Pace of Play

Golfers are asked that they play without delay. Our Rangers are on the Courses to offer assistance to golfers and to ensure the speed of play is maintained. 

For Competition and Casual Golf some pointers to remember…   

Encourage ‘Ready, Steady, Golf’– play when safe and ready to do so; not necessarily in order of furthest ball from hole 

Play a ‘provisional’ ball if you think there is danger that your first ball maybe lost or not easily found. It’s a lot quicker to play a second ball from the tee than walk all the way back 

Remember to always announce the brand name and number of your provisional ball to the others in your group, as if you don’t then it automatically becomes the ball in play (see rule 10-3 and rule 27). 

Look for your own ball before heading over to help others (where practicable). 

Keep an eye on the time when you start your search – remember you have a maximum of 5 minutes to search for it. After that the ball is officially lost, so you should play your provisional ball. 

Leave your bag or trolley near the exit to the green 

Mark your scorecard on the next tee, or if you’re first to tee off, then play your tee shot then mark the card. 

There’s no shame in calling players through and it benefits everyone. The group behind will certainly appreciate it! FACT: we all lose balls from time to time even good players(!), and in some cases maybe 2 or 3 players lose balls on the same hole, so unavoidable delays do occur! 

First player to hole out gets the flag. 

In Casual Golf, groups that are holding up others will be asked to invite the group behind through or be asked to walk on a hole to catch up 

If you keep up with the group in front. You cannot be accused of slow play. 

Finally, we play golf for fun, not our livelihood, even when we are playing in a competition. However, playing golf is not the same as strolling along a prom; nor is the golf course a place for chatter with players in other groups. 

Keep up a good pace when walking between shots and encourage others to do likewise.