Post by Ian Carr on Mar 3, 2020 22:34:54 GMT
Ready Golf
When surveyed and asked which initiatives could be helpful for the game, 72% of golfers declared that Ready Golf was at least moderately welcome, with the majority of those believing it to be Very or Extremely beneficial.
Simply put, Ready Golf means that golfers should play their shot whenever ready to do so, rather than adhering to the standard principle of the player farthest away going first.
Many clubs have promoted this within the UK, not to mention the reported 94% of venues in Australia having done so, illustrating just how common this school of thinking has become. At the time of writing, the Latin America Amateur Championship - in which the winner receives an invitation to The Masters and Open Championship - the competitors have been encouraged to play Ready Golf.
But what are the specifics related to Ready Golf, which is applicable to stroke play. Here are the R&A's Guidelines.
Hitting a shot when safe to do so if a player farther away faces a challenging shot and is taking time to assess their options.
Shorter hitters playing first from the tee or fairway if longer hitters have to wait.
Hitting a tee shot if the person with the honour is delayed in being ready to play.
Hitting a shot before helping someone to look for a lost ball.
Putting out even if it means standing close to someone else’s line.
Hitting a shot if a person who has just played from a greenside bunker is still farthest from the hole but is delayed due to raking the bunker.
When a player’s ball has gone over the back of a green, any player closer to the hole but chipping from the front of the green should play while the other player is having to walk to their ball and assess their shot.
Marking scores upon immediate arrival at the next tee, except that the first player to tee off marks their card immediately after teeing off.
It's a philosophy that many have embraced and that golfers clearly believe in. Should everyone playing on a busy day adopt these ideals, it's fair to conclude that all groups will keep moving, reducing round times, and easing the frustrations of a large segment of club members.
Ultimately, as long as you're not infringing on the enjoyment of others, then the length of time it takes you to play is a personal thing, but enough people still believe it's a major issue, so initiatives like Ready Golf, and the shift in regulations on tour should help to change perception.
So, the next time you play, if you don't already do so, why not suggest Ready Golf to your partners and see how that experience compares to average play.
Who knows, perhaps the 2020s will be the decade when slow play becomes a minor problem for the game. It's taken us long enough to get this far.
When surveyed and asked which initiatives could be helpful for the game, 72% of golfers declared that Ready Golf was at least moderately welcome, with the majority of those believing it to be Very or Extremely beneficial.
Simply put, Ready Golf means that golfers should play their shot whenever ready to do so, rather than adhering to the standard principle of the player farthest away going first.
Many clubs have promoted this within the UK, not to mention the reported 94% of venues in Australia having done so, illustrating just how common this school of thinking has become. At the time of writing, the Latin America Amateur Championship - in which the winner receives an invitation to The Masters and Open Championship - the competitors have been encouraged to play Ready Golf.
But what are the specifics related to Ready Golf, which is applicable to stroke play. Here are the R&A's Guidelines.
Hitting a shot when safe to do so if a player farther away faces a challenging shot and is taking time to assess their options.
Shorter hitters playing first from the tee or fairway if longer hitters have to wait.
Hitting a tee shot if the person with the honour is delayed in being ready to play.
Hitting a shot before helping someone to look for a lost ball.
Putting out even if it means standing close to someone else’s line.
Hitting a shot if a person who has just played from a greenside bunker is still farthest from the hole but is delayed due to raking the bunker.
When a player’s ball has gone over the back of a green, any player closer to the hole but chipping from the front of the green should play while the other player is having to walk to their ball and assess their shot.
Marking scores upon immediate arrival at the next tee, except that the first player to tee off marks their card immediately after teeing off.
It's a philosophy that many have embraced and that golfers clearly believe in. Should everyone playing on a busy day adopt these ideals, it's fair to conclude that all groups will keep moving, reducing round times, and easing the frustrations of a large segment of club members.
Ultimately, as long as you're not infringing on the enjoyment of others, then the length of time it takes you to play is a personal thing, but enough people still believe it's a major issue, so initiatives like Ready Golf, and the shift in regulations on tour should help to change perception.
So, the next time you play, if you don't already do so, why not suggest Ready Golf to your partners and see how that experience compares to average play.
Who knows, perhaps the 2020s will be the decade when slow play becomes a minor problem for the game. It's taken us long enough to get this far.
