2026 Competitions 

Simplex Golf Society

Slow Play

Slow play on the golf course is to be avoided at all times, and particularly on our society days, where we are accepted as visitors to the host club. It is annoying and frustrating, both to fellow society members and to club members playing behind us.

It is commonly accepted within golf clubs that the target time for a four-ball round should be about four hours. Obviously, this will vary according to conditions, course difficulty, familiarity with the course layout, etc. Now it may not be practical for all four-balls on a society day to complete their rounds within 4 hours, but if a group is not being held up by those in front, a round should not go far beyond the nominal four hours, certainly not more than 4.5 hours. Three-balls and two-balls should, of course, be quicker still if not held up.

The key to avoiding slow play lies not in the number of shots taken (other than picking up when scoring is no longer possible), but in eliminating unnecessary delays.

Please bear the following in mind, to keep the game flowing,

·       Always be ready to play your shot, whether on the tee or through the green. Particularly, don’t leave the tee empty whilst marking cards, talking, or whatever.

·       Don’t be too strict on playing order at the expense of time (either on the tee or via distance from the flag). If the next person due to play isn’t ready for some reason, then go ahead and play your shot.

·       If you need to check the distance to the green or a hazard, take several practice swings, or read the green, then do this in advance (not when others are waiting).

·       The allowed search time for a lost ball is 3 minutes from the start of the search. When a ball is lost (i.e. not found within the 3 minutes limit), the society allows a dropped ball in the approximate area with a 2-shot penalty applied (e.g. if the tee shot is lost, the next shot is 4, not 2 or 3).

·       When playing Stableford, as is standard on our society days, pick up as soon you can’t score.

·       When approaching the green, check where the next tee is and leave your bag towards that area. That will facilitate leaving the area more quickly.

·       Don’t mark cards on the green; wait till you’ve left it.

·       If you do find yourself losing ground on the group ahead and the group behind is pressing, then consider letting them play through at an opportune moment.

Remember – if you save just two minutes a hole, that’s more than half an hour quicker per round!