Tips on playing efficiently

[dak4n6]

There's been a lot of talk lately about slow play. I contend that most of it is not from deliberate slacking off or undue plumb-bobbing, but mainly from

1) a lot of bad golfers losing a lot of balls

2) a lot of casual/beginning golfers not knowing how to play efficiently.

To cure #1, read Tips and Instruction here on TST, and take lessons.

To cure #2, I have started this thread on giving tips to others on how to play as efficiently as possible regardless of skill level. I think that as this progresses we will find that playing efficiently is not as simple and obvious as it sounds (and there might be some disagreements on how to do it), and that is does actually take a certain skill set to perform well.

OK, I'll start - If you walk, there will always be a moment around the green when you can take your bag over to where you will exit for the next hole. It drives me nuts when a group finishes a hole, and I see someone walking all the way back across the green, or worse, back to the fairway where they left their bag after chipping up, and then back across again to exit.

So, lets hear all the other tips on playing quickly and efficiently...

[reedf]

Pay attention to yardage markers/sprinkler heads as you're walking towards your ball instead of finding your ball, parking your cart and then searching for a yardage. A sky caddie or golf app on your phone is so easy! Know you club yardages so once you know what is left to the pin or layup area, club selection is thoughtless.

[divot dave]

after holing out, (if you're near the green), don't sit there trying to figure out your score as it prevents the group behind from attempting their approach. move on to the next tee box immediately (read: get out of the way), then figure out your score and write it down. Better yet, keep track of your score as  you go along so all you have to do is jot it down at the next tee box.

[mdl]

I'm an advocate of playing ready golf to a point that some people here would think unacceptable.  I always walk and am a long hitter, so I'm almost always last to hit my 2nd shot.  If I've missed the fairway or am on the opposite side of the fairway of the player who will hit before me, I don't wait on line while that player hits.  I walk quickly up my edge of the fairway even with my ball, but standing off the side of the fairway, get my bag down, and the club I'm going to hit out before the other player has stepped up to his ball.  Then as soon as he hits I'm ready to walk behind my ball and start my routine.

If someone's incredibly slow or hit their tee shot WAY behind me and then f-ed up their 2nd shot and are still behind me but will take a while to walk up to hit the next shot, I'll go ahead and hit my ball before they get to theirs, even if it's a bit behind mine still.  Similar around the green.  If my lie's a bit closer than someone else in my group, but they're far away and I can easily line up and take my shot before they even get to their ball, I'll do it.

Also, on the greens, if I'm in first and the following tee box is open and the group in front left long enough ago that the fairway (or green) is probably open (or if I can see that it's open), I won't wait for others to finish but will go ahead to the next tee box and get ready to hit my tee shot while the last guy or two in my group finishes putting.  If the next fairway or green isn't open, I'll make sure my bag's on the side of the green closest to the next tee box and grab the flag.

Also, if you haven't hit a single drive past 220 today and you're sitting at 220 with a 3W in hand, everyone knows there's a 0% chance you come anywhere near the green.  Stop kidding yourself and wasting all of our time waiting for the green to clear and hit your f***ing shot.

[adam e]

One of the big reasons that there is slow play, at least the group I used to play with, is the copious amounts of advice on many shots.  And treating each green like it was the US Open, and you need several different opinions.

Many shots would be a discussion between two people on which club to hit, the right way to play the hole...etc....   no one would be going to their balls.   Then on the green, it had to be multiple opinions on how to putt the ball.   It adds so much time.

I used to play with these guys, and frequently I had my iPhone out and walking ahead doing other things while they farted around trying to figure out things that they should know themselves as golfers.   Is a little bit of discussion ok, when you are playing a $5 match?  Sure.   Is debating it to the point where the commentary is taking longer than making shots ok?  Nope.

Whoever used to be my partner always heard me say "What are you most comfortable hitting?  Do that".   Ugh.

So the lesson is.  Feel free to discuss things, but don't agonize, over-analyze and slow down play because your $5 nassau is not all that important.  Just hit your shots and have fun.

[rustyredcab]

1. Be ready when it is your turn. Unless you are first to putt, you should have already looked at your putt while others are getting ready. I use a line on my ball and will line up my putt before it is my turn (when I'm not in the eyeliner of the player who's turn it is). If my ball is not at all visible, I will leave it on the green. If it might disturb the other players, I orient my mark with the line and pick the ball up. Then when it is my turn, I simply place the ball on the same line as the mark.

