Slow play can get to you if you let it. Here are a couple of things that I do:

1) Stay loose, keep your back stretched out and swing two irons with “momentum” swings while you are waiting. A “momentum” swing is a full but gentle swing.

2) Stay calm, remind yourself that golf is a game of patience and if you lose it you lose your score. Tell yourself that good golfers just deal with problems like slow play, and that you are a good golfer.

3) Stay hydrated and eat some healthy snacks, especially at the turn. Stay away from sugary junk like candy bars. Keep some water or sports drink in your bag as well as some nutritional bars. Not being hungry or thirsty really helps you stay calm and patient.

4) Think about what a privilege it is that you are even in a position to be aggravated by slow play on a golf course. You’re out golfing and you’re on the right side of the ground. Think about what most of the rest of the world is doing and smile!

5) Last but not least, if slow play bothers you so much that it ruins your enjoyment of the game, play very early in the morning or very late in the day. Most of the slow play occurs in the middle, when the very casual players are on the course.