glove on, assessing your shot and making a decisive club selection while playing partners are hitting their shots. By thinking ahead, golfers can be ready to play as soon as it’s their turn.
Ready golf applies everywhere, including on the tee, in the fairway and on the green.
On the Tee – When a longer hitter is on the tee but elects to wait for a group ahead to clear the fairway, while a shorter hitter in the group can safely tee off, the shorter hitter should go ahead and play. Allowing the shorter hitters to play first helps maintain pace of play because they’ll most likely be the first to play the next shot as well.
In the Fairway – If the group is walking, everyone should get to their ball as soon as possible and hit when ready as long as they remember to play safe. While waiting to hit, players should check the wind, grab their club and be ready for their shot. When a group is using golf carts, the driver should drive their partner to their ball, let them get their clubs, and instead of waiting on them to hit, drive to their own ball and get ready to hit themselves. Nothing slows down a round of golf like the dreaded “search party.” If someone loses a ball, the other players in the group should hit their shots before helping search. The player closest to the hole should be the first to help look since they will be the last to take the next shot. Odds are, the lost ball will be found by the time the other players play, minimizing the hit to the pace of play.
On the Green – Ready golf can be used on and around the green. If someone is on the green and another person is in the bunker, the player on the green can go ahead and putt while the playing partner gets ready to take their shot. Playing a more straightforward shot before a playing partner executes one that requires more planning and focus will help keep the pace of play moving along. Putting doesn’t have to slow down the group. There is not a time limit when it comes to putting, but a simple rule to follow is to keep it to 20 seconds or less from when it’s your turn. Line up the putt and read the green while the other players are putting, so when it’s time for you to go, you’re ready to roll. While you’re on the green, try not to waste time marking putts within a couple feet of the hole. Instead, tap it in and clear the way for your partners to finish the hole.
Finally, be mindful of where your clubs are around the green. Remember to keep your clubs on the back of the green or nearest to the next tee, so you don’t have to walk around the green to collect any loose clubs you used for your green side shot. Ready golf applies to every aspect of the game regardless of where you are on the course. By playing ready golf is a safe manner, you can keep your round moving and have more fun on the course.