Disrespectful slow play..

[Clubswinger21]

It was a beauty of a day on Tues. and me and buddy (14 handicap) went to the best course in my city which is normally out of our price range, and golfed for $15 after 4 pm special. Enroute to shooting a 78, (par 72) It wasn't untill about the 5th hole when we noticed the guy ahead of us was a single. We noticed he was taking his sweet ass time. And then realized he was playing 3 balls. One guy should have no trouble keeping up with 2 some but he finally left at the turn. On the par 5 11th we caught up to another group which was a 3 some. It was 3 scrawny teenagers, we noticed they were taking along time aswell and untill we got closer we didnt realize why..

One of them was a kid who looked about 5 feet tall, (the only one in the group carrying) he could barely carry his 30lbs bag. The other 2 looked dull and lifeless and they were walking like they were golfing because someone made them. Tired, Unhappy, slouched, and bored. After waiting 10 minutes on each tee for 3 straight holes, I finally yelled out "lets go". To which they responded by moving to the cart path and letting us hit are drives. Instead of letting us play through they proceeded to walk up to the green and move as slow as mollassus. The youngest one even took a few practice putts. My buddy hit into the green as soon as his foot it fringe. The next hole we thought they'd let us play through but they waited a bit to hit their tee shots and then slowly walked up to the green. On the verge of hitting into them we skipped the hole and kindly asked. "can we play through." We did, and as we were leaving "I said sorry guys we're trying to get 18 in before it gets dark and you're out here like you could careless"

It says right on the big sign at the club house slow players let faster players play through. I can only take so much disrespect on the course, these kids were dilerberatly trying to piss us off.

Anyone else have any slow play stories

[AMGfan]

I can't figure slow play either...ready golf has always been a priority in my group. Honors on the tee or on the fairway is only if no one is behind us and the coure isn't packed.

Also, I don't see the rationale in a slow group trying to "speed up" (i.e. rushing) and screwing up their round. If we have a faster group behind us (or a single/twosome) and if their is room ahead of us for them to advance we let them play through, so we can enjoy our round in a reasonable pace.

To be honest, I have never been part of a slow group. Part of the reason we purposely tee off at the crack of dawn is to be one of the first groups off...3-3 1/2 hours is typical for our Saturday round for our foursome. We don't feel rushed and we still have the rest of the day to do other things with the family.

The single hitting multiple balls and holding you up is uncalled for...the threesome later in your round will probably the same when they get to be older hackers (unless they get a lesson on etiquette by the starter). We call the starter every chance we get when we hit a backup or there is slow play coming from a particular group.

[Norm66]

I'm a very tolerant person, but even as a relative newbie to the game, nothing ticks me off like slow play. I've been lucky so far though, everyone who's held me up has let me play through in a pretty reasonable amount of time. The worst one though was a group of 7 (with 5 carts) I got stuck behind one day. They let me play through eventually, but then I had to tee off in front of all these guys and got thrown off my game. Now I'd probably have just skipped to the hole ahead of these guys and gone back to pick up that hole at the end.

[Matt P]

I was playing with two of my regular group two weeks ago and ran into an obnoxious foursome in front of us, who never let us play through. They were taking an unbelievable slow time, however, we couldn't catch them on the tee. Most of the time two of the guys were hitting their second shot only thrity yards off the tee box...and guess what they were playing from the tips...give me a break. They caused a massive back up on the last 6-7 holes. What made it worse was one moron left his headcovers behind at least three times. Finally we just started throwing the headcovers on the next holes cartpath so they would find them...must have seemed like magic.

Normally, I tolerate slow play because that is just the state of the game if you don't get an early tee time, but if there is no one in front of you and you got a group coming up behind let them trough.

Finally, even worse than being stuck behind a slow group is the behind you that keep driving into me, if I can't go anywhere you can't go anywhere. Anyway, it is about fun primarily so I guess the trick is not to stress too much.

[jorgesgolf]

I posted in another thread about my first experience playing golf in NYC. As I (and others) have said, there are a number of nice, affordable courses in the area that you can get to by subway or car, but we started at 11:00 AM and weren't off the course until almost 5:00PM. Now, I would almost always "rather be golfing" but even I wanted to RUN off the course as we approached 5:00, I was so sick of simply being "there" and not really doing anything. I wouldn't mind being on a golf course for 6 hours and playing 36 holes by myself (which I used to do in high school), but when the play is slow, so much of your time is spent just waiting for SOMETHING to happen - it can get rather boring. There's only so many times you can practice bouncing your ball on the face of your sand wedge...

Also, I can't stand watching someone "practice" on the golf course. I've got no problem with taking some extra putts assuming that no one is behind you, but playing multiple balls is definitely going to be holding somebody up.

Jorgesgolf

[AMGfan]

I can't stand the groups that have to see each player hit their ball...ready golf damn it!

