Hurry Up: 11 Tips to improve Pace of Play and Play Faster Golf

Have you ever wondered how long it should actually take to play 18 holes of golf?

It’s a good question because a day at the golf course can take longer than we want sometimes. In a perfect world, golf should take between 4 to 4.5 hours with four players.

Of course, that’s a perfect world though.

The sad reality is that most courses take the average foursome between 5–6 hours to complete a round. Paired with a proper pre-round warm up and a meal after, it’s a long day, especially if you’re waiting on the group ahead all day.

Unfortunately, tough courses, long routines, and other reasons aren’t allowing golfers to finish in that time frame. This is known as the pace of play and a critical element in the game of golf.

Key Takeaways

• Every golf course has a pace of play policy; most courses are between 4 and 4.5 hours, and faster play is always encouraged.
• An Arccos Golf Study found that slower rounds actually lead to higher scores in stroke play… which is why playing faster is not only more fun but will help your score too.
• There are tons of ways to speed up the pace of playing the right golf equipment, declaring a lost ball sooner, and more strategies on the putting green.

Keep reading to learn how to speed up pace of play for a better day on the links.

What is Pace of Play in Golf?

Pace of play is the total amount of time it takes for each group to complete the hole. Combined over 18 holes, this is the time it takes from your first tee shot to your last putt on the 18th green.

A general rule of thumb is to try and keep it under 4.5 hours.

That equates to roughly 15 minutes per hole. Par 3’s are usually shorter in distance and tend to take less time while the par 4’s and par 5’s usually take longer.

This is a very general rule and usually a good pace for your average Saturday foursome. With less golfers in your group or when playing during off times, faster golf is encouraged. If you’re competing in tournaments, the rounds are usually longer due to increased pressure.

Make sure to read our article on how long it should take to play nine holes.

Why Does Pace of Play Matter?

Pace of play is a big deal not only on the PGA Tour but also among amateur golfers too. For the game to grow and thrive, people need to get more interested.

One way to do that is to shorten the round of golf because 5–6 hours isn’t appealing to most people who have never played golf. Which is why so many players like executive golf courses.

The faster the pace of play, the more fun and enjoyable of an experience than one that seems to take forever. If you read our article on golf etiquette for beginners, you’ll remember that slow play is 1 of the 13 rules and maybe the most important.

Keep reading to identify what holds up most groups and how to play faster (and better) golf.

Top Reasons Golfers Play Slow

There are a few common reasons for slow golf, including:

• Taking too long to declare a lost ball. Which is why a provisional ball is a great rule to help keep up pace.
• Ego. Don’t play the back tees if you can’t break 100, 90, or 80. It’s not fun for you or the groups behind you; make golf enjoyable by playing the correct tees for your handicap.
• Too many practice swings. One practice swing is plenty, especially for higher handicappers who have a lot more shots during the round.
• Walking hard courses. While walking can make it a more enjoyable experience, it can also slow up play if it’s summer rules. Switch to walking 9 and riding 9 in a golf cart to speed up play.
• Not playing ready golf. More on that in the next section.

11 Ways for Improving Pace (How to Play Faster Golf)

Use these tips on the golf course to play faster and better so you can get to the next tee box sooner.

1. Tee it Forward

The USGA has created a great initiative with the “Tee It Forward” mission. This encourages golfers of all ages and skill levels to play a tee up. By making the course shorter, it’s easier for players and usually shortens the round.

As the USGA said, “Play from a set of tees that is comfortable for you – one where you are more likely to hit lofted irons into greens instead of hybrids or fairway woods. It is acceptable for players in the same group to play from different tees.”

Plus, if you have a group where players hit from different tees, the handicap system makes it easy to offset things. Make sure that you double-check the slope and total yardage from each tee before teeing off.

This way you aren’t making golf harder than it is and also not making the group behind you mad. If you are playing a new course for the first time, or you’re not a 5 handicap or better, please don’t tip the course out!

2. Play Ready Golf

In golf, there is “ready golf” and there is the standard, “honors” rule. The traditional “honors” way is that each player tees off based on the score from the previous hole. For example, if you make a 5 and the other players make 3’s or 4’s, you would tee off last in the traditional “honors” system.

To play ready golf is the exact opposite approach.

With ready golf, the slogan is “Fire when ready.” This gets rid of the “who made what” argument on the last hole and ensures you aren’t standing around on the next tee.

The same goes for hitting out of the fairway. For the most part, you want to let the person furthest out go, but if they are walking or moving slowly, hit when ready.

In my opinion, ready golf is simply common sense. If you’re ready and not in the way of other golfers, make your stroke.

>>Required Reading: Make sure to check out our full post on how to play ready golf. Seriously, this is one of the best ways you can help keep up the pace of play.

3. Don’t Take Mulligans

What would golf be without the classic mulligan? If you’re brand new to the game of golf, a mulligan is simply the act of throwing another ball down and giving yourself a second chance at the shot you just hit it.

Mulligans have a time and a place; a lot of players use them to combat the first tee jitters (this is known as a breakfast ball). But if you’re playing on a jam-packed Saturday, skip the mulligans and play your shot regardless of the outcome. Taking mulligans slows down nearly everyone and also makes keeping a real score nearly impossible.

4. Keep Your Pre-Shot Routine Quick

Great golfers play fast for a number of reasons. First off, they hit it straighter and shoot lower, so it takes less time actually hitting the golf ball (obviously). But something that almost every single digit handicap player has is a solid pre-shot routine.

