It’s important to understand that nothing can ruin a golf experience like slow play. Nothing. Bad weather, a poorly conditioned course, a man behind the wheel of the beverage cart, lousy play, or idiot playing partners all pale in comparison. Slow play trumps all.

I’m also convinced that pace of play has nothing to do with ability, and everything to do with awareness and adaptability. Every time you take to the course, your objective should be to keep up with the group in front of you. That’s it.
When a course is busy, you’ll either have to wait for the green or the landing area to clear as you reach the tee of the next hole, or you won’t. If not, then you’re out of position. This certainly doesn’t mean to risk hitting into another group. It does mean being ready to play as soon as the group is safely out of the way.

Here are some tips to help you keep up:

• Pay attention and keep an eye on the groups around you at all times.
• Prepare for your shot and pay attention to the others in your group at the same time.
• Record your scores at the next tee.
• Help each other out by,
  • sharing information about yardages, and
  • assisting each other search for lost balls.

If this isn’t working, and you’ve fallen behind, you no longer have the privilege to play at your own pace. When you realize (or have been told by an authority) that your group is out of position, you have an immediate obligation to catch up as quickly as possible.

Here’s how to close the gap.

• Hustle.
• Play ready golf.
• Proceed to the next hole and tee off as soon as you’ve finished putting.
• Concede putts that are in the leather.

If you ever notice (or are told) that you’re more than an entire hole behind the group in front of you, it’s time to take drastic measures. At this point it’s your obligation to the rest of the players on the course to do whatever you must to maintain the proper pace for all.

Conventional instruction says to stand aside and let a group play through when you’re unable to catch up and obviously slowing down the play behind you. But this isn’t always the most appropriate course of action when a golf course is busy. Letting a group play through doesn’t solve the problem, it just creates a new one. The best thing to do is skip a hole to catch back up.