Slow play was a big reason that Tim Scott started playing speed golf, in which runners play golf with minimal equipment and are scored on number of strokes and elapsed time. A golf professional who lives in northern California, Scott became executive director of Speedgolf International last year. He offers some ways that traditional golfers can pick up the pace.
Golfers should be able to walk or ride in four hours or less, not by rushing, but by not wasting time. Practice swings, comparing yardage and over-reading putts are big time-wasters.
Amateurs don’t need to copy the pros on TV. How many of us can hit a ball 163 yards? If it’s about 160 yards, I’m hitting my 7-iron. I wish we could go back to relying on 150-yard bushes instead of GPS in carts.
A putt from 20 feet is one the pros only make 9 percent of the time. Is there any reason that a 20-handicap golfer should take more than five seconds to look it over? It’s insane to take a full minute to read a putt when the chance of hitting it solid on the right line with the right speed is so slim.
Speed golfers will run at a comfortable pace, looking for sprinkler heads and other yardage markers to get an estimate of how far they are from the hole. Their clubs probably won’t be exactly right for their yardage, so they have to make up their shots. They look at the green as they run up to it and lag their putts down to the hole.
By carrying only six clubs or so, they have less choice, which means faster play. It’s a great way to learn to play golf, because you have to learn to make up shots as you go along. Fewer clubs means more imagination and creativity.
“Ready golf” needs to be taught to players who are learning the game. It’s not disrespectful to go ahead and hit if the lowest scorer is not ready to hit. Checkpoints and marshals should ensure that pace is kept up, so one group doesn’t make the entire day of golf slow for everyone on the course. Incentives for faster play could be a solution as well.
We all can get too analytical, but if we play more quickly, golf can be more about reacting to the target. Brandt Snedeker is one PGA Tour player who is a great example. He decides quickly then hits. He’s one of the fastest putters and one of the best. By going with his gut, Snedeker is a good example of how playing faster helps a golfer recover the creativity and rhythm that the sport has lost from over-analyzing.
About the Author
