Has this happened to anyone?

[Chief Broom]

This I am sure has already been a thread, but slow play is killing golf at the weekend hacker level and driving people away from the game. Often it is not the weekend hacker that is slow, but the "Skilled" players who try to mimic what the see on the networks and the golf channel.

In my experience it's the hackers that slow down play the most. The thing I hate is the one or two minute pre-shot routine. I saw a couple of guys this weekend that took the pre-shot routine to ridiculous lenghts, and then to top it all off they would hit a lousy shot. I never get mad at someone who is stuggling due to bad shots, I've hit more than my fair share, but if you are bad to begin with no pre-shot routine can make your game any better. If I had been playing with those guys this weekend I would have told them straight up that their pre-shot routine was obviously hurting their game and slowing down play across the entire golf course.

Many may not also agree with this, but carts have also contributed to slow play. I walk unless in a tournament that mandates a cart. I can cover more ground faster than anyone in a cart. Walking makes golf a sport, riding makes golf a recreational activity.

I'm a walker. I like riding too, but I mainly walk because I like the exercise and it's cheaper to play. That being said if someone is a fast player thay can play much faster than me walking if they are riding. If I don't have anyone in front of me slowing me down (or a slower playing partner) I walk 9 holes in an hour and fifteen minutes. There is a regular group at the muni I play at that plays 18 holes in 2 hours. I know a couple of guys that if they are playing by themselves they can play 9 in under an hour riding. That's fast play, but those guys are all pretty good. Their shots stay in play so they don't spend time looking around for their ball. They also don't waste time on the tee box or over their shots. They hit and go, and a golf cart goes a lot faster than I do walking (even at a brisk pace). Yes people in carts can slow down play, but that's because they are doing a lot of other stuff that slows them down (looking for errant shots, waiting on whomever is away to hit first, spending time talking, preping, taking the wrong club to their ball, etc.).

Generally speaking the regulars out on a golf course are the fast players and it's the occassional golfers who come out and play slow. But the solution to this problem lies with the course staff and management. It's their responsibility to post and enforce a pace of play policy. I don't mind people taking a more leasurily pace of play, but they should realize that if they are slowing down play then they should allow faster groups to play through. If the course is open before me and I've got a group staying right up behind me I'll wait for them at the next tee box and let them play through. But far too often it's the weekend duffers that cop an attitude with you if you make an issue with them of their slow play (ask them to play through). No faster group should ever have to ask to play through.

[mposter]

I think most of us have been in that situation before. I usually wait for the group in front of me to be well in advance of my shot. There is no sense in playing on the group's heels if there is no where to go on a Sat. But last weekend I was the third in the group to tee off. The first two hit drives that were short of the group in front. I really caught one (I am not a long ball hitter and usually prefer three wood off the tee) and hit into the group in front. I was really nervous they were going to take my ball (thought about hitting a provisional) and apologized as soon as I could. If they did take my ball i would have been pissed though!!!

I prefer to walk on weekends as it slows me down and hopefully lets the slow playing foursome in front of us extra time to hit the shots. I also get so annoyed watching the ten practice swings and various waggles of the guy who can't break 120. Then they hit a "mulligan" with the same shot routine. I need weekday off for golf!

[wachesawgolfer]

Outside agency. If you are "virtually certain" the group ahead picked up your ball you get a FREE drop where the ball should have been. Rule 18-1 "If a ball at rest is moved by an outside agency, there is no penalty and the ball must be replaced." See also Rule 27 c. Exception 2

You never suffer because someone else, unconnected to you in anyway in the match, takes or moves your ball.