Slow Play

[jetsknicks1]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

Absolute beginners:  if you've taken four strokes over par and you've not putting yet, why not do everyone a favour and pick up. The "we have a right to play out since we paid to play all 18 holes" argument doesn't hold water with me. Did I pay for 150 strokes too? Awesome, I guess a second 18 is free today - woot!

Equitable stroke control in Canada is bogey for scratch players, double bogey for 1-18, triple bogey for 19-32, and quadruple bogey for 33 and over.

See bold text for my comments - mostly in agreement with this post.

I agree with just about everything here except for the "Don't pick up my clubs" thing. Does politeness & just being a helpful guy constitute slow play?

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by jetsknicks1

I agree with just about everything here except for the "Don't pick up my clubs" thing. Does politeness & just being a helpful guy constitute slow play?

It's not because my clubs are so special or delicate - they're all second hand and a little nicked up, but they're solid. Let's just say when a club goes missing, I want it to have been my fault and not because an "absent minded" playing partner kept putting them in his bag. Wish I was joking on this one.

[DaSportsGuy]

Originally Posted by MSchott

I haven't read this entire thread but if you are playing the normal muni and want to play quickly you need to make your tee time for very early in the AM. It's as simple as that. Experienced golfers know how to play efficiently but many golfers now are new to the game and don't know the etiquette or don't want to be rushed. There's nothing you can do about it so plan accordingly. My normal foursome tees off before 8am on Saturday mornings and it still takes us 4.5 hours to play.

I'm a big morning golfer. M-F during the summer, I'm out at 6:45am almost every day(7:15 at the lastest). First one off, usually by myself. Just me and the mowers. I walk 18 and am done by 10am. Usually I get there at 6:20, putt and chip around, and am out before anyone has even arrived.

[jetsknicks1]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

It's not because my clubs are so special or delicate - they're all second hand and a little nicked up, but they're solid. Let's just say when a club goes missing, I want it to have been my fault and not because an "absent minded" playing partner kept putting them in his bag. Wish I was joking on this one.

That sucks! Whenever somebody discovers they're missing a club, the first thing everyone in the group should do is look in their own bag. The fact that you've had somebody "Accidentily"(sp) take one of your clubs home explains your position.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by jetsknicks1

Quote:

Originally Posted by sean_miller

It's not because my clubs are so special or delicate - they're all second hand and a little nicked up, but they're solid. Let's just say when a club goes missing, I want it to have been my fault and not because an "absent minded" playing partner kept putting them in his bag. Wish I was joking on this one.

That sucks! Whenever somebody discovers they're missing a club, the first thing everyone in the group should do is look in their own bag. The fact that you've had somebody "Accidentily"(sp) take one of your clubs home explains your position.

I do a quick inventory on the way to the next hole now. It's easier when on foot and especially with a 14-way divider. I probably look like Monk counting my sticks.

[Blades4me]

Originally Posted by selfinflicted

This is a good thread and I wanted to share some of my thoughts.

As to the original question about the pros and supers being aware?  Yes they are.  Four hours for a 4-some to comfortably complete 18 holes is the norm.  The problem is closely related to the etiquette and courtesy normally associated with this sport.

I started playing at 9 yrs old.  My dad and uncle taught me etiquette and courtesy.  The other members of their generation, at our club, also mentored each following generation.  That is what is missing to day when many start playing at 29 years of age.  We have to educate the populace on how to play more efficiently.

The USGA instituted a Double Bogey Rule for equitable stroke control.  If you can't improve on that, put it in your pocket.

When your ball leaves the Fairway, mark it so you have a more narrow area to search.  And, play a provisional ball!

Be thinking about your shot, so when it is your turn, you will be better prepared to play.

If you are not ready when it is your turn, ask another player to go ahead.

When you take more than one club up to the green when evaluating your next shot, leave them on a convenient path back to the cart.

