"Hey! While we're young!" - USGA Pace of Play

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by MS256

Quote:

Originally Posted by bplewis24

Non-enforcement of the tee sheet is probably one of the biggest problems.  The course has a dilemma: either cancel the group if they aren't ready (and refund their money/lose the cash) or take their money, shuffle the tee sheet around and piss folks off and slow up the course for everybody else.   Most courses probably go the latter route.

I guess strict enforcement of a tee sheet works out OK. The courses that are so busy that they have to be strict probably can afford to lose a customer or two by turning them away for being late, and the courses that don't have enough customers can afford to be more flexible about strict tee times because there are empty tee time slots.

Most of the courses around here are hanging on by a thread finacially and the courses are seldom full. A group that gets turned away because someone is a few minutes late likely wouldn't be back. If they are regulars (and especially if they have lots of friends that are regulars) and they all take their games elsewhere it's a big deal. A potential pitfall to running any business in a small town is if you do something unpopular you may lose everybody.

The point being that apparently your course isn't that busy.  My home complex is the busiest facility in Denver, with an 18 hole course (par 72) and two 9 hole courses (par 27 and par 31).  Being a muni operated by the Foothills Recreation District, it serves as a cash cow for many of the other recreational services offered by the district.  Even on a slow year, they will return as much as a 3/4 million dollar profit back into the district coffers.  All 3 courses are run on a reservations system, since that's the only possible way to keep things straight with so many players passing through.

The first tee for the Executive 9 is right next to the first tee for the regulation course (they share a common cart path and the first greens on each course are only about 150 feet apart), and we have had players who paid for the 9 hole course try and slip on to the big course at the second hole.  As far as I know none has ever actually been successful in getting more than halfway up the second fairway before getting caught, but that doesn't seem to stop them trying.

We work hard to keep control of the flow of players, but still seem to sometimes end up with rounds pushing 4:45 to 5 hours by midday on busy weekends.

[MS256]

Originally Posted by Fourputt

Being a muni operated by the Foothills Recreation District, it serves as a cash cow for many of the other recreational services offered by the district.

Good to hear that there are still cash cows for golf.

If there ever were any cash cows around here they were ground up for hamburger after the Free Trade Agreement and all of the sock mills closed.

I saw in the paper a couple of months ago that the city course had already lost $100,000 this year and they were thinking about shutting it down. I guess the bright side is that I work at a different course so maybe we can pick up some of their players.

[Jodastra]

Originally Posted by Fourputt

I don't think I'll ever understand how that happens.  Don't they use a tee sheet?  Reservation system?  I've never played a course without one.  And they stick to the sheet.  You go when you're up or you don't go.

My home course has on rare occasions gotten one tee time off because of some idiots dogging it up the first fairway, but when that happens the starter has the ranger or someone from the pro shot go out immediately and read the riot act to them.  They will have the ranger hounding them all the way around the front 9 if they don't get with the program.  We always paged with a 10 minute call, then a one minute call.  If they weren't on the tee, they got one more chance.  I made the announcement over the PA system many times in the 5 years I was a starter there:  "Will the Jones foursome please report to the first tee.  You have 2 minutes to tee off or your time will be cancelled!"  If I had walk-on players waiting and a group hadn't checked in with the starter at least 5 minutes before their tee time, I cancelled the reservation and sent out the waiting players.  If the original group showed up after that, they went on the waiting list if they still wanted to play.

The tee sheet was the Bible - you went off on time or not at all.  We had a zero tolerance policy for late players.  (and this was a public muni)

I booked a 7:34 reservation, so I am happy. I heard the course manager say they were not taking any more tee times because of impending rain. We are talking about a guy, who owns the course and has to issue rain checks when he closes the course. We have had a lot of rain. Roughly an inch a day for the last week. which is crazy for central Ohio!. Corn is already 7 feet tall. So I figure he took the rain checks for the day. It was cloudy and rainy when I started but sunny and 80 degrees by the turn. In Ohio you can be a walk on on any course that is below $25 for 18, I tend to play a course that stick to the reservation policy. tee times at this course are 12 minutes apart, and they group the foursomes at 10AM til noon. and yes I have been on a waiting list, which is nice..but as a single golfer I usually tend to get paired up with a group that is either playing skins or Drunk...c'set la vie...golf goes on for both of us...

[Slice of Life]

I will say that the Dr. Rymer ads are terrible. Just awful.

Especially the "going for it in two" one. Sure, not everyone hits their 3-wood 275...but the last time my playing partner told me to just hit from about that distance, sure enough I drilled it just left of the green and had to yell fore. Probably looked like a huge A-Hole in the process.

If I'm within 280 yards of the green, I wait until it's clear, even though there's only a 5% chance I'll actually get there. Those 30 seconds aren't gonna turn into a 5 hour round.

[bplewis24]

Hell, I can't reach from 280 unless there is a 30MPH breeze at my back.  I'd just wait for them to get on the green before giving it a whack.

[Slice of Life]

Originally Posted by bplewis24

Hell, I can't reach from 280 unless there is a 30MPH breeze at my back.  I'd just wait for them to get on the green before giving it a whack.

