Courses Should Pair Players according to skill if possible

[atxpkrgolf]

FWIW played today as single and played with the nicest couple in the world. The lady had just picked up golf but the husband had obv taught her the ropes. He was prolly a 20 and her 30 but they played at a good speed and were so nice.  I should've stated that time and etiquette > skill level.

[Lihu]

FWIW played today as single and played with the nicest couple in the world. The lady had just picked up golf but the husband had obv taught her the ropes. He was prolly a 20 and her 30 but they played at a good speed and were so nice.  I should've stated that time and etiquette > skill level.

Yeah, good playing partners are like that.

[cristphoto]

They were very nice guys & it wasn't that they sucked at golf at all. They were just so slow and oblivious to how to play at a normal pace. I could've made an excuse and quit and joined someone else but I thought this would be a great test of patience

They were nice guys but the one player hit three balls on every tee box? That's a little inconsiderate.

[imsys0042]

I voted no. I don't care how someone plays, and if I have plenty of time I don't even care if they are a little slow. I remember getting paired with really good golfers when I was not very good and I just made sure to not waste time. By and large they were mostly all very nice and didn't care how I played. Now that I am frequently the better play paired up with others I just don't care how other people play, I enjoy the company.

[InTheRough]

voted no though this does seem like an interesting idea---i think the issue is really speed of play rather than handicap so maybe group people by pace and if you are a slower group make it clear that you need to be letting people through.  might even work as a suggestion for members of clubs though almost certainly not for a public course. i would actually enjoy being grouped with some people at a similar skill level to me--as long as they like to play at a similar speed (i like to play fast) as it might give me more people to play with regularly and you wouldnt have to worry about breaking the rhythm of the scratch player in the group.

[phan52]

Public courses are in the business to maximize the rounds and make money. I doubt they would (or should) go the extra mile to accommodate a player's skill level. The perils of public golf, I would say.

The only times I have ever gone to a public course to play by myself is when I have been on vacation (not a golf vacation) and decided to get a round in at a resort. I have no expectations going in, take what I get, and most of the experiences have been fine. The one time I was ever asked about my skill level was when I was at Amelia Island with my wife on our anniversary and decided to look into TPC Sawgrass. I could have got on easily that day but I decided to make points with the wife, as I didn't bring my clubs and would have had to rent. I would prefer to take on tough tracks with my own sticks.

[turtleback]

. .. . .  By deliberately grouping poor players together, all you will do is allow them to reinforce each others bad habits.

Great point.

FWIW played today as single and played with the nicest couple in the world. The lady had just picked up golf but the husband had obv taught her the ropes. He was prolly a 20 and her 30 but they played at a good speed and were so nice.  I should've stated that time and etiquette > skill level.

So how is the course supposed to group based on time and etiquette, since that is more important than handicap, when the course has no way of assessing those things?

And if you sign up on Golfnow for a 8:30 tee time and indicate your handicap but when you get to the course they have put you in a group with similar handicaps, but it is an hour later than you signed up for?  Add in the fact that probably well over half the players who go out on their own at a public course probably don't even HAVE a handicap and I just do not see how this could possibly work from a logistical point of view, even if it WAS desirable, which personally I do not think it is.  I like playing with player similar to me, better than me AND worse than me.

[Strandly]

I voted no because like 10% of players have a handicap so the idea is not feasible right from the start and like the OP said just because you're a low handicap doesn't mean you play fast; you could still end up with snails.

[Jeremie Boop]

I voted no simply because it's not feasible and won't necessarily net the required result. I understand the premise and what you are looking to do, but with so few people keeping a handicap, let alone a legitimate handicap it just won't work.

[MS256]

If I only had 2 choices: I would rather creep along at a snail's pace while watching somebody shoot a 68 than to creep along at a snail's pace watching somebody shoot a 150. ;-) But voted no anyway. P.S. I'm sure there are plenty of really good golfers that are slow but I haven't run into any of them. I know a couple of them that take more time over a shot than the rest of us would like but they make up for it by hitting good shots and not requiring as many shots.

