Playing Ready Golf is the single biggest thing your foursome can do to speed up play and make every round more enjoyable for everyone on the course. It’s not about rushing your shots or compromising safety, it’s about being smart and efficient with your time. This guide will walk you through exactly how to play ready golf, providing simple, actionable steps you can use on the tee box, in the fairway, and on the greens to keep things moving.
At its heart, ready golf is a straightforward agreement among players to play when they are ready, rather than strictly following the traditional order of “honors” (the player with the best score on the previous hole goes first) or “away” (the player farthest from the target plays first). It's a mindset focused on preparation and efficiency.
Instead of one player going through their entire routine while three others stand and watch, ready golf encourages multiple players to prepare simultaneously. By eliminating the dead time spent waiting, your group can easily shave 15-30 minutes off a round without ever feeling like you’re in a hurry. It swaps out wasted time for a smooth, continuous flow from one shot to the next.
The core principle is simple: if it’s your turn to hit and others are not ready, but it is completely safe for you to do so, you play your shot.
Let's make this crystal clear before we go any further: ready golf is never about hitting when it’s unsafe. You never play a shot if another player is in front of you, within your potential range of fire, or if you might distract them during their swing. Communication and awareness are everything.
The goal is to play promptly and efficiently, not recklessly. A quick shout of “Hey Bill, I’ve got my number, mind if I go ahead?” is a fantastic way to keep both the pace and the peace. Ready golf only works when everyone in the group prioritizes safety and shows consideration for their fellow players. When in doubt, always wait.
The tee box is where you can set the tone for the entire hole. Traditionally, the player with the best score on the previous hole (the “honor”) tees off first. In ready golf, this changes slightly.
As soon as you arrive at the tee box, figure out your strategy. Take your driver or 3-wood out of the bag, grab a tee, and have your ball ready. While player number one is hitting, player number two should be teeing up their ball. This creates a seamless chain reaction of readiness, moving your group off the tee quickly and smoothly.
This is where ready golf makes its biggest impact. The traditional method of having the player farthest from the hole always hit first is a major source of slow play, especially if a foursome’s balls are spread out across the fairway.
Here’s how to do it in the fairway:
Imagine your ball is 150 yards out, and your friend's ball is 165 yards out. You get to your ball, laser the pin, and immediately decide on a 7-iron. Meanwhile, your friend is still pacing off their yardage and trying to decide between two clubs. In this situation, there’s no reason to wait. So long as you are not in your friend’s way, play your shot. By the time you've hit, your friend will likely be ready to play, and the game moves forward without a pause.
The final stage of the hole is another massive opportunity to improve pace of play with smart, ready golf practices.
If someone has a tricky chip from behind a bunker and another player has a simple one from the fringe, the player with the simple shot should just go ahead and hit. Don't stand idle waiting for everyone to take their turn based on distance. Whoever can safely and quickly play their shot should do so.
Not at all. Ready golf isn't about rushing your pre-shot routine or swing. Take all the time you need for your shot. The idea is to eliminate the wasted time between shots where golfers historically stand around doing nothing. You can still take a practice swing and visualize your shot, but you do it while others are preparing, not while they're waiting on you.
Golf etiquette is about consideration for others, and what’s more considerate than playing in a way that helps everyone finish their round faster? Most modern golfers welcome ready golf. What's considered rude today is playing needlessly slow when you can be more efficient. The USGA and The R&A officially endorse and encourage recreational players to adopt ready golf to improve pace of play for everyone.
Playing Ready Golf is about being thoughtful and proactive on the course. By preparing for your shot before it's your turn and playing when ready, you can transform a slow, frustrating round into one with a smooth rhythm and better flow, all without ever compromising on safety.
Being prepared is the core of Ready Golf, and that is what we designed our Caddie AI to help with. When you're deciding on a shot, a quick conversation can help you select the right club and a proper strategy for your shot in mere seconds. This gets rid of the indecision that so often slows down players while it's their turn, allowing you to be ready to hit as soon as it's safe.
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