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

[colin007]

Originally Posted by Dave2512

People are taking notice. I was at the course on Sun when they bounced a foursome from the property and I heard it happened the day before. Story is ranger asked group to pick up the pace twice and they got mouthy. She asked them to step out of their carts, took the keys and asked them to hoof it off. Not just gone for the day but 86'd. By the time I got out of the clubhouse after listening to it transpire on the radios there was a black and white in the parking lot.

Originally Posted by Dave2512

Coyote Creek and I heard they've been booting people at the Dunes too. I've noticed increased ranger activity at all the courses I play in the last 30 days or so. An even bigger problem, so I hear, is people bringing beer on to the course. The police are being called when they catch people. Even little things like ignoring the "on path" signs is enough to be asked to leave. They're not messing around anymore.

awesome.  we need more of this, and i like that they called the cops.  people have skewed views of self-entitlement.

[TourSpoon]

I was on a course the other day that had a pace of play issue that got worked out in a few holes. The rangers are volunteers and got it eventually worked out. The guys behind us said that they were playing a local course that puts you on the clock at certain points and they were playing with a guy who was taking his time. The marshall told him to pick it up and he didn't. One hole later the marshall told the group to skip the tee and drop in the fairway to regain position. The 2 guys we were talking to said they went to the 150 marker and dropped while the other guy told the marshall that he payed good money, blah, blah. At the turn the S.O. was there and escorted him to his car.

Now if only the Tour Guys would pick it up and lead by example. I know amateurs are slow but those guys are playing twosomes in over 4 hours. They take half the amount of shots and take more time than an average foursome of hackers.

[MyrtleBeachGolf]

I was on a course the other day that had a pace of play issue that got worked out in a few holes. The rangers are volunteers and got it eventually worked out. The guys behind us said that they were playing a local course that puts you on the clock at certain points and they were playing with a guy who was taking his time. The marshall told him to pick it up and he didn't. One hole later the marshall told the group to skip the tee and drop in the fairway to regain position. The 2 guys we were talking to said they went to the 150 marker and dropped while the other guy told the marshall that he payed good money, blah, blah. At the turn the S.O. was there and escorted him to his car.  Now if only the Tour Guys would pick it up and lead by example. I know amateurs are slow but those guys are playing twosomes in over 4 hours. They take half the amount of shots and take more time than an average foursome of hackers.

They are also playing for a first place prize of over $1 Million dollars each week.

[jetsknicks1]

I just saw this on TGC and then went to the website and watched the spots.  Not bad for the most part.  The one with Anika is a little wierd . .I didn't really get what that was about . .she seemed to be practicing saying "While we're young" . . anyway.   The problem with Pro Golfers is they are not pro-actors . . if I didn't read it on the USGA site, I would never have made the connection to Rodney Dangerfield in Caddy Shack.  Even the one with Paula Creamer where she's practicing her "Rodney" delivery . .I still didn't get it.  I was like who's Rodney?  They deliver that line about as well as he golfed in that movie, lol.  I think it's a good start, though.  I support *anything* to help raise awareness of slow play.  The USGA did some research, apperently, and posted on thier site that: 91% of serious golfers are bothered by slow play 70% believe it has worsened over time 50% have walked off the course mid-round because of slow play. In my opinion, what it's really going to take is for courses to realize they can attract more business than they lose by enforcing pace of play.  Maybe these spots and the USGA statistics can help them come to that realization.  In any case . . I give the effort a solid B . .and definitely look forward to seeing the spots on TV.

You can also add to those numbers: 99% of golfers say they're not slow :)

[Timothy Voyles]

Originally Posted by MyrtleBeachGolf

They are also playing for a first place prize of over $1 Million dollars each week.

So what? I'm playing $5/ hole with my buddies and that's big time money to us. It's all relative. A twosome SHOULD NOT take 4+ hours to knock out 18!

Granted a start by the pros to pick up the pace is a step in the right direction but, it's not going to make a huge difference though. I think the instructors who keep preaching all the pre-shot routine madness are a better place to start with improving pace of play.

