When I started to play golf as a junior in the 1980s, there was a simple piece of guidance we were all given. Slower groups should always let faster groups through.
As children, we’d often find ourselves inhabiting both ends of the pace of play spectrum, so we stuck closely to this advice and for the most part stayed out of trouble.
In those days, the sight of someone emerging from the trees to the side of the fairway, waving through the group behind as they searched for a lost ball was far from uncommon. Likewise, a simple word from one set of players to another: ‘come through when you’re ready’ was not unusual.
Nowadays however, letting through is so rare that I’m struggling to recall the last time I experienced it. I’d love to know if I’m on my own with this opinion - is letting through becoming a thing of the past? There’s a comment box at the end of the article.
How much of a difference it makes to the overall pace of play is debatable but I think this speaks to a wider point about etiquette and sportsmanship in general. I know from my own experience how hard it is not to be blinkered by the success or otherwise of my own game. And yet, I’d put the act of letting through alongside searching for your playing partner’s ball or remaining quiet while others are hitting as basic but important acts of consideration.
One of the reasons that slow play generates so many negative comments is that for those being held up, maintaining rhythm and interest becomes an additional challenge. Golf is hard enough as it is.
Letting a faster group through, like searching for a playing partner’s lost ball, is a small act of sportsmanship. It is a signal that you understand the responsibility that comes with sharing the course with other players.
If letting through is now as uncommon as I think, it speaks to a wider societal change. The advent of smart phones and social media has had a profound effect on many areas of our lives and one of those is that we’re becoming more individualistic. Our focus on ourselves is coming at the cost of our consideration of others.
Golf has always been a sport that relies on things like honesty and etiquette - all intrinsically linked to how we treat others. If those things start fading away, we will be poorer for it. Sadly, it is beginning to feel like letting through has become a thing of the past. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
