Here's some real tips to speed up PoP

"Pace of play". Often a curse word on Saturday afternoon when you're 14 holes into a 5 and 1/2 hour round. I don't think the average tips would even make a dent into improving pace of play.

Here's some real tips to speed up pace of play. And I'm looking forward to your comments!

1) Get to the ball.
Often times, you see the pros almost runniing to their ball after their tee shot. They want as much time as possible over the ball to determine their shot and don't want to get put on the clock. I agree. If I want 12 practice swings because of a tough lie, I can still do it without slowing play as long as I get to my ball quickly. Somehow, everyone has decided that golf is a sedentary sport, when a very brisk walk (think doubletime march) to your ball is just what we need to improve our health and speed up the game.

2) Pick it up
If you're at your ESC score, or without hope of beating it, pick it up. For me, I'm done at a double. If I've blown up a hole, I'm playing caddy. For me, I've already lost my focus knowing that I'm posting a double, so there's no point in continuing.

3) Nevermind the "etiquette".
Who ever said you couldn't start your walk (safely) to the ball you've blown into the trees prior to your playing partners teeing off? Why can't you proceed to your ball (safely and not in the line of sight of your playing partner) instead of waiting behind them Why can't we decipher our putts when the next up is looking over their putt? Or, even head to the next tee after you've finished the hole. The perceived rules of "etiquette" have slowed the game down to a crawl.

4) Don't play "TV" golf.
Looking over the putt from 15 different angles is great when you're playing for a career. For the rest of us, just focus on hitting a solid putt. And the same goes for planning full shot.

In summary, I want as much time as I need over a shot. I can do that when I get to the ball quickly and don't conform to perceived rules of etiquette.

Just as an FYI here are the semi-worthless typical tips (from a search on "speeding up golf")
- Think about joining a golf club that rarely gets crowded

- Don't play at a golf course where they let groups larger than 4 play

- If you're schedule is flexible you may want to consider playing on a weekday

- Find out what the earliest possible tee off time is, even it's the crack of dawn, be the first group there

- Check out some golf tips for beginners to improve your confidence in your game. Confidence always speeds things up a little

- If your ball goes missing in the rough, don't spend any longer than 3 minutes looking for it

- Take 2 practice swing minimum when teeing off

- Don't analyze your putts too much, a few moments to look at the slope of the green and to line up is all you need

Have fun,
JonnyGolf

I like how you mentioned being the first group off. That's by far the best way. I often go with my grandpa who is a early bird and we always get off first and it's worth getting up early.

I like early morning golf, except that at my little semi-lousy municipal course that means you get to battle the at-best semi-professional groundskeepers who are driving all around in their little carts and dew-scrapers.

The last time I played, when I got to the 9th (last hole on the course), a groundskeeper was standing by the green hosing it down. I stood around a few minutes while he finished, then took my pitch up the hill to the green only to find myself beside a 10-foot by 10-foot 3-inch deep puddle. I was lucky not to be behind it, but still got left with a putt through the mucky but not quite casual water green.

Thanks dude, I guess it was too much to ask for him to wait 5 minutes for me to finish the hole. There was no one for almost half an hour behind me.......

"Go off first" isn't my tip, it's just a tip I found in a search and doesn't really impact pace of play for anyone except yourself.

One thing I do, since I like to look at a putt from a few angles, is to park past the green and walk back in. It's longer at first but on balance saves time.