I remember playing at a small nine hole course in San Leandro, CA, when a threesome asked to play through. Being in no hurry, we stood back and watched in horror as the woman went up to the ladies tee box and hit her ball at the same time her husband hit his ball over her head from the men's tee box. I have never forgotten the sight of this strange lack of consideration for the safety of another - and his wife, to boot!
But what is consideration when playing in a Golf Channel AM Tour Tournament? Is it the same as playing with your friends on a Saturday afternoon? Not always. The Rules of Golf are always to be followed when engaged in golf, but consideration takes on a different aspect during a tournament. Every competitor in a GC AM Tour event needs to be fully aware of the pace of play policies found at SkyCaddie Pace of Play Policy.
In the Etiquette section of the 2010-2011 Rules of Golf under “Priority on the Course”, a single player, a twosome, a threesome and a foursome are all considered “a group”. And a slow group should give consideration to a faster group. But not in a Golf Channel AM Tour tournament. When you find yourself in one of these events, each player's main focus is to play their best and to keep up with the group in front of them.
If your group has fallen behind a full hole, your responsibility is not to let the group behind play through, but to pick up your pace until you catch up to the group ahead. If it is apparent that the group behind you plays faster than your group, you should not let them play through if you are keeping up with the group ahead: you are doing fine. They should adjust their pace to the pace of the tournament. If one or more of your group is looking for lost balls, it is not proper to invite the group behind your group to play through. What is of consideration is the pace of play (see Rule 6-7), so handle the situation properly according to the rules and the pace of play policy of the event. Every player should be familiar with Rule 27 and 28. Proficiency with these two rules will help you with your pace of play. Always help the tournament committee deal with managing speed of play by doing your best to help them maintain a well run event: you don't want to tee them off!
Speaking of tees, you should not tee up your ball unless you are preparing to hit. Play “ready golf”, but don't tee your ball and then walk away while someone else prepares to hit. Not only is your ball an unnecessary distraction, but it limits the area which your opponent has available for his use. As soon as a player has addressed his ball, all players should remain quiet and motionless, remaining in the teeing area until the last player of the group has hit. When you have made a stroke that requires another ball to be played (your ball has gone out of bounds, or a provisional needs to be played), you should wait until everyone in the group has hit their first ball. Then hit your second ball. This not only gives you time to recover from a bad shot, but prevents your opponents from knowing your final situation before their shot. It also might help prevent you from doing the same shot again, and that helps the speed of your group.
On the green, all players should remain around the green until the last player has putted out. Again, movement and noise should be curtailed as soon as a player addresses his ball. And as you approach your ball the first time, you should look for divots that your ball might have caused, and repair them; remembering to never lean on your putter for support, as this may cause damage to the green. Ready yourself for your putt while others are doing the same. Just as you would do in the fairways, don't wait your turn, but utilize preparation times without disturbing the others in your group. Follow the old adage: when its your turn, be ready. And last, but not least, when you can do so without bothering a competitor's line of putt, putt out. The time you save on this hole may be needed on the next,
If we keep these points of consideration for the pace of play in the forefront of our minds, we will not only provide a pleasant experience for others, but we will set an example others may wish to copy; and that will be a consequence for us all to enjoy and from which we all can benefit.
. . . . On Course to save you strokes!
Tom Casady is the Oklahoma Tour Handicap Chairman, a member of the Tournament Committee and is a partner with Scott Chilcutt and Loyd Welch in the operation of the Oklahoma Tour. Tom can be reached @ TC3ofCnC@aol.com
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