Ready Golf: What does it mean to you?

I think there is outdated thinking associated with playing ready golf.... like 3 players waiting at or near the player who is the furthest from the hole. Everyone needs to go to your ball unless youre in danger of being hit or youre in a players line. Do all of your prep like get yardage and maybe a pin location as soon as you get there. Then hit when its your turn.

This is what I consider ready golf.
 
zbeekner4;n8875852 said:
I think there is outdated thinking associated with playing ready golf.... like 3 players waiting at or near the player who is the furthest from the hole. Everyone needs to go to your ball unless youre in danger of being hit or youre in a players line. Do all of your prep like get yardage and maybe a pin location as soon as you get there. Then hit when its your turn.

This is what I consider ready golf.

I agree with this. I often walk directly to my ball unless I simply cannot. Sometimes I know I've got time so I will walk to my ball, get the distance, put on my glove, and then get out of the way. Do as much as you can to be ready when it is your turn.

I also think that not everyone should be looking for the lost ball - have one person go hit and then take shifts during that three minute period. It keeps things moving.
 
Play Ready Golf - hit your ball when you're ready regardless of who is furthest away. Agree not everyone needs to hunt for a ball.

Exception to Ready Golf - Match Play.
 
What used to be a mindset is now just habit. Pretty much what others have mentioned. I've recently cut way back on looking for balls hit into the woods and tall grass or near the water - especially if the shot went way into it (most of my rounds are very casual so I'm not talking about league or tournament play). Hit a provisional or take a drop and move on.

What I won't do is take a chance - even if it's slight by other's standards - of hitting into the group in front. I don't mean using that once-in-a-blue-moon shot as a gauge for distance, but if someone is right at the outer range of a good drive, I'll wait. I probably use the phrase "there's no chance of me reaching them" right before I hit far too often.
 
Molten;n8875915 said:
I agree with this. I often walk directly to my ball unless I simply cannot. Sometimes I know I've got time so I will walk to my ball, get the distance, put on my glove, and then get out of the way. Do as much as you can to be ready when it is your turn.

I also think that not everyone should be looking for the lost ball - have one person go hit and then take shifts during that three minute period. It keeps things moving.

Definitely this. I head directly over to my ball and get ready to hit. If I notice whomever is behind me is taking their time for whatever reason, I just go ahead and hit. No sense in waiting.

The lost ball thing is great. The only time I want anyone to help me find a ball in the rough of bushes, is if I see them standing around doing nothing. If they go ahead and play, I'm a happy camper.
 
"Ready golf" is the panacea to all slow play ills. Not. While, it is a good practice to be ready to hit when it's your turn, I just haven't seen it be a big issue (anecdotal evidence, I know). What I have seen be an issue is on the green everyone acting like they are putting to win a Green Jacket. Usually it's a routine issue combined with a ready golf issue.
 
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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 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The problem with ready golf on the Tour is Television. It would never work. You have one player hitting at a time while there is a camera man behind that guy. Then he moves over behind the next guy. Now they can be ready to hit & do all their pre-shot routine & such beforehand but that's not going to add up to much.
 
DonJuan;n8875962 said:
"Ready golf" is the panacea to all slow play ills. Not. While, it is a good practice to be ready to hit when it's your turn, I just haven't seen it be a big issue (anecdotal evidence, I know). What I have seen be an issue is on the green everyone acting like they are putting to win a Green Jacket. Usually it's a routine issue combined with a ready golf issue.

Sometimes it just takes one guy who can't seem to function if anybody else is moving or standing in his field of vision. Usually this guy get's his way since everyone wants to be polite.
 
ArmyGolf;n8875981 said:
Sometimes it just takes one guy who can't seem to function if anybody else is moving or standing in his field of vision. Usually this guy get's his way since everyone wants to be polite.