Park the cart so that it is convenient to travel to next shot or hole.

Pick up clubs for another member in the group, if you are closer.

Be ready to tend or take the flag out if it is not your turn.

Be ready to put the flag back in if you have already finished the hole.

Throwing clubs....Not productive, and slows play.  You have to go pick it up idiot!!!!

My personal pet peeve... No Cell Phones!!!  Turn them off!!  If the call is that important, maybe you should still be at the office!!!

Your golf club is limited as to what they can do.  Understand maintaining a course is expensive, so they have every incentive for the rounds to flow through the course.  However, here are a few things they can do.

Allow no group bigger than a four-some.

GPS's in the carts, so players are not looking for yardages.

The roughs should not be so high so as to hide the golf ball.

Starters should be instructed on how to educate and encourage efficient play.

Mulligans and "Do-Overs" are a "NO NO!!"

Golf is meant to be challenging to say the least.  It is to be a time spent with friends, family and fellow competitors.  Above all... Golf is everything that life should be.  Everyone plays by the same rules.  The corner-stones are: Honor, integrity, ethics and courtesy.

I like your thoughts and I too learned how to golf,but was 11 when I started at a country club in SLC. We were also taught etiquette and would get kicked off of the course if we didn't rack bunkers after the shot, replace divots, etc. However with todays "entitlement" mentality I don't see that happening. I really hope I'm wrong on this, but I've seen just too many butt heads out there chase'n the without a clue. LOL and then they have to audasity to get upset when they can't play like the pro's on TV--what a bunch of maroons.

[MiniBlueDragon]

If I'm in a group that's playing slowly and there is a group behind I'll let them play through.

If I'm in a group that's playing slowly but being held up by the group in front who are even slower I'll make it clear to the group in front that we're playing faster and should be allowed to play through. Most people are fairly amicable when they realise they're holding people up.

If you're playing public courses without handicap limits you need to expect there to be beginners, slow players and players who don't know the etiquette for playing golf.

If you want a fast, clean game of golf that's what private courses and handicap limit courses are for.

[mickdonedee]

I'm a high handicap player myself and restrict myself to playing social golf in twosomes with another high handicapper. We try and tee off during off-peak periods or play ready golf during peak periods. My playing partner is a longer hitter than me but I tend to reach the green before him and usually putt out while waiting. He tends to hit long but errant shots into the trees or adjacent fairway. This is a big time killer. To speed up play why not implement a rule that adjacent fairways are out of bounds and you aren't allowed to enter an adjacent fairway to retrieve your ball?

Since many golfers claim to miss the fairway off the tee at least 40% of the time why doesn't such a rule exist to speed up play?

[PhillyMac]

I am not sure if this happens to anyone else, you start out and the pace of play is rolling fairly well , you are not having to wait between each shot and you get into a groove and everything seems to be going great, then all of sudden everything on the course comes to a dead stop. You are having to wait what seems like an eternity between each shot, then all of a sudden you are out of your groove and nothing seems to go right for your game. This is what happened to me yesterday. I went out to get in a quick 9 holes. I went birdie, bogie, par and then on the 4th hole it seemed everyone on the course just stopped playing. I was waiting anywhere from 5-10 minutes between shots after that. All of a sudden, I couldn't hit anything right! I was pissed! The guys in front of us were hacking, not to mention the 2 guys I was playing with. This one guy in our 3-some took 5 shots just to get on the putting surface on a 125yd par 3, 3 of those shots were within 20 yds of the green! Actually I don't think he made anything less than an 8 on any hole.

Needless, to say, what looked like a 1.5 hour round for 9 holes, turned into 2 hours and 45 minutes for 8 holes. Yes, I said 8 holes. I was fed up. The guys I was playing with teed off right before I left, by the time I walked back to my truck, loaded my bag, changed shoes and left the parking lot, I looked over at the #9 hole as I passed and those guys were still in the fairway hitting away! I know I may catch alot of grief from many of you guys. But I just couldn't handle it anymore! I was about to loose it.

