Ready Golf

Want to make your time on the course more enjoyable for yourself, your playing partners and the group in back of you?

It’s as simple as practicing “Ready Golf” - But do we really know what it means to play “Ready Golf” or maintain the pace of play? If someone says you need to play faster, it does not mean you need to abbreviate or eliminate your pre shot routine; it means to better manage your time between shots.

(Assumed – walking)

Ready Golf means:

You should be able to see the group ahead of you at all times, at Deep Cliff a foursome should be able to play 9 holes in 1:45 or less, 18 holes in 3:30 or less. A longer par 72 course the standard is 4:30 to 5:00.
At your appointed tee time, everyone is present, with ball, tee and club in hand, and ready to tee off – no waiting for someone else to go first, marking balls, filling out score card, applying sunscreen, etc.
After the last person of your group has hit their drive, everyone starts walking to their respective ball, unless it puts you in harms way of any person hitting a ball that is behind yours. In that case, stop even with the first person hitting their shot, and then proceed.
As you are walking to your ball, start figuring out which club you will use and be ready to hit, as soon as it is your turn. Don’t wait until you reach your ball to start your club selection, or place your bag too close to your ball, which requires you to move it before you can hit your ball.
Maximum time to look for a lost ball is 5 minutes. The other players can be hitting their shots while you are looking for your ball.
On the green, the person closest to the pin, marks their ball, and pulls the pin and then immediately moves to be out of the line of vision of the other players.
The first person to hole their ball is responsible for replacing the pin.
As you are approaching the green, determine where the next tee box is, and then leave your clubs on that side of the green or fairway. On some holes it may be efficient to leave your bag/cart near the next tee box, and hand carry the 2 or 3 clubs you need to finish your current hole (putter, pitch, sand...).
If you are falling behind the group in front of you, you can alter your normal routine, having the first 2 players that hole their ball, proceed to the next hole and hit their drives while the other 2 players hole out.
Are other players waiting while you are doing something other than your pre-shot routine and hitting the ball? If so, save that activity for another time.

If you have any questions or comments please contact: John Montalbano, PGA Head Golf Professional Deep Cliff Golf Course.