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Do you "Ready Putt?"

SeeMore Golf
On the one green is the one area where I tend to notice if someone is overeager from my perspective. Playing too-ready golf you might say. I like people being ready, and I don't have a long routine or anything, but when I'm running through it and about to get over my ball and someone putts 'out of turn', I notice. It feels like a rhythm killer. Doesn't happen a lot, and some of the time it's a situation like the OP mentioned where in their mind they're trying to get done and out of the way for a big putt of mine. I'd rather they just let me putt though. To me it's not like off the tee or on approach because there the other person is in your periphery. On the green they're right in your area of focus. So I try not to be anyone else's guy they notice like that, unless they're really lagging behind.
 
Yeah, our usual super ready golf routine is adjusted down just a bit depending on the where the balls are and everyone getting into position.
 
If somebody is struggling or is just all over the place on a hole, I'll gladly tell him/her to take the time to read the putt and then I'll putt. Normally, it's not a big deal on the greens, although I have the worst time seeing who is away when it's close.
 
I don't think playing out of turn is the answer to maintain pace of play. Being ready when it's your turn is all it takes for a reasonable pace. So for me, I would rather err on the side of deferring to the person who is away.
 
I had a playing partner yell at me on the 1st green one day, when I was addressing my putt after he had missed his putt.

"I have the right to finish!"

Nah man, I am away now lol.
 
Ready putt without a doubt. And my group leaves that flagstick in. Nothing worse than following a foursome of, tend the flagstick, walk the whole hole, plumb-bobbing, slow-motion jackwads
 
Yeah we absolutely ready putt.. if someone is still talking to their ball or lining up, I can putt and hole out before they even look to set. If I need to mark I'll mark, but usually it's just finish and go.

That said, yesterday's round I was really frustrated with the group in front of us who had seemingly at least 3 people finishing their tap in final putts, each person taking a good 30 seconds on each hole ... Pick up and move on!
 
Yes. If not, with the foursome I played with today, we would have been out there at least 30 minutes longer. One guy is quite slow. He was the only one riding and several times us three walkers were already hitting our tee shots on the next hole by the time he finished on the previous hole, got in his cart and drove to the next tee box.
 
The usual group I play with usually let's whoever is out putt first, but we also play ready golf on the green for Pitts that are close in length. If you have a long putt, and someone is just off the green but not ready we can take the putt. Just keep it moving is our motto I guess.
 
If someone isn't ready or just chipped on and is away I'll go to give them a chance to get to their ball and take a look. And unless I'll be on someone's line I try to always finish up without re-marking
 
I do for sure. Every once in a while I'll get called out for it in a money game, but never a big deal. No sense waiting if you're ready.
 
If everybody is on the green and ready, we'll let furthest go first - otherwise, whoever is ready goes. The group I usually play with is pretty good about directing traffic - somebody will always speak up and say "go ahead" if there's any doubt as to who putts next, and we usually finish out rather than marking unless it's going to mean stepping in somebody's lie. We all putt with the pin in most of the time - and boo/hiss if you want, but we usually play gimmes too, so nobody's wasting time lining up over a 6 inch putt. We're not giving away free four-footers, but if it's a kick-in, pick it up and get out of the way.

If I'm playing with a group other than my usual partners, I'll defer to however they do it (and pray they're not slowpokes).
 
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It depends on the group, but usually if someone is ready to go then we just tell them to go ahead and putt
If they knock it close we will also just tell them to finish it off and often they will unless they are standing on someones line
 
we play ready on all shots but ready on the green does not mean stupid fast. if someone in our group has a eagle, birdie or sometimes close par putt we slow down and help him. If putting for nothing important, we getter done
 
yes no reason to to wait it out. If you are ready go for it.
 
McLovin said:
I don't think playing out of turn is the answer to maintain pace of play. Being ready when it's your turn is all it takes for a reasonable pace. So for me, I would rather err on the side of deferring to the person who is away.
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Agree, except when you have a group of guys that all take forever to hit each putt. Then they're all short. so they mark their ball. Then spend a few seconds deciding who's away. Then the whole cycle repeats. One of the most annoying parts of the game is playing with people like this. It would be one thing if you take a little time and actually make a putt once in a while, but most of the time these are horrible putters.

