Be Prepared and Be Ready to Play
SMGA events can at times be a bit lethargic. Everyone likes to play along at their own pace, not waiting on the group in front of them. For many of us, waiting on a slower foursome can take its toll on concentration and quality of play. No one really thinks they’re slow, but we should all make a conscious effort to stay on the heels of the group in front of us – even if the ones behind us aren’t pushing. Your correct position on the course is immediately behind the group in front of you, not immediately in front of the group behind you. A few thoughts on some of the ways we can keep the pace of play moving right along for the enjoyment of everyone:
  Ready Golf – on the tee, in the fairway or on the green, if you’re ready and it won’t interfere with the play of your partners, hit away. Etiquette is a part of the game, but if a fellow player isn’t ready to go, let him get prepared while you hit your shot. If you remove your glove between shots, put it back on before it’s your turn at bat.
  Line up the putt early – as you walk to the green or while others are putting you can prepare for your own putt. Don’t wait until it’s your turn to start the process.
  Continuous Putting – the SMGA hasn’t adopted a specific policy of encouragement, but our pace on the greens can generally be improved if you finish putting when you miss. Today’s softspikes on firm greens don’t make a noticeable mark if you don’t shuffle your feet.
  Do you gain anything by remarking and resetting your ball before a follow-up putt? Can you learn to putt without lining up the lines and logos? The putting process can be quite successful without being overly deliberate.
  If you can’t improve upon your team score or are out of a match play hole, pick up and take your “most likely” score for that hole.
  Don’t re-putt the one you missed. Putting practice belongs on the practice green. Exit the green promptly when all players have made their putts.
  Skip the distance crutch – the courses are marked and in most cases you can probably judge the distance to the center of the green (where you should be headed) without a Sky Caddy or Laser. Work on developing an eye for distance. And we definitely don’t have any SMGA players good enough to need a second opinion from another electronic crutch.
  Get a little exercise – don’t sit in the cart while your partner hits if your ball is within walking distance. Based on where your ball sits, grab a couple of clubs and the sand bottle and start planning your shot while walking that direction. When we’re “cart path only” be sure to take one club longer and one club shorter than what looks likely.
  Practice on the range – one practice swing should be plenty on the course.
  Park at the back – don’t leave your cart near the front of the green regardless of the pin position – drive around to the side/end toward the next tee.
  Leave the green promptly – mark your scorecard and put away your putter after you get to the next tee.
  Tee it forward – if you’ve lost distance, consider moving to shorter tees and enjoy the game again. The SMGA applies rule 3-5, a USGA accommodation for adjusting the handicap when players in the same competition are using different tees. See the rule spelled out on the SMGA bulletin board in the computer room.
  Put a sock in it - Never delay making a stroke because you're having a conversation with a playing partner. Put the conversation on hold, make your stroke, then pick up the conversation again.
It’s a game of integrity and etiquette, so let’s all do our part to keep up with the group ahead and keep the pace of play enjoyable on the SaddleBrooke courses.