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Cascade Golfer addresses golf’s most chronic problem — slow play.
by Brian Beaky, CG Editor
This week’s feature is a topic that I know gives golfers — on both sides — plenty of angst, and so is hopefully one that readers will find useful.
The issue is pace of play. And namely, the proper etiquette for playing through.
We’ve all been on one side of the coin or the other — either we’ve looked over our shoulder and seen a golfer or group of golfers waiting, shot after shot, tapping their feet, arms crossed, hitting into us the second we clear the landing area; or, we’ve been that group in the rear, enjoying ourselves until we caught up to the group ahead of us and began waiting … and waiting .. .and waiting. Either way, the experience can completely kill any buzz you had going for your round.
There are a few things, though, that each side can do to make things easier. Portland native and PGA Tour pro Ben Crane — a notoriously slow player himself — has some, er, “interesting” methods for speeding up play in the video linked at right. Meanwhile, we offer a few — perhaps more realistic — suggestions of our own:
FOR THE GROUP AHEAD
You’ve been enjoying your round, going at your own pace, when suddenly you notice a golfer or group of golfers waiting on the tee behind you. You feel rushed, our of rhythm. What do you do?
1. This is obvious, but first, try to play more quickly. Take fewer (ideally, no more than one) practice swings. Be ready to take your shot when it’s your turn. Clear the fairway or green quickly when you’re finished.
2. If you’ve tried the above, and you’re still feeling pressured by the group behind you — particularly if there are fewer players than in your group — stop. You’re going to be miserable — and certainly not going to play well — if you’re sprinting from shot to shot, constantly looking over your shoulder and feeling anxious. Just stop.
3. Signal to the golfer(s) behind that you’re letting them play through, either by waving or calling out, then clear the landing area. Ninety-nine percent of golfers will be extremely grateful for your selflessness, and will play through very quickly, typically with many thanks and smiles. At the most, you’ll lose five minutes, but you’ll have at least temporarily removed the anxiety and pressure to play quickly for the rest of your round. You’ll play better, feel better, and have more fun.
FOR THE GROUP BEHIND
You drive up to the tee and find another group in the fairway, with seemingly no one in front of them. You wait … and wait … and wait. They’re agonizingly slow, taking multiple practice swings, checking their rangefinders, consulting each other on putting lines. What do you do?
1. Take a deep breath. Yes, we recognize that calming yourself won’t make the group ahead of you speed up. But, it’s highly unlikely that gesturing, shouting, hitting into them, or trying in other ways to send them an “obvious” signal of your impatience will help, either. And getting upset will definitely not help your golf game.
2. If you see a course marshal, try to flag them down and have them speak with the group ahead. It’s possible that they’re being slowed by another group you can’t see. Many courses aren’t marshaled, however, and even if they are, marshals often won’t penalize a group unless they’re playing at slower than a standard 4:15-4:30 pace — even if you are playing faster. The marshal can, however, request that they let you play through, which can relieve some of the awkwardness of that conversation.
3. If there’s no marshal, and the group ahead isn’t signaling you to play through (or speeding up), try to catch them on a tee box. Then, politely ask if you can play through — mention how it will relieve their anxiety (“You know, so we’re not pushing you guys faster than you want to play…”), and promise to be quick. Again, ninety-nine percent of groups, when asked politely, will accept. Then, be respectful — play the hole as quickly as possible to get out of their way, and thank them frequently. It’s likely the last time you’ll see them on the course.
4. If they’re not signaling you to play through or if you simply can’t catch them on a tee box — and you can clearly see open golf course ahead of them — drive (or walk) around them. Sure, it might mean that you have to skip a hole, but it’s a small price to play to preserve the enjoyment of the rest of your round (when skipping a hole, credit yourself with par plus any handicap strokes you receive on that hole). Plus, you can always drive back and play it later if you have time.
SUMMARY
Whether you’re the group in front, or the group behind, the moral is simple — act how you wish the other group would act if they were in your shoes. Or, in the case of Northwest native and PGA Tour player Ben Crane (in the video above), your roller skates.