[tmac20]

An idea for private clubs is to have a designated time frame twice a week that only a certain skill level can play. For example, on Tuesdays, scratch golfers to 6 handicaps have preferred tee times from 7am-9am. 7-18 handicappers have preferred tee times from 9am-11pm. 19+ handicappers have preferred tee times from 11pm-1pm. Members of each skill level can invite only one member outside of that skill level to play with them on these days. It would really speed things up and make it enjoyable for all skill levels.

[bkuehn1952]

An idea for private clubs is to have a designated time frame twice a week that only a certain skill level can play. For example, on Tuesdays, scratch golfers to 6 handicaps have preferred tee times from 7am-9am. 7-18 handicappers have preferred tee times from 9am-11am. 19+ handicappers have preferred tee times from 11am-1pm. Members of each skill level can invite only one member outside of that skill level to play with them on these days. It would really speed things up and make it enjoyable for all skill levels.

If every member pays the same initiation fee and monthly dues it would be tough to enforce restrictions as suggested.  A better way is to create your own foursome and limit it to a set handicap if that is your desire.  No golf friends allowed without a scratch handicap.  Who cares about the ability level of whomever is playing in front of you as long as they maintain pace?  And one certainly needn't worry about the group behind.

[Cool Breeze]

I don't think it would ever work.

But I certainly sympathize with you.  I can't stand slow pace either.  I'd rather sit at home and watch golf than play a 5 hour round.

[Lihu]

I don't think it would ever work. But I certainly sympathize with you.  I can't stand slow pace either.  I'd rather sit at home and watch golf than play a 5 hour round.

That seems a bit extreme. :-) I've played a 6:20 round before, the people in front of us took 10 minutes on the green. We skipped a hole, then they jumped in front of us again skipping two holes to do so. Even so, it was a nice day to be out on the course.

[dbuck]

If they went by skill I don't know who I would play with.

A guy could play with me one day and say "Hey that guy's a fairly decent golfer."

Another guy could play with me the next day and say "Hey that guy really sucks."

P.S. And both of them would be correct.

This is me as well!

[Spyder]

I voted no. It just can't work and won't make sense to try and force something like this that only benefits maybe 0.25% of golfers. In the grand scheme of things, you need to think of the market you are targeting. Of the 8-10% of golfers who actually hold and track legitimate handicaps, how many of that small market would actually enjoy this and want to partake? Say 50% which would be huge and you're now at 4-5% of golfers who would benefit.

I think the issue that the OP experienced is something to chalk up in the "S happens" category and move on. You're as likely to pair up with a 25 handicapper in the future who you have a blast with. I have played with several golfers in single digits this year which I found to be highly annoying and nearly unbearable to tolerate. One of which I needed to move on away from at the turn because it was painful to watch his pre-shot routine where he stood still like a statue addressing the ball for nearly 20 seconds before hitting.

Inconvenient things happen in life. Sometimes there is no feasible or revolutionary resolution that can be implemented to fix the problem. In this case, the human factor prevails and there's no real way to implement some elitist system to benefit you (OP).

Go out, have fun and hit'em straight. Stuff happens that is out of your control sometimes and you can't let that specific stuff bother you. I salute your idea and your attempt to resolve the issue with your thinking, but I just do not see it as being within in the realm of possibility.

[whatwoodtigerdo]

Quote:

so for rest of day he would stand right beside hole in his bright yellow shirt.

This is what stood out to me. I will not play with anybody wearing a yellow shirt. What an a**hole.

[Cool Breeze]

That seems a bit extreme.

I've played a 6:20 round before, the people in front of us took 10 minutes on the green. We skipped a hole, then they jumped in front of us again skipping two holes to do so. Even so, it was a nice day to be out on the course.

Not extreme.  Just my opinion and preference.

The 5 hours may have been exaggerating it a little, but I would not play a 6:20 round.  I would have left after the front 9.

That's just me.  If you're comfortable doing that, play on friend.  I would have pulled my hair out.