A stock pre-shot routine allows them to hit shots quicker and typically hit better shots too. They aren’t standing over the ball thinking too much about the shot. This usually makes things worse and makes it easy to let some bad thoughts enter your mind.

Instead, create a solid pre-shot routine that has 1-2 practice swings and then hit the shot. Ideally, you want to have a pre-shot routine that is eight seconds or less standing over the golf ball (about 12 to 13 from behind the ball then walking into the shot). If you shoot in the 90s or 100s, make your routine even faster, as it will help keep up with more advanced players.

Remember, a long, drawn out routine doesn’t mean you will hit it well. Don’t overthink it and keep it simple to speed up play.

Click here for a deeper discussion on how to build a Pre Shot Routine.

5. Use Carts on Long Courses

While there are tons of benefits for walking a golf course, some courses just aren’t meant for it. If you’re trying to walk a course that has a ton of distance between holes or has severe hills, opt for a golf cart. Or, at least walk 9 holes and use a cart on the back nine.

Once you’re riding, don’t forget to use a golf cart bag that allows you quick access to your clubs and gear. Secondly, don’t forget to use the buddy system. Help each other navigate the course and find each other’s golf balls. Always make sure to be a good “cartner” and to pick up extra clubs, walk when needed, and help each other find the right distance.

6. Use a Rangefinder

Speaking of finding distances, make sure that at least one person in each cart has a rangefinder or golf GPS gadget to determine distance. It seems like more and more courses aren’t marking sprinklers as they did in the past, which makes it harder to find distances.

Having a rangefinder makes it easy to shoot to the flag, bunkers, and other hazards without wasting time. Make sure to take a look at the best rangefinders to find the best one for your game and budget.

7. Try Out Different Formats of Golf

While most golfers opt for traditional stroke play, there are tons of other options like scramble, best-ball, Stableford, and match play. These other options are fun ways to play different types of golf games, mix it up and also speed it up.

Match play is another awesome way to enjoy the game of golf outside of watching the President or Ryder Cup. Withmatch play, you will speed up your pace of play for a few reasons.

First off, you don’t have to putt everything out. If your competitor concedes the putt, you don’t have to waste time knocking in 2–3 footers. Plus, if things go bad off the tee, you don’t have to card a snowman or worse and can instead just concede the hole.

If you’re giving match play a try, make sure to read the best strategies for match play to get an edge up on the competition.

8. Always Hit a Provisional Golf Ball

Have you ever hit a ball close to the out of bounds line only to figure out that it indeed is unplayable and OB? With an out-of-bounds penalty, you are required to go back and hit the same shot again. But if you’ve already driven up and looked for your ball, going back to the tee can take a lot of time.

Make sure to always hit a provisional if you think a ball has a chance of going out of bounds. This will speed up play and also make the group behind you much happier as well. Also, the rules of golf now only allow three minutes for players to spend searching for a ball (not five).

9. Let Groups Play Through

Depending on the situation, another way to speed up your round of golf is to let the group behind you through. If you’re rushing and still have the group close to you, let them through, especially if they’re a single, twosome or threesome.

While the goal should be to always be able to see the group ahead of you, things happen. Whether you’re playing with a golfer who is new or just moves a little slower, make sure to let faster groups play through.

(To make the potentially stressful situation a little easier, read our post on how to make playing through a little easier.)

10. Speed Up on the Putting Green

Putting slows a lot of groups down and can kill the pace. To speed up on the putting green, make sure to:

• Read your putt while others are putting.
• Learn from other player’s shot to read the green better.
• Take 1-2 practice strokes (or none, it works for Cam Smith).
• Have a pre-shot putting routine that is eight seconds or less when you’re standing over the golf ball.

These tips will help you get to the next hole faster and improve your overall pace.

11. Don’t Keep Score if You’re a Total Beginner

If you’re brand new to the game, forget abiding by all the rules and certainly don’t worry too much about the score. Sure, eventually you want to track your score so you can start beating your scores, start slow. Make sure that you’re having fun first, then start keeping score!

My Experience

Slow play is the absolute worst – not only for players but golf courses too. Use the tips above to make sure you are ready for the next shot and are improving the pace of play with your group.

When you maintain pace, you will not only have more fun, but actually play better too.

As a Golf.com article noted, “Arccos collected this data from golfers who use their stat-tracking system and recorded at least six 18-hole rounds. The data was for par-72 courses between 6,000 and 6,500 yards in length, between 70 and 73 course rating, and a slope between 120 and 130.

The results suggest that the slower the round, the higher your scores become. For each hour added to your round, you can expect to add about one stroke to your score.”

While a round won’t be as fast as video play on Golden Tee or PGA Tour 2K23, these tips can help more rounds in three hours. Hopefully this study and pace of play tips will help you play faster, better, and enjoy the round a lot more.

Final Thoughts of Pace of Play

Hopefully, these tips on pace of play will help you save time and speed up your playing partners.

The longer it takes you to play 18, the harder it is to stay in rhythm, keep your swing loose, and keep an optimistic attitude toward the round. Whether you’re shooting in the 100s or trying to break 70, make sure you create a routine that is quick and can play in under 4.5 hours.

Use these tips to start playing faster and better. Not only will you have a better experience, but you will most likely shoot lower scores too.