Fivesomes on a Weekend Morning

[FlyingAce]

What do you think of fivesomes? Should it be allowed, especially on weekend mornings? 

My club allows fivesomes (ride or walk) and lately these fivesome groups have been getting all the early morning tee times. The proshop did not put the fivesomes together - these are players who requested to play as a group. I think they slow down the pace of play and cause bottlenecks when there are four/threesomes playing behind. 

What would you do if your club allows this? Would you say something to management? What would you say?

[Vinsk]

7 minutes ago, FlyingAce said:

 

What do you think of fivesomes? Should it be allowed, especially on weekend mornings? 

 

@David in FL, @billchao and myself played in a fivesome in less than 3:30. It’s not the fivesome, it’s the people in the fivesome.

[Groucho Valentine]

We played a fivesome on a early weekend morning a couple weeks ago. It actually sort of common at private places. There was nobody in front or behind us for at least 2 holes.  As long as youre not holding anyone up it really shouldn't matter too much.  Still played in under 4 hours, too. People need to learn from us. 

[Sandy Divot]

As long as the 5 plays fast, I don't care. As for playing in a 5, I absolutely hate it. Even if the group is fast, I just can't seem to get in a comfortable pace within the group. I hate waiting for the additional guy, and because of playing a 5, I always feel as if I'm rushing to make sure we keep pace. I would rather not play than play 5.

[DaveP043]

We occasionally will have 5-somes on weekends at my home club, and as others have mentioned, those groups are particularly careful to play quickly.  I don't have any problem with any group that plays at the proper pace.  I think its pretty common at many clubs for the fastest groups to play earliest in the morning, so they CAN move at the pace they're comfortable with.  If the 5 can keep up with the pace that is normal at that time of day, fine. However, f they're slowing people down, and I mean slowing them down at all, they shouldn't be allowed.  If the pace of the group ahead of the 5 is 3 hours, and the group behind the 5 can play in 3 hours, then the 5 shouldn't be allowed to take even 3:30.

At public facilities, I think a different policy is appropriate, I don't believe 5-somes should ever be allowed.  

[Bucki1968]

We allow some fivesomes to play early on the weekends and they usually move pretty quick. I get aggravated when they give me the "we played in 4 hours" crap when everyone else is on a 3:30 pace. I hate the whole "four hours for 18 holes crap". For some reason (in scotland) they can get around in 3:30 or usually less walking. 

[RayG]

Using "Scotland" players as an excuse to not play in 12 minutes (or 3 hours or whatever the preferred number is theses days) is ridiculous. They play a LOT more different styles of games than we here in the US play. They play more match play, greensomes or alternate shot formats so essentially a 4 plays as fast as a 2 might do here. Not having to hit half the shots can certainly speed up the game. 

Since nobody else here seems to play these games at a public or private course, there's no point in playing them because you would always be riding up the group ahead. May as well hit it twice as many times to keep pace with everyone else. Try having a course mandate 'alternate shot' games over here to speed up the game- without lowering prices! They would be out of business in a month.

4.5/ 5 hour muni rounds are a fact of life in an area like around here in NYC. Choices are few and far between for public golf. Full tee sheets drive the business, not necessarily the speed of the round. 

To the OP, 5's playing together is fine with me- when it's not backing up the whole place. We recently played as a 5 while in the OBX, kept up with the 4 ahead, had a 2 go through, and stayed at least a hole ahead of the 4 that was behind them.

[Double Mocha Man]

I have played in a 6-some on a day the course was almost empty.  And we held nobody up.  Though, I must admit, it was like herding cats.  Incoming shots from all over... not relaxing.

[billchao]

1 hour ago, Vinsk said:

@David in FL, @billchao and myself played in a fivesome in less than 3:30. It’s not the fivesome, it’s the people in the fivesome.

It's not like we were all splitting fairways and hitting greens, either.

Slow play is caused by slow players.

[Double Mocha Man]

But they don't know they're slow.   😁

[chilepepper]

It’s not the amount of players, it’s lack of caring by slow groups. Recently played as a foursome with a twosome in front, we were on their A**es until the turn when they bailed out. 

[jsgolfer]

When I was in SD, both of the ClubCorp course allowed fivesomes to play.  However, the caveat was that they had to keep up with the group in front of them or play in under 4 hours.  Any group that did not do that, would not be allowed to play as a fivesome again.  My threesome followed a fivesome and we didn't wait for them hardly at all.  They were really fast, I thought we would catch them and only did towards the end when they were waiting for the group ahead of them.  But we played in under 3:45 hours.  So no problem with fivesomes at a private course.

