Ready Golf and the Swashbucklers

Lets try and speed it up.  Matt (Stock) sent round a PDF of Ready Golf last week and I’ve picked a couple of things from it and posted them at the bottom.

I’ve heard from another early morning Swindle that some comments have been made internally amongst themselves about a bit of slow-play, and it is no harm that we raise it too.

No ‘can of worms’

This isnt opening it up to finger-pointing to anyone in the Swindle or in the club (yawn)… that isn’t going to work is it?  But… Swashbucklers have enjoyed some large Swindle fields at the moment so ignoring what other Swindles and players are doing, we can all make a bit more of an effort to keep up with the group in front.

Couple things we can improve on:

• Turn up on time.  Putting tenner’s in late is painful and can mess groups up.  Call/text someone if you are running late – else if last group is a fourball you might not be able to play.
• For discussion – 3-balls out before 4-balls.  If people turn up on time, there should be no need for a 3-ball at the back.  It’s unfair for someone to be pulled out last and then be waiting behind other a bunch of 4balls.
• Be ready to go when draw is made.   If your pulled out first then you’re off… chat later!   If tee is free we should be getting on it and start slicing/hooking/duffing/Jaggsy’ing our drives asap.

Taking money and organising groups is often a thankless task – don’t have a bash at the person doing the cards.  (Winkle loves the abuse though).

Ready Golf (bits from the PDF)

Yes we all know this but no harm in picking out some things as a reminder…

On The Tee

Ready Golf, we often hear, means that the person who is ready at the tee should hit first. That is simply not true. Ready Golf means that the player with the honors should be READY TO HIT FIRST. If the player with the honors isn’t ready, only then should someone else hit first.

Remember, when you are behind, you’ve lost your right to play with honors until you catch up to the group in front of you

On the Fairway

Ready Golf means that ALL golfers should go to their balls as soon as possible and get READY to play their shots. While waiting to hit, PLAYERS should SURVEY their shot, SELECT their clubs, TAKE them from their bags, and STAND at their balls READY to step up and make the shot when it is their turn. That’s Ready Golf.

In the rough

It is important that everyone try to help find a lost ball in order to keep the match moving. But players should do it AFTER hitting their shots, not BEFORE. How often do you see four players searching for a lost ball, while NONE of them are getting ready to hit?

Use common sense. The player who is closest to the pin and scheduled to hit last should be the first to help the player whose ball is lost, while the players who are farthest away from the pin should PLAY THEIR SHOTS FIRST. When the players farthest away have played their shots, they should resume looking for the lost ball, while the players who are closest should get ready to PLAY THEIR SHOTS

On the Green

Ready putting starts when you’re walking up to the green from your approach shot. Make sure you set your bag down between the green and the next tee box so that, after you finish putting, you minimize the time it takes to retrieve your bag and get to the next tee

Playing Ready Golf around the Greens means getting READY to putt BEFORE it is your turn! Players should line up their putts WHILE other players are putting, so they’re ready to putt when it’s their turn.

Summary

Ready Golf means BEING READY to play, not playing when you are ready. Here are some
simple rules.

• Walk to Your ball as soon as possible, so that you can choose your club and think about the shot in ADVANCE- not when it is your turn.
• When driving a cart drop your partner first, let your partner choose his or her club and then drive to your own ball to get READY to play.
• When a ball is lost hit your shot FIRST and then look for the lost ball.
• Walk down the SIDES of the fairway to reach your ball and then APPROACH it from the center. NEVER play in a caravan, moving in a group from ball to ball.
• When on the Green, line up your putt BEFORE it is your turn, and putt out immediately instead of marking, if you are not in someone else’s line.