How Slow Play is Affecting Golf in a Negative Way

The game of golf is known for being a mental game. Legendary golfer Bobby Jones said it best, “golf is a game played on a five-inch course, the distance between your ears.” This means each shot a golfer hits takes preparation. You have to see what the distance to the hole is, what the wind is doing around you, and then finally you have to execute the shot. However, there are many professional golfers who may take this to the extreme by taking a significant amount of time to prepare for and hit their shot. Some professional golfers take a couple minutes to hit a shot, and this is becoming a problem. Being a collegiate golfer, I know how difficult it is to play with slow players. The United States Golf Association (USGA), has been trying to fix this problem by implementing new rules in order to speed up a golfers pace of play. The USGA states “players should recognize how 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 (and usually in less time) after the player is able to play without interference or distraction. Additionally, committees should adopt a Pace of Play Policy rather than only say they may do so."

Personally, I try to play as fast as I can, but also play slow enough to think about a shot and make sure I’m not rushing myself. There are professional golfers, though, who are influencing amateur and recreational golfers like myself who can take as long as they want on a shot and not get penalized for it. However, this has been a controversial subject in golf in recent years. Many professionals have spoken about this, complaining it’s not helping growing the game in any way. Professional golfer Adam Scott said, “the tour is an entertainment business and a big money maker for a lot of people.” Additionally, Scott added, “until sponsors and TV tell the commissioner you guys play too slow and we’re not putting money up, it’s a waste of time talking about it because it’s not going to change.” This problem, even though it has been established as a rule, needs to be stopped because at the rate we’re going, slow play will be just a formality for everyone.