PWGA NOTES & QUOTES |
2
Standing or sitting around before
every shot allows the muscles to cool
down or limbs to stiffen up.
Be ready to play.
Pace of Play
by
Andi Bristow
My name is Andi Bristow and this is
my second year in serving as the
PWGA Rules Director. I enjoyed last
year since I was fortunate to work with
a group of ladies serving on the
committee
who
are
very
knowledgeable in the Rules of Golf. I
learned so much and I am excited
about our upcoming tournaments.
Since the Rules of Golf are not
changing in 2015 I decided to write
about my favorite topic; Pace of Play.
It’s always a good idea to revisit and
think about Pace of Play every time
you golf. As you’re golfing you may
come up with additional ideas to be
added to my list that I would love to
hear about. Please email me with any
ideas you may have. Wouldn’t it be
great if EVERYONE knew and
implemented the ways to improve
Pace of Play?
Let’s Go WHILE WE’RE YOUNG!!!
A good Pace of Play is an important
element in having a pleasant
experience on the golf course. In a
recent study by the National Golf
Foundation, 91 % of serious golfers are
bothered by slow play and it detracts
from their golf experience: more than
70 % believe pace of play has worsened
over time: and half acknowledge that
they walked off the course due to
frustration over a marathon round of
golf. An average round of golf is 4 ½
hours. A good pace of play not only
increases the enjoyment of the game,
it can actually improve your scores.
Each member of a group should
proceed directly to her ball. The
group should not travel in a pack,
going first to one ball, then the
next, and so on.
Use a buddy system when sharing
a cart. Don’t wait until your cart
mate hits and then drive to your
ball. Get out and walk to your ball
with a few clubs. Be ready to play
when it is your turn and then let
your cart mate pick you up, or,
drive to your ball after you drop
your cart mate off and then pick
her up after you hit.
Players should be ready to play as
soon as it is their turn to play.
While riding to your ball, use the
travel time to begin thinking over
your next shot-the yardage, which
club you will use, and so on. Begin
preparing before you get to your
ball.
When you think your shot may
have landed out of bounds or be
lost, hit a provisional ball.
On the putting green, begin lining
up your putt and reading the break
as soon as you reach the green.
When it’s your turn to putt, be
prepared to step right up and take
the stroke. If your ball falls short of
the hole, putt out.
When playing on or near the
putting green, you should have
your bags or carts in such a
position as will enable quick
movement off the green and
towards the next tee. When the
play of a hole has been completed
players should immediately leave
the putting green. Write down the
scores at arrival of the next tee.
Don’t play balls you can’t afford to
lose. Play balls you won’t mind
losing in the weeds, because you’re
playing partners don’t want to help
you look for more than a couple of
balls during a round anyways.
If you wear a glove, which you’ve
taken off at the hole just
completed, put your glove on
before you arrive at the next teeing
ground.
Limit your time at the turn to 5
minutes.
Limit socializing. Never hold up
play because you are in the middle
of a conversation. Put the
conversation on hold, take your
stroke and then continue your
conversation without delaying
play.
Your correct position on the course
is immediately behind the group in
front of you, not immediately in
front of the group behind you.
Arrive at your next shot just before
the group in front leaves the area
in front of you. If you are
consistently not able to keep up
and a gap opens in front of you,
invite the group behind you to play
through, irrespective of the
number of players in the group.
If you feel that your group is falling
behind take responsibility and
bring this to the attention of the
other players in your group.
If your group is behind, there is no
need to run but try to catch up
quickly.
Everyone in the group should
watch your group’s ball. Help
search for lost ball.
Volunteer to rake a bunker, pick
up or fill in a divot and pick up
player’s clubs.
Pre-shot routine: 1 rehearsal swingclear picture of the shot in your
mind, step up to the golf ball,
commit and trust, this procedure
not only helps your score it
promotes good pace of play.
Distant Measuring-Time robber in
golf. It is not necessary to measure
each shot on a golf course for exact
yardage. Look for markers on
course and estimate distance to the
hole.
Come up with a distance while the
rest of the group is playing.
Note: Playing at a better pace is not
about hurrying or rushing around the
course. It’s about being more efficient
with your valuable time.
Lastly, stop apologizing for your play!!!
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