[PGA Mike]

Slow play is the achillies heel of our sport. I play in a 9-hole match play league in the summer and it ROUTINELY takes 2.5-3 hrs PER 9 HOLE MATCH . This is completely unacceptable. We are not playing for a paycheck, the club championship, or to make the cut. How it takes this long to play 9 holes is beyond comprehension. I have even started to play my weekely round during the week as weekend play is intolerable as well. Why every weekend duffer feels the need to pace it off form 140 or to plumb-bob his 100 ft chip I'll never know.

Hit it, find it, hit it again. Very simple concept. No honors. Ready golf at all times. 4 balls in the air is not a problem.

I occasionally play with some older gentlemen (55+) that play every day, and we can make it around 18 in approx 2:45-3hrs, WALKING. No one rushes. No one feels pushed. Everybody can play thier game and stay in a good rythem. Yet when we get behind HS students, JR collegiate players, or Bubba straight from the golf seciton at Dick's, it takes forever. Go to the range, go to the short course, PLEASE go anywhere but directly infront of groups that want to finish TODAY!

14 Fairways / 18 Greens

In my bag today:
Titleist 975D 8.5 w/ Graffaloy ProForce 65 S (tipped 1/2")
Callaway V-Steel (15deg) R
Taylor Made SS Burner 4W (19deg)
2,4-PW Titleist 962 TTDG S300, Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cords
Titleist Vokey 256 & 260
Ray Cooke MX-1
Titleist ProV1x
Ping Hoofer 3 Stand Bag

Home Course: Sunset Landing GC 6900 - 72.1 - 125

[B-rad]

I guess I play kind of slow. Right now I am working hard on a consistent tempo and pre-shot routine (which I say can take more than 30 seconds a shot). Also, I obviously play slow if I'm playing poorly.

Regardless of your playing speed, let the group play through.



P.S. I DO however get irked when people want to play through, yet I am being delayed myself by a slow group.

[finalrequiem]

R-E-A-D-Y GOLF! I don't mind waiting a little on a busy day, but watching someone take their bag off the cart, walk across the fairway, hit, clean the club, put his iron covers on, and lug the bag back to the cart, put it back on, and drive off is too much! It kills some guys' egos to let a group play through them.

[jorgesgolf]

The other thing you gotta keep in mind is if its the weekend and the play is slow, chances are the guys in front of you are not the only ones that are dragging their butt. I've had people role up on me before and ask if they can play through. I say sure - but you're not going to get very far because I'm waiting, the people in front of me are waiting, the people in front of them...

Jorgesgolf

[CG031]

I've had it numerous times.

As a matter of fact, it took 15 minutes in between each hole. Part of the problem was the course was WAY OVERPACKED, but people were just playing slowly...it was so annoying, it took us 7 hours to finish 18 holes.

[Shindig]

  Clubswinger21 said:

It was a beauty of a day on Tues. and me and buddy (14 handicap) went to the best course in my city which is normally out of our price range, and golfed for $15 after 4 pm special. Enroute to shooting a 78, (par 72) It wasn't untill about the 5th hole when we noticed the guy ahead of us was a single. We noticed he was taking his sweet ass time. And then realized he was playing 3 balls. One guy should have no trouble keeping up with 2 some but he finally left at the turn. On the par 5 11th we caught up to another group which was a 3 some. It was 3 scrawny teenagers, we noticed they were taking along time aswell and untill we got closer we didnt realize why..

I'm surprised no one has said this yet: Keep your cell phone in your bag, silenced or off. Have the course ranger or starter's number in it. Call if there's a purposefully slow group, as in your case. Tell them when and where to find the group. I saw the ranger take people off the course once. I was playing, a group two ahead of us was doing this (four people, two balls each, honors and all ; or so I heard after the round when I asked the ranger what happened). I only asked because I heard some yelling of words I won't repeat here and saw one person (the range) pick up another's bag (one of the slow players), strap it to a cart, and drive off.

[Mr Bogey]

I don't like slow play either, BUT I have to say that unless it is deliberate I can't fault too many folks. There are people that are just learning how to play and they have to learn on the course and not just on the range, we've all been there. I am very tolerant to a point of course.
I will say that I get totally annoyed at people I see messing around and hitting multiple balls on the same shot.

One the other side of the coin I DON'T like to be pushed either. I am not a slow player however, there are days. If that is the case I will always try to let a two some or three some depending how good they are to play through. I've had people hit balls into me because they didn't like the pace that we were playing, this is disrespectful and dangerous and there is no place for this on the golf course.

[Shindig]

  Mr Bogey said:

One the other side of the coin I DON'T like to be pushed either. I am not a slow player however, there are days. If that is the case I will always try to let a two some or three some depending how good they are to play through. I've had people hit balls into me because they didn't like the pace that we were playing, this is disrespectful and dangerous and there is no place for this on the golf course.

