Ready Golf: What does it mean to you?

PhillyV

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Since the talk of the game now is slow pace and its negative affect on golf it got me thinking about all the times on the course I have been more frustrated by playing partners not being ready and not necessarily slow pace. While I think a lack of "Ready Golf" can lead to slow pace and is a major cause of it, whats your take on it? Is ready golf the best way to speed up pace? Should it be used on tour?
 
It means hit the ball when you're ready.

As long as you are not in the line of site of another player, then when you are ready pull the trigger.

Be at your ball, with your club(s), and ready to go.

The only time turn plays a big role for me and the way I teach my athletes is on the tee, and the greens.
 
Walkers should walk directly to their ball (not wait and watch others play shots).
Riders should get out of the cart and walk directly to their ball (not wait and watch others play their shots).
Tour players don't stand around watching others play shots. They go directly to their ball. If the away player is taking extra time (due to a Ruling or out of position ball) it is common for the other Tour players in the group to go ahead and play out of turn.
 
When you are ready, as long as it won't slow down other players in your group, hit the ball. If you are in a cart and are going to be waiting to hit, drop off 1 player at his ball with what he needs to hit, then take the cart to the other players ball so both can be ready to hit when the landing area clears.

If you are waiting on a group in front of you, have the shortest hitter of the group go first. If you are walking either back to your cart or to the next tee, leave bag/clubs/headcovers/towels/etc in line in the direction you are going, not on the front of the green. Talk while you proceed to the next shot, not when you should be hitting.

over the course of 18 holes, if you can shave 1 minute on each hole then that would be 18 minutes..... if you went from playing a 5 hour round to a 4:42 round... not ideal but a huge improvement.
 
Jman;n8875640 said:
It means hit the ball when you're ready.

As long as you are not in the line of site of another player, then when you are ready pull the trigger.

Be at your ball, with your club(s), and ready to go.

The only time turn plays a big role for me and the way I teach my athletes is on the tee, and the greens.

tee box for sure, but couldnt you argue that the most wasted time on a hole is on the greens? Unless your speaking to staying off someones line or causing a distraction while someone is putting then i would agree. Just too many rounds with buddies who wait for the camera to get to them before they start their routine
 
We play ready golf on the tee box unless someone has a birdie or better. If you are out of cart and ready to hit then go ahead. Not going to hurt my feelings. Down the fairway, then park between balls if you can or drop one guy off and go to the next ball and get ready. That only works if you are not in line with the guys shot.
 
Any time you're not walking to your ball, hitting a shot or watching someone else hit a shot then you're not playing ready golf.

Ready golf is playing your next shot any time you are at the ball and you won't interfere with or endanger anyone by hitting now.
 
I think ready golf should be used more often, especially if you have a group behind you waiting each shot and you have no one to wait for in front. I notice this more around the greens, when someone else is chipping or out of a bunker and everyone else is waiting for them because they are furthest away. I really don't care who's away, if you are ready go just putt. Now for tournaments and even the PGA or anything more formal, rules should be respected, but also if you have to wait 2 mins for your partner to get ready for their shot, no reason you should atleast try to figure out your club or shot and be ready to go when it's your turn. For a casual round to me is ok if people hit out of turn.

I have had times I chip it over the green and the other 3 are on, I don't want to feel rushed to run over quickly take a stroke and chunk the next chip, then be furthest away and have to read the putt. Y'all go and when you are done I will be ready to do my thing. I think situations like that can save a minute or even two on a hole. Also the golfer that stick their approach shot a foot or two away can just putt out or take a gimme while the rest of us read our putts, no need to wait around for everyone before making their shot. They can hold the flag.
 
Being ready when its your turn is huge. On the greens I think reading a putt while others are taking their turn is an easy way to speed up things. If I need to walk around a putt I'm doing it as I approach the green or while others are doing their thing. I am also ok with putting a long putt while waiting for someone who isn't on the green yet to help speed things up. I'll even get out of the cart and walk to my ball with my range finder and a couple clubs in some instances to help keep things moving.
 