2. Get information and make decisions based on your ability. If you can not hit a perfectly straight 30 foot putt, then laboring over if a 30 foot putt breaks six inches or eight inches is a waste of time. Same with irons. If you are somewhat inconsistent with yardages, pick a club and trust it it. Debating between a 6-iron and a 5-iron is not helpful when you are not sure how far you are going to hit it anyway. Factor in wind and hills and your are better off trusting your first instinct and going with it.

3. If you lose a ball into an hazard where the ball will not be playable even if you find it, don't waste time looking. Play with balls you can afford to lose. If you want to try and recover your ball while someone else is playing, have at it. Don't make me wait five minutes because you want to find your $3 ball. When my buddy says, "It's not in any of the good areas." it is time to drop. I used to play a very tight course with water and OB on 15 holes. The good news was that your ball was either in play, or in the water. No looking. It was either OB in someone's yard, or in play. Even if you lost a ball on every hole, play was not slower as a result.

4. Park your cart in the correct place around the green. Many clubs have markings on the path for best places. If not, figure out where you will be going next and park on that line.

5. If you ride, do your post-green messing around behind the cart when you get to the next tee. This may or may not save much time but is a polite gesture for those behind you. In the same way, replace your head cover after your drive when you reach the balls for your second shots. Walk off the tee box and get in the cart and drive.

6. Hit provisionals when allowed and appropriate. Nothing worse that the debate over "do I really need to got back and slow everyone up" and then needing to go back after the discussion. Yes. You will need to drive back so, hit a provisional.

[sean_miller]

  mdl said:

Originally Posted by mdl

Also, on the greens, if I'm in first and the following tee box is open and the group in front left long enough ago that the fairway (or green) is probably open (or if I can see that it's open), I won't wait for others to finish but will go ahead to the next tee box and get ready to hit my tee shot while the last guy or two in my group finishes putting.  If the next fairway or green isn't open, I'll make sure my bag's on the side of the green closest to the next tee box and grab the flag.

Also, if you haven't hit a single drive past 220 today and you're sitting at 220 with a 3W in hand, everyone knows there's a 0% chance you come anywhere near the green.  Stop kidding yourself and wasting all of our time waiting for the green to clear and hit your f***ing shot.

If I ever need so much time to get ready to hit a tee shot that I can't wait in the general area for the rest of the group, then I need to rethink my preshot routine? Or maybe I don't enjoy playing with the guys I'm paired with and secretly wish I could just tee off and go on ahead.

  rustyredcab said:

Originally Posted by rustyredcab

6. Hit provisionals when allowed and appropriate. Nothing worse that the debate over "do I really need to got back and slow everyone up" and then needing to go back after the discussion. Yes. You will need to drive back so, hit a provisional.

No, a person playing a casual round who is likely ignoring all sorts of rules does not need to drive back to the teebox. They need to have either hit that provisional or just drop and go - quickly - then burn their scorecard.

[Dave2512]

The biggest factors I see is lost balls and horrid play around the greens. I realize it's polite to help someone in your group look for a ball. But if your shot landed 75y behind the point where theirs went OB or landed in the ugly stuff hit and then look on the way to your next shot. I see far too many people looking for lost balls and walking backwards to hit their own ball. Taking less club to prevent errant shots would be helpful. Far too many noobs out there that should leave the driver at home. I realize it's part of the fun factor but they would score better if they hit 3 clubs they can control to the green instead of blasting it all over the place and still getting there in 3, if they're lucky.

The short game trouble I see is very common. Beginner hits shot into sand. Beginner blades it out of the trap and 15y over the green. Subsequent chip is equally ugly and they still aren't putting. They get it on the green and spend a lot of time getting it down in 3 more strokes. Pick it up and move on. Whether it's an 8-9 or 10 it's ugly and there no reason to humilate yourself, a couple of holes like that and your score is toast anyway.

[Volchok]

  mdl said:

Originally Posted by mdl

Also, if you haven't hit a single drive past 220 today and you're sitting at 220 with a 3W in hand, everyone knows there's a 0% chance you come anywhere near the green.  Stop kidding yourself and wasting all of our time waiting for the green to clear and hit your f***ing shot.