If they hit "into" me, but it's just the ball rolling after hitting the ground 30 yards behind me, I'm fine with it. If it chances hitting me on the fly, I'm inclined to tee it back up in the fairway and hit it back at them. I've never actually done this, and probably wouldn't do this, but the thought occurs to me. I figure if someone hits in such a way that I might get hit on the fly and he doesn't call "fore" (or knows I'm watching him hit, such as when I forecaddy with my group after a particularly good drive), I'll probably at least put the ball into a divot.

[lamebums]

My biggest problem is when I get stuck behind a convoy of old people. Nothing against old people person to person, but they're so damn slow most of the time it's a shame. (70+).

Tee the ball up, shank it 30 yards, shuffle to the cart, fumble with the club getting it into the bag, sit in the cart, drink a beer, find out where the gas pedal is, drive off more slowly than a walking pace, get to the ball, stop, look around, get out, ponder for a minute which club to use, get out, take a practice swing, do the waggle, another practice swing, a stance adustment...and then shank it another 30 yards.

I'm actually one of those people who've hit my long drives down the fairway after their fourth or fifth shot, close enough for them to get the idea but usually not within range. Then, I kindly drive up, ask to play through, and 9 out of 10 times they're cool with it. The other 1 out of 10, they're *******s though, and I've actually had to skip 4 holes at one time to get around a whole caravan of them.

As to people hitting up behind me...I usually only play slow, hitting 2 or 3 balls around the green, if no one's behind me. Might as well get the chipping and putting practice in while I've got the chance. If someone hits their drive down the fairway while I'm on it, and they have no etiquette about it, I won't hesitate to drive over their ball with the cart, or stick it in my pocket, or something. If it's an honest mistake, I'll let it fly...but I just don't like *******s, simply put.

[Clubswinger21]

Thing is, I've been in a situationg where if im playing with my dad or a buddy who is hacking it all over the course. Like someone else mentioned, there's nothing worse than having a group of low handicaps yelling at you to hurry up. It puts unnecessary pressure on you.. in that situation i've always let people play through. Im a pretty decent guy and I was trying not to be a prick about it. But if you cant even carry your bag get a bloody cart. Go eat a sandwich, drink some powerade, and look alive, like you want to be out on the course. You're playing the best sport in the world and you look like a spoiled brat who didnt get what he wanted for christmas.

Before I started taking golf seriously I went to a par 3 with my dad, Id only been 3 or 4 times before and there was a low handicap group behind us, we were slow but the course was packed and there was a wait on each hole. so buddy in the group behind us decided to actually hit in to us while i was still on the green, the ball whizzed by my head. A guy on the next tee said "you should appologize to the kid", he shrugged and said "he shouldnt be doddling on the green" needless to say the guy was an enormous ******* considering the next tee was backed up anyways.

I've only hit into someone one time and it was because of the same reason. I was a single and there was an asian guy ahead of me who kept chunking his pitch and re-hitting into the green like he was playing a practice round. I waited and he kept on doing it and ignoring me so I hit in to him, I figured id pull my drive left, but i smoked it right at him and at one point I thought it hit him on the fly. The ball finished pin high, off to the left on the 280 par 4. He was pissed and I appologized and explained to him you cant hit numerous shots into the green when someone is waiting to play behind you. He was impressed with how far I hit the ball and now everytime i see him on the course he ask's how my games doing.

[NCGolfer]

I have similar stories to most people in this thread. Normally my rounds start first thing in the morning. Not only do I like it because there is nobody in front of me, but the course is pristine and perfect.

There is no reason a foursome - even a bad one - can't play a round in four hours. For years I played every Sunday morning in a foursome that played 18 holes in 3 hours - walking. I was a scratch, but the rest of the group included a 5 handicap, 12 handicap and 20 handicap. We all played ready golf and kept an eye on each other. We never spent more than a couple minutes looking for a lost ball or chatting. That was for in-between shots.

Most of the people holding everyone up are, for the most part, the players that get out a couple times a year. You don't run into slow play all that much at private clubs because everyone knows everyone else and slow play can be dealt with much easier. Public courses are much more difficult to ranger and control.

Play early and play often...that's what I say. The morons usually are still sleeping at this time.

[Ogg]

The thing is that no one ever thinks they play slow. I used to go to Cape Cod every year with my buddies to play golf and 2 of us were around 10 handicaps and the other 2 were around 28 handicaps. The two higher guys had no problem just taking their time and talking away or hitting multiple shots. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I had to tell them to hurry up and that we need to pick up the pace of play. They still never had any idea that they played slow.

I can recall playing behind 3 women one time when I was playing by myself and they just did not want to let me play through. I don't know what their issue was but they were dead set against me playing through. I couldn't catch them either since they were playing the red tees and I was playing blue so I never came up near them on the tees. But I waited on EVERY shot.