Tips to avoid slow play

One of the biggest problems many golfers face on the golf course is slow play. It's one of the most talked-about topics in the game and isn't going away any time soon

We've all had rounds when we curse the pace of play. Watching a golfer in the group ahead take their practice swings into the double digits, seemingly unaware of our existence, is far from fun.

Spending what feels like endless hours on the course watching others play can be extremely frustrating and whilst a round of golf will always take a certain amount of time, there are ways we can all help maintain a good pace of play.

The best way to tackle slow play may be to take personal responsibility for our own actions during a round. Whether you're a beginner making your way in the game or have been playing for years, follow these tips and let's speed up everyone's day on the links.

Be 1^st tee ready

When you arrive at the first tee, ensure you have everything you need and you are ready to play. If you've been ransacking your bag and searching for a lost glove, it holds everyone up.

Make sure you’re ready to go

While you’re playing partner is hitting their shot, use your time wisely and decide how to play yours. Be respectful, of course, but get your yardage, make your club selection and pick out your target line. You should be ready to go when it's your turn to play.

That's not to say that you should rush or change your pre-shot routine, but if you can take steps to prepare for your shot, it will speed up the round for everyone.

Limit your practice swings

To avoid becoming golf snails, let's all remember that the driving range is for practice, the golf course is to play. Taking practice swing after practice swing is a sure fire way to slow the overall pace of play down - and alienate your fellow golfers in the process.

On a separate note, taking many practice swings rarely improves the quality of the strike. It leads to overthinking and can make your body overly tight before you hit the shot.

Watch every shot (even the bad ones)

If you hit a bad golf shot, one of the worst things you can do is drop your head in disappointment. Following the flight helps you find your ball, not least because - as we all know - it can take an unexpected bounce.

So good, bad or ugly, keep your eye on the ball and you'll find many more wayward balls than you lose. You'll shoot lower scores and help your group keep up with the pace of play.

Mark your scorecard on the next tee

Whether you're marking a paper scorecard or inputting your score on your app, it helps with the pace of play if you wait until you're walking to the next tee to fill it in.

Again, it can be annoying for the group behind if they have to wait for four golfers to putt out and then mark their scorecards before leaving the green.

Play ready golf wherever possible

Ready golf can help speed up any round, and when you're playing any friendly format, it would be best to take this approach. In fact, the rules of golf were amended a few years back, with one of the suggestions being that golfers should take on ready golf wherever possible.

Always play a provisional

Sometimes we hit the ball where we don't want to, and no one likes the walk of shame back to the tee box when a tee shot can't be found. If there is any chance your ball has sailed OB, or is lost, make sure you reload.

The provisional ball is a real time-saver and helps keep the round moving along for everyone.

Let faster groups play through

If you're in the middle of 'one of those rounds' and the group behind is on your tail, the courteous thing to do is to wave them through. Being stuck behind a slow moving group can lead to a loss of rhythm and can actually destroy your round, so it's important to be aware of how quickly groups are playing around you.  

If there's space ahead of you on the golf course then stepping aside can make a real difference to the pace of play on the day, and it might help you gather your thoughts in the process.

Location of golf bag next to green

The simple advice here is that you should leave your golf bag on the same side of the green where you exit in order to get to the next tee. That way you do not have to walk back and forth after holing out which wastes a lot of time.