Pace of play · Guide
What do the rules and etiquette say about slow play?
The Rules of Golf expect you to play without undue delay and to be ready before it is your turn. Around 40 seconds from when it is your turn to when you play is a common guideline, and ball searches are limited to three minutes. Etiquette also says you should let a group behind you through if you fall a full hole behind.
What the rules expect
- Play without undue delay and be prepared when it is your turn.
- Roughly 40 seconds per shot is used as a guideline once it is your turn.
- Ball searches are limited to three minutes.
- Play a provisional ball when there is doubt whether a ball is lost or out of bounds.
- Clubs and tournaments may have their own pace-of-play guidelines.
Etiquette on the course
- Keep your position relative to the group ahead, not the group behind.
- Let a group behind play through if you have fallen a full hole behind and they are right on your heels.
- Bring the club you might need when walking from the bag to your ball.
- Leave the green as soon as everyone has finished putting.
- Rake the bunker and repair pitch marks quickly, without lingering.
From finger-pointing to facts
Slow play quickly turns into a debate about whose fault it is. Objective hole-by-hole data shifts the conversation from blame to facts: where the flow breaks down, at what time of day, and what happens when the club changes something. GolfAppen measures this anonymously – no individual players are singled out.
Frequently asked questions
- How long can you search for a ball?
- Three minutes from when you or your caddie start searching. After that, the ball is lost.
- How much time do you get per shot?
- Around 40 seconds from when it is your turn is used as a guideline. Preparation should happen before it becomes your turn.
- Do we have to let the group behind play through?
- Good etiquette says you should, once you have fallen a full hole behind the group ahead. Many clubs treat this as a clear expectation.