Fair enough, know your limits. If someone is 350 yards away, I'm gonna hit my tee shot...sure, Bubba Watson can reach them, but I can't. But if they're within my max range of my club, I just won't hit. What's the rush? I'm gonna catch up to them and be waiting on the next hole anyway...

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Slice of Life

Fair enough, know your limits. If someone is 350 yards away, I'm gonna hit my tee shot...sure, Bubba Watson can reach them, but I can't. But if they're within my max range of my club, I just won't hit. What's the rush? I'm gonna catch up to them and be waiting on the next hole anyway...

I wait too, even from 280 with a 3W, because occasionally I tag one, it gets a bounce, and goes 285.

But I'll send my playing partners ahead so that as soon as I hit, I can get out of the way of the people behind and then my playing partners can hit their approach shots, too, in case the people in the group behind are going to lay up after waiting for me to leave so they can hit their drives. Often they won't wait again for the rest of the hole, so we "catch up" quickly as a pair of groups (because they waited on the tee for me - and I'm often in range, because I'll play the back tees and they'll be 30+ yards closer).

[DeadMan]

I'm pretty sure that ad is aimed more at the guy who hit his drive 200 yards and is waiting for the green to clear from 280 because he thinks he can hit a 3W 280. That's what drives me nuts - the guy who thinks he's a long hitter but is actually below average. There's a par 5 on the course I normally play that has this happen all of the time. There's a bunker starting about 220 yards down the fairway, ending at about 270 (it's a long bunker, yeah). It's probably about 300 from the start of the bunker to the green, and about 250 from the back of the bunker to the green. Almost without fail, I'll see a guy waiting for the green to clear from the front-middle part of the bunker. Come on. If you can't hit your drive 270, you're not going to hit a 3W 300.

On the other hand, whenever I decide to go for it on a par 5 and end up waiting from the group to clear, I inevitably chunk the ball. Anyone else have that problem?

[Slice of Life]

Originally Posted by DeadMan

On the other hand, whenever I decide to go for it on a par 5 and end up waiting from the group to clear, I inevitably chunk the ball. Anyone else have that problem?

Done that plenty of times.

[dave67az]

Originally Posted by DeadMan

On the other hand, whenever I decide to go for it on a par 5 and end up waiting from the group to clear, I inevitably chunk the ball. Anyone else have that problem?

Originally Posted by Slice of Life

Done that plenty of times.

Oh that's me too.  I'm also the guy who never makes solid contact on fairway woods or long irons unless there's someone on the green.  Luckily I've never FLOWN it to the green (occasionally it will roll on when they're putting...I've never actually HIT anyone) but I do remember after I'd been playing only a few years, I got a great hit on a fairway wood on a long par four, yelled "FORE" like I was supposed to, and watched as the ball rolled up and across the far left side of the green (never came near any of the golfers who were putting on the right side of the green).  When I got up there, my ball was strangely embedded in the turf just off the green.  Seriously dude?  I mean, even if it had been rolling right at you and hit your foot it wouldn't have hurt you, and you decide to be a prick and bury my ball.

As much as I hate playing behind slow groups, it's the a-holes like that guy that tempted me to give up the game after just a few years.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by dave67az

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeadMan

On the other hand, whenever I decide to go for it on a par 5 and end up waiting from the group to clear, I inevitably chunk the ball. Anyone else have that problem?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slice of Life

Done that plenty of times.

Oh that's me too.  I'm also the guy who never makes solid contact on fairway woods or long irons unless there's someone on the green.  Luckily I've never FLOWN it to the green (occasionally it will roll on when they're putting...I've never actually HIT anyone) but I do remember after I'd been playing only a few years, I got a great hit on a fairway wood on a long par four, yelled "FORE" like I was supposed to, and watched as the ball rolled up and across the far left side of the green (never came near any of the golfers who were putting on the right side of the green).  When I got up there, my ball was strangely embedded in the turf just off the green.  Seriously dude?  I mean, even if it had been rolling right at you and hit your foot it wouldn't have hurt you, and you decide to be a prick and bury my ball.

As much as I hate playing behind slow groups, it's the a-holes like that guy that tempted me to give up the game after just a few years.

Yeah.  Happened to me back in the mid 70's.  I was in the fairway on a par 5, more than my typical 3W away (and my typical 3W wasn't that long back then playing laminated maple woods), so I pulled the 5W and naturally rolled the across the middle of the green through the group of four seniors putting.  I yelled "Fore!!", and my voice carries well.  They wouldn't accept my apology, reported me to the pro shop if you can believe it.  Fortunately the shop knew that they were a bunch of grumps who made a habit of bitching about everything, so when I explained that somehow I hit a 250 yard 5W and had done everything else I could to keep within the etiquette principles, the shop just waved it off and told us not to worry about it.

Ever since then, I've always made a point of giving a player the benefit of the doubt the first time something like that happens.

