impatient waiting for others at golf course

[golf55]

It takes me 4-5hrs to play 18holes cause people are freaking slow. If I had the course all to myself I can finish it in 90minutes. How do you guys deal with long wait period? I'm sure more expensive course($100) have fewer people but I can't afford that.

[Stevep21]

Walk slower, there is nothing worse than getting to your ball, planning your shot, preparing for your pre-shot routine and you can't even hit it yet. When it is slow I start strolling so that I don't have to stew over my shots too long, I might have a chat with my playing partners or just have some practice swings if I am working on anything in particular, there is always something to do. But ye the best advice I can give when it is slow is to walk slower only because I personally can't stand waiting in the same spot for too long.

You also really can drag out planning your shots when it is slow aswell, like counting paces from the yardarge markers, seeing where the pin is, working out the best shape shot to try and hit and seeing if your worst miss with that shot isn't too bad, then practice the swing your about to execute before settling down for the shot. All this can drag it out a bit but I know it can be slightly pointless when your playing the same course all the time like I do so I know all the yardages and know what shot is best, but its still good practice.

[Motown88]

You could finish 18 holes with a cart in 90 minutes by yourself???  You play fast!!!  If you can play that fast then you'll always be waiting sorry to say.  A standard round should take 4.5 hours so if it's taking you between 4-5 hours to play 18 holes then I don't see a problem.  If you can just slow down your game a little and take more time between shots, this should help so you don't have to wait as long.

[fireman1153]

Does your cart have a rocket engine??

[Stevep21]

5 minutes a hole, you mustn't look for many balls :)

[Chief Broom]

In my experience when you play a course has a lot to do with how busy it will be.  Take the time to get to know a course and it's play patterns and it should be fairly easy for you to schedule your rounds when you know you'll stand the best chance of not being held up.  The best way I know to be able to play as fast as you want is to be the first group off in the morning.  Those times are usually taken by course regulars because they also don't want to have to wait.  There have been plenty of times when I showed up at the course prior to their first tee times and was able to convince them to let me go off with those first groupings.  You'll also find that many courses are slower the closer you get to twilight or mid-day.  Get to know the course and you'll figure out when you should schedule your tee times for maximum benefit.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by golf55

It takes me 4-5hrs to play 18holes cause people are freaking slow. If I had the course all to myself I can finish it in 90minutes. How do you guys deal with long wait period? I'm sure more expensive course($100) have fewer people but I can't afford that.

I can play our front 9 in about an hour and our back 9 in about an hour (55-65 minutes per 9) but I've never been able to do 18 at that pace due in part to fatigue, but mostly running into delays caused by other people. It happens. Deal with it. Not sure what my top pace would be in a cart, but 90 minutes sounds about right. At least with a cart (not saying you're using one - unclear) you'd have some place to sit down.

[inthehole]

Originally Posted by Chief Broom

.  Get to know the course and you'll figure out when you should schedule your tee times for maximum benefit.

Unfortunately, most of us have limited golf time available & have to book tee times when we have time to play - for me, its often after work, when leagues are going on.

Picture this - yesterday, there were 4 older (70's) guys ahead of us - Apple Mountain, NJ.     On every green, they would look over their balls, argue, talk it out, walk around some, eyeball their line, and eventually putt, repeat for each or their 2 or 3 putts.   All this while my foursome were all in wedge range, standing there with our hands on our hips watching this diplay, hole after hole, just shaking our heads in disbelief.    How could they not see us waiting - it's like we were invisible.     We verified there was no one in front of them for 2 holes, so it's not like they were held up.     In my golf experience, this was the most inconsiderate display I've ever seen.     I don't mind slow play within reason (I'm not the fastest by a longshot), but such disregard for others, even if money was involved in their game, is uncalled for.     We packed it in 4 holes early - simply could not take it anymore.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by inthehole

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chief Broom

.  Get to know the course and you'll figure out when you should schedule your tee times for maximum benefit.

Unfortunately, most of us have limited golf time available & have to book tee times when we have time to play - for me, its after work, when leagues are going on.

Picture this - yesterday, there were 4 older (70's) guys ahead of us - Apple Mountain, NJ.     On every green, they would look over their balls, argue, talk it out, walk around some, eyeball their line, and eventually putt.   All this while my foursome were all in wedge range, standing there with our hands on our hips watching this diplay, hole after hole - how could they not see us.     It's like we were invisible.     We verified there was no one in front of them for 2 holes.     In my golf experience, this was the most inconsiderate display I've ever seen.     I don't mind slow play, but such disregard for others, even if money was involved in their game, is uncalled for.     We packed it in 4 holes early - simply could not take it anymore.

Were you on foot? I'd rather skip 1 hole than quit 4 holes early. They might not even notice.

[iceman777]

Dude , you need to relax. Try some meditation tapes by John Kabot Zinnn ..

[onesome]

The best thing to do is like someone else said take your time also like walk slower to your ball, the other thing is don't start your pre shot routine until the group is leaving the hole that way your not standng there with a club in your hand, you want to make it feel like you just walked up to your shot and everything is clear to go.Keep yourself busy cleaning clubs or balls or organize something in your bag but don't start your routine until it's time.

