Thursday, August 4, 2016

Ask Linda #1354-Limit on time to hit shot

Hi Linda,
How long does a player have to take a golf shot? Is there a specific rule?
Lou from the Philippines

Dear Lou,

I feel your pain, Lou. Few things in golf are more annoying than standing around twiddling your thumbs, waiting for another player to pull the trigger.

There is no specific time limit in the Rules for a player to complete his shot. However, there is a Rule requiring players to play without undue delay. If the Committee has established pace-of-play guidelines, and a group is falling behind, the competitors may be placed "on the clock." Players would then have a time limit to hit each shot, and could be penalized for exceeding that time limit. There are escalating penalties the Committee may impose on groups that fall behind (see Rule 6-7).

Proper golf etiquette dictates that you keep up with the group in front of you. If you’re falling behind, you should encourage your fellow competitors to do whatever is necessary to pick up the pace and catch up. In a casual round, if you lose a hole on the group in front of you, you should invite the group behind to play through.

Linda
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