[Dave2512]

Went out Sat and made it through 3 holes before bailing. Got stuck behind a young guy and his GF on what should have been a nice afternoon of golf. An hour later I had just rolled up to the 4th tee. The guy, probably a 15-20 handicap was play the tips at a 7500 yd course. He could hit it somewhat far but didn't have the game to play from back there. The young lady was new to golf, might have been her first time ever. The BF let her hit shot after shot, most were 20 yd ground balls. I counted 12 strokes to the 1st green and then she started putting. Went through the lining it up routine. Finally got it near the hole and picked up a gimme.

Really frustrating stuff and having two groups stuck behind us didn't help. By the time we got the par 3 third there were 16 people on that tee watching the guy and his GF knock balls around and over the green. We couldn't take it and decided it wasn't worth the headache. I can't play golf that way. An hour to take 13 strokes doesn't work for me.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by Dave2512

Went out Sat and made it through 3 holes before bailing. Got stuck behind a young guy and his GF on what should have been a nice afternoon of golf. An hour later I had just rolled up to the 4th tee. The guy, probably a 15-20 handicap was play the tips at a 7500 yd course. He could hit it somewhat far but didn't have the game to play from back there. The young lady was new to golf, might have been her first time ever. The BF let her hit shot after shot, most were 20 yd ground balls. I counted 12 strokes to the 1st green and then she started putting. Went through the lining it up routine. Finally got it near the hole and picked up a gimme.

Really frustrating stuff and having two groups stuck behind us didn't help. By the time we got the par 3 third there were 16 people on that tee watching the guy and his GF knock balls around and over the green. We couldn't take it and decided it wasn't worth the headache. I can't play golf that way. An hour to take 13 strokes doesn't work for me.

Why not skip past them or play through?  A similar situation happened to a good friend and I many years ago.  We got called to the tee, and in the fairway was a guy and his girlfriend (might have been wife, but they acted more lovey-dovey dating sort of groping kissing and such).  Anyway, she was hot, and wearing the tightest little white short shorts, and my buddy says "I'm going to really enjoy watching those shorts all the way around."  By the time we got to the 4th tee, he'd had more of those tight shorts than he ever imagined he'd get.  We skipped the 4th and jumped ahead to the par 4 5th and looked back after we putted out - they hadn't finished the par 3 4th yet..  The sad thing is the course was full, and even though he and I are both fast players, it still took us 3 holes holes to catch up with the pack.  In 3 holes they had fallen 2 holes behind, and even the guy, who seemed to have enough game to know better, never even looked around to see what was happening behind them.

[bplewis24]

Originally Posted by Dave2512

The young lady was new to golf, might have been her first time ever. The BF let her hit shot after shot, most were 20 yd ground balls. I counted 12 strokes to the 1st green and then she started putting. Went through the lining it up routine. Finally got it near the hole and picked up a gimme.

That's pretty funny.

[PirateJim]

I signed the pledge.

[iacas]

As a point of reference, I played along with a kid I'm coaching today.

We got to the course at about 9:20. We putted for a little bit, then teed off. We let a single in a cart through on five. We hit a few extra shots (he did, I mean) here and there, and I didn't always putt out, but we also stood and talked start lines and strategy a few times too.

We got to the back nine where a ladies league was a few holes ahead, and several singles and doubles were backed up behind them. It was 88°.

We felt like the pace of play was g-l-a-c-i-a-l.

We got a gatorade on the way home, and I looked at the clock.

It said 1:29.

Moral of the story: four hours is NOT fast (but we'd be happy if that was the new average).

[Spyder]

Originally Posted by iacas

As a point of reference, I played along with a kid I'm coaching today.

We got to the course at about 9:20. We putted for a little bit, then teed off. We let a single in a cart through on five. We hit a few extra shots (he did, I mean) here and there, and I didn't always putt out, but we also stood and talked start lines and strategy a few times too.

We got to the back nine where a ladies league was a few holes ahead, and several singles and doubles were backed up behind them. It was 88°.

We felt like the pace of play was g-l-a-c-i-a-l.

We got a gatorade on the way home, and I looked at the clock.

It said 1:29.

Moral of the story: four hours is NOT fast (but we'd be happy if that was the new average).

Yes, unfortunately, being married and getting stuck in a 4.5-5 hour round is no good. My wife knows I can usually play solo in 2.5 to 3 hours (average). So when I partner up, she knows it's going to be ~4 hours.

Do you know how frustrating it is to be stuck at a standstill, end up with a ~5 hour round AND end up in the doghouse/yelled at on the phone for messing up plans?!

Worst round I ever experienced?... 6 hours and 20 some minutes for our foursome to play 18 with a 10 minute stop at the turn for a quick cooler refill (we weren't going to drink but the 3+ hour 9 hole pace forced us to fill up a 6-pack cooler each) and a dog.

[Slice of Life]

Originally Posted by Spyder

Yes, unfortunately, being married and getting stuck in a 4.5-5 hour round is no good. My wife knows I can usually play solo in 2.5 to 3 hours (average). So when I partner up, she knows it's going to be ~4 hours.

Do you know how frustrating it is to be stuck at a standstill, end up with a ~5 hour round AND end up in the doghouse/yelled at on the phone for messing up plans?! lol

Man up and lay down the law.

Where did I hear that before?