Pretty much what others have said, being ready when it's your turn. Get to your ball, do your routine, and hit the shot 1. when it is safe 2. when you aren't a distraction to others 3. in a timely manner. It also means setting yourself up for success: ie set your bag/park your cart between the green and the next tee box. Set any extra clubs that you brought to the green between you and your bag so you don't have to go out of your way when exiting.
 
PhillyV;n8875633 said:
Since the talk of the game now is slow pace and its negative affect on golf it got me thinking about all the times on the course I have been more frustrated by playing partners not being ready and not necessarily slow pace. While I think a lack of "Ready Golf" can lead to slow pace and is a major cause of it, whats your take on it? Is ready golf the best way to speed up pace? Should it be used on tour?

I think the tour could adopt ready golf from the tee into or around the green. If players would be at their ball and hit if not in anyone's way or line of sight I dont see an issue.

Personally for me you can take it hole by hole and see who is out of position. If I know where my ball is I will hit it and then go help find a ball, or get my shot out of the way so by the time the person who is out of position is ready, my shot is one less thing to worry about.

I think overall ready golf needs to be encouraged more.
 
Jman;n8875640 said:
It means hit the ball when you're ready.

As long as you are not in the line of site of another player, then when you are ready pull the trigger.

Be at your ball, with your club(s), and ready to go.

The only time turn plays a big role for me and the way I teach my athletes is on the tee, and the greens.

This about sums it up for me. Heck my normal group usually plays ready golf everywhere, as we're not always all walking to the green at the exact same moment. We stay courteous of course, but we hit asap and try to keep it moving. Only ceremonies on the tee box are for birdies or eagle, and half the time the player who got it says 'ready golf' on the next tee if they're not the first one to walk up there.

For me at the end of the day it means no wasting time. Don't watch everyone in your group hit then go over to your ball. Go over to your ball (assuming you don't interfere with another golfer) and be ready to hit at the very least when it's your turn. Other than to a lesser extent, amateurs thinking they're pros as they stalk greens from every angle, the lack of ready golf etiquette is the main contributor to slow play. If people would be smart about how they walk or drive their carts to their ball and be ready to hit, I think round times would drop considerably.
 
as long as it's safe and won't distract someone already getting set to hit, hit your shot when ready

as long as it's not a distraction, begin your putting routine while others are doing the same. don't wait to start your whole routine until it's your turn.

if it's cpo, or you get out of the cart to look for your ball, bring clubs and other accessories you might need (rangefinder, gps, etc) with you. don't get out, find your ball, then walk back to the cart for your gear.

i'd also say to save your lengthy stories/jokes/monologues for the 19th hole. it's frustrating to be waiting on a group engrossed in a conversation while the fairway or green is wide open in front of them.
 
1) Tee off & walk directly to ball
2) Get yardage, pick club, go through routine if necessary
3) Hit as soon as landing area is clear

**if your ball is further back and forcing someone else to wait for you before going to their ball, get on your horse and make it happen.
 
Things I try to do is just go ahead and hit when I am nowhere near anyone. If I am close by but not in there line I try to go ahead and be at my ball doing club selection tasks and getting ready to hit as soon as they are complete. If someone is struggling to get up on the green I go ahead finish the hole, especially if it looks like they are going to max out what they can even write down. There is no point on waiting for someone to chip that 7th shot up on the green.
 
1. Tee up when ready. Wait for birdies generally but that can be overlooked for various reasons.
2. Riding in a cart - Drive to a ball get your crap and get out the cart. Drive to the 2nd ball. When 1st player hits then they walk back towards cart as the 2nd player is hitting. 2nd person should get yardage and club while 1st person is hitting. The only time to delay this is if it is not safe to drive cart to 2nd ball in fear of getting hit.
3. I will drop you off where you think your ball went into garbage. Take a club with you (snakes in the desert) and start looking. I am going to my ball and hitting it while you start your search. Once I hit then I come back and help you. Your 3 minutes start once I drive off.
4. I hit a provisional if I think there is any chance of not finding a ball. There are some courses I play that once it hits outside the rough then it is almost impossible to find. Some are super easy. It is better to be safe then sorry.
5. On the greens, clean up if you can without stepping on line (including through). Speak up on the order. Say, "it's me then Tim" so that Tim is ready to play when you putt. I always say if I am going to mark or finish as soon as the ball stops rolling so that the next person knows they are on the clock.

