Pace Keeps Everyone On Course As More Players Take Up Sport, Manners Can Make A Difference

Golf is supposed to be leisurely, even relaxing. It’s peaceful, and you can participate without worrying about a final buzzer.

But just because there isn’t a shot clock doesn’t mean that it should take forever to play 18 holes. Why has this historically unhurried game become snail-paced?

With the growing popularity of the game in the last decade, the additional number of players means fewer people understand the rules. Some golfers take too many practice swings, write down scores while standing on the green (forcing the group behind to wait), look for lost balls beyond the five minutes allowed by rule, and do not get ready to hit their next shot in a timely manner.

Golf course officials are taking measures to assure slow golfers pick up the pace to keep the game enjoyable for all.

“There has to be a lot more maintenance of golfers now,” said Kit DeAndre, golf pro at Liberty Lake. “The best thing for us to do is monitor when a group leaves and makes the turn. We use marshals on busier days to keep everyone on track.”

DeAndre disputes the notion that novice golfers are to blame for slow play.

“That isn’t it. A person can swing 15 times a hole and keep up. Because someone hits the ball far doesn’t make him any quicker. It’s what happens between shots that takes up time.”

Between the shots. The time when golfers go through the bag for the right club and perform other rituals before hitting. The time that drives the people in the group behind the most crazy.

“You should know what you are going to hit before you address the ball and take only one practice swing,” said DeAndre. “Thirty seconds is plenty of time to hit the ball, and that is being generous.”

Gary Lindeblad, head pro of Indian Canyon, said players should have a club out and be ready to hit when it’s their turn. “Some people wait until their turn to start planning, when all of that should have been done while the other guy was hitting or while you were walking to your ball.”

Golfers can also speed play on the green, Lindeblad said, by lining up their putts while others are hitting theirs.

“Some wait until after the putt to go through their routine,” said Lindeblad. “It’s like estate planning - you don’t want to wait until the last minute.”

With the exception of looking for wayward drives and mustering enough energy to get out of a sand trap in three swings, 18 holes should not exceed four hours and 15 minutes according to DeAndre.

The kink in the hose comes from players who don’t practice good etiquette. Some people take too much time retrieving water balls, writing down scores on greens or taking an abundance of mulligans (replacements for bad shots), which are illegal anyway.

To combat slow play, the Spokane city courses (Downriver, Indian Canyon, Creek at Qualchan and Esmeralda) use marshals to patrol the grounds. But the marshals are more than hired guns giving golfers until sundown to get off the fairways. “We use marshals depending on the day,” said Downriver assistant pro Steve Conner. “They are public relations people. They make sure people are having a good time and everyone is enjoying themselves.”

But the marshals can’t always be there. So it’s up to the course personnel to fill the gaps.

Forcing a player to pick up and go to the next hole is an extreme penalty that rarely happens.

“We don’t want to rush them,” said Conner, “but when it’s your turn to hit, hit. Golf is not a picnic. You’ve got to keep the game moving in order for you and others to have fun.”

Whistle-blowers also speed play.

“We have gotten calls from golfers on their cell phones letting us know they are waiting on the seventh tee and are two groups back,” said Conner, laughing. “They want us to find out what the holdup is. So, the golfers are monitoring each as well.”

Hidden Lakes Golf Course near Sandpoint utilizes an economic strategy. “We are a resort course,” said club pro Mike Deprez. “We want to attract those who know something about the game. So by charging a little bit more, the people who come here know they are playing a pristine course and do not have to worry about slower players.”

Hidden Lakes uses starters on the first hole, a practice that is beginning to spread to other courses, including the Highlands in Post Falls and the Creek at Qualchan.

“Having a starter helps set the pace for the game,” said Deprez. “We also have a clock that they punch so they know when they started and where they should be. It’s a subtle reminder, because nobody wants verbiage.”

Signs are posted on every third hole and a chart is on the scorecard showing the allotted time to play each hole.

The Spokane Country Club is not so subtle. By keeping membership to 370 people, Tim Walker, club general manager, feels there isn’t a good enough reason for slow play, except a medical emergency.

“Our members pay a good price to play on pristine conditions and not have to worry about tee times,” said Walker. “You have to have a member sponsor you to join. Our thinking behind that is to always have friends to play with and to presumably have people who know how to play.

“But if we do get a slow group, we find them on the tee sheet and highlight them and hang it up in the clubhouse for all to see. Members don’t want to be teased by fellow members, so we don’t see it often.”

One thing on which all of the course pros agree is that beginners should know how to play the game before setting foot on the first tee.

“There is more to it than hitting a ball,” said DeAndre. “By the rules, we are not talking penalties. It’s about the courtesies. How long to look for a lost ball, where to keep score; just basic good manners.”

Several professionals said there is a rise in complaints about slow play escalating into fisticuffs.

“There have been a few incidents where a group hit on top of another,” said DeAndre. “They ignored it once. When it happened again, they gave them a look. But when the group chipped on while the other group was putting, the tempers flared. We have had the Sheriff’s Department out here. I always wondered what the officers thought when they discovered they had to take care of a couple of golfers who couldn’t behave like adults.”

Fortunately, DeAndre and others said those incidents are few and far between.

“It is a fun game and this area has some of the best courses in the nation,” said Deprez. “The rise in players attests to that. But to keep the game enjoyable for all, they have to play the same rules and be courteous to others.”

1. COURSE MANNERS Keeping pace Play ready golf. Select a club and strategy while others are hitting. On the green, line up your putt and prepare to hit while others are putting. Be ready to hit when it’s your turn. Never look for a lost ball for more than five minutes. If it is in water and it can’t be reached with a ball retriever, leave it. Mulligans are against the rules. Do not jot down scores on the green. Visit while heading to the next shot, not at it. Let the pro give the golf lesson, or save it for the driving range. If a group is playing slowly, report it to the clubhouse. Don’t try to handle it on your own. The cart is used to quicken the pace. Drive to the nearest ball. While waiting your turn, the passenger can take a club and walk to his ball. Keep the cell phone off.

2. RULES ARE RULES Yankee go home An American golfer excited about playing St. Andrews joined a foursome on the famed Scottish course, site of many a British Open. After the first three hit, the starter told the American it was his turn. He was a little nervous and hit the ball on the heel of his club. He casually pulled out a ball from his pocket and said, “Well, I guess that’s my mulligan.” The starter looked at him and said, “Sir, we don’t play mulligans here at St. Andrews.” The golfer blushed and said,“Oh, I’m sorry. I’ll play that one.” The starter shook his head. “No sir, you won’t. You will not play this course. We don’t want players here who don’t know the rules.”