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Foreword
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Foreword
Golfers’ views on pace of play in our club game are markedly varied. It has been a topic of conversation for a long time with emotive perspectives. Moving from discussion to a practical way forward is what this Manual is all about.
In 2014/2015, The R&A took two important steps in gaining a better understanding of the issues affecting pace of play in golf. The first was to undertake an extensive international survey of golfers’ views on pace of play and how it affected their enjoyment of the sport. The survey received more than 56,000 responses from golfers in 122 countries. One of the key findings was that 60% of golfers said they would enjoy golf more if they played in less time.
The second step was to organise a conference in St Andrews entitled Time for Golf. We invited professionals and administrators involved in golf at all levels of the sport to come together to discuss the survey findings and the various approaches adopted to deal with pace of play around the world. We heard from leading professionals such as Ryder Cup player Stephen Gallacher and Ladies European Tour player Rebecca Hudson, as well as PGA Master Professional Denis Pugh and former Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup Captain Nigel Edwards. We also heard from club secretaries, course managers and senior commercial operators who gave some fascinating insights into their methods of ensuring good pace of play.
The research and the conference gave us an important basis on which to draw some conclusions about best practice in improving pace of play at courses around the world. It also reinforced the feeling that there is no magic wand or ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution to improving pace of play. Indeed, for some courses it is not a problem at all.
The next stage of the process was to capture some of these insights and produce a document which could benefit the wider sport by giving a useful guide to best practice in the key areas of management, course set-up and player behaviour. People often assume that poor pace of play is purely a result of player behaviour but the reality is much more complex than that and there are many different factors which can impact on the time it takes to go round a golf course.
This Manual is the outcome of that process of research, discussion and consideration. It is intended as a guide which brings together a wide selection of different approaches in these respective areas and which reflect the focus of the discussions at the conference. It offers thoughtful solutions and approaches which have proved to be effective.
A great deal of work has gone into pulling this publication together and I would like to extend my appreciation to all of those who have contributed ideas and opinions throughout the process. I have no hesitation in commending it as a useful and informative guide on how to improve pace of play.
Martin Slumbers
Chief Executive, The R&A
Chief Executive, The R&A