[Bucki1968]

48 minutes ago, RayG said:

Using "Scotland" players as an excuse to not play in 12 minutes (or 3 hours or whatever the preferred number is theses days) is ridiculous. They play a LOT more different styles of games than we here in the US play. They play more match play, greensomes or alternate shot formats so essentially a 4 plays as fast as a 2 might do here. Not having to hit half the shots can certainly speed up the game. 

Since nobody else here seems to play these games at a public or private course, there's no point in playing them because you would always be riding up the group ahead. May as well hit it twice as many times to keep pace with everyone else. Try having a course mandate 'alternate shot' games over here to speed up the game- without lowering prices! They would be out of business in a month.

4.5/ 5 hour muni rounds are a fact of life in an area like around here in NYC. Choices are few and far between for public golf. Full tee sheets drive the business, not necessarily the speed of the round. 

To the OP, 5's playing together is fine with me- when it's not backing up the whole place. We recently played as a 5 while in the OBX, kept up with the 4 ahead, had a 2 go through, and stayed at least a hole ahead of the 4 that was behind them.

I'm confused by this...we played every shot in Scotland (about a month ago) and so did the "Scots" that played with us. I know some of the people play match play but I didn't see any in any of the rounds I played there. And it looked like the tee sheet at St Andrews was pretty full. We played in 3:30 minutes.  Walking. We played in three hours at Hoylake.

Edited September 25, 2019 by Bucki1968
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[Vinsk]

43 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

But they don't know they're slow.   😁

They do if I’m behind them.

45 minutes ago, billchao said:

It's not like we were all splitting fairways and hitting greens, either.

Slow play is caused by slow players.

It was however easy for me to find my ball...just go to yours, walk back 30yds and to the left.🙂

[billchao]

27 minutes ago, chilepepper said:

It’s not the amount of players, it’s lack of caring by slow groups. Recently played as a foursome with a twosome in front, we were on their A**es until the turn when they bailed out. 

Our fivesome caught a foursome that teed off 40 minutes ahead of us.

3 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

They do if I’m behind them.

Or if @David in FL's friend Kevin is teeing off.

5 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

It was however easy for me to find my ball...just go to yours, walk back 30yds and to the left.🙂

That only worked the handful of times we knew where my ball was 

[Patch]

It seems like I am seeing more 5-6 somes on courses these days. Usually a 3 cart affair.

Our two local courses will allow it. I think for them, it's a revenue thing. Slow player's green fees help pay the bills too. 

Our own little group, during off hours have had more than 4 walking golfers at times. Everyone does their thing from the tee box, and we meet up at the green. 

Four of us, walking, can get around a 6600 yard course in well under 4 hours. That's also playing at our own, non rushed pace. 

Although I don't care much for slower play, I don't see it very much either. When I do, I just take it in stride, while relying more on my preshot routine between shots. 

Individuals, and groups will never play at the same pace, as other individuals, and groups. I am of the opinion this will never change. 

 

Edited September 25, 2019 by Patch

[Mr22putt]

2 hours ago, FlyingAce said:

What do you think of fivesomes? Should it be allowed, especially on weekend mornings? 

My club allows fivesomes (ride or walk) and lately these fivesome groups have been getting all the early morning tee times. The proshop did not put the fivesomes together - these are players who requested to play as a group. I think they slow down the pace of play and cause bottlenecks when there are four/threesomes playing behind. 

What would you do if your club allows this? Would you say something to management? What would you say?

I have read on golf forums of 5somes...especially in the US.....I have only played once in a 5some on a busy muni in Yuma. AZ in 1997.

I'm not saying it's doesn't occur, but I can't think of one private club or even public course here in Canada that would allow 5some's...especially on weekend mornings.

Unless you belong to an uber private club (though in a previous post that you have since deleted....you say you belong to a club of 500+ members) with maybe 200 members....that might not care much that 5some are allowed because the course is not busy.

You can bring it up with the GM at your club..but in most private clubs........ it's the membership who decide on the club's policies and the management & staff simply enforce those club policies.

[David in FL]

I prefer fast 5-somes over slow 3-somes.

My club allows 5-some that are known to be fast.  For us that means capable of easily playing in about 3:15 if they’re not held up.

As @billchao and @Vinsk mentioned, last week, playing a small, but important to us, money game, including 2 guys that had never seen the course before, all playing very mediocre golf, we finished in 3:30.  It would’ve been a bit quicker but we got tied up behind a 4-some for 3 holes before we got past them at the turn.

One recent late Friday afternoon my group played as 7.  We finished in 3:40ish.  That was kind of sporty...  remember, there’s no law that says that only one ball can be in the air at any given point in time.     To be clear though, everyone is careful not to impede or otherwise affect the play of someone else.