Idea about golf courses?

[right handed phil mickelson]

We need different level courses for people to play at. Like ranking courses on handicap/pace of play. It's probably a stupid and horrible idea. But, I hate getting stuck behind people who are slower than a fat kid after walking a mile, and can't hit a ball farther than the length of their golf cart.

EXAMPLE


Course #1- In ok condition- not a ton of attention paid to the course, but still a good play. Maybe a few brown spots here and there. For 25+ handicappers. (or 5 hour pace of play)

Course #2- In fairly well condition. No brown spots. Good attention paid to the greens. Good layout. For 10-24 handicappers. (or 4:30 pace of play)

Course #3- In pristine condition. Great attention paid to the greens and fairways. good layout. Pretty challenging. For 9- handicappers. (or 3:30 pace of play)

Comment away!

~RHPM

[wedge player]

We need different level courses for people to play at. Like ranking courses on handicap/pace of play. It's probably a stupid and horrible idea. But, I hate getting stuck behind people who are slower than a fat kid after walking a mile, and can't hit a ball farther than the length of their golf cart.

i agree

[-Mini-]

I don't agree, even though I play rather fast 3:30-4 hours normally. Even if I am stuck behind someone generally they will let me play through them. If not I wait for a marshal, or simply enjoy the day and the I have to play the round of golf or give my clubs a quick cleaning.

If you want faster play and better conditions join a country club rather than playing local muni's

[right handed phil mickelson]

what if you don't have the money to join a country club? What if you like the course that has all of those people playing on it, and its affordable?

[-Mini-]

Then you'll have to stick around and ask to play through the people if they are really that slow.

[Golf Reprisal]

Call them fascists for infringing on your right to play the same golf course because all money is equal in the eyes of the owner.....seriously I have been behind some SLOW people, but I am patient so it doesn't really bother me.

[right handed phil mickelson]

Eh. I know I know I get where you and mini are coming from. Hey, It's just an idea right?

[Golf Reprisal]

Yes I'm just fudging with ya it's not a BAD idea, but it just furthers the stereotype that all golfers are MEGA snobs and I've met a LOT of cool non-snobs. It would be an incentive to get better though if enforced lol.

[right handed phil mickelson]

oh yeah I know a ton of awesome golfers (on the course, and their character). And some cool ones with high-handicaps. GO STEREOTYPES.

[deafheaven]

You are showing your youth a little here RHPM. Y'know there are some who don't like kids on the course, or teenagers, or old people, or women. Golf is the one game where people of all ages and abilities can play against each other. No need to segregate. In fact, golf has a history of segregation and snobbishness. It's been a pleasure to see it starting to be played by the masses. I'm 47 and only took up this game 4 years ago. Part of the reason it took me so long to start and part of the reason I pretty much exclusively play with my buddies and avoid men's night or being an add on to an existing group is that type of attitude. No need for the fat jokes either. Just saying.

[iacas]

Bad idea.

[Smw]

Pace of play has more to do with what is going on between your shots than your handicap.

[wedge player]

Pace of play has more to do with what is going on between your shots than your handicap.

yea but if you only hit the ball 25 yds at a time and have to look for it everytime its gonna take awhile

[Smw]

yea but if you only hit the ball 25 yds at a time and have to look for it everytime its gonna take awhile

True but at that point someone should be taking lessons or at the range and not on a course. Or on a par 54.

[jopela]

We need different level courses for people to play at. Like ranking courses on handicap/pace of play. It's probably a stupid and horrible idea. But, I hate getting stuck behind people who are slower than a fat kid after walking a mile, and can't hit a ball farther than the length of their golf cart.

I agree totally... I think we should even take it further... how about if you are not a scratch golfer you can't own a house on a golf course... or maybe we should make those people live under a bridge... how about if a person does not qualify for the PGA you just execute them... people who are just learning golf or who are not athletically inclined serve no purpose but to slow play...

I have never been so enraged about a comment on here before... just because people don't play as well as you do does not mean they should not be able to play wherever they want. If they are holding up the people behind them to the point where it is a hindrance to the course the ranger can be contacted and it can be dealt with as needed. This is the attitude that is ruining golf.

[Leftygolfer]

I really don't think handicap and pace of play are correlated. Why don't we go to the Japan way were we are timed and if you run over you have to pay more.

Also, isn't that what different tees are for?

[MonkeyClaw]

I agree - pace of play isn't always correlated with handicap. My wife (a 27) and I (a 25) will finish a round in 3:30 without rushing. I can finish a round by myself in 2:30. I know several lower cappers (<10) who can take forever. When we play as a foursome, a 4 hr round is getting long.

I personally hate waiting, but at the same time see it as part of my training. It's very common to wait in tournaments, and I try to play as many as possible. So it's good for me to learn patience, to stay 'in the game' even while watching someone in the group ahead of me duff three shots out of the rough. I try to distract myself by cleaning my clubs, thinking about strategy, etc.

That said, I hate rounds longer than 4:30...

[Chief Broom]

In the heart of my town we have two courses less than a mile apart. Both are public courses. One is the city owned muni and the other is privately owned (owned by the local college). The muni's cost to play is half that of the other public course. The higher priced course could charge less but the truth is they use their higher cost structure as a means of discouraging hacks. The hacks go to the cheaper muni thereby leaving their course open to more serious players. It makes sense. Why would someone who stinks at golf pay twice as much to stink it up than they have to? And in practice they don't. That isn't to say that there aren't scratch golfers playing the muni (there are) and that everyone at the more expensive place is good (they aren't), but it's easy to see a stark difference between the groups of people who play these two courses. The "country club" model is built upon the premis of exclusion, and so too do you see it to a lesser extent among public courses.