Tee it forward is still the most promising movement towards making rounds go much quicker. I've played only a handful rounds from blue tees this year (got close to 50 rounds in so far). While I have the distance to comfortably play farther back, my friends who play a few times a year, do not. By taking the lead and walking to whites before they auto-run to the farthest box they can spot, we're keeping our time on the course much more enjoyable and quicker.

[Dave2512]

I don't see amateurs mimicking pros as the cause of slow play. If I did I wouldn't mind as long as they had the skill to offset it. The guy taking his time and hitting long, accurate shots is going to move around the course just fine. I take a lot of time with putts. But I don't mess around on the course. There's never anyone standing in the fairway waiting on me unless someone else in my group is slow because I'm quick from tee to green. When it's my turn to hit I've already decided which club and where. Even if I hit something wild I am quick. If a ball is in a hazard I drop and play on, I'm not in there wading through reeds trying to save my $4 ball. A shot OB or near it is followed with a safer provisional and again either the ball easy to find or not. I'm out of there in seconds not minutes.

It's the goofballs that are the issue. The people chasing balls all over the course and taking too much time finding them is the problem here. It's a combination of bad golf and ignorance. I don't think they understand they are the problem. There's a lot of recreational golfers that approach the game like a day at the water-park. It's just paying a fee to have fun. They're probably not aware their actions affect others.They assume you are there to do the same. It's not about time, some probably want to be there as long as they can.

[TourSpoon]

They are also playing for a first place prize of over $1 Million dollars each week.

Keep making excuses for Glen Day. I will take Sneds or Trevino . Here is a great quote on the topic. SPORTS Slow Play Makes Trevino Age Fast By Bob Verdi, Chicago Tribune | June 20, 1988 It is common knowledge that Lee Trevino counts the days, hours and minutes until he shall become eligible for the Senior PGA Tour. He swears he turned the corner during four rounds of golf at The Country Club this week. "When I teed it up here Thursday, I was 48 years old," Trevino was saying Sunday evening. "I`m pretty sure I must be 50 by now." Indeed, the pace of play at this 88th U.S. Open was that slow, what with threesomes consuming 5 to 5 1/2 hours before the field was cut for the final 36 holes.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by MyrtleBeachGolf

They are also playing for a first place prize of over $1 Million dollars each week.

Whoopty doo. They'll still be competing for the same amount of money if they play faster.

Originally Posted by Dave2512

I don't see amateurs mimicking pros as the cause of slow play.

I do. It's said that Jack Nicklaus single-handedly increased the average round of golf by 30 minutes. TV shows players pacing around the hole for putts, looking from every angle, tossing grass in the air on approach shots, etc.

[Slice of Life]

Originally Posted by iacas

I do. It's said that Jack Nicklaus single-handedly increased the average round of golf by 30 minutes. TV shows players pacing around the hole for putts, looking from every angle, tossing grass in the air on approach shots, etc.

This is what I don't get...I pace around, toss grass up, take practice swings, and I'm still done in well under 15 minutes a hole. It's the cell phone calls, 25 mulligans, social hour, beer drinking, walking like your legs are broken, and general laziness that makes people slow.

[Motley01]

Originally Posted by Slice of Life

This is what I don't get...I pace around, toss grass up, take practice swings, and I'm still done in well under 15 minutes a hole. It's the cell phone calls, 25 mulligans, social hour, beer drinking, walking like your legs are broken, and general laziness that makes people slow.

OHH I can't stand the cell phone calls. People should PUT THEIR PHONE in the their car while playing golf. Nobody is that important, that they need to take phone calls at the course!

It really annoying when it rings during your shot.

[MyrtleBeachGolf]

Whoopty doo. They'll still be competing for the same amount of money if they play faster. I do. It's said that Jack Nicklaus single-handedly increased the average round of golf by 30 minutes. TV shows players pacing around the hole for putts, looking from every angle, tossing grass in the air on approach shots, etc.

