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The Speed Freak


GolfBookie
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The Speed Freak……every golf group has at least one. You know him. He’s the guy that freaks out if your group gets a half-a-hole behind. He’s constantly monitoring the group’s position relative to the group in front…..he pays more attention to that group than the guys he’s playing with. If the Speed Freak gets really pissed, he’ll forget about “honors”, jump on the tee, tee off, then grab his bag and stalk off down the side of the fairway before the rest of the group tees off. Everyone has trouble on the course sometime during a round. A lost ball or an especially tricky shot can result in a delay; it’s part of the game. The Speed freak has no patience for this……unless it’s him that’s in trouble. Not a peep about fast play then! My group plays public golf, usually at Brookside in Pasadena, CA. No matter where we play, the rounds are always 4-5 hours long…..golf is not a fast game, as games go. So why does the Speed Freak feel so compelled to finish in a hurry? And why does he always remind you that you’re playing too slow just before you’re about to hit an important shot or putt?

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I'm your speed freak's worst nightmare.  I'm that SOB who wipes his clubs after ever shot and puts the head cover back on before moving down the fairway.  My group all use carts so we don't have any problem with someone walking out ahead of everyone else.

I've played with people who almost wanted to run from hole to hole.  These were the kind of nervous Nelly who stands with their hand on the flag stick when you're trying to chip on.  The best thing about them is that they are usually easy to beat if you throw them off their tempo.  If I were you, I'd either tell speedy to find another group to play with, or make his round so slow and miserable that he'd find a different group on his own.

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I dont play with any but have seen a few.

At my home course, if you get the first tee time on the weekend, you are told by the starter to not finish your 9 in less than 2 hours. (we have double tee times on the weekends and he doesnt want 4 groups waiting at 1+10 at the turn)

Last time we had that tee time, we went as slow as we could and were still on a 90 minute pace. The twosome behind us hit into us twice and then came screaming that we needed to let them play through since we were holding up the whole course. We were nice and let them go, I kindly reminded them to enjoy their 45 minute wait at the turn.

Of course at the turn we waited 1/2 hour behind them as they had to wait for the 3 groups to go in front of them.

Morning tee times are a guaranteed 3:50-4:10 round, but certain guys seem to get amnesia every week.

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LOL, that's a funny response. I have 15 slots in my bag and I carry a shotgun so... =D

I wipe my clubs after every shot, but that doesn't slow me down =)

Anyways, of course there'll be older / slower people , bad players , etc... but I hope that the OP is referring to people

who just for example drink beer then gossip with his fellow golfer before every single shot and just don't have any consideration for the rest of the golfers behind him .

Then yes, that's not cool and will cause a lot of unhappy golfers. If the golfer is slow because he is bad, then start picking up the ball and move on.

All in all, I think the key is being balanced. Not too fast and not too slow and everyone is happy =)

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Originally Posted by GolfBookie

The Speed Freak……every golf group has at least one. You know him. He’s the guy that freaks out if your group gets a half-a-hole behind. He’s constantly monitoring the group’s position relative to the group in front…..he pays more attention to that group than the guys he’s playing with. If the Speed Freak gets really pissed, he’ll forget about “honors”, jump on the tee, tee off, then grab his bag and stalk off down the side of the fairway before the rest of the group tees off. Everyone has trouble on the course sometime during a round. A lost ball or an especially tricky shot can result in a delay; it’s part of the game. The Speed freak has no patience for this……unless it’s him that’s in trouble. Not a peep about fast play then! My group plays public golf, usually at Brookside in Pasadena, CA. No matter where we play, the rounds are always 4-5 hours long…..golf is not a fast game, as games go. So why does the Speed Freak feel so compelled to finish in a hurry? And why does he always remind you that you’re playing too slow just before you’re about to hit an important shot or putt?

I'd a hell of a lot rather play with him than with the guy like you who doesn't care.  You do realize why you have those 5 hour rounds, don't you?  It's because of guys like you don't care that they are a half  a hole behind.  When every group has one like you, what should be a nice 4 hour round turns into a grueling 5½ hour test for even the most patient player.  4 hours is quite acceptable for a group of 4 - 5 hours isn't.  I sit in my starter booth and time groups as they make the turn (part of my job).  The first groups out turn in under 2 hours.  As the day progresses and groups start turning in 10-12 minute intervals instead of the 9 minute spread they should have, the turn times stretch out commensurately.  By noon most days they are up to 2:20 to 2:30 coming off the 9th green.  That's what a half hole behind gets you.

If every group actually paid attention and stayed in position, every round would be 4 hours or less.  There is no reason in the world why, if the first 5 or 6 groups can finish in 4 hours that the rest can't, aside from the fact that someone just doesn't care about keeping up.  Anyone playing on a busy course should make that awareness a normal part of  his game.  The fact that you think it's all a joke makes you part of the slow play epidemic.

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Rick

"He who has the fastest cart will never have a bad lie."

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Can't say I've ever met the Speed Freak. But the world might be better with more of him.