I don't know what it is. That could be the case. The last two times I've played we were stuck behind five-somes of elderly gentlemen. They were good players. Hit the ball fairly long and straight and played pretty fast. Until they got to the green. It literally was 5-7 minutes at every green. And I couldn't even tell what the hold up was - reading the green, tending the flagstick (in vs. out), trying not to step in each other's line, trying to figure out who's away.
 
Molten;n8875915 said:
I agree with this. I often walk directly to my ball unless I simply cannot. Sometimes I know I've got time so I will walk to my ball, get the distance, put on my glove, and then get out of the way. Do as much as you can to be ready when it is your turn.

I also think that not everyone should be looking for the lost ball - have one person go hit and then take shifts during that three minute period. It keeps things moving.

Yea agreed. I think the lost ball fiasco is tough. Im not in favor of 4 guys looking for a lost ball either. And you only help after you hit your own ball too if it’s in reasonable distance.



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Gonna reply then read. It means to me and ppl I play with when we're ready to hit we hit. We don't hit while others are hitting but we don't mess around. Played in 3 hours today
 
Ready golf should be used in as many situations as possible. However you still have the guys with the long, drawn out preshot routine that is going to undo any time saved. We have one in my men's league group that plays ready golf but then we're still stuck sitting there watching his routine.
 
DonJuan;n8875962 said:
"Ready golf" is the panacea to all slow play ills. Not. While, it is a good practice to be ready to hit when it's your turn, I just haven't seen it be a big issue (anecdotal evidence, I know). What I have seen be an issue is on the green everyone acting like they are putting to win a Green Jacket. Usually it's a routine issue combined with a ready golf issue.

I’m going to have to slightly disagree with you. I think ready golf can be a fix for a lot of issues with slow play, if not all slow play issues. Ready golf is very much a mentality. I don’t often see players with long drawn out routines playing true ready golf. A long routine for any shot is an anathema to the idea of ready golf. The ready golf mentality understands the importance of playing a decent pace, and accepts that a long routine is going to prohibit a quick pace.

To answer the question posed by PhillyV : Ready golf to me, is being ready to hit the ball when it’s your turn, and your turn starts as soon as you get to your ball, and it’s safe to play your shot. For me when I’m walking I walk up to the point of the person that’s farthest away from the ball (if I’m close to their line at all) and while they’re hitting their shot, I’m mentally prepping for my shot. As soon as they finish their swing I’m on my way to my ball, and usually ready to hit within a minute of arriving at my ball. Hit the ball, do it again.
 
pmm21;n8875791 said:
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.

I've got a pretty rare and extreme case for when honors could have played a role in an outcome on the course. My grandfather was playing in a best-ball outing when he and his partner came up to a Par-3 "Win a Car with a Hole-in-one" hole. My grandfather birdied the previous hole, while his partner made par. Considering he always played ready golf, he let his partner tee-off first as he was ready to go first. His playing partner sinks his tee shot for a hole-in-one and wins the car. My grandfather tees it up next and miraculously makes a hole-in-one as well, however instead of a car (only the first to make it gets the car) the pro shop gave him $100 gift certificate. Needless to say, he was pretty salty about not taking honors on the tee box that day!
 
BuckNasty;n8876240 said:
I've got a pretty rare and extreme case for when honors could have played a role in an outcome on the course. My grandfather was playing in a best-ball outing when he and his partner came up to a Par-3 "Win a Car with a Hole-in-one" hole. My grandfather birdied the previous hole, while his partner made par. Considering he always played ready golf, he let his partner tee-off first as he was ready to go first. His playing partner sinks his tee shot for a hole-in-one and wins the car. My grandfather tees it up next and miraculously makes a hole-in-one as well, however instead of a car (only the first to make it gets the car) the pro shop gave him $100 gift certificate. Needless to say, he was pretty salty about not taking honors on the tee box that day!
Ok that's fair

Posted by my thumbs.
 
We play ready golf , especially amongst the seniors. Our four balls rarely take as much as four hours. When we get to the tee , first to be ready is first to play. Some of us are happy to grab a club and tee off while the other guys are marking the cards. Takes the pressure off the slower players and helps keep us speedsters happy.
 
