How to Speed Up Your Round Without Rushing
Master the art of efficient golf and enjoy faster rounds while maintaining your composure on the course
Every golfer knows the frustration of a slow round. What should be a relaxing four hours stretches into five or even six, testing your patience and affecting your game. But here’s the good news: speeding up your round doesn’t mean rushing your shots or sacrificing your pre-shot routine. It’s about smart course management, preparation, and awareness.
The average round of golf has increased by nearly 30 minutes over the past two decades, with many courses now seeing rounds exceeding five hours on busy days. This pace problem affects everyone—from the group stuck behind slow players to the course marshals trying to keep things moving. More importantly, slow play can sabotage your own performance, as extended waits between shots break your rhythm and concentration.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore practical strategies to shave time off your round without compromising your game. These aren’t shortcuts that will hurt your score—they’re efficient habits that professional golfers use every day to maintain pace while staying mentally sharp.
Ready Golf Explained: The Modern Approach to Pace
Traditional golf etiquette dictates that the player farthest from the hole plays first. While this “honor system” has its place in match play and formal competitions, it can significantly slow down casual rounds. Enter ready golf—the practical solution endorsed by golf’s governing bodies worldwide.
Ready golf simply means playing when you’re ready, rather than waiting for strict turn-based order. If you reach your ball first and the course is clear, hit your shot. If your playing partner is searching for their ball, don’t stand idle—play yours. This approach can easily save 10-15 minutes per round without any change to your actual golf swing or strategy.
The USGA and R&A actively encourage ready golf in their pace of play guidelines. Here’s how to implement it effectively:
- On the tee: If the previous hole’s winner is still putting away their putter, the next-ready player should tee off
- In the fairway: Play when safe, regardless of who’s technically “away”
- On par 3s: Have the next player ready to tee off immediately after the green clears
- Shorter hitters first: When safe, let shorter hitters play before longer hitters reach their ball
The key principle is simple: always be doing something productive while others play. If you’re walking to your ball, be assessing the wind. If you’re waiting, be selecting your club. Dead time is the enemy of pace.
Pre-Shot Routine Efficiency: Quality Over Length
Your pre-shot routine matters—but it doesn’t need to be a theatrical performance. The best players in the world complete their routines in 30-45 seconds. Meanwhile, many amateur golfers take two minutes or more, often without realizing it.
The most efficient pre-shot routine has three phases:
- Assessment phase (while walking to the ball): Read the lie, estimate distance, note wind conditions, and identify hazards. This happens before you even reach your ball.
- Decision phase (10-15 seconds): Confirm your club selection, choose your target line, and commit to your shot shape. Once decided, don’t second-guess.
- Execution phase (15-20 seconds): One or two practice swings maximum, address the ball, one look at the target, and swing.
The critical insight here is that most of your “thinking” should happen in transit. By the time you’re standing over your ball, you should know exactly what you’re doing. The players who struggle with pace are often those who start their decision-making process only after reaching their ball.
Time-wasting habits to eliminate:
- Multiple practice swings (one or two is plenty)
- Stepping away and re-addressing repeatedly
- Extended conversations with caddies or playing partners mid-routine
- Waiting for complete silence (reasonable noise tolerance is part of golf)
Remember: a quick, decisive routine often produces better results than a lengthy, overthought one. Confidence comes from commitment, not from extra waggle time.
Walking vs. Riding Strategically: The Pace Paradox
Counterintuitively, riding in a cart doesn’t always mean faster play. In fact, some of the slowest rounds occur when all players are riding. The reason? Cart path rules, parking decisions, and the tendency to wait for your partner before driving to the next location.
If you’re riding, follow these efficiency principles:
- Drop your partner off first if their ball is farther from the cart path
- Take multiple clubs when walking to your ball—a club up and club down from your expected choice
- Park strategically between both balls when possible, or on the exit side of the green
- Never park in front of the green—always position the cart to the side or behind for a quick exit
- Bring your putter and wedge when approaching the green area
If you’re walking, efficiency comes naturally with proper planning. Walking golfers often maintain better pace because they’re constantly moving toward their next shot. The key is walking with purpose—not slowly strolling, but maintaining a brisk, athletic pace between shots.
Hybrid approach: On hotter days or hillier courses, consider riding between holes but walking once you’re on each hole. This combines the rest benefits of a cart with the continuous movement advantages of walking.
Club Selection Before Reaching Your Ball
One of the biggest time-wasters in amateur golf is the prolonged club selection process that begins only after reaching the ball. Tour professionals and low-handicap players handle this differently—they know their approximate yardage before they arrive.
Develop your distance awareness:
As you walk or ride toward your ball, you should be calculating. “I’m about 30 yards behind my partner’s ball, he’s at 150, so I’m around 180.” By the time you reach your ball, you should have a working number that only needs minor refinement.
Know your personal yardages cold:
Create a simple card with your average carry distances for each club. Not your best shot—your average. When you know that your 7-iron carries 155 yards and your 6-iron carries 165, club selection becomes almost instant.
Use landmarks:
Good players memorize yardages to fairway features. That bunker on the left is 175 to carry. The big oak tree is 200 from the green. Sprinkler heads and 150-yard markers become your quick references.
Bring multiple clubs:
When you leave the cart or your bag, grab your estimated club plus one more and one less. This eliminates return trips and speeds up your final decision.
Putting Out vs. Marking: When Efficiency Trumps Etiquette
Traditional putting etiquette has you marking your ball after every putt to avoid interfering with your partners’ lines. While this is important in competition, casual rounds can benefit from strategic continuous putting.
The “circle of efficiency” rule:
If your ball is within 3-4 feet of the hole and you’re not standing in anyone’s line, consider putting out rather than marking. This saves the time of marking, waiting, replacing, and re-reading a short putt. Most gimme-range putts benefit from immediate execution while you still have a feel for the green’s speed.
