How to handle slow players?

[Paradox]

Originally Posted by newtogolf

I wish you luck but don't see anything in your article that hasn't been discussed already.  Most of the slowest players I know have been playing a long time.  They know to put their glove on before it's their turn and how to play ready golf, they choose not to for whatever reason.  I've played at courses with GPS built into the carts that notify you of slow play, they simply ignore them.

When people pay their green fees they feel entitled to play at THEIR pace, and until courses kick these guys off the course (without refund) for slow play I doubt any program is going to change their bad habits and attitudes.

I wish there was a way to put a verbal warning in carts for slow players that would only be loud enough to annoy them and no one else on the course, haha.

[JetFan1983]

Originally Posted by Paradox

Quote:

Originally Posted by newtogolf

I wish you luck but don't see anything in your article that hasn't been discussed already.  Most of the slowest players I know have been playing a long time.  They know to put their glove on before it's their turn and how to play ready golf, they choose not to for whatever reason.  I've played at courses with GPS built into the carts that notify you of slow play, they simply ignore them.

When people pay their green fees they feel entitled to play at THEIR pace, and until courses kick these guys off the course (without refund) for slow play I doubt any program is going to change their bad habits and attitudes.

I wish there was a way to put a verbal warning in carts for slow players that would only be loud enough to annoy them and no one else on the course, haha.

Haha, how about, a GPS unit in the cart recognizes when a group has reached the tee. It also recognizes when the group in a cart ahead has moved far enough out of range so said original group can begin play on the hole. A timer begins. Once the timer has expired at their current location. the cart begins to emit really annoying noises, music, and/or the voice of former actor/comedian Bobcat Goldthwait telling them to hurry their asses up. The volume is just loud enough to annoy them, and just low enough not to bother groups on adjacent holes.

[hackerandloveit]

Some courses are just built to play slow it seems.  We have one course here in the Phoenix area that I used to play quite regularly.  Even on off days with very few people on the course, it played slow.  Never completed a round under 4 1/2 hours.  My and my golfing partner can regularly complete a round in 2 1/2 hours by ourselves and not rushing the round at all.  We played a twilight round there and at 5 1/2 hours, we still had 4 holes to go when it was to dark to complete.  I wrote a letter the course pro and he gave our foursome a free round of golf.  He never offered it, just comped our round when we came in next.  Said we would get afternoon rate, and ended up giving us the round free.  Course still plays slow as molasses.

Now, as far as slow players on normal courses, I will pull up to them and ask to play through.  If they refuse, then it is time to stay tied to their rear end the rest of the round.  I don't pay my money to have my round ruined by some idiot who thinks they are the most important person on the course.  I have no problem pulling up right behind their carts fast as they are trying to tee off for the next hole.  When they get mad, I inform them that pace of play should have had them already driving away from the tee box and approaching their next shots when we arrived on the tee box.  For us to hit into a green, and then put out after they left was more than enough time for them to hit 4 tee shots and be on their way.

[phan52]

Originally Posted by schalk

the other day while playing local cluub competition,we had 3 four balls in front of us. We had to wait about ten minutes on each hole. we did contact the club so that theyy send out someone to speed things up for us but to no avail. we played 18holes in 7:30 hours!!!!

The marshall told us that they booked those spots for their own competition ,i think the club should allocate them to the last spot on the day.

That is totally irresponsible on the part of the host club. I would want my money back.

Slow play is one of the main reasons I bit the bullet and joined a private club years ago. We monitor playing time and enforce a speed of play policy through communication and possible suspension. When somebody gets a letter in the mail that they are being put on notice for slow play and that another offense can limit their play, it gets their attention. It is up to the entire foursome to keep pace because they will all get the letter, even if they think it was only one of them causing the problem.

The only downside is that we really don't marshall the course and there will always be first offenders.

[colin007]

I have no problem whatsoever with kicking off slow players without a refund. I think it's a great idea and those people would think twice before playing slow ever again... unfortunately all the marshals at my courses near me are toothless, afraid to confront anybody.

[Dave2512]

My experience is people aren't intentionally slow. Every time I got stuck on the course this year two things were evident, people playing the wrong tees and the extra time spent looking for the resulting errant shots. IMO these people are oblivious to more than their pace of play.

[colin007]

Whatever the reason, slow players should be atomized...

[Golfingdad]

Haha, how about, a GPS unit in the cart recognizes when a group has reached the tee. It also recognizes when the group in a cart ahead has moved far enough out of range so said original group can begin play on the hole. A timer begins. Once the timer has expired at their current location. the cart begins to emit really annoying noises, music, and/or the voice of former actor/comedian Bobcat Goldthwait telling them to hurry their asses up. The volume is just loud enough to annoy them, and just low enough not to bother groups on adjacent holes. :-P

The technology for this must already exist. I play a course fairly frequently that tells you on the GPS how many minutes behind or ahead of pace you are (although it does not factor in why - ie the location of the group in front of you). However, it knows (and shows) where all carts on the course are ... Really handy on a couple of blind tee shots. Seems like they could combine those two pieces of info into the warning system you mention. :). PS. I think Sam Kinnison would be a better choice to tell you to hurry up, or R. Lee Ermey. :)

[nevets88]

For the most part, imho, while technology can speed up play in some instances, it is mostly a cultural issue. Until a majority of players change their attitudes, pace of play will remain as is.

[Dave2512]

Lack of skill, ignorance, stubbornness and entitlement are the only factors I see.

