LET’S COMBAT SLOW PLAY

SOME HANDY HINTS:

Keep up with the group in front of you.

If you have lost ground all players are responsible for making up the ground lost.

Walk briskly with purpose towards your ball.  Do not amble along.

As you approach your ball be assessing your shot – Direction, distance, club selection.

BE READY TO PLAY – using common sense and good etiquette taking care not to distract other players or compromise safety.

READY GOLF

Is a commonly used term, which indicates that players should play when they are ready to do so, rather than adhering strictly to the “farthest from the hole plays first”.

Ready golf is not appropriate in match play. In stroke play formats it is only the act of agreeing to play out of turn to give one of the players an advantage that is prohibited.

When ready golf is being encouraged players have to act sensibly to ensure that playing out of turn does not endanger other players.

Some examples of ready golf are:

Hitting a shot when safe to do so if a player farther away faces a challenging shot and is taking time to assess their options.

Shorter hitters playing first from the tee or fairway if longer hitters have to wait.

Hitting a tee shot if the person with the honour is delayed in being ready to play.

Hitting a shot before helping someone to look for a lost ball.

Putting out even if it means standing close to someone else’s line.

Hitting a shot if a person who has just played from a greenside bunker is still farthest from the hole but is delayed due to raking the bunker.

When a player’s ball has gone over the back of a green, any player closer to the hole but chipping from the front of the green should play while the other player is having to walk to their ball.

Marking scores upon immediate arrival at the next tee, except that the first player to tee of marks their card immediately after teeing off.

SOME MORE TIPS TO AVOID SLOW PLAY

If you are first to hit, mark your card after your shot.

On the tee and with every shot watch the other balls being played.  If the shot is wayward watch it until it stops and pick a landmark.

If you suspect you have hit a shot out of bounds or may be lost, then hit a provisional ball immediately.

If a ball is lost it is etiquette to help search for it.  Often though you can play your own shot before assisting.

If a lost ball is going to hold up play then call the next group through.

When approaching the green position your bag on the way to the next green.  Never leave your bag at the front of the green.

When chipping around the green, carry both the club you’ll be chipping with plus your putter.

If a player has skinned a shot out of a bunker through the green and you have played your own shot, offer to rake the bunker for them.  This is good manners and etiquette.

On the putting green every effort should be made to putt out. Marking and replacing of the ball for a short putt is a time waster.

On the putting green don’t pass the parcel with the flag.  Take it from the hole and lay it out of the way on the green.

Begin reading the green and lining up putts as soon as you reach the green.

Excessive practice swings take time.  In most instances one practice swing should be sufficient.