Your cheerful but always vigilant convener has noticed that our pace of play has slowed somewhat since the beginning of the season which, judging from my score, was just yesterday.
Some of these tips (gleaned mainly from Golf Digest and Golf Canada) do not apply for match play but most apply for both our Toonie and Team Play Tuesdays.
Anyway, I thought the following tips may help. For instance, I am guilty regarding the headcover thing, so I am going to take them off and leave them behind.
- Play like you have only three hours to finish the round before the sun sets. We should, regardless of our handicaps, be able to play Dalewood in about 4 hours.
- Ditch your headcovers. Taking them on and off all day is a serious time suck.
- Agreeing to play "ready golf" is essential for a casual round. But you'll play even faster if you keep putting until your ball is conceded or holed.
- Only mark a short putt to clean it.
- First golfer to a tee should hit first and mark the score card as others are teeing off.
- First golfer on a par 3 gets the yardage and announces it to everyone.
- First to hit on a par 3 stands at the ready to fill divot holes.
- Glean as much knowledge as you can about your next shot while approaching it.
- Waiting? Take as many practice swings/strokes as you want. Your turn? You get one.
- Always be moving forward. If you must double back for anything—bag, cart, clubs—you're losing time. Park your bag at the exit of the green and place extra clubs on the way to your cart.
- Hit your ball first, then help others search. They'll typically find the ball without your help.
- Always have a spare ball handy, assuming they are not all in the creeks!
- Two players in the same bunker? The last one to hit rakes. The first one to escape marks and reads the putt during the raking.
- Two people in a cart - park near one ball and the other gets a club and walks to her ball. Hit your ball and keep your club in your hands in the cart; you can put it away when you get the next one out. This saves a lot of time if both driver and passenger follow this advice.
- A little radical for some but leaving the flagstick in the hole saves a lot of time. (This applies to casual rounds, but maybe not on Tuesdays. However, next year that rule changes - no penalty for leaving the flag in.)
- Refuse to leave the flagstick in? First to putt out grabs the flagstick and waits to put it back.
- Jokes and stories are best told after teeing off, not before. Otherwise you're interrupting another player's preparation.
- Beverage cart approaching? Wave it over to where your ball is located, if possible. Play your shot, and then order. Keep the conversation brief.
- Arrive at the location of your next shot as the group in front is leaving your landing area.
- Remember: Your place on the golf course is behind the group in front, not in front of the group behind.
