This Pace of Play policy has been adopted to ensure members and visitors’ rounds are played in an appropriate interval of time to make golf more enjoyable for everyone, by:

• Ensuring players keep pace with the GROUP AHEAD;
• Establishing a minimum 4 hours and 15 minutes as the target time for a 4-player group to complete an 18-hole round;
• Establishing a minimum 2 hours and 8 minutes as the target time for a 4-player group to complete a 9-hole round;
• Introducing, educating and enforcing Ready Golf standards;
• Highlighting timesaving hints;
• Monitoring of play and enforcing (R&A Rule 5.6)

What is Ready Golf

Quite simply, Ready Golf is a common-sense approach to play the ball when ready:

• Dismiss all honours; the only EXCEPTION is in Match Play.
• Don’t wait for others before approaching the tee and hitting; it is acceptable for players to “hit when ready, then step back and allow the next ready player to play. This is also the case on the putting greens.
• Always proceed to your ball as quickly as possible.
• Play the ball as soon as it is safe to do so.
• Play a provisional ball if you think your original ball might be lost or out of bounds.

At the First Tee Box

• Always be ready to play.
• Be on the First tee 5 minutes before your allocated tee-time.
• Play from the tees that are comfortable for you.
• Ensure your guests understand pace expectations before they tee off.
• Try alternate forms of play to speed up your round — Match Play, Stableford, Best-Ball . . .
• DO NOT Tee-off BEFORE your tee-time unless advised by the Starter to do so.
• Know the Rules of Golf and Elbow Golf Club Local Rules, including those about out of bounds, penalty areas and lost balls.

Don't Waste Time

• Never record scores on or near the green. Count strokes and write scores at the next tee.
• Don’t leave a cart/bag in front of the green. Leave it to the side towards the next tee.
• Carry extra tees, balls and ball markers in your pocket.
• Plan your shot and select your club when approaching your ball.
• Only take one (1) practice swing, and prepare yourself while others are hitting.
• If safe to do so, encourage players on incorrect fairways to play through.
• Quickly purchase food/drink. If out of position, do not stop for a conversation. Remember the pace of play includes time for picking up food and restroom breaks)
• Do not give lessons/instruction on the course. Reserve that for a practice session.

On the Tee

• The first player ready to play should do so as soon as it is safe.
• Encourage your playing partners to tee off as soon as they are ready. (Except in Matchplay)
• Other players should wait right next to the tee markers.
• All players should watch other shots to help pinpoint the position of the ball.
• When in doubt, notify your team and hit a provisional ball.
• After hitting, each player should return to their clubs and be ready to proceed to their ball.

On the Green

• Park clubs/cart beside the green in line with the next tee and leave the green promptly after holing out
• Study the line, slope, grain, etc. before it is your turn.
• Mark your ball and lift and clean it when you arrive at the putting green to be ready to replace it when it is your turn to play.
• If you are able to without disturbing other players, line up your putt while others are putting.
• Leave Flagstick in the hole.
• Encourage your playing partners to putt, if they are ready to do so. Except in Matchplay
• Follow continuous putting rules until holed out, unless restricted by another player’s line.
• If your team is falling behind the team in front:
  • When the first player is finished putting, they should proceed to the next tee (without disturbing the other players yet to putt). There is no point three people standing around doing nothing when the group needs to catch up.

Keep Up with the Group in Front of You

• Always keep up to the group in front of you. Your group should always be focused on the team in front of you not behind you.
• Your correct position on the course is immediately behind the group in front of you, NOT immediately in front of the group behind you.
• If necessary, encourage your playing partners to maintain a good pace of play.
• Arrive at your next shot just before the group in front leaves the area in front of you.
• You should be on the cross-over tee box (your back 9) within 2hours and 8 minutes from your starting tee time. (i.e., if you started at 10 am, you should be on the 10^th tee box at 12:08 pm)
• If you are consistently not able to keep up and a gap opens in front of you, invite the group behind you to play through.

Keep Your Pre-Shot Routine Short

• Pick your line of play once and trust yourself.
• Try to take no more than one practice swing.
• Be ready to hit when it is your turn.
• Be efficient after your shot moving toward your next shot promptly.

Develop an Eye for Distance

• Plan your shot before you get to your ball
• Determine your yardage and make your club selection before it is your turn to play.
• If you need to determine precise distance, find a yardage marker before you reach your ball, then step off the yardage on the way to your ball. Or, use an electronic range-finder or GPS.

 When Sharing a Cart, Use a Buddy System

• Don’t wait in the cart while your cart mate hits and then drive to your ball. Get out and walk to your ball with a few clubs.
• Be ready to play when it is your turn and then let your cart mate pick you up. Or, drive to your ball after you drop your cart mate off and then pick him or her up after you hit.

 Be Helpful to Others in Your Group

• Follow the flight of all tee shots, not just your own. Once in the fairway, help others look for their ball if you already know the location of yours.
• Fill in a divot or rake a bunker for another player if needed.

 Monitoring and Enforcing

• Follow the Marshal’s directions at all times and note that Marshalls will ask you to pick up your pace should it be deemed your team be lagging behind the team in front of your group.
• Members should not hesitate to report slow players to the Pro Shop so that we can advise those members of our pace of policy and direct them to these helpful hints on how to play ready golf.