While I agree that they would be playing for the same money even if they played faster, my point was that when a single missed putt could cost you as much as $300k in earnings, you may take a few extra seconds to take a look at it from different angles. I don't care if they get paid $20 million a year in endorsement money or not, $1.4M for a weeks work is nothing to sneeze at, even for these guys. I don't care how slow the pros play because: A) They are playing for immensely high stakes B) I enjoy watching them C) I'm not playing behind them I'm not happy about the group of guys all shooting 104 in front of me who just don't know how to play ready golf. I understand your argument is that the pros playing slow equates to weekend duffers playing slow because they see it on tv. I just don't buy it. It may be the case for 1% of the amateurs on the course, but isn't the problem for most. They just don't play ready golf.

[TourSpoon]

If Tiger and Luke think its a problem, then it is a problem. http://www.pga.com/news/pga-tour/slow-play-still-big-problem-pga-tour-two-decades-after-last-penalty

[iacas]

Originally Posted by MyrtleBeachGolf

A) They are playing for immensely high stakes

B) I enjoy watching them

C) I'm not playing behind them

A) Who cares? That somehow means they deserve to play at a snail's pace? To stand around and only begin to get yardages after their playing partner has hit? Etc.?

B) Won't change if they play faster*

C) You're not, but other people are.

* Actually, I take that back - you'll get to see them play MORE golf because tournament coverage will start when the leaders are on the first tee rather than the eighth green.

And to some extent I don't really care about the pace of play on the PGA Tour except that it influences pace of play when I (or you) ARE behind people.

I'd play a lot more golf if I could play in 3-4 hours. As it is, I often have to avoid playing golf, which is sad.

[bplewis24]

Originally Posted by Fourputt

I was #446 taking the pledge.

All I can say is that it's about time.  If it takes being hit over the head with a 2x4 to get someone's attention, then so be it.

Didn't Golf Channel run a spot with the "it's about time" slogan as well?  The funny thing was when I saw the ad, I mouthed "it's about time" at the same time they did.

Originally Posted by clarkgriswold

Not sure why you clearly have issues with those that want or require just a sane pace of play. It seems to me that more threads on the subject speaks to the relative importance of said subject to the golfing community.

Because he believes it's not a tangible issue and merely a matter of perception (which I strongly disagree with).  Notice that he believes people will start complaining about rounds not being 3 hours long.  I would wager a large sum of money that if the average round got down to 4 hours, you would not see folks complaining about rounds being longer than 3 hours.

My ONLY problem with this newfound focus on pace of play, is that the Tour comes off as being hypocritical.  The players on tour don't always practice what they preach, and rarely do Tour players get penalized for pace of play.  Having said that, I've noticed that it has happened a few times this year and maybe they are trying to get better at it.

[AmazingWhacker]

Originally Posted by MyrtleBeachGolf

While I agree that they would be playing for the same money even if they played faster, my point was that when a single missed putt could cost you as much as $300k in earnings, you may take a few extra seconds to take a look at it from different angles. I don't care if they get paid $20 million a year in endorsement money or not, $1.4M for a weeks work is nothing to sneeze at, even for these guys.

I don't care how slow the pros play because:

A) They are playing for immensely high stakes

B) I enjoy watching them

C) I'm not playing behind them

I'm not happy about the group of guys all shooting 104 in front of me who just don't know how to play ready golf. I understand your argument is that the pros playing slow equates to weekend duffers playing slow because they see it on tv. I just don't buy it. It may be the case for 1% of the amateurs on the course, but isn't the problem for most. They just don't play ready golf.

Basketball and football have a shot clock, there are a bunch of ways to get a delay of game penalty in hockey, even chess has a timer.  Golf is not supposed to be about dudes standing around forever.  Making them play within a limited amount of time only enhances the game.

I don't enjoy watching players standing around .. nor do I enjoy listening to commentators "fill time" with nonsensical rambling.  The part I enjoy watching is about 20-30 seconds long - per shot.