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When the course is busy I can't understand for the life of me why anyone would be in a hurry, I also can't understand how some can be oblivious to the surroundings and hit multiple balls and not be playing ready to play golf.

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Originally Posted by Fourputt

There is no reason in the world why, if the first 5 or 6 groups can finish in 4 hours that the rest can't, aside from the fact that someone just doesn't care about keeping up.


Aren't the first 5 or 6 groups are always faster than the groups that follow? Those are typiclly the rabbits who value finishing their round in as little time as possible. They compare time per round rather than scores.

Anyway in case the OP is talking about the guys who push the rest of the group to hurry up, then turn into a turtle when it's their turn, I have a friend like that. He's the slowest mofo I've ever played with. It seems like it's always his turn because he takes forever to hit full shots, chips, and putts. Then when we get to next tee, he finds that extra gear, He races to hit first even though he's rarely away All in the interest of "ready golf", even though he's the reason we dragging behind. He usually peels that drive into trouble then continues to be the sole reason we're losing ground. Imagine Ray Romano skills with Ben Crane pace of play. It's excruciating!!  When that guy's not in the group, we motor right along.

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One time I hit my drive right down the middle of this tight fairway, my playing partner duffs his shot like 3 times to catch up to mine. Im standing over my ball about to hit when he says "hurry up, we have these guys catching up". That PO'd me, he probably took 3 times as much time as me and tells me to hurry, lol, needless to say I missed the green

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Originally Posted by sean_miller

Aren't the first 5 or 6 groups are always faster than the groups that follow? Those are typiclly the rabbits who value finishing their round in as little time as possible. They compare time per round rather than scores.

Anyway in case the OP is talking about the guys who push the rest of the group to hurry up, then turn into a turtle when it's their turn, I have a friend like that. He's the slowest mofo I've ever played with. It seems like it's always his turn because he takes forever to hit full shots, chips, and putts. Then when we get to next tee, he finds that extra gear, He races to hit first even though he's rarely away All in the interest of "ready golf", even though he's the reason we dragging behind. He usually peels that drive into trouble then continues to be the sole reason we're losing ground. Imagine Ray Romano skills with Ben Crane pace of play. It's excruciating!!  When that guy's not in the group, we motor right along.


No - the only difference between those early starters and the rest is that they are experienced golfers who actually know how to play at a reasonable pace.  They don't hurry, they don't run, they don't rush their shots - they just keep moving and they are ready to play when it's time to play.

And you need to re-read the OP.  He only said that his speedy friend is slow when he's in trouble.  Nothing at all like your friend who is just painfully slow all the time.  I can't stand to play with someone like that.  I'm not a speed freak, but I play at a good pace and I'm always ready to go when it's my turn.  Having to watch a playing companion fiddle around on every shot drives me nuts.  I only worry about the pace when we have fallen behind for some reason.  As long as we are up with the group ahead, then we can only play as fast as they do.

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Rick

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I agree we need to keep up the pace of play but if we played at the pace the pros do, we would never make good time. I get they are playing for money and we arent though. The pro's are some of the slowest players Ive seen because they take their time on each shot selecting clubs, checking wind, yardages, checking greens etc

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I like to play fast, but I make it point to gauge the tolerance of fellow players and not rush them.

4-5 hours? That's fast by NYC standards. I'll take that in a second. Place of play here is glacial. Absolutely glacial.

So for a walking or riding 4 some, what's the perfect sweet spot, not too slow, not too fast? 3:45 / 3:30? When is it considered too speedy?

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Kill slow play. Allow walking. Reduce ineffective golf instruction. Use environmentally friendly course maintenance.

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What about when your stuck behind the group thats stuck behind the group thats stuck behind the group thats playing golf as slow as possible. Im talking about the group of older guys dressed to the 9's for golf, who treat Putting and Chipping like its a holy ceremony.

They all line up their putts individually and dont start lining up their shot until the guy before them has alrleady completed his. Then when your stuck 2-3 groups helplessly  behind  these guys the group behind you plays up your a$$ and asks to play through. Rushing you on every shot standing on the Tee box and hitting when your barely out of range. Golf is supposed to be enjoyable if I wanted to worry about how fast im getting through something Id book a meeting in another state and hope I can get through the airport fast enough to get there.

I cant stand the type that play up everyones arse when its obvious that nobody is going anywhere.

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This thread is kind of interesting. I have a 11:30 tee time Saturday. The weather in LI, NY is suppose to be high 60's and my home course has finally put out the ball washers and stocked the snack bar by 9th hole. What I am getting out is this is probably the unofficial start of this courses season and I will try to remember to time my round as I am certain I will be part of a group of 3 making a 4 some. I have been told that this course on the weekend is at a snails pace.

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Originally Posted by nevets88

I like to play fast, but I make it point to gauge the tolerance of fellow players and not rush them.

4-5 hours? That's fast by NYC standards. I'll take that in a second. Place of play here is glacial. Absolutely glacial.

So for a walking or riding 4 some, what's the perfect sweet spot, not too slow, not too fast? 3:45 / 3:30? When is it considered too speedy?