When I'm playing with guys like this I encourage them to finish out, don't remark the ball. But they seem to be the kind of people that thinks it's very important to play by the rules. I just wish they were faster at 4-putting.

greekelite said:
Yeah we absolutely ready putt.. if someone is still talking to their ball or lining up, I can putt and hole out before they even look to set. If I need to mark I'll mark, but usually it's just finish and go.

That said, yesterday's round I was really frustrated with the group in front of us who had seemingly at least 3 people finishing their tap in final putts, each person taking a good 30 seconds on each hole ... Pick up and move on!
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I do worry sometimes that I may be throwing someone off if I putt out of turn, but normally the guys I play with are OK with ready putting. Especially if you know someone needs a little time to get ready, let someone else go first.

But I'm also someone who is never distracted by others doing stuff off to the side. I just don't notice that stuff, and I realize that can really bother some people, so I try to keep that in mind.
 
Space Bandito said:
I would guess, based on years of conversation here, that 99% of us play ready golf. But what about on the greens?

I, along with most of my playing partners, have the tendency to just putt when ready, regardless of who is away. I am a fast player, and often can 2 putt in the the amount of time it takes some (one guy comes to mind in particular) to even address the ball.

I usually like to putt ahead of the guy who is putting for a birdie, even if I'm closer, unless he/she asks otherwise, allowing me to get out of the way, and let him focus on scoring.

I don't think I've run into anyone who has ever cared that I play this way. What do you think?
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My gang at the club plays in formal order, both hitting into the greens or putting.
And we don't putt with the flag in. We tend the pin on long putts.
It's how we like to play. The youngsters can do whatever they want.
 
RetiredBoomer said:
My gang at the club plays in formal order, both hitting into the greens or putting.
And we don't putt with the flag in. We tend the pin on long putts.
It's how we like to play. The youngsters can do whatever they want.
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Are you saying that playing ready golf is something for "youngsters" and that because you're not a "youngster," you're entitled to hold up pace of play for the rest of the club?

I mean, you're entirely within your right, but how does it help?

Just trying to get some clarification. :)
 
By all means, putt away. But do not putt at the same time. If two are still lining up putts & the other two are ready, at least one of you go at a time .... just so there is no possible ball collision at the hole. I mean I like fast players, but not so much on the green. You can only go as fast as the group you're playing with. Even if you putt out, you still have to wait on the other players to finish anyway before you can tee off the next hole. So why rush?

You want to play that fast, then by all means, but play by yourself.
 
Playing in formal order is the way we learned to play golf, and it enhances the social aspect of playing.
We see each others shots, and we have eight aging eyes on the ball instead of just two. Not looking for balls speeds up play.

We don't play on weekends. People who still work for a living are paying their dues and deserve to have the course on weekends.
We play on weekdays.
We get to the club early (which means that I have to walk my dog even earlier),
have breakfast,
and decide who's playing whom, in what type of game, and for what.
It's not crowded. Nobody is in a hurry, but just the same, nobody is holding anybody up.
 
RetiredBoomer said:
Playing in formal order is the way we learned to play golf, and it enhances the social aspect of playing.
We see each others shots, and we have eight aging eyes on the ball instead of just two. Not looking for balls speeds up play.

We don't play on weekends. People who still work for a living are paying their dues and deserve to have the course on weekends.
We play on weekdays.
We get to the club early (which means that I have to walk my dog even earlier),
have breakfast,
and decide who's playing whom, in what type of game, and for what.
It's not crowded. Nobody is in a hurry, but just the same, nobody is holding anybody up.
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I will admit that this is a damn fine way to play a game of golf. I can make my own schedule (sort of), and like to play weekdays in the morning, so I end up playing with guys like this fairly often. One of my regular groups does, in fact. And being able to play and observe like this with no pace issues, or any issues really, is kind of awesome. Can really take the edge off a 90 hour work week. It's one of the few things I appreciate about where I live.

Not that you old codgers don't drive me crazy in a 1,000 other ways. 'Cause ya do.
 
If I am playing with people who don’t know what ready golf is and tend to waste a lot of time I just putt when I am ready. If people are keeping up I defer to the person who is away.
 
Ready golf for all but the greens. Will go out of order if others are distracted with other tasks (raking bunker, fixing ball marks etc)
 
We've always played the usual way with the player who is further away putting first. Now I would definitely support a "putt until you make it" rule, even if players had to stand in each other's line (not practical on very soft greens I suppose) - that would speed things up considerably.
 
If I'm away & lining up my putt I will tell who ever is ready to go ahead & putt.
 
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