I love ready golf but my regular group doesn’t need to really play ready golf unless the course is open in front of us. Yesterday the course was full so we did such things as honors and regular putting order. We finished the front nine in 1:45 walking before getting rained out on the 10th hole. Playing ready golf is only necessary for us if the course is wide open. When it is we can finish in about 3 hours walking.
 
McLovin;n8875701 said:
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.

oh man, this one drives me nuts too. good call on that
 
PhillyV;n8876295 said:
oh man, this one drives me nuts too. good call on that

this one is interesting though, and probably is more rooted in why someone plays golf.

personally, i play golf for the golf. it's why i am enamored by a round by myself on an empty course. others play golf for the opportunity to socialize with friends and family. it could be fishing, or bowling, or a bike ride. it just so happens to be on the golf course. for those people, i imagine the ability to connect and socialize is the biggest reason they play, so taking that away from them may impact their enjoyment.
 
I don't know about on tour! Those guys are playing for real money, let them take some (not an infinite amount of) time over putts and club selection. We play 'shoot and scoot', makes no never mind to me if the pin is 120 or 123. I'm just trying to get on the green! Putt it till you hole it unless you're in somebody's line.
 
Be ready to hit always, who ever is ready first, just go. this means off the tee, fairway or putting. Honors on the tee only for birdies or better. If the guy with the honor is ready fine, but if they are fumbling around for something, too bad, someone else goes. This is how me an my buddies play.
 
dazeedmonds;n8876183 said:
I’m going to have to slightly disagree with you. I think ready golf can be a fix for a lot of issues with slow play, if not all slow play issues. Ready golf is very much a mentality. I don’t often see players with long drawn out routines playing true ready golf. A long routine for any shot is an anathema to the idea of ready golf. The ready golf mentality understands the importance of playing a decent pace, and accepts that a long routine is going to prohibit a quick pace.

To answer the question posed by PhillyV : Ready golf to me, is being ready to hit the ball when it’s your turn, and your turn starts as soon as you get to your ball, and it’s safe to play your shot. For me when I’m walking I walk up to the point of the person that’s farthest away from the ball (if I’m close to their line at all) and while they’re hitting their shot, I’m mentally prepping for my shot. As soon as they finish their swing I’m on my way to my ball, and usually ready to hit within a minute of arriving at my ball. Hit the ball, do it again.

Maybe you're right. Usually when I hear people say a golf isn't playing ready golf they're referring to them watching others hit, etc. I'm speaking about what I see at the courses I play. Many here at THP play more golf than I do so YMMV. The problem is that what constitutes "long drawn out routines" is relative. You say that you are ready to hit within a minute of arriving at your ball. To some that might not be ready golf. I generally hit within 15 seconds of getting to my ball, but I'm fine with you hitting within 1 minute. What ready golf is becoming is shorthand for speed golf.
 
I didn't read all the responses, but from the first 9 or 10, it looked like they were pretty much spot on.

I'd say, hit when ready as long as you won't interfere with others. Walk straight to your ball (or straight back to it when you realize you missed it and walked past it). If you can't hit yet, at least check your distance, laser the flag, check your GPS, pick a club, put your glove on, and whatever else you need to do before you are free to hit.

Jman, since you said order is important on the tee, I'm wondering, do you stress that greatly with your players or just the birdie or better that many do. Heck, for me, unless it's a competitive situation against someone else, I think the order on the tee is insignificant. Furthermore, I'd almost prefer to go last as it'll give me an indication of how much the wind is gonna mess with the ball, etc.

For those who say to putt away when you're ready on the green, I wonder, if two players putt simultaneously and the balls hit, who is penalized? Both?
 
At your ball, mental routine complete, physical routine ready to begin when it’s your turn to hit.
 
It means doing as much as you can to be ready to hit before it's actually your turn to hit and, when it would improve the flow and pace of play, hitting even if it's not your turn according to the rules of golf.
 
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