This actually happend to my friend last year. He had about 240 yards from the rough (pretty awful lie) and he was waiting for the green to clear. I told him to take the shot, as he had zero chance to reach the green from there, or so  would I think. Sure enough he swung that Hybrid dead straight and just on the green. The group infront of us had been slow all round, but we still had some explaining to do

edit. I still agree with you. I consider my friend to be a long hitter, but 240 yards from the rough is just crazy.

[Elvisliveson]

  Volchok said:

Originally Posted by Volchok

This actually happend to my friend last year. He had about 240 yards from the rough (pretty awful lie) and he was waiting for the green to clear. I told him to take the shot, as he had zero chance to reach the green from there, or so  would I think. Sure enough he swung that Hybrid dead straight and just on the green. The group infront of us had been slow all round, but we still had some explaining to do

edit. I still agree with you. I consider my friend to be a long hitter, but 240 yards from the rough is just crazy.

But that's another thing that could be done to speed play up. Why take at your max club from a "pretty awful lie" 240 yards out? He should just take a club that is within his normal capabilities for that situation and will allow him to get back in the fairway 100 or so yards from the green.

[Golfingdad]

  rustyredcab said:

Originally Posted by rustyredcab

3. If you lose a ball into an hazard where the ball will not be playable even if you find it, don't waste time looking.

Yes!  This bothers me as well.  On Saturday I played with my dad and father-in-law, and twice I hit balls that were probably out of bounds but we didn't know for sure.  I hit provisionals, and of course they both ended in the middle of the fairway.  Ugh.  I then walked along the edge where my ball might have been, but was only really concerned with finding it in the grass where I could play it, not in the bushes beyond the stakes.  Both times after searching for basically 30 seconds (the amount of time it takes to snaked-ly walk through the landing area) I walked over to my other ball and got ready to hit.

And, both times, I look back over there and both dads are wandering around looking for my ball IN THE BUSHES instead of getting ready to hit theirs.  Who gives a rip?  I can't hit from there anyway!

[Golfingdad]

  dak4n6 said:

Originally Posted by dak4n6

OK, I'll start - If you walk, there will always be a moment around the green when you can take your bag over to where you will exit for the next hole. It drives me nuts when a group finishes a hole, and I see someone walking all the way back across the green, or worse, back to the fairway where they left their bag after chipping up, and then back across again to exit.

Yes, totally agree.  I actually find that spot as I'm walking up to the green originally.  The same is true (to a lesser extent) with carts.  If the next hole is parallel, drive the cart all the way around to that side of the green.  Then once you get to your cart, the group behind you can start hitting, whereas otherwise they have to wait for you to drive around the back of the hole.  And, (depending on the type of course) you are possibly already at the next tee and you can walk up and hit too.  Those little 30-45 second time savers can add up quickly.

[mellison24]

  Golfingdad said:

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Yes!  This bothers me as well.  On Saturday I played with my dad and father-in-law, and twice I hit balls that were probably out of bounds but we didn't know for sure.  I hit provisionals, and of course they both ended in the middle of the fairway.  Ugh.  I then walked along the edge where my ball might have been, but was only really concerned with finding it in the grass where I could play it, not in the bushes beyond the stakes.  Both times after searching for basically 30 seconds (the amount of time it takes to snaked-ly walk through the landing area) I walked over to my other ball and got ready to hit.

And, both times, I look back over there and both dads are wandering around looking for my ball IN THE BUSHES instead of getting ready to hit theirs.  Who gives a rip?  I can't hit from there anyway!

Can I play rounds with people like you instead of the numb-nuts I put up with?

[showtime583]

The largest contributor to slow play that I've seen is when there is a foursome of newbies riding in 2 carts. I can't tell you how many times I've seen both carts go to a ball and watch the first player hit. Then both carts go to the next ball and then watch that player hit....etc. etc.

Tip - All four players should be reasonably close to their ball with club in hand waiting to hit.

[Volchok]

  Elvisliveson said:

Originally Posted by Elvisliveson

But that's another thing that could be done to speed play up. Why take at your max club from a "pretty awful lie" 240 yards out? He should just take a club that is within his normal capabilities for that situation and will allow him to get back in the fairway 100 or so yards from the green.

