Slow Play Policy

It is the responsibility of the board to ensure that all members have an equal and fair venue on which to play tournament golf. It is also the boards responsibility to ensure that members enjoy the round.

To that end, the one subject that the board hears from members is pace of play.

While we are all different types of player, the one thing that just about all golfers can agree on is the monotony of having to wait on each shot, and It makes it difficult to get into a rhythm.

Some of the USGA rules of golf address some of these concerns:

Rule 5.6

Players should recognize that their pace of play affects others and they should play promptly throughout the round (such as by preparing in advance for each stroke and moving promptly between strokes and in going to the next tee) A player should make a stroke in no more than 40 seconds after the player is able to play without interference or distraction

Rule 6.4

New rule (Ready Golf) expressly allows playing out of turn in match play by agreement, and for stroke play, will affirmatively allow and encourage players to play out of turn in a safe and responsible way to save time or for convenience

Rule 18.2

The time for a ball search (before the ball becomes lost) will be reduced from 5 minutes to 3 minutes.

Reasoning

Limiting the search period to 3 minutes is more consistent with the underlying principle that golf is to be played in a prompt and continuous way, without long pauses in play. In most cases, if the ball is going to be found, it will be found within the first 3 minutes.

Other observation noted by members that would help speed up play include;

If walking over to your ball, that is on the other side of the fairway from you cart partner, instead of waiting for your playing partner to hit his shot and bring the cart over to you. Take clubs with you and be ready to play when it is your play.
Or when on the putting green, if you like to look at your put from all angles, don’t wait until it’s your play to do so. Do so before it’s your play. Obviously being cognizant to when a player is ready to play.