When to always mark:
- Your ball is on or near another player’s line
- You’re in a player’s peripheral vision during their stroke
- Your ball is closer to the hole than a partner’s longer putt
- Any competitive round or when a partner prefers you mark
Continuous putting etiquette:
If you’re going to putt out, announce it: “I’ll just finish” so partners know to step aside briefly. Be quick but not careless—the goal is efficiency, not recklessness.
Gimmes in casual play:
Discuss with your group beforehand. If everyone agrees to concede putts within a certain distance, honor that agreement to keep things moving. There’s no shame in a friendly gimme during a Saturday morning round.
Lost Ball Protocol: The Three-Minute Reality
The rules of golf now allow only three minutes to search for a lost ball, reduced from the previous five minutes. But even three minutes can feel like an eternity when you’re watching someone trudge through rough and trees.
Smart lost ball strategies:
- Watch every shot—yours and your partners’. The best way to find balls quickly is knowing where they went. If everyone tracks every shot, search times plummet.
- Use a provisional immediately if there’s any doubt about finding your ball. This is the single biggest time-saver for errant shots. Don’t walk 200 yards, fail to find your ball, then walk back.
- Set a personal limit shorter than three minutes. If you haven’t found it in 90 seconds and you hit a provisional, consider moving on.
- Spread out during searches—don’t all look in the same spot.
- Know when to concede—it’s a $3 ball, not a family heirloom.
The provisional ball advantage:
A provisional ball isn’t admitting defeat—it’s smart golf. The seconds it takes to hit a provisional can save five minutes of searching followed by a walk of shame back to the tee. Experienced golfers hit provisionals liberally; their egos can handle it.
Managing Your Group: Leadership and Communication
Pace of play is a group responsibility, and sometimes it takes one person to establish expectations and keep things moving. This doesn’t mean being the pace police—it means setting a positive example and communicating efficiently.
Pre-round pace setting:
Before teeing off, have a brief discussion: “Let’s try to keep it moving today—ready golf, continuous putting when it makes sense?” This establishes group norms without singling anyone out.
Positive pace leadership:
- Be the first to play ready golf
- Compliment efficient play: “Nice quick routine there”
- Keep your own pace brisk without appearing rushed
- Handle logistics smoothly (cart management, tee honors, etc.)
Addressing pace issues tactfully:
If one player is significantly slowing the group, address it kindly: “Hey, we’re falling behind the group ahead—mind if we pick it up a bit?” Focus on the group’s pace relative to the course, not individual criticism.
Strategic hole management:
Sometimes a hole goes sideways for the entire group. Recognize when it’s time to pick up, take a max score, and move on. Most handicap systems allow a maximum strokes limit per hole anyway.
Technology That Speeds Play
Modern golf technology, used correctly, dramatically improves pace. The key word is “correctly”—technology can also be a distraction that slows play if misused.
GPS devices and rangefinders:
A quality laser rangefinder or GPS watch provides instant yardages, eliminating pacing, guessing, and hunting for markers. Tour professionals rely on their caddies for numbers; you should rely on technology. The investment pays for itself in pace and confidence.
Best practices for range-finding technology:
- Get your distance while walking to your ball, not after arriving
- Know the number before pulling a club
- Trust your device—don’t second-guess it with pacing
- Keep your rangefinder accessible, not buried in your bag
Smartphone apps:
GPS golf apps provide not just distances but aerial views, helping you strategize while walking. However, resist the urge to check notifications—golf time is golf time.
Electric push carts and trolleys:
For walkers, an electric trolley reduces fatigue and keeps you moving at a consistent pace throughout the round. Fresh legs on the back nine mean maintained pace when others are slowing down.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much time can ready golf actually save?
Studies suggest ready golf saves 10-20 minutes per round when fully implemented. On courses with five-hour rounds, this can be the difference between finishing comfortably and rushing to beat darkness.
Won’t playing faster hurt my score?
Research actually suggests the opposite. Players who maintain good pace often score better because they stay in rhythm and don’t overthink. The paralysis of analysis is real.
What if my playing partners prefer slow play?
Lead by example without being preachy. Play ready golf yourself, maintain your efficient routine, and others often follow naturally. If asked, explain that you find a brisk pace helps your concentration.
Is it rude to putt out when others are still on the green?
Not in casual play, provided you’re not in anyone’s line or vision. A quick “I’ll just finish” announcement is courteous. In competitive rounds, always defer to standard marking etiquette.
Should I always hit a provisional ball?
Hit a provisional whenever there’s reasonable doubt about finding your original. Even if you think you can find it, the 20 seconds spent on a provisional can save five minutes. There’s no penalty for hitting an unused provisional.
How do I handle a much slower group ahead?
Maintain your pace to stay close behind them—this signals you’re waiting without being aggressive. If the gap becomes significant, politely ask if you can play through, ideally at a par 3 or a point where they’re searching for balls.
Conclusion: Pace as Part of the Game
Improving your pace of play isn’t about rushing through your round or sacrificing the enjoyment of being on the course. It’s about respecting the game, your fellow golfers, and your own time. The strategies in this guide—ready golf, efficient routines, smart course management, and proper technology use—create a rhythm that actually enhances your experience.
The best golfers in the world play quickly. They’re decisive, prepared, and always doing something productive. You’ll notice that slow play is primarily an amateur affliction, not because professionals don’t care about their shots, but because they’ve learned that efficiency and quality go hand in hand.
Start implementing these strategies gradually. Pick two or three to focus on during your next round. As they become habit, add more. Within a few weeks, you’ll find yourself finishing rounds faster, scoring as well or better, and enjoying golf more than ever.
The course ahead will thank you—and so will every group playing behind you.
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