Faster : 100-plus holes in a day reveals the joy of picking up the pace

Golf Digest, August, 2001 by David Owen

"We had our first pilot tournament on June 1, 1989," he told me as we rocketed over the crest of a mound. "We had a shotgun start, and we had two dozen players, one of whom was a professional. That event raised $43,000 for a ranch for throwaway kids. The pro played 123 holes, and when he walked off the golf course he came up to me and said, 'I was only seven over par for the day, and that was the most fun I've ever had.' That's when I knew I was on to something."

My best round at Doral was a 76--a good score for me--and I played one nine in two under par. I butchered plenty of holes, too, of course. But I don't think I had a complete 18 all day in which I played as poorly as I'm capable of playing if I really put my mind to it.

After four or five rounds, I didn't even feel that we were hurrying. An hour and three-quarters began to seem a perfectly reasonable period of time in which to play a round of golf. The game has a natural rhythm, and you can feel it if you pick up your pace. (Just don't ask me to describe any of the holes.)

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I'm not telling you to always play fast, but to use your time economically. Here are five things you need to know before you put on your track shoes and tee it up:

1. Stop thinking. Standing over a golf ball and trying to remember all the things you were taught about the golf swing not only takes time but also contributes to tension. It's much easier to stand over the ball and just swing. Be decisive. Whatever happens, happens.

2. Play safer shots. On a tight par 4, you might hit a 5-wood off the tee just to keep the ball in play. Sure, you can probably rocket a driver 75 yards past your maximum 5-wood distance, but your tee shot also might wind up in the woods. Searching for a lost ball takes time.

3. Go with what you know. If you normally hook the ball into the fairway, then hook the ball into the fairway. Don't waste time trying to change your swing in the middle of a round. Save the experimentation for the practice tee.

4. Forget about your score. Even more important, forget about your last shot. Don't berate or punish yourself for bad shots. Move on. If you're playing fast enough, you won't have time to worry about the last one. Go hit the next one.

5. You're on the clock. A great way to learn how to play fast is to set a time goal and then compare your score with another round that took much longer to play.

On a day when the course isn't so crowded, try playing 18 holes in 2 hours, 30 minutes or nine holes in 1:15. Guess what? They do it in Scotland every day.

Golf Digest Teaching Professional Jim McLean