'Keep up with the group in front not in front of the group behind'

1)   If you have a pre shot routine longer than 15 seconds you should review it – it will probably benefit your game as well.

2)   Always leave loose clubs, towels…etc. on the exit route (from green) to the cart.

3)   If your ball is nearest to the hole and someone has just played out of a bunker – offer to rake it for them so they can take their shot - think “team” not individual.

4)   If you’re first to hole out then pick up the flagstick and be ready to replace it when last putt is made.

5)   If possible watch each player’s ball and try and get a marker on where it landed.

6)   Start to read you putt when you’re approaching the green or when other people are putting, not when it’s your turn to play.

7)   In the Fairway, each member of a group should proceed directly to his or her ball where there is room to do so. The group should not travel as a pack, going first to one ball, then the next, and so on.  Don't drive to the first ball, wait for the first player to hit, then head to the second ball. The second player should walk over to his ball and assess the shot (as long as not in the way of others) as the first player is playing his shot, so the second player can be ready when it is his turn.

8)   While riding to your ball, use the travel time to begin thinking over your next shot - the yardage, which club you'll use, layup, go for it and so on. Begin preparing before you get to your ball.  Plan your strategy while others are hitting so you can hit as soon as ready and it’s clear.  This is particularly important on the putting green as well.

9)   On the green, begin lining up your putt and reading the break as soon as you reach the green, not when you reach your ball.  Visualize your shot while others are putting. When it's your turn to putt, be prepared to step right up and take the stroke.  If you have missed your putt and remain only a few feet away from the hole, do not mark your ball, finish out as long as it doesn’t interfere with someone’s line.

10)   If on cart-path-only, be sure to take a couple of clubs with you when you walk from the cart to the ball. This way, you won't have to return to the cart if you discover you didn't bring the appropriate club.

11)   Carry a few extra tees, ball markers and a spare ball in your pockets so you don't have to return to your golf bag to retrieve them, should you find yourself in need of one.

12)   When you think your shot might have landed out of bounds or be lost, immediately hit a provisional ball. Don't walk ahead to search, only to have to return to the original spot to replay a shot or have to triple out the hole.  Watch others shots to help the player know roughly where to start looking, or if it went Out of Bounds, etc….  Some can’t see as well as others.

13)   Limit your search for lost balls. Don’t spend more than the allotted time searching - or just immediately play your provisional.   If it takes more than the allotted time to find your ball, odds are you wouldn’t want to find it anyway as you would have to play from an unpleasant lie.  If it is obviously lost deep, etc…just move on and play the second ball.

14)   Never stay at the hole in order to write down your score. Write it down when you reach the next tee to allow players behind to proceed with the hole (especially move away from the last hole to add up the scorecard!)

15)   Yardage is course information and not advice.  If your group is playing the same tee, on say a par 3, please share the yardage information rather than each player using time to get their own readings.

16)   "ready golf," simply means that order of play is based on who's ready, not who's away.  Honors in a privilege, not a must.  Ready golf takes precedence.  If the honors player is ready, then fine proceed, otherwise whoever is ready.

17)   Most experts say that a good pace of play not only increases enjoyment of the game, it can actually improve one's game. Standing around on every shot allows the muscles to cool down or limbs to stiffen up. A brisk pace can help keep a golfer loose and ready to play.

18)   Pace of play can be boiled down to two simple phrases: be prepared and be ready to play.

19)   Odds are, if you can’t pick out the slow person in your group, it’s probably you!

20)   Use the groups ahead of you and behind you to gauge your pace. If the group that teed off directly in front of you is pulling away - putting a full hole's distance between them and your group - you need to speed up. If there's no one in front of you holding you up, you are behind.   A good rule of thumb…If you can’t see the group in front of you, you are behind!

Remember, if you’re not doing the above things then you’re making for a long day and possible penalty strokes for all players in the group.  We don’t want to penalize anyone, so everyone try to help out.

Golf is supposed to be fun and enjoyable and not spent moaning about length of time to play or being held up every hole.

So hit’em good, and lets have some friendly, enjoyable competition!