[jmanbooyaa]

It is amazing how a group can stymie a round. I have been in the slow group, and more times than I cared for behind. I actually witnessed a guy take 5 strokes to get on the green(barely) which was a nice 150 yd hold and I kid you not do the spider and than 4 putt. Simply amazing.

[lostmyballs]

Originally Posted by PaddyHarrington

I can't understand how people get so agitated about spending 4 hours on a golf course.

I just love being out there playing, if I'm not on the golf course it means I'm working or suffering from a hangover!

Remember a bad day on the Golf course is better than a good day at work!

People need to relax and just enjoy being out there playing.

Quoted for truth!

[Ernest Jones]

Originally Posted by PaddyHarrington

I can't understand how people get so agitated about spending 4 hours on a golf course.

I just love being out there playing, if I'm not on the golf course it means I'm working or suffering from a hangover!

Remember a bad day on the Golf course is better than a good day at work!

People need to relax and just enjoy being out there playing.

Took me a while to come to this epiphany myself, but once I did my enjoyment of the game multiplied exponentially. So many times I would be seething mad on the course but as soon as I would putt out the last hole I would be trying to figure out how quickly I could get back to the course for another round! Eventually I realised I would be better served to enjoy my time on the course instead of daydreaming about enjoying my time on the course!

[colin007]

Originally Posted by mickdonedee

or play ready golf during peak periods.

ummm...why arent you playing ready golf at all times???

[WWBDD]

Originally Posted by Ernest Jones

Took me a while to come to this epiphany myself, but once I did my enjoyment of the game multiplied exponentially. So many times I would be seething mad on the course but as soon as I would putt out the last hole I would be trying to figure out how quickly I could get back to the course for another round! Eventually I realised I would be better served to enjoy my time on the course instead of daydreaming about enjoying my time on the course!

Yup ...

... and might I add, this is a really whiny thread.

[nevets88]

But when you're out there during a slow round, you're not actually playing golf, you're playing wait to hit the ball. If people in general played faster, you can play more rounds in aggregate. There's a difference between smelling the roses and wandering around in a doobie haze. You want to go for a walk, go on a hike in a scenic area.

Instead of whining, how about what are the ways you obviate and mitigate slow play?

Play very early.

Play during off peak hours.

Twilight - people play faster to get in before it gets dark. Usually.

Find courses away from populated areas.

Jump holes during twilight?

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by WWBDD

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ernest Jones

Took me a while to come to this epiphany myself, but once I did my enjoyment of the game multiplied exponentially. So many times I would be seething mad on the course but as soon as I would putt out the last hole I would be trying to figure out how quickly I could get back to the course for another round! Eventually I realised I would be better served to enjoy my time on the course instead of daydreaming about enjoying my time on the course!

Yup ...

... and might I add, this is a really whiny thread.

Continually commenting on how people takes things too seriously is a form of whining.

[Laws of Woo]

I've been stuck behind 2 foursomes on one course (I was a single). The foursome infront of me was a little slow...but the one leading us, was moving like a snail...20-25 minutes per hole. But honestly, that round I didn't mind. I didn't have anyone behind me, so I'd chip around the green and get some extra practice while waiting. I didn't have any other plans so spending that amount of time on the course didn't bother me too much.

But if the course is a lot busier, thats a different story. If I'm in a group and have to wait a while on every shot...it really takes the fun out of the game. As I'll get bored, or as another poster said, I'll loose my groove and start playing poorly. But as for the OP, I'd love to finish a round in a foursome in 4 hours at my home course. But in the summer on weekdays, its closer to 4 hours 45minutes, on the weekend? about 5 and 1/2 hours.

[WWBDD]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

Continually commenting on how people takes things too seriously is a form of whining.

Take it as seriously as you want ... control freaks are funny.