August 15, 2013 – The growing concern over ‘slow play’ in golf, which puts amateurs off playing, has lead the United States Golf Association (USGA) to take action concerning the matter.

It recently published a report which showed that golfers are not the only ones to blame for this situation, and that there are also other factors involved, such as the design and setup of the course, and the club’s management of players’ pace.

Whatever the case, as golfers it is up to us to be more aware of this situation, which leads to so much frustration for most amateurs, and do everything we can so that we all keep on enjoying the game.

In its campaign to eradicate long waits and avoid slow play, the USGA suggests to American players what can we do to improve our pace of play and make golf more fun and enjoyable for everyone. I think this can also be applied to players around the world:

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO IMPROVE YOUR PACE OF PLAY!

• As one who loves golf, understand your critical role in improving pace of play.
• Examine your own habits on the golf course to identify ways that you can pick up the pace.
• Tee It Forward and play from the set of tees best suited to your driving distance, in an effort to speed up play and have more fun.
• Practice “ready golf” during stroke play; hit when you are ready to play, but only when it is safe to do so.
• Serve as an example for those around you and strive to inspire and guide your fellow golfers to improve their pace of play.
• Understand that golf course design and setup can affect pace of play, and promise to support those who manage the facilities where you play to find solutions for optimizing pace of play.
• Seek out a golf professional to help you improve your game and your pace of play.
• Embrace opportunities to play nine holes when your schedule doesn’t allow for an 18-hole round.
• Encourage others to take this commitment of pace of play, for the good of the game.
• Play more quickly, play better and have more fun!

 

Por REDACCIÓN