So, if you are more concerned about playing a round of golf quickly rather than shooting a perfect round with a good score, you should determine when to take a short cut and cut your losses. This will mean your score is not the most important thing when on your round of golf. Here are some tips to help you speed around the golf course in record time:



Make sure you use a golf cart. If you have a buddy riding along and your shots are fairly close together, park the cart about midway between where your golf balls lie. Take the appropriate clubs plus any additional ones you might need. Designate which of you will go back to the cart and drive while the other can be walking to the next shot.

Play ready golf. When you are ready to shoot, take the shot. With that being said, make sure you see where your shot lands. Pick out a landmark to help you remember and gauge where your ball should be. This will make it easier to find your ball and not spend as much time looking for it. If your partner has already shot, ask them to keep an eye on your ball and do the same for them. Two sets of eyes are better for tracking the ball so that it can be found more quickly.

Don't write your score down until you are at the next tee box. Better yet, don't keep score. Just enjoy playing golf and let the shots fall where they may. The less time you spend trying to figure out your score, the less time you will spend on the course.

Figure out where you have the hardest time with your golf shots. Is it in the sand, over water, out of tall rough, etc? When you get into those situations, take relief. It is within your right to declare the ball unplayable, take a one-stroke penalty, and drop the ball as close as possible to the spot from which you last played. This is Rule 28. So, instead of hitting out of the sand, back into the sand, and on and on, take relief as explained above and your one stroke penalty. You will be ahead on your score and speed your play.

If you hit into the water, don't just drop where you last hit. According to Rule 26, you can take a one-stroke penalty after hitting into the water and take a drop right where your ball crossed the water. This will get you closer to the hole and make it easier to get over the water.

When hitting from the tee box, you may hit out of bounds, or at least think that you could have driven out of bounds. If you think you are out of bounds, announce that you are hitting a provisional. Hit your provisional. You can then choose the one that is in bounds. If the first drive was not out of bounds, you take it. Otherwise, you have your provisional and a one-stroke penalty.

So, you see, there are ways within the rules to speed up your round of golf. If you are not keeping score, just use a handy foot wedge or strategically placed drop. FORE!