The Captain Answers is a regular column for Keppel members to ask questions relating to golf at Keppel Club. If you have any questions or suggestions for the Captain, email them to: thecaptainanswers@keppelclub.com.sg.
Publication of the questions received is at the discretion of the Newsletter
Sub-Committee.
Slow Play – ways to speed up my game
Question: What can we do when our game is slow?
Vice-Captain Wong Kok Leong says:
Slow play can be a very disruptive and distractive aspect of golf for the flights behind. To totally ignore the impact of slow play on other golfers is not very polite and, to some extent, unsportsmanlike.
In February’s issue of the e-Keppel Links, Captain Anthony Maniam gave some tips on what you can do when you are stuck behind a slow flight of golfers. In this issue, I wish to discuss what we can do if we ourselves are slow in our game.
The likelihood that your flight is slow is when:
- The flight ahead of you is more than a hole away.
- The flight behind you is already at the tee box waiting for you to tee off for most of the holes.
- You are more than 15 minutes behind the time schedule showed on the buggy and no reasons for the delay, such as inclement weather.
Our helpful marshals will alert you when your flight is holding up the rest of the field and will urge you to speed up play when deemed necessary.
Here are some tips you can adopt to speed up play:
- Play ‘ready’ golf
Whoever is ready can play first. If you are ready to play, inform your flight mates and ensure that they are out of your way. In addition, a very experienced golfer once suggested that the golfers in the front buggy should always putt first. As soon as they have finished putting, they should proceed to the next tee box and tee off while the golfers in the back buggy complete their putts.
- Position your buggy
Park your buggy a little ahead of the ball so you don’t need to walk back after playing your ball.
- Bring enough clubs
For ‘buggy on track’ days, bring along several clubs and give yourself a choice of clubs needed to get your ball to where you want it to be.
- Pick up the ball after several bad shots
Unless you are participating in a stroke play competition, do pick up the ball after several bad shots. A good guide would be when a double par score for that hole is inevitable.
- Avoid taking or making telephone calls
Avoid taking or making telephone calls during the game unless it is an emergency.
- Read the green ahead
Read the green as you move towards the green while others are putting, instead of reading only when it is your turn to putt.
- Play from the tee box that commensurate with your handicap
You will enjoy your golf better that way.
The above tips are just a few of the many ways you can speed up your golf game. If you have other ways that others can benefit from, please share with us to make golf @ Sime enjoyable for everyone.