4:30 is usually the upper limit of acceptability for a foursome walking, and that is stretching it a bit.  3:30 is too fast for most courses unless that just happens to be a comfortable pace for your group.  My comfort zone is 3:45 - 4:00, riding.  Often we have a mix of riders and walkers in our group.  We rarely fall behind, and when we do, we make a point of catching up again.

I put 4:30 as the upper limit because that is 15 minutes per hole, and if you can't finish each hole in that time, then maybe you are on the wrong course for your skill level.  You should even be able to spend 2 or 3 minutes in a ball search and still finish in that time, as long as the rest of your group goes ahead and hits before they start helping you search..  My course has a sign on the 6th tee, stating that you should be there in no more than 1hour and 10 minutes.  That is 14 minutes per hole, a pace that would have you finished at 4:12.

Rick

"He who has the fastest cart will never have a bad lie."

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Originally Posted by Fourputt

No - the only difference between those early starters and the rest is that they are experienced golfers who actually know how to play at a reasonable pace.  They don't hurry, they don't run, they don't rush their shots - they just keep moving and they are ready to play when it's time to play.

And you need to re-read the OP.  He only said that his speedy friend is slow when he's in trouble.  Nothing at all like your friend who is just painfully slow all the time.  I can't stand to play with someone like that.  I'm not a speed freak, but I play at a good pace and I'm always ready to go when it's my turn.  Having to watch a playing companion fiddle around on every shot drives me nuts.  I only worry about the pace when we have fallen behind for some reason.  As long as we are up with the group ahead, then we can only play as fast as they do.



I reread the first post. Yeah, I suspect his group is slow.

Regarding the rabbits: sure they're experienced and know how to get around the course quicker, but that's why I refuse to compare the average group to them. It's not a fair comparison. The average group contains at least one player who struggles to break 120. This person may also be the same one who refuses to take less club off the tee to keep the ball in play, but not necessarily.  3 out of 4 guys in that example group may be fast enough to play a rabbit group, shooting close to their index and keeping the ball in play. Faster players make a hundred little decisions along the way that seem insignificant to a slow player, but all speed up a round. The majority of the group can be fast (ish). but as a group they're still slow.

If a group's pace of play can bog down due to one slow person, who's responsibility is it to keep up? In the OP's example there's one "speed freak" who's trying to set a good example and hustle the group along. He's apparently villified by the rest of the group. I'm asking honestly, because it's hard enough to get friends to pick up the pace, but what about strangers? I have never been in a slow group where a marshal drove up to the actual slow person and spoke with them. We talk about experienced players playing early times and this is why. They're tired of having to be nursemaid for slow footed zombies who tee off between 10:00 and 14:00 so they make sure they get out as early as possible. They're motivated to get finished because 1.) they have the whole day ahead of them and they want to get out of the sun's damaging rays and 2.) there's more peer pressure playing in the early groups. This is a good thing. If someone thinks they're a fast player, they should try to get the first time of the day and see what fast play really looks like - it might be an eye opening experience for some guys.

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I guess I could go either way on this.  But being concerned about where you are relative to the group in front of you isn't necessarily being a "speed freak".  My regular group usually turns in a round in 10-15 minutes less than 4 hours.  I think this is a good pace and if it too slow for you we let you play through.  But I too wipe my Irons off after use, put head covers on the woods, and have a pre-shot routine I follow and I don't want to play faster than this because it screws up my game.  So if the group in front of us plays faster than that I don't worry too much unless we are not on track to finish in 4 hours +/- a few minutes then we will try to speed up.  But the point of the game is get the lowest score you can not how fast you can play 18.  So I believe the answer to slow play is go be concerned with your position relative to the group in front of you and your speed of play. But I don't feel I have to turn a round in 3 hours 15 minutes flat just because the foursome in front of me does or the one behind me wants to (although we always offer to let faster groups play through).  Maybe a little consideration of others is always the answer to a lot of conflicts both on the golf course and other places too.

Butch

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Can't say as I've ever played with a "speed freak" as described, but I've played with plenty of people who just want to complain about the pace of play or the players ahead of them.  You know the type.  You are pulling up to the green and they are already running their mouth about the group on the next tee:


Why are they just standing there?  What the hell are they waiting for?  I just hate this slow play!  I'm so aggravated, now I won't be able to concentrate on my shot!

Response:

Uh, dude.  It's a Par 3.  They are waiting for the group ahead of them to get off of the green.

Slow play ahead of me rarely bothers me all that much.  Sure, I'll get in some good natured bitching, and I'll get a bit aggravated if I can see the group ahead of me F'ing off, but so long as I'm with the group ahead of me and I can tell there's really no reason to be trying to play through, why let it ruin my round?  Now, on the other hand, if I've got a group running up my ass the whole time? THAT is going to piss me off and ruin my round.  Unless you need to clear a green so you aren't a target, I don't need your cart right behind mine when I'm getting ready to tee off, and I don't need your balls landing 10 yards behind me when I'm waiting for someone to clear the green.

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