I belong to a very small club and frequently find time during the day, while I'm on call, to just hit balls or play. I find myself frequently playing alone with no one in front or back. Being a newish golfer I've decided on taking my time learning my shots, swing, clubs,etc... which is quite doable 70-80% of the time. I find that when I play elsewhere I get marshalls who prod me to move faster. It stresses me out and my game goes to hell. What suggestions do you guys/gals have to help me abbreviate my game. I do play 18 holes with a partner in about 4 hours. I'm open to suggestions.
Thanks,
Racine

Slow play is never good in my book. Let's set aside the times you are fortunate to be by yourself and able to play a couple of shots...
If you are playing in a group and the marshall tells you to move, you are playing too slow - most of the time. We had a situation this weekend when the 4 guys in front of us all in carts and all really good, long hitters...us all walking...we never saw them after the first tee. Did we play so slow that we fell behind? No, it was just the circumstance. We finished our round in the normal time allowed.
So back to the question of how to play faster.
1) Ready golf - if the person who is "away" is searching in the rough for their ball and you're standing in the fairway with yours, just hit.
2)If you can walk, it's usually faster. Always faster if they have cart path only rule. You go to your ball directly, you don't have to wait for your cart-mate. You think about your shot as you approach your ball. By the time you get to the ball (unless it's a strange lie that you have to evaluate) you should already know what club to hit. Walk briskly, the shortest distance between 2 points is a straight line.
3)Don't take 10 practice swings. You're not Sergio.
4)Be realistic about distance. If you are 300 yards from the group ahead of you, unless you are John Daly, please hit.
5)Putting...setting aside the Rules of Golf which say you have to hole out all your shots...if you are falling behind consider anything inside 12" a "gimme" and pick it up.*
Leave your cart away from the green in the direction you'll be walking towards for the next hole, not in front of the green so the people behind you have to wait for you to retrieve it and move out of the way.
6)Hacking away...if you are at double par on a hole, pick it up. Unless you are playing competively, why continue the torture.*

*disclaimer: these are not true to the Rules, but generally what you have to do to make up time when desperate!

Racine: I WISH I could finish a round in only 4 hours. Most of th time, I'm waiting on the group ahead, and can't get done in less than 4-1/2 hours. With no one in my way, I've played 18 holes in about 3-1/2 or less a few times. but mostly I'm waiting on others, and it's over 4 hours.

When I have no one in front, it's easy to play in under 3 hrs but like Don said, that's not the norm. There are times that I get frustrated with the group in front of me but then notice we're working on a 4hr pace, so I ease up then. To me, the norm nowadays is about 4.5 hours for a round. Anything longer is bad but for the course to expect a lot less is not realistic.

But to your question: in addition to Aimee's comments, I'll add playing the right tee box for your ability is important too. I see way to many guys going to the "pro" tees when they need to play the white or forward tees. That speeds things up as does playing ready golf.

Another suggestion is being ready to play when you get to the green. Looking at the green as you walk up to get an idea of how the putts will break will save some time.

But at the same time, don't rush. Rushing, as we saw with Harrington at this weekends event, will cause you to play worse, making you take more shots than you might have if you played slow. But just be reasonable. If you're holding people up, cut out the un-necessary things you might be doing in your routine that slows things down.

I don't mind playing with beginner players as long as they play quickly. I've played with people who'd jokingly say "I'm bad but I'm quick" and we got along fine. But when someone's new and is, as Aimee said, "hacking it up" and plays out the hole to an 11 on a regular basis, that's when I'll say something.

It is good to have a routine that you use every time you hit. SO for me I have a routine for the tee shot a routine for hitting from rough, sand, a regular fairway shot or putting. I try to follow the same routine every time. A drive and a putt take a little longer but most of the time it takes less than a minute to take a shot other than when you are the first one putting. It also keeps you from thinking too much about your shot when you have a routine. Just another point of view for you to consider.

If a foursome averaging a score of 80 takes 60 seconds each to go through their routine and hit the ball, they will have spent 3 hrs. 20 min., not counting time to get from tee to green, green to tee, socializing, looking for lost balls, etc. Should be a nice pleasant 6 hour + round.

From the time I reach my ball I usually hit it in less than 15 seconds.

Think how long it would take for a foursome that can't break 100 would take to play 18 holes. Start or Monday, finish up on Tuesday.

If it takes them two days, no wonder players are looking for Half off or 2 for 1 green fees.

Interesting point but part of the time I am talking about is done while waiting for others to take a shot.So yes if you were to calculate it as each person is waiting for their turn to start getting ready to take a shot you would be right. But if you figure out yardage club selection and how you are going to play your shot then your shot routine in 15 seconds you are my hero.

I think having a GPS or rangefinder helps move the game along quicker as long as you are not trying to calculate every minute detail.

Usually as Im coming up to my ball I will see what kinda of shot I need to play. Once I get to my ball I will look at the GPS find the yardage, check the lie, select my club. Visualize the shot while making a practice swing or two. Then hit the shot.

As long as you are keeping up with the group in front of you you should have nothing to worry about. Now if they are slowing you down they should let you play through.

Okay, thanks for the myraid of good tips here folks. I notice that when I play with my B 'n Law that we move along very fast and anything over double bogey is forgone for the next hole to come. For the most part I take 2 practice swings, line up and hit. If I have to putt 3 times, I do then just move on. I don't use a GPS but sometimes pull out my rangefinder. So the other day I finished a round in about 4 and 1/2 hrs so I don't feel too bad with a 97. I guess I have room to cut so I'll work on it. Thanks again.
Racine

I play at a quick pace, like Bill. I usually have an idea of the club I need before I get to my ball, just based on the expected distance. But once there, I assess reasonably fast and then hit. It could be to my detriment but I just hate playing slow paced golf. Gets me out of my rhythm.

And, Bill has always been my hero...

I use a sky caddy and it is a great tool. I have a similar routine to yours and the only time someone is waiting on me is when I am waiting on someone in front. The club I usually play at only has slow play on the weekends and so if I do play the weekend it is early. But I would agree that is a good routine. I will say I do get complaints about how long it takes me to putt. That is something I am working on.