Half Moon BayGolf Club can be a very busy course, so it is important that every player does their part to ensure they keep up with the group in front, and that you don’t hold up play for all the players who follow you.
While some of the following pointers might seem trivial, it’s worth noting that a small effort from everyone can have a big impact on the pace of play for everyone on the course:
Always Keep Up With The Group In Front
The group behind you is irrelevant… and even if they have dropped off a bit, chances are they will catch up, so it’s not an excuse to slow down. Your job is to stay up with the group in front regardless of what’s going on behind you.
If In Doubt, Hit A Provisional Ball
If you have any concerns that a ball might be hard to find… ie. if your playing partners say “that should be OK…” … don’t risk it, just hit a provisional ball. This is especially important in Stroke rounds!
Don’t Wait To Call Up The Group Behind
As soon as you suspect it’s going to be hard to find your ball, call up the group behind provided it is safe to do so. If you search for it first and don’t find it, you’re just making the delay even worse.
Move Away From The Green Quickly
Leave carts and buggies on the exit side of the green, so you’re not walking back towards the group behind after you hole out. When you have holed out, move quickly away from the green and do not stop to mark your cards. You can do that at the next tee.
Someone Should Always Hit Off Immediately
If the fairway is clear, someone should hit off as soon as you arrive at the next tee. If everyone marks their cards first, you are going to waste a minute or more each hole… which can add 20 minutes to your round.
Play Ready Golf AND Be Ready To Play
This is now standard practice at most golf courses and can have a major impact on the speed of play.
Ready Golf is all about taking a shot when you can do so without impacting on your playing partners or putting anyone at risk.
Being ready to play is about being prepared to play your shot as soon as it’s your turn. While taking care not to distract other players or compromise safety, you should do the following while waiting for others to play:
… so that you are ready to take your shot as soon as it’s your turn.
The new R&A rules suggest you take no more than 40 seconds over any single shot, but if you practice Ready To Play golf, you shouldn’t need anywhere near that long.
If you have a long or elaborate pre-shot routine, it is especially important that you get to your ball and complete it quickly and efficiently to stay within that time limit.
Considerable time will be saved during the course of a round if players do these things efficiently and non-intrusively while others are playing. A lot of frustration comes when a player stands by their ball watching others in the group playing, and only when it is their turn do they begin to prepare for the shot.
This is particularly common with cart users, who’ll sit in the cart and wait for the other player, rather than walk a short distance to their own ball and start their own pre-shot routine.
Always remember…
The pace of play will be monitored and any group of players who demonstrate a tendency for slow play will receive a letter reminding them of their obligations.
If any player or group of players receives such a letter and subsequently, within a further three months continues to demonstrate a similar tendency for slow play, they will be required to appear before the Match Committee.
The Match Committee will have the authority to impose stroke penalties for further breaches as well as disqualification for continued serious breaches.
Half Moon Bay Golf Club
66 Wattle St, Yorkeys Knob Qld 4878
P: 07 4055 7933
E: golfadmin@halfmoonbaygolf.com.au
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