Week 13 Recap - Hit the Ball!

Summer's waning. Know how I know? I couldn't see my golf ball on #9 (the ONE shot I hit straight) after I hit it last night because it was too dark out. It was dark out because it was so late. It was late because it took forever to finish nine short holes. It took forever because we had to wait to tee off on every single hole. We had to wait because of people not playing ready golf. There was a very sizable gap last night between the first and second groups, which seems to have slowed the eight groups behind.

I guess it's time for a not-so-friendly reminder that slow play is one of very few things that can make golfing less fun. I've heard from multiple people that they've quit the league or stopped subbing because our league is just too slow. Please help "encourage" your teammates to play ready golf while you're out on the course. I want this to be fun for everyone.

Following these few tips makes a big difference.

• Hit the ball!
• Tee off on time. The first group almost always has a wide open fairway at 4:52. Hit the ball!
• Obviously, keep up with the group ahead of you. They're how you should measure your pace. If they're pulling away from you, you need to take steps to catch up.
• Be ready to hit when it's your turn! That means get to your ball, figure out the distance and the club you need, envision your shot and get into your stance while others are shooting. There is no need to wait until every ball stops rolling before you can begin your pre-shot routine. Hit the ball!
• Even if you're not out, hit if you're ready. Sometimes the player who's out is struggling and needs time to rake, find a ball, get a different club, etc. If you're ready, hit the ball.
• Limit yourself to one practice swing! It's not the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits - hit the ball!
• Give the gimmes (read more about it here). If your opponent's ball is within the leather of the putter, tell him to pick it up. If there are new golfers or subs in your group, tell them about the gimmes. They really can speed up a round.
  
• TAKE the gimmes. I am now diverging a bit from the rule I laid out last season, which says you have the option of putting anyway. For the sake of pace, if someone gives you a putt, pick up the ball, count your stroke (and your blessings). In other words, don't hit the ball!
  
• Watch where your ball is going so you can find it. (I'm not the best at this one.) Lots of time is lost looking for a ball in the wrong place.
• Chat when you're walking to your balls. According to PGA metrics (I'm not making this up) there should be about 49 minutes of just walking to your ball on this course. Between that and the tee box, that's plenty of time to talk. When it's time to get ready to hit, shut yer yap for a minute. Then hit the ball!
• If you have trouble walking quickly, consider using a cart.
• If you're already behind, be judicious about when you solicit the refreshment cart. When possible, hit first, then quench your thirst.

Interesting article about slow play
Amusing commentary on slow play

Rant over.

As for results, the Loescher team swept their way into first, with the help of the Kraus team, who knocked the Moritz team down a peg (two, actually). Andy Taylor led all golfers with a season-low 35, and Dave Rieves was close behind with a 36. There was quite a mix of good scores and bad scores this week, as our league average increased for the second straight time. Just because it's the dog days of summer doesn't mean we have to play like dogs!

Here are updated standings in the race for the Dave W . . . er . . . Sy Brandt Sportsmanship Award. I decided to be sporting about it and let Paul feel good for another week.

1. Paul Schuettler 21.03
2. Dave Wolfe 20.03
3. Tom Weber 19.00
4. Steve Smith 18.63
5. Brad Nelson 17.63
6. Mike Sanders 16.78
7. Mike Warren 16.63
8. John Loescher 15.98
9. Ed Molter 15.75
10. Bob Moritz 15.47