Pace of Play

**umpiremark** · June 24, 2009

Here's an interesting article in today's Milwaukee Journal. My question revolves around your normal pace of play ...

Do you play "ready golf?"
Do you give short putts or putt everything out?
What's your normal time for nine?

The gang I play with on the weekends moves pretty good, we give short putts and play ready golf. We have walkers and riders. We do wait on certain tees but still play 18 in about 4.5-5 hours.

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/golf/48944406.html

**David in FL** · June 24, 2009

Ready golf and being smart about how you move about the course is one thing, but giving short putts to speed up play? Seems to me that giving those 30 footers would speed it up even more......hey, I know, once you get it within 150 yds of the green we'll call it good.

I will say though 4.5 to 5 hours isn't anything to be terribly proud of.

**denver_nuggs_15** · June 24, 2009

Here's an interesting article in today's Milwaukee Journal. My question revolves around

If my group consists of my friends who I've played with plenty of times, then we all play ready golf. If I'm playing with someone I've never met (like at a muni), I'll usually ask what he or she wants to do and I'll do it.

If we have a match, I take whatever is given to me. In practice rounds, I putt everything out outside of 6-8 inches. If I'm playing with my friends and no one is in front of us, then we'll play 18 in a maximum 4 hours. We've played as a 6-some and played 13 holes in about 3 hours and 10 minutes. On monday, me and my buddy played in 3 hours and 5 minutes for 18. So, most of the time, I expect to play 9 in under 2 hours. Four and a half hours is acceptable if I'm at a muni and 5 just feels too long for 18.

**umpiremark** · June 24, 2009

My point on 4.5 - 5 hours for 18 holes IS the pace of play on the course we play. By 'giving' short putts, I'm talking about 2-3 footers, straight, no slpoe to guys that shoot 78-82 ...

**whip_it_out** · June 24, 2009

With no one in front of us, our usual four-some gets around 18 in 3 and a half hours. BUT, we generally get the tee time behind the 8 o'clock money game, and that makes it about 4.5 hours of a lot of waiting.

We play ready golf, but we don't give up short ones.

Though, the woman who gets the first tee time finishes her first 18 in an hour and 45 minutes. I can never be that fast. She runs between her cart and ball.

**CG031** · June 25, 2009

Ready golf and being smart about how you move about the course is one thing, but giving short putts to speed up play? Seems to me that giving those 30 footers would speed it up even more......hey, I know, once you get it within 150 yds of the green we'll call it good.

I totally agree. I don't think short putts are the problem...it's a lot of times people not being smart about where they park they golf cart, walking really slow,

standing over the ball for 25-45 seconds before actually starting the swing , (had to bold this one, it's a huge one I see alllll the time), and talking and messing around on the teebox instead of just playing ready golf and hitting their shots. And 4.5-5 hours is EXTREMELY slow in my opinion.. In my foursomes for tournaments we usually get done in 4.5 hours and that's a TOURNAMENT where everyone is looking at everything like 20 times. IMO, the pace of play for 18 holes should always be 4 hours and 15 minutes. Hell, my Uncle is a 30 handicap and he can play at that pace with his buddies (who aren't all that much better!).

**right handed phil mickelson** · June 25, 2009

Yea 4.5-5 hours for a round of golf is way to long for me. I get mad if we're on our course's pace of play of 4 hours. Me, my friend gabe, our instructor (and high school golf team coach), and Johnny play a round of golf in about 3-3.5 hours. Me and my friend Gabe will play a round in about 2.5-3 hours. I think we're the fastest two-some at our course ;)

The time to be fast on the golf course is in-between shots. You can still be fast and play good. Just take your time on your shots, and speed things up in between. Know what club you are going to hit when you get to your ball. Don't sit there for 30 seconds thinking about which club to hit at your bag. I usually keep my glove on at all times so I don't waste time taking it on and off. Or sometimes I don't even play with one. Since me and my friend are the exact same handicap, and if he's playing good, then I'll play cart golf with him. That is hitting my ball right next to his to reduce the time of riding to each of our balls. Also, if you're stopped at another persons ball, and yours is about even with theirs, just get up and walk to your ball with some clubs in your hand. That saves a bunch of time. I really don't want to run on and on about how to save time during a round of golf because there are a bunch of things you can do to save time while playing. It's really common sense stuff. Have fun golfing!

