Slow play is becoming a bigger problem in golf at every level. To keep the round moving and make it more enjoyable, build a few simple habits. Most recreational golfers are not playing for the Green Jacket, so a long putt for double bogey does not need minutes of analysis. Take a brief look, trust your read, and hit the putt.
Use the course information available to you. Most courses offer clear yardages through fairway markers, sprinkler heads, or the scorecard. Spending extra time with a rangefinder on the tee often creates unnecessary delay. If the card shows 150 yards to the center of the green and your device reads 153, those three yards rarely change the shot.
Above all, play ready golf. After every shot, begin preparing for the next one immediately. Once you hit your tee shot, walk toward your ball while thinking through the next play. By the time you arrive, you should only need to pick a club and swing. In a group, use the time while others are hitting to plan your own shot.
Simply put, ready golf replaces the traditional order based on who is farthest from the hole. Whoever is ready can play first.
Ready golf is designed to maintain pace of play safely. Before you hit, make sure your partners and any nearby groups are out of range.
Ready golf is different from simply being prepared to play. Being ready means arriving at your ball with your glove on, your shot evaluated, and a club selected while others are hitting. Thinking ahead helps you play promptly when it is your turn.
Ready golf applies everywhere on the course—on the tee, in the fairway, and on the green.
On the Tee
On the tee, if a long hitter must wait for the group ahead to clear but a shorter hitter can safely play, the shorter hitter should go first. This keeps the group moving and can make the next shots more efficient.
In the Fairway
In the fairway, walkers should go straight to their balls and hit when ready, as long as it is safe. While waiting, check the wind, choose a club, and get set for the shot.
When using carts, the driver should drop off a partner with the needed clubs, then continue to their own ball and prepare instead of waiting by the cart.
Few things slow a round more than searching for a lost ball. If one player is looking, the others should hit first before helping. The player closest to the hole should join the search first, since that player will hit last. Often, the ball is found before the rest of the group finishes playing, which reduces the delay.
On the Green
Ready golf also applies on and around the green. If one player is on the green and another is in a bunker, the player on the green can putt while the other gets ready. Letting the simpler shot go first helps keep play moving.
Putting should not slow the group down. A good rule is to take no more than about 20 seconds once it is your turn. Read the green and line up your putt while others are putting so you are ready to go.
On short putts within a couple of feet, avoid marking unnecessarily when possible. Tap in and clear the way so others can finish the hole.
Be mindful of where you leave your clubs around the green. Put them behind the green or on the side nearest the next tee so you do not have to walk back across the green to retrieve them.
Ready golf applies to every part of the game. When practiced safely, it keeps the round moving and makes the experience better for everyone.