Understanding Slow Play: Helping Kids Keep Pace on Course

Pace of play is a real etiquette issue in golf, and juniors are sometimes unfairly blamed for it - here's how to help your child keep a reasonable pace.

Pace of play is one of the most talked-about etiquette issues in golf, and junior groups can sometimes get an unfair reputation for slow play when the real issue is simply inexperience with course routines rather than a lack of effort.

Why Pace of Play Matters

A group that falls well behind the group ahead holds up everyone playing behind them, which is why golf etiquette places real weight on "ready golf" - playing promptly when it's safe and sensible to do so, rather than always strictly following honours order.

Common Junior Pace Issues

New junior golfers often lose time searching too long for lost balls, over-reading simple putts, or being unsure of course routine (where to stand, when to move to the next tee) rather than the actual golf swing itself taking too long - these are learnable habits, not fixed traits.

Practical Habits That Help

Encourage your child to be ready to play when it's their turn (club selected, a rough read of the shot already done), to limit ball searches to a reasonable time before taking a drop under the rules, and to walk briskly between shots rather than dawdling.

Our guide on what a legal drop is explains what to do when a ball genuinely can't be found in time.

It's a Coaching Point, Not a Character Flaw

If your child's pace is genuinely an issue, treat it as a specific, coachable skill - most coaches build pace-of-play habits into junior programs precisely because it's common and easily improved with a bit of deliberate practice on course routine.

Should my child let faster groups play through?

Yes - it's standard, expected etiquette for a group that's fallen behind to wave a faster group through at a suitable opportunity, and this is worth teaching explicitly since it isn't always obvious to a new player.