Many golf players are able to play nine-holes of golf in just about two hours. However, life happens, and there are some situations that could prolong your playing time. Here you will get a heap of information to ensure you slice your time on the course.
Elements That Affect Your Pace of Play
Quite a few issues can disturb the pace at which you play on the golf course. If you want to shorten your time on the course, pay attention to the following.
Number of Players
A rising component to how fast you can quickly sink nine-holes, is the number of players with you on the course.
Two people will play much faster than say four players.
Then again you might just be better off playing alone. One player can finish nine-holes even faster.
Unfortunately, not all golf courses allow one player at a time. This is particularly true if it’s a busy course. It might happen that the pro shop will set you up with another golfer if you want to play alone.
Skill Level
Your level of skill also plays a part in how fast you will play.
If you are new to golf, you might spend quite a bit of your time looking for lost tee shots. Looking for a missing ball can gobble a big lump of your time. In contrast, other experienced golf players position many of their shots in the fairway. This leaves them with more time for the actual game than looking for balls.
Furthermore, beginner players have trouble finding their feet on the putting green. It’s not rare for new golf players to take three or four putts to hit the ball in the hole.
Walking VS Wheels
Here you will have to make a bit of a tough choice. Walking the golf course is fantastic exercise for your heart which burns tons of calories. But, it typically takes more time to play nine-holes while you are on your feet.
You might not get as much exercise when driving a golf cart as you would by walking, but you can cut your time short. You’ll be able to get to your golf ball considerably faster- depending on the club’s cart rules for the day.
Size Matters
The size of the golf course matters. For instance, you can play a nine-hole course with many Par 3s a lot quicker in comparison to a nine-hole course with a couple of Par 5s.
There are golfers who enjoy playing on exclusive courses- this is where all of the holes are short Par 3s.
On these nine-hole courses, many golf players can conclude their game in as little as an hour.
Fun fact, most Par 3 holes can be played in just nine minutes. This is due to the fact that Par 3s are considerably smaller when compared to their Par 4 and Par 5 counterparts.
On average a player can finish, a Par 4 hole in about 12 minutes. Par 5s are the lengthiest holes on the golf course and as a result take the longest time to play.
Traffic on the Golf Course
How crowded or busy the golf course is can significantly impact the time you spend playing. We have found that reserving a tee time for nine holes on a casual Tuesday evening is typically much faster than playing nine holes on a sunny Saturday. Golf is a weekend sport and most courses are frequently crowded with people during these times.
As soon as you find yourself in a busy course, you could end up having to wait more than a few minutes on each hole before teeing off.
For example, waiting just six minutes on every hole increases your time on the course by almost an hour. As the old saying goes, patience is a virtue, especially on the golf course.
Course Difficulty
Each course has its set of unique challenges. Think of things like water hazards and bunkers. These obstacles delay your intended finishing time a lot more than a more stress-free course with less complications.
As soon as you hit a ball into a water hazard, quite a lot of time can be wasted. You have to make sure your shot is not playable by ensuring it went into the water.
Then you have to either hit another tee shot or take a drop close to the water hazard.
Does it make sense how lots of time can go by because of errant shot? This can even delay more time if a group has a few imprecise shots per hole.
Another hindrance would be shots in the bunker. They have a tendency to slow down the pace of play. It could take you a while to get in and out of a bunker, especially if you take some time to rake the bunker afterward- that’s just proper manners by the way.
You might also need several strokes to get out of a deep bunker, especially if you find yourself faced with a bad lie.
Thunderbolts and Lightning
Nothing can “rain down” on your golf game more than a bad weather delay.
Even though most golf courses will allow you to play in the rain, your game will be interrupted at the sight of any slight indications of lightning. This is a compulsory approach in all golf courses to avoid injuries.
Generally, golf courses follow a regulation that stops all play when a lightning bolt that is subsequent to thunder in less than 30 seconds is observed.
This is considered a threat to life and limb and a delay must be imposed.
Tips to Avoid Delays
Hey! check out these valuable tips you can carefully implement to avoid your 9-Hole golf game being delayed
Make A Tee Time
It isn’t very wise to just show up on the golf course when you want. Obviously the course doesn’t know you are on your way and to admit walk-ons, their staff typically have to places golf players in groups to free up space on the tee sheet for other golfers.
You can avoid playing with other visitors or waiting in line by giving the course a call in advance or through their website to book a tee time.
This will let the course management know you will be there and they are likely to help you with anything you need for the game.
Playing After lunch
Having Booked a tee time might not be enough to ensure that you have enough time to play through nine-holes quickly.
In many instances, you should play between 13:00 and 15:00 PM.
This is the best time as you won’t be sandwiched between morning traffic or late evening playing. Just make certain that you get in contact with the course or make an online booking.
By reserving your afternoon spot, you will in all likelihood have a nice peaceful time on the golf course.
Why you Should Play 9-Holes
Besides the obvious benefit of saving you a heap of time, there are other whimsical benefits to playing a game of 9 holes.
Reserve Your Energy
It is common for many golf players that when they get to the ninth hole, they call it a day.
Strengthening your resilience to be able to play more than nine holes will take a bit of time and practice.
When you have done this you can gradually try to play eighteen holes in record time. For now, stick to the nine.
When you get tired from the physical strain of the game, you place a huge risk on improving your golf game.
Exhaustion will cause you to make lazy shots that will leave you irritated with the game.
It’s Budget Friendly
Golfing can burn a hole in your pocket.
Becoming equal to the world’s best, will require you to spend a bit of time out on the golf course. Playing nine holes can not only save you time and physical exhaustion, but it will also save you from extravagant expenses in comparison to an 18-hole game.
There are golf courses that can give you a cheaper rate on the green and cart charges for a nine-hole game.
Walking a nine-hole game can even save you from spending on a cart fee at all.
Conclusion
Aren’t we as golf players just so lucky to have the option of playing nine-holes?
Playing nine- holes saves time, which was the focus here, and gives you the means to squeeze in a quick round in your own free time.
Don’t forget about the fact that it also saves you money.
By following the above advice, we are confident that when you have the urge to play a quick round, you will take careful consideration of our tips and guidelines. Time for you to book that afternoon tee time before someone else beats you to it.
