Perspective from the 19^th Hole is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

If you want to understand the “pace of play” problem in golf, just look at the professional golf tours.

It takes players hours to complete an 18-hole round which should take about four hours.  On the professional tours?  More like six hours.

Apple News showed up this week with a major story on the subject, calling it “a major problem.”

I agree.

When pro golfers go slow, often agonizingly slow, it’s tough to watch – and I say that as a dedicated fan of the game I love.

For example:

• As good as he is, it’s hard to watch Patrick Cantlay get ready to play or take a stroke, especially a putt.

• Keagan Bradley dances around over a shot far too long.

• J. B. Holmes plays agonizingly slow, so much so that other players don’t even want to be paired with him.

The official golf rule book deals with the subject.  Here’s how:

“Other than on the putting green, the timing of a player’s stroke will begin when it is his or her turn to play and he or she can play without interference or distraction.  Time spent determining yardage and other conditions (such as wind) will count as time taken for the next stroke.

“On the putting green, the actions allowed under Rule 13.1 are not included in the timing of a player’s stroke, provided the player is not unreasonably delaying play.  However, time spent surveying the line of play from any angle will count as time taken for the stroke.

“A player is permitted a maximum of 40 seconds to play a stroke.  (Note:  This 40-second time limit includes the first player to play from the teeing ground, fairway, or near or on the putting green.)

“A player is considered to have made a bad time only when the player exceeds 40 seconds, plus an additional 10 per cent timing margin.”

There. 

Just consider this rule as you watch pro golf next time.  Hardly anyone – other than perhaps Scott Scheffler – lives within the 40-50 second time limit. 

And, guess what?  There have been no penalties for slow play.  Zero!

After all this, I have an easy solution.

Do what the European Tour did a few years ago:  As it did, call it a “Pace of Play Tournament.”

Position a golf cart on every hole following every group of players.  Have a shot clock positioned on the cart.  Time every player when they get to their golf ball and are ready to play – or at least they should be.

If the pace exceeds the allowable – 40 seconds, with a 10 second “timing margin” – issue a warning.  For the second violation, impose a one-stroke penalty.  A third violation earns disqualification.

If pro basketball and football can impose shot clocks, with all of their temperamental stars, golf could do the same.

If done, this would be tough for many tour players.  But, I say, so what.  Overall, faster play has every chance to result in better play.

Down in the California desert where I play in the winter at The Palms Golf Course, the time allowed for an 18-hole round is 3 hours and 40 minutes.  Of course, to state the obvious, those of us who play there are not pro golfers, with so much money on the line, but as a relatively competent amateurs, my friends and I have been proving that faster play works – and is good for the game. .

My fond hope is that those who lead pro golf will get play to move along faster.