How To Avoid Slow Play On The Golf Course (10 Tips)

Tips to avoid slow play on the golf course:

Play ready golf
Move quickly between shots

If sharing a cart, have one person walk to their ball once you reach the fairway
Take multiple clubs with you to your shot if you are uncertain
Quickly leave the green and head to the next tee box

Let other groups play through
Use a GPS watch or rangefinder
Help others in your group find their golf ball

Know when to pick up your golf ball
Watch the time

Golf is a wonderful game, but it shouldn’t take 6 hours to play 18 holes.

Most foursomes should be able to play golf in around 4 hours.

I must admit that I play the majority of my rounds as early as possible or I wait until the evening in hopes that the course starts to clear out. I enjoy playing at a faster pace and that slow play starts to impact my golf game.

My goal today is to try to help out others play even a little bit faster and to understand some of the little things that add up over the course of 18 holes and can help everyone on the course have a better experience.

Whether you shoot in the 70s or struggle to break 100, these tips below can help us all enjoy the game even more!

How To Avoid Slow Play On The Golf Course

The biggest key is to be aware of the pace of play and what you can do as an individual and how you can be a good playing partner by helping with the tee, replacing divots or other simple acts that keeps your group moving. We all have a role and need to commit to maintaining a quality pace of play on the golf course!

One can still play quickly when walking. Using push or pull carts can save energy and tie!

Tip #1: Play Ready Golf

This simply means that whoever is ready, as long it is safe, should go ahead and hit. The example is when you arrive at a tee box. If one person is writing down the score or getting something out of their bag and takes longer to get the tee, a person with a higher score on a previous hole should still go ahead and hit.

Or when you are in the fairway and one person as 160 and the other person is 157 yards away, whoever is ready first go ahead and hit the approach shot. Being aware of the players around you and when you can hit, should reduce each hole by 1-2 minutes, which adds up over 18 holes!

Tip #2: Move quickly between shots

Golf shouldn’t feel like a sprint. When you are at your ball and it is your turn to hit, take your time and go through your process. The way to ensure you have the time to do this is to walk quickly from shot to shot or utilize a cart to speed up the round of golf.

An example is after the last person has made their putt, quickly exit the green and walk at a brisk pace. Look to help others around you with clubs that may be laying on the ground to speed up the movement to the next shot.

Tip #3: If sharing a cart, have one person walk to their ball if sharing a cart

Too many times, I see golfers sharing a cart and they will drive to one person’s ball. They both sit there and wait for the golfer to hit the ball and then both ride to the other ball, which might just be 15 yards on the other side of the fairway.

If you are playing golf with someone that hits the ball a similar distance and your golf ball is on the other side of the hole, grab several groups and head over to where your shot is. Once you partner hits, he or she can then swing by and pick you up when your shot is hit.

This saves significant time and also gets you some extra steps during your round.

Tip #4: Take multiple clubs with you to your shot if you are uncertain

Whether you are walking to your ball because your cart buddy is on the other side of the hole or you are coming up to a green, make sure you take several clubs with you as an option. This will save you time from having to head back to the cart to get the right club.

It also helps you stay in your routine and make solid course management decisions during your round.

The other situation where this is helpful is around the green. Taking your putter with you along with a club for chipping, will save you the return trip back to your bag. Being prepared and helping your playing partners out is important as well.

Tip #5: Quickly leave the green and head to the next tee box

Some golfers have the tendency to stand on the green and count every shot that they hit. As soon as the last putt is made, walk quickly to your cart or to your bag and get to the next tee.

Clubs can be cleaned and put away at the next tee box when you select your club for the tee shot. Write your score down at the next tee box and not on the green or as you first arrive to your cart, prior to pulling away.

Enjoy the social aspect of golf and let others play through when appropriate!

Tip #6: Let other groups play through

Set the ego aside and let faster groups play through. The reality is that both groups will have more fun at the course that day. Your group will feel less pressure and less rushed and the group behind you can play at their pace of play. The ideal place to do this is on a par 3 after your group has hit their tee shots, or on a par five after you hit your tee shots. Be courteous of others and don’t take it personal!

Tip #7: Use a GPS watch or rangefinder

It is helpful to play better golf if we know our distances into greens, but let’s face it, many courses are poorly marked and lack the proper guidance for golfers. This is where a Golf GPS watch or a rangefinder can not only help you play better golf by knowing your distance, but it can also speed up play as your don’t have to search for a yardage and then walk it off to measure your number of paces in front or behind the yardage marker.

These two great options are game changers and are worth checking out even if you don’t have a pace of play problem in your group!

Tip #8: Help others in your group find their golf ball

As others are hitting, make sure you are watching the final location of their ball and then help them find it if it isn’t obvious where the ball ended up. 2-3 extra sets of eyes looking for a golf ball can speed up play greatly. Nothing is more frustrating than losing a ball or having to go back to the previous location to hit your shot.

It also takes a lot of time! Be a courteous partner and help watch where the ball ends up and then help find it! Hopefully you playing partners will return the favor!

Tip #9: Know when to pick up your golf ball

If you are newer to the game or struggle to play quality golf, this is perfectly fine. We want you to have fun and part of having fun is to know when to pick up your ball and head to the next hole. The people with you and behind you will appreciate it as well.

My recommendation is when you get to double par, pick up your ball. This would be a 6 on a par 3, an 8 on a par 4 and a 10 on a par 5. You can even go lower than this, but we want you to get better as well and enjoy your experience!

Tip #10: Watch the time

Some courses will put pace of play clocks up around the course, but with cell phones and watches it is easy to know what time you teed off. A general frame of reference is that it should take between 10-15 minutes per hole for a foursome. Par 3s should be played in 10 minutes and some par 5s might take 15 minutes. However, be aware of how long it is taking your group to play the round of golf!

Next Steps!

The goal for golf is to enjoy the game and the journey that it takes us on. Be a person who is known as the “fast” golfer vs the “slow” golfer. This starts with not taking yourself too seriously, but still spending the time to get better and to hit quality shots when on the golf course.

Remember that you aren’t playing for big money like the professionals on television so if you are playing a friendly match be generous with the 2-3 footers for those in your group and have some fun!

Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better

What does this mean for you? I believe in the following recipe to get better:

1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor. Here are some options:

Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:

George Gankas

2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed. Here are some options:

Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:

3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier. Here is a series on breaking through:

We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.

How to Break 70

4 – Practice Frequently

Did you know that I build a golf simulator in my garage and have played over 500 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak system? It has been a game changer and one worth checking out. Here are some of my other posts on golf simulators frequently asked questions:

Is a Golf Simulator Worth It?