[MyrtleBeachGolf]

Basketball and football have a shot clock, there are a bunch of ways to get a delay of game penalty in hockey, even chess has a timer.  Golf is not supposed to be about dudes standing around forever.  Making them play within a limited amount of time only enhances the game.    I don't enjoy watching players standing around .. nor do I enjoy listening to commentators "fill time" with nonsensical rambling.  The part I enjoy watching is about 20-30 seconds long - per shot.

The only time you actually have to watch players standing around is if there is a 2 man playoff or something of the sort. During weekend coverage the networks do a very good job of covering multiple holes and groups so you are always watching someone hit a shot. It's rare that a network spends more than a few seconds with a camera following a player who is just standing and waiting. Basketball and football have play clocks. Baseball doesn't. I'm not even sure your analolgy fits the situation. I want it to be clear that I'm not advocating a two ball to take 5 hours. I'm just saying that the pros taking more time than usual to play doesn't bother me nearly as much as the average duffers on my local course who aren't playing ready golf. I'm all for speeding up the game. I have made it quite clear on these forums that I suffer through 5 hour rounds here in MB and despise it. I'm actually a very quick player. Slow play greatly throws me off my game. I'd love for the average fourball round to be in the 3.5-4 hour range. I'm just not that convinced that the pros playing slow is the culprit for the experience I see on the local courses regarding slow play. It also doesn't bother me as much that the pros play slow, as it has an almost zero effect on me personally. Just playing devils advocate here is all.

[AmazingWhacker]

Originally Posted by MyrtleBeachGolf

The only time you actually have to watch players standing around is if there is a 2 man playoff or something of the sort. During weekend coverage the networks do a very good job of covering multiple holes and groups so you are always watching someone hit a shot. It's rare that a network spends more than a few seconds with a camera following a player who is just standing and waiting.

Basketball and football have play clocks. Baseball doesn't. I'm not even sure your analolgy fits the situation.

I want it to be clear that I'm not advocating a two ball to take 5 hours. I'm just saying that the pros taking more time than usual to play doesn't bother me nearly as much as the average duffers on my local course who aren't playing ready golf. I'm all for speeding up the game. I have made it quite clear on these forums that I suffer through 5 hour rounds here in MB and despise it. I'm actually a very quick player. Slow play greatly throws me off my game. I'd love for the average fourball round to be in the 3.5-4 hour range. I'm just not that convinced that the pros playing slow is the culprit for the experience I see on the local courses regarding slow play. It also doesn't bother me as much that the pros play slow, as it has an almost zero effect on me personally. Just playing devils advocate here is all.

NCAA baseball has a time clock .. how does my analogy not fit?  I'm saying that lots of sports have some sort of time limitations and golf should, too.

Trust me - they could provide just as much (actually more) coverage if the pace of play was faster.

I guess I wouldn't care if the pros take 10 hours to play . .except recreational golfers take thier cues from watching pros on TV.   Take the world's slowest golfer, my dad.  He watches a little golf and plays about 1x per year.  He does what he sees on tv.  He *believes* that to play golf, he needs to count each and every one of his 150 strokes.  He *believes* that he should line up every putt, take a million practice swings, find every lost ball.  I try to explain to him that he's being ridiculous but he won't listen.  Perhaps if he saw golfers on TV playing quickly and getting penalties for playing slowly . .then he might change his behaviour.  For now, it's my word against what he sees on TV.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by MyrtleBeachGolf

The only time you actually have to watch players standing around is if there is a 2 man playoff or something of the sort. During weekend coverage the networks do a very good job of covering multiple holes and groups so you are always watching someone hit a shot. It's rare that a network spends more than a few seconds with a camera following a player who is just standing and waiting.

We clearly have very different definitions of the word "rare."

Originally Posted by MyrtleBeachGolf

I'm just saying that the pros taking more time than usual to play doesn't bother me nearly as much as the average duffers on my local course who aren't playing ready golf.

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.