It was a par 5, and reached the green with 2, and scored a birdie.  Golf isn't meant to play for others than yourself. It still comes down to shooting those "special" shots that are over your capabilities. We usually play in about 3-3,5 hours if no one is infront of us. If a group is playing in under 4 hours for 18 holes, I really don't care what they're doing infront of me.

The most stupid thing in golf is to sit 200 yards from the green after your tee shot, and lay up just because the group behind you "might get upset". I've worked as a greenskeeper for 3 years, and I know how idiotic most golfers are. They're in such a rush, that they tee off with a risk of casualities, rather than waiting for a couple of minutes. My favourite is still the "throw the ball in the nearest water hazard" trick. I'm all for fast golf, but seriously, what's the rush?

[Elvisliveson]

  Volchok said:

Originally Posted by Volchok

It was a par 5, and reached the green with 2, and scored a birdie.  Golf isn't meant to play for others than yourself. It still comes down to shooting those "special" shots that are over your capabilities. We usually play in about 3-3,5 hours if no one is infront of us. If a group is playing in under 4 hours for 18 holes, I really don't care what they're doing infront of me.

The most stupid thing in golf is to sit 200 yards from the green after your tee shot, and lay up just because the group behind you "might get upset". I've worked as a greenskeeper for 3 years, and I know how idiotic most golfers are. They're in such a rush, that they tee off with a risk of casualities, rather than waiting for a couple of minutes. My favourite is still the "throw the ball in the nearest water hazard" trick. I'm all for fast golf, but seriously, what's the rush?

The post you were originally responding to was talking about guys who can't drive the ball 220 yards, yet wait to hit their 2nd shot from more than that until the group clears the green. That is stupid and inconsiderate. And that is from the fairway, much less a "pretty awful lie" from the rough as you explained.  Your "golf isn't meant to play for others than yourself" attitude is case in point for why there is slow play. Other groups on a busy course shouldn't have to wait while you try to pull off career shot; that's not your right.

[onesome]

Always let the driver of the cart hit first, that way when the passenger gets done he can just get in with club in hand and off you go. Always park equal distance between driver and passenger approach shots when possible, driver hits first again passenger brings clubs with him and walks it in to green, my course only allows carts within a 100 yards of the greens on most holes and it's always quicker to let the passenger walk it in for those hundred yards, me and my buddy switch after 9 who drives and walks. I prefer walking down my approaches and so does he so we sometimes argue over who has to drive.

[jetsknicks1]

  mdl said:

Originally Posted by mdl

I'm an advocate of playing ready golf to a point that some people here would think unacceptable.  I always walk and am a long hitter, so I'm almost always last to hit my 2nd shot.  If I've missed the fairway or am on the opposite side of the fairway of the player who will hit before me, I don't wait on line while that player hits.  I walk quickly up my edge of the fairway even with my ball, but standing off the side of the fairway, get my bag down, and the club I'm going to hit out before the other player has stepped up to his ball.  Then as soon as he hits I'm ready to walk behind my ball and start my routine.

If someone's incredibly slow or hit their tee shot WAY behind me and then f-ed up their 2nd shot and are still behind me but will take a while to walk up to hit the next shot, I'll go ahead and hit my ball before they get to theirs, even if it's a bit behind mine still.  Similar around the green.  If my lie's a bit closer than someone else in my group, but they're far away and I can easily line up and take my shot before they even get to their ball, I'll do it.

Also, on the greens, if I'm in first and the following tee box is open and the group in front left long enough ago that the fairway (or green) is probably open (or if I can see that it's open), I won't wait for others to finish but will go ahead to the next tee box and get ready to hit my tee shot while the last guy or two in my group finishes putting.  If the next fairway or green isn't open, I'll make sure my bag's on the side of the green closest to the next tee box and grab the flag.

Also, if you haven't hit a single drive past 220 today and you're sitting at 220 with a 3W in hand, everyone knows there's a 0% chance you come anywhere near the green.  Stop kidding yourself and wasting all of our time waiting for the green to clear and hit your f***ing shot.

That seems pretty rude. I thought it was ettiquite to not leave the green until everybody has putted out. Just walking off the green while your partners are still playing out the hole seems disrespectful to me.