[JetFan1983]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Quote:

Originally Posted by JetFan1983

Haha, how about, a GPS unit in the cart recognizes when a group has reached the tee. It also recognizes when the group in a cart ahead has moved far enough out of range so said original group can begin play on the hole. A timer begins. Once the timer has expired at their current location. the cart begins to emit really annoying noises, music, and/or the voice of former actor/comedian Bobcat Goldthwait telling them to hurry their asses up. The volume is just loud enough to annoy them, and just low enough not to bother groups on adjacent holes.

The technology for this must already exist. I play a course fairly frequently that tells you on the GPS how many minutes behind or ahead of pace you are (although it does not factor in why - ie the location of the group in front of you). However, it knows (and shows) where all carts on the course are ... Really handy on a couple of blind tee shots. Seems like they could combine those two pieces of info into the warning system you mention. :). PS. I think Sam Kinnison would be a better choice to tell you to hurry up, or R. Lee Ermey. :)

Yes! It should definitely be Sam Kinison.

I can't think of a man, woman, or child who would not speed up play after being subjected to this (skip to 0:46) :

[newtogolf]

You will always have conflicts between the golfers that are out to play socially and have no time commitments versus those that have limited time to play.  It's up to the course to decide which type of player they want to attract and cater to.

Courses should be required to publish the time it is taking to play an average round (like Disney estimates the wait time on their rides) and let golfers decide before they pay their green fees if that's acceptable.  Courses that have GPS can probably post those numbers real time while those without might have to estimate as best they can.

Originally Posted by nevets88

For the most part, imho, while technology can speed up play in some instances, it is mostly a cultural issue. Until a majority of players change their attitudes, pace of play will remain as is.

Originally Posted by Dave2512

Lack of skill, ignorance, stubbornness and entitlement are the only factors I see.

[lville lefty]

Originally Posted by newtogolf

I wish you luck but don't see anything in your article that hasn't been discussed already.

Thanks for wishing me luck.  The key to 240 GOLF having success is pointed out in your first sentence "...hasn't been discussed already."  We all go on TST and other forums discussing slow play.  What 240 GOLF brings to the table is a program all golfers and golf courses can do more than discuss the problem.  240 GOLF provides golf courses real tools to promote good pace-of-play etiquette. And it provides a method for golfers to address slow play in a meaningful way with other golfers.

Maybe 240 GOLF will have a positive impact, maybe it won't.  It is a reasonable attempt however to address the situation and certainly has a better chance of having an impact than discussions on forums.  My hope is you and other golfers frustrated by slow play will support the effort and give it a chance. We don't have anything to lose by trying.

[Paradox]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

The technology for this must already exist. I play a course fairly frequently that tells you on the GPS how many minutes behind or ahead of pace you are (although it does not factor in why - ie the location of the group in front of you). However, it knows (and shows) where all carts on the course are ... Really handy on a couple of blind tee shots. Seems like they could combine those two pieces of info into the warning system you mention. :). PS. I think Sam Kinnison would be a better choice to tell you to hurry up, or R. Lee Ermey. :)

Gilbert Gottfried, Pauly Shore 90's style, Roseanne Barr 90's style.

[Paradox]

I guess that all in all, I'm pretty lucky because within a 10 mile radius there are 4 golf courses, two of which are championship caliber and two of which are more of a hackers paradise and much less populated.  Its rare to find a group who doesn't belong on one of the big courses unless its possibly their first time playing golf.

[laconic517]

I still blame golf courses for a large portion of the slow play.

6 minute tee times, thick rough/tall grass/not clearly marked hazards, all add up.  If I was a golf course designer that was making a muni for your everyday golfers play, I would NEVER put heather/tall grass on the course.  Its absolutely asinine and just bogs down the golf course.  At least if you have water out there its an obvious hazard.  I cant believe how many courses I have played that have areas that arent marked red that clearly should be (assuming you want to keep a reasonable pace of play).  This causes people to look for their ball,etc which takes up considerable time when you have to do it every other hole (depending on the group you are playing with).  Combine that with the 6 minute tee times and you are in for 5-6 hour rounds.

Yes golfers do contribute to the slow play as well (I can't stand playing in city tournaments anymore because of the 5.5hr rounds, people grinding over putts/iron shots when they are going to shoot 82 just like everyone else in that day group and we have 0 chance of placing in the top 10 or winning money) but I still believe the golf courses could alleviate a majority of the problems.

If people are hacks there are situations where they really can't speed up if they want to actually post a legit score.  Blade balls over a green a few times and its going to make for a slow hole.  Also, with hacks, you cant even walk up to your ball to play ready golf, as if you do you will clearly be in harms way of the occasional shank or scull or whatever.  You basically have to stand behind them in order to be 100% safe.

I myself am a pretty fast golfer (I can only think of one of my buddies who may be faster, and thats only because he takes 0 practice swings) but this obsession with speed and blaming the golfers needs to kinda stop.  Unless you are going to set a handicap limit, or you want people not to post actual scores, the majority of the blame has to fall on the golf courses

[Ed Rooney]

Call the credit card company and file a dispute for the greens fees. Tell Amex or Mastercard or whoever that you are disputing because of the pace of play and the dact that you had to walk off. When they call the course to discuss the why they are taking money back, THAT will get their attention.

[GaijinGolfer]

Originally Posted by Ed Rooney

Call the credit card company and file a dispute for the greens fees. Tell Amex or Mastercard or whoever that you are disputing because of the pace of play and the dact that you had to walk off. When they call the course to discuss the why they are taking money back, THAT will get their attention.

Sorry but it doesnt work that way.  You dont get to dispute a payment that you made simply because you feel that you should get your money back.  I guess if you make a purchase a store wont acccept your return you dispute that payment too?