~RHPM

**CarlSpackler** · June 25, 2009

Let's see, there were eight of us stacked up on a tee box tonight waiting on the 5-some who was pushing a 4-some. Agonizing...

**madcityscott** · June 25, 2009

Ready golf and being smart about how you move about the course is one thing, but giving short putts to speed up play? Seems to me that giving those 30 footers would speed it up even more......hey, I know, once you get it within 150 yds of the green we'll call it good.

Twice in a row now I've played with guys who gave 4-foot putts. (I don't know what the average is of making a 4-footer, but it sure isn't a gimme.) I guess I should have declined and just putted it out, but I didn't want to look like an ingrate. The worst thing about it is then

I felt compelled to give them 4-footers, too. Sped up play, I suppose.

**jrm1493** · June 25, 2009

Walked 18 in 100 degree heat yesterday in 3:20 (two of us). Had to wait a few minutes a couple of times but no real holdups. Did let one single through (riding) and I bet he played in under 2 hours. Two weeks ago we played in 2:45 riding only being held up once. I'm about a 17 and my buddy is about a 23 and we putt everything out. People just need to learn how to play quickly, you don't have to be good to play fast, and I think most would benefit their scores by playing faster.

I've noticed one good countermeasure against slow play is to play in the Houston heat at around 3 in the afternoon. Pretty much guarantees that you will only be playing with committed golfers, almost all of whom abhor slow play.

**Scottydoint** · June 25, 2009

I play fast. If I'm by myself w/ a cart and no one in front slowing me down, I'll play 18 in 1:45 +/- a few minutes. Me and my friends still play quick at about 3 hrs for 18 walking.

**RandomRaiderTTU** · June 25, 2009

If I'm playing with my standard foursome, we'll get it done in 4 hours typically if no one is in front of us.

Handicaps are: 12, 17, 27, and 32.

We play ready golf and will concede putts inside the leather.

When my cart partner gets to his ball, if I'm relatively close I'll walk to mine to start figuring out club selection.

Considering we rarely don't have people in front of us, 4.5-5 hour rounds are more typical.

**wedge player** · June 25, 2009

me and my dad play 18 in about 2 1/2 to 3 hours

**kris** · June 25, 2009

what irks me (this happened yesterday when I was playing) are the guys in front of you who wait for the group in front of them to get all the way to the green on a 400 yard hole. yes, all the way to the green. once they even waited until they finished the hole! and these are par 4s and 5s. their conclusion: "I'll either have to wait here on the tee or up in the fairway." yeah well it creates a big lineup behind them and causes me to play in 5 hours.

**microcrayfish** · June 25, 2009

The faster three of my regular foursome can get round in 3 and a half hours easily if we don't get held up, having the other guy there usually adds half an hour but 4 hours isn't too bad. We usually end up taking 4-4 1/2 hours for a Saturday round depending on how busy it is.

**Smarf** · June 25, 2009

We play ready golf and will concede putts

I've heard several people use that phrase before and each one of them meant a different thing by it.

Which one does it mean? - The length of the grip from the hole, inside that is a gimmie. - Stick the putter head in the hole and anything before the START of the grip is a gimmie. - Stick the putter head in the hole and anything that isn't farther away than the end of the club is a gimmie. Unless all grips are the same, which on putters they don't seem to be, and the shafts are the same length, there doesn't seem to be a fair way to do it. Also, how much time do you really save by not taking 10 seconds to knock in an 8 inch putt?

**Leftygolfer** · June 25, 2009

Putt everything. Line up putts outside of 2-2.5 feet. Play ready golf. Play in about 4 hours. Last time played, walked, 3 players, minimal waiting. Right at 4 hours.

**GDWindowpane** · June 25, 2009

Also, how much time do you really save by not taking 10 seconds to knock in an 8 inch putt?

I'll take a stab at this one; I'm guessing 10 seconds...

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