The PGA Tour thinks it has a slow play problem. Players take too long hit the next shot, which adds up to taking too long to play a round.
But that is the problem, long rounds, not slow play. We need to look at it from that end to see what can be done to cut down time time it takes players to make their way around the course. Where can time be saved?
The solution is so obvious. Walking from the tee to the fairway, and from the fairway to the green is golf’s dead time, and that is where time can be saved.
This year major league baseball installed a pitch clock that requires the pitcher to start his motion 15 seconds after getting the ball back from the catcher, 20 seconds if there is a runner on base.
But if baseball were played like golf, it would be about three minutes between pitches, not 15 seconds.
Let’s get back to golf and cut down the time between shots. How? Golf carts.
The PGA Tour is about to be awash with money from the Saudis. It can use some of that money to buy a fleet of golf carts.
Each pairing would have one cart per player. As soon as the threesome, or twosome, has teed off, the players and caddies would get in a golf cart, driven by a volunteer, and zoom down the fairway to their ball. After the approach shot, carts to the green.
That would cut down the walking time from six minutes to 30 seconds, on average, per hole. THAT is how you get players around the course faster.
One more thing. When a player hits the ball into a place that even 20-handicappers don’t visit, and wants a ruling, TWO rules officials, not one, get summoned. They examine the situation, confer, deliver their ruling and that’s it. Play on.
No holding up the tournament behind you for ten minutes to have your discussion with the rules official. The ruling gets made, end of story, hit the ball. If the player disagrees with the ruling, make the case AFTER the round is over. But until then, just play.
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