Slow Play Promise and Petition

[TourSpoon]

I'm all over it.

My only requirement of my playing partners is the ability to play fast and to be ready.

[Kellfire]

As a high handicapper, I keep myself aware of groups behind me. I will always wave faster parties through and generally take the time to ask them club advice for the hole I'm about to play. It's a great way to pick up tips and to keep yourself popular on the course.

[Tater32]

I promise to walk a course within 4 hr time frame. I can do my home course in 2 hrs 45 mins that my record right now but I know I can improve. So if you want to walk with me you better keep up or stay at the clubhouse at the turn.......................

[Diggitydog]

My real name is Rory Sabbatini and I will sign this petition.

[sonicblue]

I'm officially in. Golf speed <> golf ability.

There's already one course near me - one of my favorite layouts, always in very good condition, I even really like the staff - that I rarely play anymore (think I've been out there 3x this whole year) because of pace of play.

IDEA: Could we be the seeds for some kind of universal "Pace of Play" literature? I'm thinking you come up with 5-10 key ideas to improve pace of play. Not sure how to distribute: stickers on carts, integrate into scorecards, e.g.... Thoughts on these "tips"?

1) For anyone trying to card an offical round for handicap, inform them of the ESC limits.

2) For people not worried about "official," things like: max putts, max shots from sandtraps - the idea being, a golf course is to practice playing a round of golf, not for someone to practice their bunker play by repeatedly hacking, e.g.

3) Tips on cart usage, e.g. "First person to hit gets dropped off, then walks to the cart, which should be at the second player's ball." "A cart shouldn't be left on the side of the green opposite the next tee box."

I'm just thinking out loud here.....but I'm feeling a grand concept here....

[Guest]

I definitely sign. Slow play is definitely annoying.

[Golf4life]

Sign me up! i have no problems hitting into really slow people that think they own the course. i've done it before, will do it again.. It's the only way they get the point....

[23Rounder]

Sign me up. Slow play is my pet hate. I think anyone joining a golf course should have to attend sessions on golfing etiquette and pace of play. The absolute basics like reading putts while waiting and leaving buggies on the correct side of the green seem to be things that bewilder the groups in front of me every week.

[clstrat]

here, here... i'm joining the petition

i posted a relevant comment over on the "What did you shoot today thread?"

i played yesterday and on the front nine i was stuck behind some moron hacker, by himself in a cart and it took him 2 1/2 hrs and consequently it took me 2 1/2 hrs as well.

i cut in front of him on the back nine and finished in about 1 hr and 15 minutes, walking.

i shot 45 on the front and 38 on the back. go figure

[keiyoz]

sign me on!

my home course allows us to start at the front 9 or back 9, just to clear up traffic.

however, there are still times when we get stuck behind slow-playing folks. it doesn't help when they are stuck-up government officials - no chance of going ahead in the par 3s!

[sonicblue]

There's already one course near me - one of my favorite layouts, always in very good condition, I even really like the staff - that I rarely play anymore (think I've been out there 3x this whole year) because of pace of play.

Yesterday was my wedding anniversary. My wife made plans for us to go out and play a round together. I picked the above-referenced course, figuring late-October, Sunday during football season would be a good time. Boy, was I wrong. Here is the email I sent the course:

Dear Sir: Let me say first, that I really like your course, its layout, the condition its kept in, as well as the staff, probably all near the best in the area for public golf. However, the pace of play has officially become the reason I won't come back. Every round is slow, and I have actually walked off several times in the last two years. Once was when there were three groups all on #12, on a weekday evening; the other was just yesterday. My wife and I teed off at 11:25am or so, and were told no one was teeing off behind us for a while. So, we didn't hurry, just kept a leisurely place, but when a group was coming up #1 as we teed off on #2, we made sure to keep moving along. However, we caught up to the group in front of us by #4, waiting on each tee and fairway thereafter (my wife is just a beginner, so we were certainly not playing way ahead of pace). The group behind us was now just one shot or less behind us as well. We finally got through the front nine and, after a very quick snack at the turn, we went to #10, only to see the group in front of us waiting as another group teed off! After a solid 15 minutes waiting at the turn, we declined to proceed. We were past 2.5 hours and still hadn't teed off the back nine, which always plays longer than the front, especially around #12-#14. We were easily looking at 5+ - 5.5, hours for our round, and presumably at a time (late fall, Sunday during football season) where play isn't even at a peak. I'm sure it can be a frustrating thing to figure out where the slow play exactly is and how to remedy it, but I hope you can devote some attention to it. It's at a point where it's truly detracting from what should be a great golf experience at your course. Sincerely: sonicblue

[sonicblue]

Their response:

Thank you for your recent email addressing your frustration with pace of play at [course]. Our efforts to curtail and control slow play at BV include using a starter and a ranger when play volume warrants, checking turn and finish times, and monitoring specific slow groups. On behalf of the facility, I am sorry that you have experienced this situation on more than one occasion here. This is certainly not our operational goal or desire, and it is a reminder of how important carrying out our pace of play guidelines is. Unfortunately there is nothing I am able to do now to correct your inconveniences from the few slow play situations you encountered thus far. I will however be aware that we need to be specific about our pace of play requirements and make sure we are administering them properly at all times. I would also be happy to offer you a discount on your next visit or do something to recover our failure to monitor the play better during the few slow play experiences you had. Personally I think the game of golf needs a universal rule governing the amount of time all golfers are allowed to take to hit a shot. I don’t know how it could be enforced, but something does need to done. Please let me know when you would like to play [course] again.

I respect his response and really empathize with what he's up against. What occured to me is, it truly only takes one group - which may not even be on the course anymore while you're there - to disrupt/bunch up everyone else. IMO, you really have to be militant from the first group on, and be prepared to bump someone along. In my head, I'm thinking, "shoot, I'll go back and play at a discount," but with another slow day, it wouldn't be worth it for free. I hope they figure it out.