PACE OF PLAY by Lee Trivino and Mesa Del Sol Golf Club

This is a friendly reminder to everyone to be mindful of their pace of play while out on the golf course.

The expected pace of play for a foursome is 4 hours and 10 minutes. We’ve had some days where groups are making the turn in 2 hours and 30 minutes. This is simply too long. Please remember that your pace of play affects every group playing behind you. There is no need to rush your actual golf shot. Fast play isn’t accomplished by hurrying your shots. It is accomplished by simply not wasting time. Slow rounds are a result of an accumulation of tiny time wasters.

Please be part of the solution and follow these simple tips to keep things moving along, and have more fun in the process!!

1 – Play “Ready Golf” I can’t emphasize this enough — Play Ready Golf. When you roll up to the tee box – grab your club and hit your tee shot. No need to worry about who has honors. Don’t start telling a story on the tee box if the fairway is open in front of you. Out on the fairway or in the rough – you don’t have to wait for the person who is farthest away to hit their shot. If the other players are not at their ball and ready to go, and it is safe to do so, go ahead and hit your shot. Same thing on the green. If one player is raking a bunker or still walking to the green – go ahead and putt.

2 – If you aren’t hitting your shot, get ready to play. Figure out your yardage, your club selection and your target while others are hitting their shot. Don’t wait until it is your turn to begin the process of figuring these things out. Then when it is your turn, you are ready to go.

3 – Don’t wait in the cart for your partner. Whenever possible, drop your partner off at their ball and drive or walk over to your ball and get ready. Take a couple of clubs if needed.

4 – At the green – pull your cart well past the pin (keeping on the cart path). Park your cart or place your bag well past the location of the pin in a position where the group behind you can hit their approach shots to the green promptly after your group walks off the green and it is on your way to the next tee.

5 – When finished putting – Promptly Drive Away. Write down scores and put on club covers on at the next tee box. The group behind you is waiting to hit their approach shots, so please vacate the area as quickly as possible. When finished putting out at the 18th green – please drive away to do scoring and put away your belongings. It is distracting to the golfers playing their approach shots on 18 to have carts parked behind the green.

6 – Continuous Putting. Folks, there is no need to mark every 2- footer. You shouldn’t rush, but go ahead and tap that right in. When possible, continuous putting will help pace of play. Once you start putting, keep going until your ball is in the hole.

7 – Keep up with the group in front of you. If you fall behind, take steps to catch up. A foursome should be able to keep up with the foursome ahead of them. We all fall behind from time-to-time. When you do, please take steps to catch up. When two players finish putting out, they can leave the green and go to the next tee box and hit their tee shots.

8 – Last but not least, as Manolo Vega says: “Waggle that $#!+, Smack that $#!+, and that’s it!” Here’s Manola’s video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zuy3j_AvFk