PACEOFPLAY
AccordingtoRule6-7intheRulesofGolf,“Theplayermustplaywithoutunduedelayandin
accordancewithanypaceofplayguidelinesthattheCommitteemayestablish.”Note2
states,“TheCommitteemayestablishpaceofplayguidelineswhichincludemaximum
periodsoftimetocompleteastipulatedround,aholeorastroke.”
Allottedtime
Forathreesome,thebasetimeforaroundis4:12
Par3:12minutes
Par4:14minutes
Par5:16minutes
Forafoursome,thebasetimeforaroundis4:30
Par3:13minutes
Par4:15minutes
Par5:17minutes
TheAllottedTimedoesnottakeintoaccountballsearchesorrulings.Additional
timemaybeaddedtotakeintoaccountdifficultyofcourseorlongwalks.
Outofposition
FailuretocompletetheholebeingplayedinlessthantheAllottedTimeafterthe
groupimmediatelyaheadputtheflagstickinonthathole.Forexample,onaPar4agroup
has14:00:00tocompletetheholeoncethegroupinfrontofthemhasreplacedthe
flagstick.Timesaremeasuredflagsticktoflagstick.
Badtimes
Whenagrouphasfallenoutofpositionagroupisexpectedtoplayanystrokewithin
40seconds.Thetimingofaplayer’sstrokewillbeginwhenhehashadreasonable
opportunitytoreachhisball,itishisturntoplayandhecanplaywithoutinterferenceor
distraction.Timingbeginsaftertheplayerhashadreasonabletimeto
selecthisclub.Ontheputtinggreen,timespentexaminingthelinefrombeyondthehole
and/orbehindtheballwillcountaspartofthetimeforthenextstroke.
Penaltyforbreach
1stOffense:Verbalwarningtogroupforbeingoutofpositionandbehindpace.
2ndOffense:Verbalwarningtogroup;willbetoldtheyareontheclockand
individualtimeswillbetaken.
3rdOffense:Onestroketogrouporindividualforbadtimes.
4thOffense:Twostrokestogrouporindividualforbadtimes.
5thOffense:Disqualificationtogrouporindividualforbadtimes.
*Playerswillbenotifiedofbreachesfollowingthecompletionofaholeastonotinterrupt
play.
SUGGESTIONSFORFASTERPLAY
Therearethreereasonsforslowplay;walkingslowly,notbeingpreparedtohitwhenitisa
player’sturnandtimespentonthegreen.
WALKINGSLOWLY
Onceyouareabletowalksafelyandwithoutinterruptinganotherplayer,walkwithasense
ofpurpose.Competitivegolfisnotaleisurelystrollinthepark.Timespentwalkingtoyour
ballmeanslesstimetoprepareforplayingtheshot.
BEINGPREPAREDTOHIT
Unlessaplayerisinthedirectlineofplayofafellowcompetitor,otherplayersmaybe
preparing(measuringyardages,takingpracticeswings,etc.)simultaneously.Also,usetime
spentwalkingtoprepareforyournextshot.Whenitisyourturntoplay,BEREADY.
ONTHEGREEN
Bereadingthegreenandliningupputtsassoonasyoureachthegreen.Whenitisyour
turn,steprightupandputt.Finishoutputtingwheneverpossible.Donotmarkputtsinside
ofthreefeetunlessitinterfereswithafellowcompetitor’slineofputt.Thefirstplayermay
leavethegreenwhentheyhavefinishedputtingandbeginwalkingtothenexthole.The
otherplayersshouldleavethegreenquicklysothegroupbehindcanplay.
OTHERPACEOFPLAYTIPS
Thesewillmakeourtournamentsmoreenjoyableforeveryoneandcouldpreventyoufrom
gettingpenaltystrokesforslowplay:
•
Getyouryardagebeforeitisyourturntoplay.
•
Recognizewhenafellowcompetitorwillneedtheflagtendedoryourball
marked.
•
Donotwalkinpacks.Eachplayershouldwalkdirectlytohis/herballwithout
delay.
•
Beawareofwhoisaway.Ifthatplayerisnotreadytoplay,playREADY
GOLF.
•
Keeppacewiththegroupahead.Ifyoudon’tknowwheretheyare,your
groupneedstopickuptheirpace.
•
Ifyourballmaybelostoutsideofawaterhazardoroutofbounds,playa
provisionalball(Rule27-2).
•
Ifyouareunsurehowtoproceedunderarule,playasecondballunderRule
3-3andcontinueplay.YoumustreportthefactstoamemberoftheSCPGAstaffregardless
ofscore.
•
Whenarrivingatthegreen,positionyourbagsoitisonthewaytothenext
teetoavoidholdingupthegroupbehind.
TheSCPGAJuniorTourreservestherighttoadjustthePaceofPlaypolicyatanytime.