What is the biggest pet peeve on the golf course? If slow play didn’t make your top peeve list, you haven’t played much golf in the last week or two.

It’s sad really… too many golfers feel it is their right to play at their pace and everyone else be damned. Slow play is a canker that annoys all golfers and is probably the biggest reason why millions leave the sport each year. We’ve all heard war stories or have experienced slow play. I’ve witnessed some junior and college tournaments where eighteen-hole rounds lasted over 6 hours… Painful only begins to describe it. As Lawrence Donegan quipped, slow play is producing “… a generation of weekend golfers who think excessive deliberation means playing like a professional golfer.” The real tragedy is it’s always the “other guy’s” fault, right?

Dare I bring up the word, Etiquette? The way I see things, most every faux pas on the course is a matter of etiquette.  Of 1,200 course superintendents 23% said declining golfer etiquette contributed to slow play.  Simple etiquette faux pas are not fixing a divot or repairing a ball mark are a couple that immediately come to mind.  Slow play is a little more complex.  There is an easy solution.  It is to understand and adhere to the rules and lessons of golfing protocol. Call it respect for the game and the people who play it. That means, if things are going to change, it’s going to have to start with you… and, me!

Golfers do not have a right to play; they play by means of privilege. Granted, players do pay for that privilege either in daily rate or club fees. But we are all obliged, by golfing traditions forged over time through trial and refinement, to uphold proper behavior on the course. Lately, however, it’s discouraging to see so many golfers that don’t seem to care.

While we are all guilty from time to time of breaches in etiquette, if a golfer hasn’t learned the basics of proper golf behavior during the first couple years of play, shame on them. In Sweden you are required to obtain a golf certificate before you are even allowed on the course – like a license to drive a car. This requires classroom and professional golf instruction. There are no excuses for not learning and understanding the basics of course courtesy, course priority, and course care. Slow play falls directly under course courtesy.  It can also be tied to course priority as slow play contributes to another malady known as playing through slow players, which is just as important a subject but needs another forum to discuss. 

You’ve often heard that, “we first make our habits and then our habits make us.” Golf habits generally mirror how we behave off the course. And, that’s the real rub! There is a discipline that everyone acquires (or doesn’t) regarding golf behavior. Over time, you can fall into bad habits on the course usually caused by laziness or carelessness.

Taking too long with pre-shot routines, talking too much or talking at inappropriate times, looking for lost balls and losing track of time, and taking too much time lining up a putt can all result in slow play. My favorite is everyone waiting to watch each member of the group hit. Reminds me of the tendency of young soccer players to buzz around the ball waiting for someone to kick it. For those watching, it’s enough to drive you crazy.

Other favorites are lingering around the green after you’ve putt out, parking golf or push carts in front of the green, and not keeping up with the pace of play.  Each infraction adds time to the clock and soon the whole course is backed up.  This excessive time can ignite tempers which sometimes erupt in behavior that is totally inappropriate especially when fueled by alcohol or other mood altering substances.  Wasn’t the main reason for playing a round golf in the first place to get away from the stress and strain of a world going crazy?

If you’re interested in learning more about tips for fighting slow play here is a great article by Brent Kelly. Remember, caring about golf etiquette can help us all enjoy better golf. Hit’m straight!

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