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

[MyrtleBeachGolf]

That's fine. But I think you're in the minority, and I think you're under-crediting how much influence PGA Tour pros have.

Fair enough. I find it hard to believe that most average golfers take too long because they learned it from watching the pros on tv. But I have no problem seeing your side. I concede I am naive in my thinking that the average Joe doesn't play slow because of Keegan Bradley. Either way, I'm all for rounds of golf taking 4 hours or less. If you guys think that the movement for that to happen must start with the PGA tour speeding up it's players, then I'm willing to follow your lead. Quicker rounds of golf are better for everyone.

[bplewis24]

Originally Posted by MyrtleBeachGolf

I find it hard to believe that most average golfers take too long because they learned it from watching the pros on tv.

Maybe not "most", but there is definite influence.  Especially on the green.  When I see guys plum-bobbing 4 foot come-backers for bogey reading putts from every which-a-way, and marking 3 footers, I definitely think they got those habits from watching the pros.

[TourSpoon]

The point is that everyone has to be seen as part of the solution. The pros have the influence. If they didn't they would be using actors and not the biggest names in golf...Arnie, Tiger, Annika, and Paula.

If the USGA really wanted to send a message they would be enforcing pace of play today at the US Open. If they did that, then the talk at the local clubs would be something like this, "Hey Henry, pick up the pace. You would never make it on tour. Even if you had the skill, you couldn't afford the slow play penalties. Move your @$$. You would be the only guy to be over par before he hit his opening tee shot." The "While we're young" is a great start and should hang in every pro shop and it should be translated for our foreign guests. Notice that they didn't say "we are" they used the contraction "we're". Clever.

For the good of the game, lead by example USGA and start with our National Championships. That sends a message like no other. Kudos for coinciding the message with the Open. This is a good start.

As a side note. I am anticipating some heckling starting up soon with some of our more raucous fans. "While we're young" is something that I have been shouting in my head while watching Keegan stalk his golf ball this morning. In fairness, he seems to be doing better than some rounds I have seen so I have to say it is more of a mini-stalk. If he starts perseverating, it could get ugly.

[bplewis24]

Originally Posted by TourSpoon

For the good of the game, lead by example USGA and start with our National Championships. That sends a message like no other. Kudos for coinciding the message with the Open. This is a good start.

I agree.  Although I think the implementation should start well before the Majors.

If I may, I'll use a football comparison.  Every season in college and the pros, well before the actual season begins, league officials would go to each school/team and explain any rule changes and any new points of emphasis.  The latter, obviously, just means, "hey, this has already been a rule, but we're really, really going to start enforcing it this year."

Then, during pre-season camps, practices, and scrimmages, refs would show up and call the crap out of anything close to the new "point of emphasis" rules.  By the time the season started, everybody was to have gotten the point, and that way nobody was caught off-guard in the fourth quarter of the "big game" because they didn't realize they were actually calling that rule this year.

I think the Tours should approach it the same way.  December/January, let everybody on Tour know the new point of emphasis, and really enforce it at the early tournaments.  By the time the Masters comes around, nobody will be surprised when Guan Tianlang is penalized for slow play without remembering anybody being penalized for it all season before-hand.

Of course, they have to start somewhere, and if they started with the US Open I would accept it, but I just don't think it's the best way to do it.

[Mr. Desmond]

I think Arnie is getting the best commercials...

[bplewis24]

[Mr. Desmond]

I'll have an "Arnold Palmer."

[Mr. Desmond]

Arnie and Clint

"Please"

[Meltdwhiskey]

Forgive me if this is a repost.  I saw it on Yahoo.  Whole article here: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/slowpokes-still-problem-championship-golf-212741366--golf.html

But the interesting part is how serious they felt this issue was in 1950 - when the pros completed a round in less than 3.5 hours.  I realize the courses are a little longer - but something significant had to have happened if this is accurate.

Excerpt:

Joe Dey, the USGA 's executive director at the time, is quoted in the book as saying, ''The time has come when we simply must act if the game is not to be seriously injured.''

The size of the field for the 1948 U.S. Open at Riviera was 171 players. It was lowered to 162 players the following year at Medinah, but that didn't seem to help. Dey lamented that the first group (threesomes) took 3 hours, 27 minutes to complete the opening round, while the last group took a whopping 4 hours, 16 minutes.

''That is just awful, and it doesn't make sense,'' Dey said. ''It hasn't been so long since three hours was considered adequate for a round. This is murder on spectators as well as on players who wish to play at a reasonable speed.''

[boogielicious]

Originally Posted by Mr. Desmond

Arnie and Clint

"Please"

I thought Clint would be talking to a chair again.

[TourSpoon]

Originally Posted by Meltdwhiskey

Forgive me if this is a repost.  I saw it on Yahoo.  Whole article here: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/slowpokes-still-problem-championship-golf-212741366--golf.html

But the interesting part is how serious they felt this issue was in 1950 - when the pros completed a round in less than 3.5 hours.  I realize the courses are a little longer - but something significant had to have happened if this is accurate.

Excerpt:

Joe Dey, the USGA's executive director at the time, is quoted in the book as saying, ''The time has come when we simply must act if the game is not to be seriously injured.''

The size of the field for the 1948 U.S. Open at Riviera was 171 players. It was lowered to 162 players the following year at Medinah, but that didn't seem to help. Dey lamented that the first group (threesomes) took 3 hours, 27 minutes to complete the opening round, while the last group took a whopping 4 hours, 16 minutes.

''That is just awful, and it doesn't make sense,'' Dey said. ''It hasn't been so long since three hours was considered adequate for a round. This is murder on spectators as well as on players who wish to play at a reasonable speed.''

Well the guys today are in so much better shape. They can be on their feet a lot longer. No wonder they work out. It's for the 5.5 hour rounds!

[Mr. Desmond]

I thought Clint would be talking to a chair again.

If he was waiting for a response, that would lead to even slower play

[bplewis24]

The Eastwood spot was good, because Arnie had the perfect delivery of the "please" at the end.  Tiger one was good too.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by MyrtleBeachGolf

Either way, I'm all for rounds of golf taking 4 hours or less. If you guys think that the movement for that to happen must start with the PGA tour speeding up it's players, then I'm willing to follow your lead. Quicker rounds of golf are better for everyone.

It doesn't necessarily need to start there - it simply has to include them.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by Mr. Desmond

Arnie and Clint

"Please"

When Arnie said "Please" I spit out my rum punch.  Love it.

[cutshot878]

Isn't the expression "While we're still young?"       "While we're young?"   Huh?     Never heard it said like that before. At least not below the Canadian border.

[MyrtleBeachGolf]

Isn't the expression "While we're still young?"       "While we're young?"   Huh?     Never heard it said like that before. At least not below the Canadian border.

It's a Rodney Dangerfield quote from Caddyshack. The Judge is taking too long on the tee, and he says, "Hey, while we're young" I think the 'still' part in your version is implied.

[colin007]

love this.