Golf season has arrived, and with it — the scramble. Many of our readers will soon find themselves crisscrossing the fine golf courses throughout the Midwest in a scramble format in the name of business, charity, or just plain fun.

It’s uncertain when the first scramble actually took place, but one thing is for sure — the golf scramble has developed into one of the most popular recreational activities in the world. And, for charities, millions of dollars are raised annually through this exciting format.

However, the increase in popularity has not come without a price. Although the cost per player to enter an established event can run well over $200, the biggest problem facing this type of golf outing is the time it takes to play a round of golf. What with all the on-course games, mulligans, and a bevy of bev-cart beauties, rounds of up to six hours are not uncommon.

In today’s environment, everyone from busy executives to stay-at-home moms are finding it increasingly difficult to allot that much time — even in the name of charity.

In an effort to help golfers make their rounds of golf more effective in terms of time management, we offer the following tips. Follow them, and encourage others to do the same, and you should be able to make the day more enjoyable — and a bit shorter as well.

Set Your Hitting Order To Maximize Team Strengths - Identify a productive hitting order based on individual skill levels. This can also lead to specific roles for the team and players.

Be Ready When It’s Your Turn To Hit - Pay attention! When it’s your turn to hit, have proper club in hand and a mental image of what you hope to accomplish with your shot.

Designate A Person In Your Group To Calculate Yardage - It is extremely important to calculate yardage based on actual distance, wind speed and direction, and general course conditions. An experienced golfer can often help others in the group play better. Listen to the voice of experience. A shot of 150 yards could actually be playing anywhere from 120 yards to 180 yards.

Know What Time It Is - Many tournament organizers are sensitive to the pace of play issue with the scramble format and will encourage a pace to play a five hour round — or less. If you don’t know what time you teed off and what time it is throughout the round, how do you know if you are on pace?

Know What Rules You Are Playing By - Review the rules designated by the tournament committee before you tee it up. Are you entitled to mulligans? A placement within a club length? If you’re not sure ask, but always know the rules for the day.

Par Is Your Partner - Let’s face it, rarely, if ever, is a score of par going to compete in any scramble. You’re not on tour, and the format doesn’t call for every shot to be hit on every hole. The pace of play will increase dramatically by subscribing to this simple variable. When your team reaches par on any given hole, simply pick up, mark par on your scorecard, and move on to the next hole.

Long Hitters Hit Last - This is preferred, particularly on par 5s with the second shot. Have the shorter hitters hit first to close temporary gaps between groups. This is also a good strategy for putting a ball in play in the fairway so the longer hitters can have a go at the green setting up a possible eagle putt.

Turn Off All Personal Electronic Devices - Not only is it annoying when a person’s cell phone keeps ringing during a round of golf (not to mention having to listen to their petty conversation), it also slows the pace of play. Unless your name is G.W. Bush III, the world will survive if you turn off your cell phone during the scramble. If you must, check your voicemail halfway through the round, but don’t start making phone calls. If you’re that important (or busy — or rude) maybe you shouldn’t have committed to a day of golf.

Cell phones aren’t cool on the golf course. Never will be. Can you hear me now?