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Speeding up slow play - Superintendents, Marshalls & Starters

post #1 of 9
5/23/08 at 9:05pm
Thread Starter 
Here are my requests for speeding up play for the golf course staff. Anything I'm missing?

1) Mark distances clearly in 3 places players will be
- on the cart path
- in the rough
- in the fairway [though players with a ball in the fairway probably already know the distance ]

2) If your course requires a cart and is cart path only, put cart paths on both sides of the fairway. There's nothing more frustrating than playing a nice draw (fade) to the left (right) side of the fairway and then realizing that you're going to have to schlep 3 clubs all the way across the fairway and back again because the course requires a cart and is cart path only

3) Put a reasonable interval between starting times

4) Set goals for playing times, tell players how they are doing and reward players who hit or exceed them - perhaps 5% off on the next greens fee, or a discount at the bar

5) Warn players at the first tee that if they fall behind they will be asked to pick up and move forward, and then have the marshal's do so

Anything else you can think of?

Thanks
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post #2 of 9
5/24/08 at 12:56am

Re: Speeding up slow play - Superintendents, Marshalls & Starters

Originally Posted by tbjohnston View Post
Here are my requests for speeding up play for the golf course staff. Anything I'm missing?

1) Mark distances clearly in 3 places players will be
- on the cart path
- in the rough
- in the fairway [though players with a ball in the fairway probably already know the distance ]

2) If your course requires a cart and is cart path only, put cart paths on both sides of the fairway. There's nothing more frustrating than playing a nice draw (fade) to the left (right) side of the fairway and then realizing that you're going to have to schlep 3 clubs all the way across the fairway and back again because the course requires a cart and is cart path only
3) Put a reasonable interval between starting times

4) Set goals for playing times, tell players how they are doing and reward players who hit or exceed them - perhaps 5% off on the next greens fee, or a discount at the bar

5) Warn players at the first tee that if they fall behind they will be asked to pick up and move forward, and then have the marshal's do so

Anything else you can think of?

Thanks
2) Don't play courses that require cart path only.... I just won't play if that is the case. It's one of the dumbest policies there is. It's usually shorter to just walk the entire hole.

3) Starters don't have any control over much of anything. I know, because I am a starter at my home course. I send players off by the tee sheet and I don't have any say about it. That said, our course uses 9 minute intervals, and that is plenty of time for a foursome to hit their second shots and clear the driving area. The only reason for that not to have happened is if they are screwing around instead of attending to business.

4) Can't see it. The typical public course that I am familiar with runs on too tight a budget to give anything away to players just for doing what they ought to be doing in the first place.

5) Most of our course assistants already do this. They have several methods which they utilize to keep play flowing. Unfortunately , not all rangers are created equal....
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post #3 of 9
5/24/08 at 4:38am

Re: Speeding up slow play - Superintendents, Marshalls & Starters

I appreciate your input.

I know; I work for one of the most popular and nicest courses in the golf capital of the world.

We're a machine. We monitor and measure everything.

A ranger nicely tells your group that your group is a little behind? And we have the best starters, bag drop people, et al that are friendly from the moment your group arrives.

Typical response upon your group getting pressed to speed up play:

"Screw you - We just payed over $100 a person to play here and we're on vacation; we're all 3-handicaps -- we just don't know the course."
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post #4 of 9
5/24/08 at 4:46am

Re: Speeding up slow play - Superintendents, Marshalls & Starters

[QUOTE Don't play courses that require cart path only.... I just won't play if that is the case. It's one of the dumbest policies there is. It's usually shorter to just walk the entire hole[/QUOTE]

Ever heard of rain? Cart path only is a policy instituted by the super due to weather/rainfall.

The super is there before dawn and determines the daily CPO/90 policies for that day.
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post #5 of 9
5/24/08 at 4:49am

Re: Speeding up slow play - Superintendents, Marshalls & Starters

Just getting back into the game after a 3 year lay-off.

I'm amazed at the technical gizmos available to assist and speed up play.

GPS readings really help.

A local course that I used to play a great deal, Jones Creek was a great (tough) layout with large bengrass greens. Pin placements make a huge difference there in club selection on all shots into greens. The difficulty of the course...overall....simply made for slow rounds. At the time I layed off it was impossible to play in less than 5 hours there.


Fast forward 3 years to last month....I played there in a foursome. We rode due to the sprawling residentail layout. Each cart had the gps system that greatly assisted club selctions at a glance. Also was a time monitor posted on the display. It told you how many minutes ahead and behind you were. Very useful stuff.

I may be investing in a handheld unit myself...soon.
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post #6 of 9
5/24/08 at 5:17am

Re: Speeding up slow play - Superintendents, Marshalls & Starters

Dub...

Our courses got rid of GPS due to slow play. Tourists thought it was neat, cool, all that jazz.

We found the devices slowed down play. The average golfer that isn't used to it typically plays with the device, can't figure it out, loves it when finally figuring it out after 5 holes, but it slows down their usual playing speed.
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post #7 of 9
5/24/08 at 5:28am

Re: Speeding up slow play - Superintendents, Marshalls & Starters

Amen to the starting times... So often, I go to a course and there is not even a starter. Too often groups tee off the moment the first fairway clears the landing zone. Have a starter that holds people back a bit... Don't let people tee off until the group is on the green at least. How often do you get on the course and you get to the 2nd tee and the last group is still there? Ugh! Marshalls around here are typically driving around aimlessly or looking for golfballs :)
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post #8 of 9
5/25/08 at 4:00pm

Re: Speeding up slow play - Superintendents, Marshalls & Starters

Originally Posted by Terrier View Post
I know; I work for one of the most popular and nicest courses in the golf capital of the world.
[citation needed] When did South Carolina replace Scotland as the golf capital of the world? No offense to South Carolina - there are some lovely courses out there.

Originally Posted by Terrier View Post
We're a machine. We monitor and measure everything.

A ranger nicely tells your group that your group is a little behind? And we have the best starters, bag drop people, et al that are friendly from the moment your group arrives.

Typical response upon your group getting pressed to speed up play:

"Screw you - We just payed over $100 a person to play here and we're on vacation; we're all 3-handicaps -- we just don't know the course."
I'm curious how nicely you're telling them this if you get this reaction. Honey and vinegar and all that. You'd think they'd be more appreciative, especially since they're playing a course with the best starters, the best bag drop people, and so on.

You bring me to a point that's worth making on this thread: how someone is told to move it along is important. I'll bet that "Can I help you with navigating the course in a timely fashion?" is far more effective than "We've got the best marshals out here in the golf capital of the world and we're telling you to move it along."
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post #9 of 9
5/25/08 at 4:40pm

Re: Speeding up slow play - Superintendents, Marshalls & Starters

Originally Posted by Shindig View Post
"We've got the best marshals out here in the golf capital of the world and we're telling you to move it along."
^^^LOL^^^
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