There is so much talk about golfers speeding up play. I disagree with this to an extent. Golf is meant to be enjoyed, be outside in nature, and is considered a leisure sport. I really do not understand everyone's rush to get off a golf course. For a sport that so many people enjoy they are in such a big hurry to finish playing it.
I have seen many golfers in such a hurry they will hit out of turn and even hit into a green before the group ahead has gotten into their golf cart and cleared the area. Others will be in such a hurry they will putt out and finish the hole before others have even reached the green. The strangest part about this is they are really in such a hurry to finish a hole just to wait on the next tee. These are also the golfers that want to skip holes or quit with a few holes left to play.
The golf industry as a whole is to blame for this. Instead of telling people to take their time and enjoy the game, they are basically saying they just want you off their property as quickly as possible so they can get more paying golfers on the golf course. This has caused a miss conception of how long it should take to complete a round of golf. That misconception also varies from golfer to golfer. I have seen a group finish in 4 hours and when they were done I asked each golfer how long they were out there, with all four saying different times from 3 1/2 hours to 4 1/2 hours.
If golfers want to improve they need to slow down and enjoy the sport. This does not mean you will be out there for 5 hours. This does not mean wasting time either. You can still slow down and be ready to play at the same time. Slowing down is about enjoying the process of hitting a golf shot. Once it is your turn to play be ready but do not rush the shot. Also do not hold on to your club until you are about to hit. Holding on to the club too long while you wait for your turn can tense you up and can lead to a lesser-quality shot. This is whether on the tee box or the fairway. However, when it is your turn, do not just go ahead and hit. Go through a pre-shot routine, focus on the shot you want to hit, focus on your aim point, and again enjoy the process of hitting the golf ball. The more you enjoy the process and can hit more quality shots will not only lead to lowers scores but also a good pace of play.
You never see a professional hit the golf ball until they are ready. It would help if you did the same. There are ways to speed things up between shots. If you are second to hit from the fairway you can walk to your ball and get your yardage calculations and other preparations needed for club selection. Once you have that information do not just get over the ball and hit. Focus on the shot and execute it when you are ready. The same thing on the putting green. Read the putt from all angels while others are doing the same. Don't wait for your turn then just go hit the putt without reading the green properly. If you like to read a green from all angles you can do that while others are putting and not delay play. Once it is your turn to putt take your time to line up where you want to hit the putt, focus on controlling the speed and make your best stroke.
The problem is that the more your rush things so that you can finish faster the faster that score adds up to more strokes. Enjoy the day. Make sure you give yourself enough time out of your day to fully enjoy a round of golf. Enjoy the process of hitting the golf ball and take your time to focus on hitting quality golf shots.
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