The FarmLinks course at Pursell Farms in Alabama is to host an experimental pace of play golf day on Saturday 2 November, with the goal of keeping all rounds to around three and a half hours.

Opened in 2003, the course, which was designed by the architectural firm of Hurdzan-Fry, and serves also as an agronomic laboratory – more than 10,000 superintendents and turf specialists have visited to learn best practices – will offer a special green fee rate of US$99. Participants will be encouraged to play ‘ready golf’ at all times, keep lost ball searches to a maximum of a minute and only mark balls on the green when necessary. FarmLinks management intend to record data during the day to work out which strategies helped save most time, and what additional methods might be of use.

“As the world's first and only research and demonstration golf course, FarmLinks has a unique opportunity to offer feedback and insight to the industry regarding these pace-of-play suggestions,” said CEO David Pursell. “We will seek to prove that a full field of golfers can play 18 holes in less time, while still enjoying the game and not feeling rushed.”