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Don’t you just love those days on the golf course when you move from hole-to-hole at a perfect pace?
The group ahead is not holding things up and the group behind is not being held up by your group. In this scenario, you are playing at the ideal pace of play on a busy golf course.
Not So “Ideal” Pace of Play
The pace of play during one of my recent rounds was less than ideal. I was part of a foursome in two carts. We were following a twosome of walkers pushing hand carts.
We thought it was a bit strange that our foursome would be held up by a twosome, but that was exactly what was happening on this day.
We waited for both golfers to get safely ahead before we teed off on most holes. We then had to wait for them to clear the green before we could hit our approach shots.
Ideally, we would have preferred if they let is through, especially at the turn, but they didn’t offer, and we didn’t ask.
It was early in May and our golf season had just started a few weeks prior. The temperature was in the high teens (about 68 F). The sun was shining and there was a gentle breeze coming in off the bay. We were so happy to be back on the links again after our winter hiatus.
Big deal if the pace of play was a little less than ideal, we were exactly where we wanted to be, among friends and on a golf course.
How To Tell if Your Group is Playing Too Slowly
A good rule to follow when golfing on a busy golf course is to make sure you can always see the group in front of you. If you lose sight of them, there is a good chance that you are playing too slowly.
If you do lose sight of the golfers ahead, check back on the golfers behind you. Are they standing and waiting for you to hit your ball on every shot? If they are, you are playing too slowly.
If you are in a foursome following a twosome, or perhaps even a threesome, you will probably lose the golfers in front of you at some point during the game. Don’t sweat it. As long as you stay ahead of the group behind you, you are golden.
If you are in a foursome being followed by a twosome, and you are not being held up by the golfers ahead, it would be a good idea to step aside and let them play through.
How to Let Faster Golfers Behind You Play Through
As soon as you realize that your group is playing too slowly, it is time to allow the golfers behind you play through. The most common place to do this is at a par three but any hole will do.
If you are in the slow group, your group should hit their tee shots as normal. After everyone has hit, your group should remain at the tees and wave to the faster golfers behind you and invite them to play through. After the faster golfers accept your invitation, they should hit their tee shots, and proceed to the green or second shot and complete the hole ahead of your group.
Now Your Group Needs to Pick Up the Pace
Now that you have allowed the faster golfers to play through, you have bought yourself a little time before the next group behind closes in.
Your group now needs to pick up the pace. You want to keep up with the group that just played through so that you don’t cause delays for the new group that is now behind you.
For tips on how to maintain a good pace of play on the golf course, check out my blog post, Pace of Play on the Golf Course.
The Pros and Cons of Playing Through
Imagine you are in a foursome that is playing faster than the group ahead. You pull up to the tee blocks at the next hole and the group ahead is still there and ask if your group would like to play through.
I have had this happen to me on numerous occasions. It can be stressful.
I remember one day being waved through on a par three. Miraculously, I hit a perfect tee shot and rolled my ball to within ten feet of the pin.
With a shot like that, the golfers who waved us through might have been thinking, “Wow, what a great shot. Good thing we are letting these guys play through”.
Unfortunately, I also remember another day when we were being waved through. On that memorable morning, I stepped up to the tee, eyed my target, addressed the ball, and proceeded to hit a hosel rocket straight into the water hazard to the left of the green.
With this wonderful shot, the golfers who waved us through might have been thinking one of two things.
Number One: “Wow, what a terrible shot. Why did we let these knuckleheads through?”
Number Two: “These guys are just like us. They just happen to be playing faster”.
How to Deal with Golfers Pushing from Behind
If you sense that the golfers behind you are pushing you to play faster and there are no golfers in sight ahead of you, you should step aside and let them play through on the following hole.
Signal and wave to the faster golfers behind you and invite them to advance to the hole that you are on. When they arrive at your tee blocks, say hello, and chat it up a bit. Exchanging some pleasantries might make them feel more comfortable while teeing off with your group watching on.
If the golfers behind you are pressing you to play faster but you can’t because you are always having to wait for the group in front of you, the golfers behind are in the wrong and should stop pushing you.
If they start hitting their tee shots and landing their balls close to where a member of your group is standing, or if they gesture that you should be playing faster, call the golf course pro shop and ask for assistance.
Irresponsible Golfers Ahead of You
We have all come across casual golfers who spray their tee shots all over the place and then hit a provisional ball or take a mulligan whenever they want. They probably thought they had the whole course to themselves, until your group showed up.
Once these guys discover that you are behind them, they should increase their pace of play immediately.
Many casual golfers play from tee blocks that are way beyond their skill level. These golfers take three to four shots to get to a green and then study every putt from different angles before proceeding to tap it half the distance to the intended target. Further study of the green, more putts, and finally in. With the four-putt and three strokes to get to within putting distance, score that a solid seven.
Don’t get me wrong. I take my share of sevens. I just do it expediently so that I don’t delay my fellow golfers in our group, or anyone else’s group for that matter.
If you are a casual golfer and faster golfers show up behind you, do yourself and your fellow golfers a favour and let the faster golfers play through.
The last thing you want is to have their beady eyes staring at you for the rest of your round.
Happy Golfing Everyone
Stay Safe, Stay Well, and Have Fun
Today’s Tip: Once you get to eight strokes on a hole, pick your ball up. You have had enough exercise for one hole. Take a break. The next hole will be better.
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