I.
A sequencing principle, not a behaviour fix
Ready golf gets framed as a behaviour problem — players need to hurry up. That misses what it actually is: a sequencing principle. Play when you’re safe and ready, rather than waiting for the honour to come around or for the group to assemble in formation. It speeds the round up by removing avoidable formality, not by removing thinking.
II.
What the Rules actually say
Rule 5.6 of the Rules of Golf addresses pace explicitly. The shape of the guidance:
Players should prepare in advance — club selection, line, distance — before it’s their turn
A practical benchmark of about 40 seconds is given for taking a stroke once it’s reasonable to do so
In stroke play, ready golf is positively encouraged when it can be done safely
Search time was reduced from five minutes to three in the 2019 rules revision
None of this is about hurrying. It’s about not wasting time on courtesies the Rules don’t actually require.
III.
What it looks like in a four-ball
The shorter hitter plays first while the longer hitter finalises a yardage
Players prepare their club and line while someone else is over the ball
Scores get written down on the next tee, not on the green
Putts get holed out where it’s safe to, instead of marking everything
Search behaviour is contained — you commit to looking, or you commit to dropping
Done well, ready golf feels calm rather than corrective. The group stays prepared, play remains considerate, and nobody is being shouted at. It just moves.
IV.
Behaviour only works inside a fair system
Here’s where ready golf falls apart: when intervals are overloaded or setup is punitive, asking players to play faster is interpreted — fairly — as pressure rather than guidance. The marshal stops being a host and becomes a referee.
The job is to give the marshal context before the conversation. Two questions before approaching any group:
Is this group causing the delay?
Or is this group trapped in a queue they didn’t create?
Different answers, different conversations. The R&A is direct that marshal communication should be tactful; better context is what makes the tact possible in the first place.
- The R&A: Management Practices, marshal communication guidanceranda.org
V.
A note for the marshals
Three reminders we keep on the inside of a clipboard:
Ready golf is easiest when course conditions are fair. If they aren’t, fix the conditions before the conversation.
Clear expectations — set at the first tee, in writing — eliminate most of the friction before it starts.
Visibility lets you have an accurate, respectful conversation. Without it, you’re just guessing in front of paying members.
Colophon
By Matthew. Published 10 Oct 2025. 6 min read.
More from the Journal