[Jon Robert]

I tell impatient people to get lost. They are the same people on the freeway that think everyone should get off their personal freeway and stop slowing them down. I have no Patience for the speed golfers.  I paid for 72 holes at Lasonia and after 9 holes I left. I told the manager that I am not going to pay money to have a ranger/ timer at every other hole and a GPS in the cart telling me that I am 1 minute behind. Now that golf is not so popular as it was, these speed freaks are begging the people to come back but I say sorry pal you blew it. I go elsewhere.

2008 "More troubling to golf boosters, the number of people who play 25 times a year or more fell to 4.6 million in 2005 from 6.9 million in 2000, a loss of about a third." http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/21/nyregion/21golf.html?pagewanted=all

If you want to play speed golf then go to the range and fire away as fast as you can.

[jd924]

I feel for the OP because I am the same way. I HATE waiting for some old hack to take 3 minutes to hit a ball that goes 3 feet in front of them. The best way is to go out really early (think first tee time of the day) or really late. I cant stand weekends and even weekdays in Summer. It takes all the fun out of golf. Stop dicking around and hit the god damn ball.

[hitnrun]

Sheesh. Some of you guys make it sound like you play on an assembly line. It's golf! I smoke my cigar and plan my next shot when I am waiting. Sometimes if I know that I will be held up, I might hit an extra ball or two off the tee. Just depends.

[GaijinGolfer]

I agree with the OP to a point.  Someone have the attitude that once they pay their greens fee that they own the course and can play at whatever pace they want.  You are expected to keep a reasonable pace and either not hold up the group behind you or let them play through.

As golf has become more popular and become less of a, "rich man's game" people have started playing who werent taught what the unspoken rules of the game are and this is one of those rules.

Im all for enjoying your round but when it takes 6 hours to play 18 holes there is something very, very wrong.

[SoundandFury]

I can completely commiserate.  In LA (central city area) there are munies and there are $300k initiation cc's.  Munies it is.

This morning I played 9 by myself before work.  Three old dudes in front of me who could barely hit there drives 100 yds (that's not my issue).  My issue is they clearly saw me waiting behind them at every single damn hole.  Not only that, but they for some reason refused to tee off until the group in front of them was 250-300 yards away.  I thought of politely informing them that they were out of their minds if they thought they might hit someone.

Yes, slow groups suck.

[Pablo68]

Originally Posted by Jon Robert

I tell impatient people to get lost. They are the same people on the freeway that think everyone should get off their personal freeway and stop slowing them down. I have no Patience for the speed golfers.  I paid for 72 holes at Lasonia and after 9 holes I left. I told the manager that I am not going to pay money to have a ranger/ timer at every other hole and a GPS in the cart telling me that I am 1 minute behind. Now that golf is not so popular as it was, these speed freaks are begging the people to come back but I say sorry pal you blew it. I go elsewhere.

If you want to play speed golf then go to the range and fire away as fast as you can.

Wait............you're not THAT guy are you?!! You know; THAT guy............

THAT guy driving the speed limit or below in the passing lane (hint: it's the left lane) log jamming up the roads while saying 'you should have left yesterday if you're in that much of a hurry'.

THAT guy who sits there at the drive up teller and clean out his wallet while he's got it out.

THAT guy wanting to discuss his bill at the Pro Shop Saturday morning while ten people wait behind him to check in.

THAT guy who plumb bobs his 6 footer while he's laying 8 already.

THAT guy who never looks behind him on the golf course because he paid his money just like everyone else.

No one wants to be THAT guy......

IRT to topic; I play ready golf and like to play at a steady pace. I've gotten irritated in the past over slow rounds but am learning to walk slower if I can't skip a hole to get ahead. Today we got log jammed because two corpses were out trying to show their grandkids how to play. They were 35 minutes out of position by hole #7 and were asked by the ranger to pick up the pace. That lasted about 1 hole if any and I'm sure they told the ranger 'I paid my money just like everyone else'.

Jeez......................play at a reasonable pace and if you're falling behind, let the shorter hitters tee off first regardless of who won the last hole. If you're laying triple bogey already, pick up your ball and tend the flag. Start over on the next hole.

[sam004]

Originally Posted by Pablo68

IRT to topic; I play ready golf and like to play at a steady pace. I've gotten irritated in the past over slow rounds but am learning to walk slower if I can't skip a hole to get ahead. Today we got log jammed because two corpses were out trying to show their grandkids how to play. They were 35 minutes out of position by hole #7 and were asked by the ranger to pick up the pace. That lasted about 1 hole if any and I'm sure they told the ranger 'I paid my money just like everyone else'.

Jeez......................play at a reasonable pace and if you're falling behind, let the shorter hitters tee off first regardless of who won the last hole. If you're laying triple bogey already, pick up your ball and tend the flag. Start over on the next hole.

I hope that wasn't on a weekend. Isn't always the ones that hit it a 100 yds at a time are the ones that oblivious to people behind them and ignorant to golf etiquette.