March Tip for Players: Six ways to pick up the pace!

We all need the occasional reminder about what we, as players, can do to help create a smooth pace and flow of play on our courses. Some of the following may not be intuitive, but believe me, they make a difference!

Six Ways Players Can Help Improve the Pace of Play...

1. BE ON TIME: Arrive 45 minutes before your tee time. If you change your mind about playing, for heavens sake call and cancel!

2. DON'T TEE OFF BEFORE YOUR STARTING TIME: Ironically, the closer you start to the group ahead of you, the slower your round will be.

3. DON'T ASK TO PLAY A CROWDED COURSE AS A TWOSOME: You'll catch up to the group ahead, spend the day waiting, and contribute to further crowding the course.

4. USE THE PROPER TEES: Your ego isn't a problem when you beg your buddies for strokes, so don't let it keep you from playing the correct tees based on the carry distance of your tee shots.

5. IMPROVE YOUR SHORT GAME: I have watched a lot of play on par threes. According to my count, 81% of players miss the green with their firsts shot, 37% are still not on in two, and 14% haven't arrived in three. A better short game will help your score and your pace of play.

6. BE READY TO PLAY: When it's your turn and it's clear, hit it!

Tip by Bill Yates, Pace Manager Systems

Testimonials

"We cut more than 30 minutes off our average 18-hole round."

Dane Bohrer, PGA, General Manager
"Our pace of play is much better and our members love it."

Alice Plain, PGA, Director of Golf
Vail Golf Club, Colorado
"Bill Yates is the Guru of pace of play."

Paul Spengler, Executive VP
Pebble Beach Golf Links, California
"Bill Yates unquestionably provides the most enlightening analysis of pace of play I have ever seen."

Terry Florence, Director of Golf
Wild Dunes Golf Resort, South Carolina
"What Bill did for us was fantastic. Every golf course should adopt his approach."

Rod Cochrane, General Manager
Predator Ridge Resort, British Columbia
"I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done for us."

Shawn Smith, Director of Golf
Pebble Beach Resort, California
"It’s the best money I’ve ever spent. It’s like you’ve given me an additional course to use."

Perry Cooper, Golf Manager
Jasper Park Lodge, Canada
"We have now put 3:57 on all our range balls."

Alan McGregor, General Manager
St Andrews, Scotland
"Your training sharpened our focus on quality."

Nathan Stith, Director of Golf
Doral Golf Resort and Spa, Florida
"Thanks to Pace Manager, we can now communicate with each other and our guests with facts."

Brian Shaw, Head Golf Professional
Doonbeg Golf Club, Ireland
"Our members and guests couldn’t be more pleased!"

Cary Corbitt, Director of Sports & Operations
Harbour Town Golf Links, South Carolina
"Your program was not an expense; it was a sound investment."

Terry Boldt, Golf Division Manager
City of Calgary Municipal Courses, Canada
"Magnifique!"

Alexis Davet, General Manager
Golf de la Grande Bastide, Provence
"You’ve made a great difference. I always recommend you to other courses."

Frank Jemsek, Owner
Cog Hill Country Club, Illinois
"Thanks to you, we have experienced two magical years of smooth flowing golf and exceptional pace"

Steve Harker, Mgr. Performance Excellence
Osprey Ridge at Disney World, Florida
"We continue to see marked improvement and exceptional quality."

Gregg Lindquist, General Manager
Desert Willow Golf Resort, California
"Thanks to you, the pace of play was better than it’s been in years, even during the Thursday and Friday rounds."

Dawn Coe-Jones, LPGA Tour Player
U.S. Women's Open Championship, Pumpkin Ridge, Oregon
"The pace of play in this championship was better than it has ever been."

David Pepper, R&A Championship Comm. Chair
The Open Championship, Muirfield, Scotland