Just some of the things I do.
 
To me it is simple. Go through your pre-shot analysis while other are hitting whenever possible. So if I slightly out drive my buddy, we usually get to our ball about the same time, while he is hitting I should go through my analysis and be ready to execute my pre-shot routine and shot in short order. If I am the short person and hitting first, I go through my routine as normal and while my friends prep.

Another thing we do is not worry about who has the honor on a tee box. Typically in my normal group short hitters hit first. For instance, when my father in law played with us he was in his 60s and was the short hitter. We always let him tee off first while we waited for the group ahead to clear the landing for longer hitters in our group. Then I would go, then my two buddies that normally out drove me by 15 to 20 yards. It was a way to keep our group playing while we waited on the one ahead. For us it was not about being "fast" per say but to be ready to play your shot efficiently.
 
Being ready to play your next shot, as long as it is safe to do so, as quickly as possible.
I always laugh when people are concerned about honors on the tee box..... but I made birdie so I should be first to tee off.... if that's how you feel, be ready to go then.

I don't want you to feel rushed, but at the same time, I don't want to have to wait on your "routine".
 
braddman19;n8875776 said:
Being ready to play your next shot, as long as it is safe to do so, as quickly as possible.
I always laugh when people are concerned about honors on the tee box..... but I made birdie so I should be first to tee off.... if that's how you feel, be ready to go then.

I don't want you to feel rushed, but at the same time, I don't want to have to wait on your "routine".

Agreed, that was drilled into me when I first started, my father-in-law would say your to slow, be ready to hit. Now I do not even think of it. Everyone of the guys in my groups plays at a decent pace. The shortest and slowest of us is a pretty efficient player simply because he does not want to get razzed by the rest of us. The few times we had all 6 usuals playing off the same tee box, we could finish in 4.5 hours or less.
 
Honors on the tee seems silly to me. Does it really matter who tees off first? I always like to play as the first who gets there and sets his ball down is the first to play.

Greens should be ready golf as well. If you're not in someones line, and so long as you're both not putting at the exact point where you have a chance of the balls colliding, then putt away. That's how we like to play and it certainly speeds up a round of golf.

I get so tired of guys who argue about who is away when the difference in length is a few inches. Just f**king putt! I know for some guys it's an ego trip. That sense of satisfaction that you're slightly closer to the hole than your playing partner. You are not the guy I want to play this great game with.
 
PhillyV;n8875633 said:
Since the talk of the game now is slow pace and its negative affect on golf it got me thinking about all the times on the course I have been more frustrated by playing partners not being ready and not necessarily slow pace. While I think a lack of "Ready Golf" can lead to slow pace and is a major cause of it, whats your take on it? Is ready golf the best way to speed up pace? Should it be used on tour?

I think ready golf is all part of the conversation for tour play, but I don't think it's necessary. I can only imagine the complaints coming from a select few when guys like Koepka walk up to the green after hitting their ball, only to wait beside it for those still back in the fairway to play their shots hahaha

It would likely just magnify the problem of slow play.
 
I agree with the first to the tee box goes first, to a point. The exception should be if you are waiting for a group ahead to clear the fairway, there are times when letting the shortest hitter go first would be quicker. There have been many times I've been paired with guys that hit much longer than I do, and they will tee up a ball and wait for the group ahead to get out of range, while I could have hit away while he was waiting.
 
OldeDude;n8875813 said:
I agree with the first to the tee box goes first, to a point. The exception should be if you are waiting for a group ahead to clear the fairway, there are times when letting the shortest hitter go first would be quicker. There have been many times I've been paired with guys that hit much longer than I do, and they will tee up a ball and wait for the group ahead to get out of range, while I could have hit away while he was waiting.

That's a good strategy, but it still comes down to hurry up and wait.

You're either waiting for them to clear the green longer, or waiting for them to clear the fairway longer. I call it 'going nowhere fast' hahaha
 
Be completely ready to pull the trigger when it is your turn. If being at your ball does not impede play of others in your group, be there and shoot your yardage and select your club. Same would apply on the green. If on a different side of the hole from the player putting, read your line while they are putting and be ready to putt when it is your turn.
 
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