1. Play foursomes properly: There is no need for the non-hitter to stroll back to the tee in order to metaphorically "hold the hand" of her partner. Especially on par 4s and par 5s where the choice of club invariably comes down to one of two, the player not driving should head up the fairway and wait for the ball. If things go to plan -- as they tend to do at this level of the game -- the player hitting the drive will walk off the tee and not stop until she reaches the green. Simple. And quick.
Get on with it, ladies! The endless deliberation over every shot has been a factor behind slow play thus far. Photo by Getty Images2. Ban lining-up: This tedious practice seems to be especially prevalent in the ladies game. Part of golf is being able to align oneself squarely to one's target. If you cannot achieve that on a consistent basis without help from another person, it is not unreasonable to suggest that you should not be playing in a Solheim Cup in the first place.
3. Be ready to play: This is not exclusive to women golfers -- the men are often just as bad -- but it was especially noticeable on Day 1. Players were hardly ever ready to play when it came to their turn to hit. By all means pay attention to where the opponent's shot ends up. But do so when considering what club is appropriate for your own shot. It's not hard. Get on with it.
Related: David Owen on never-ready golf
4. Stop the yakking: For 103 weeks out of every 104, these players line up their own putts and hit their own shots with only occasional help from their caddies. Why is it that they suddenly need to interject a third or even a fourth voice into the discussion? No putt or shot is so difficult that a committee meeting needs to be part of the process before club meets ball. Deciding on the line of a putt or the club/shot to hit should therefore be a two-person task. No more than that.
5. Pick up when you are out of the hole: This wasn't a huge part of the problem, given the proficiency of the players involved. But once or twice players were hitting shots that were clearly going to have no bearing on the result of the hole. Put it in your pocket, ladies.
6. No practice putting: This has already been banned in the Ryder Cup. At the conclusion of each hole players are banned from hitting extraneous practice putts. Instead, they are encouraged to make their way briskly to the next tee. The women should be doing the same.
And finally, as suggested by my esteemed colleague, Ron Sirak: cattle prods. That'll get them moving.
-- John Huggan
Related: David Owen on never-ready golf
4. Stop the yakking: For 103 weeks out of every 104, these players line up their own putts and hit their own shots with only occasional help from their caddies. Why is it that they suddenly need to interject a third or even a fourth voice into the discussion? No putt or shot is so difficult that a committee meeting needs to be part of the process before club meets ball. Deciding on the line of a putt or the club/shot to hit should therefore be a two-person task. No more than that.
5. Pick up when you are out of the hole: This wasn't a huge part of the problem, given the proficiency of the players involved. But once or twice players were hitting shots that were clearly going to have no bearing on the result of the hole. Put it in your pocket, ladies.
6. No practice putting: This has already been banned in the Ryder Cup. At the conclusion of each hole players are banned from hitting extraneous practice putts. Instead, they are encouraged to make their way briskly to the next tee. The women should be doing the same.
And finally, as suggested by my esteemed colleague, Ron Sirak: cattle prods. That'll get them moving.
-- John Huggan
