My Secret to pace of play!

[johnclayton1982]

@Golfingdad t here, actually.  Played a round this morning.  On the scorecard are a few lines of local rules, including:

"

The course should be played in 4 hours, 15 minutes.

You are considered slow if there is an open hole in front of you.

"

Hadn't noticed it before.

I still don't really get the point behind the rule.  It asks you to either match your speed to the fastest group on the course or to allow a bunch of groups to play through or play faster.  But the problem with that is that if that is going to be the rule, why have a POP?  I can't think of any situation here the POP at my course matters.  Are you behind the group in front?  Your too slow.  Up with the group in front?  Good speed.  Why have the POP line?

It just seems crazy to me that this is the way it is set up; that other groups determine your speed.

I've eaten crow a few times on the boards and I'll have to do some more now.  Obviously my stance on this is not the "accepted" one or the rule at my club, but I really don't understand why you tell me to play in 4 hours 15 minutes then immediately say "Forget all that.  See those guys?  Play at that speed."

[Hardballs]

Seems a bit strange to me, I don't usually play to keep up with who's ahead! If anything I'm more concerned about who's behind! Surely the people behind are the people we should be considerate to!

[Golfingdad]

@Golfingdad may have a point here, actually.  Played a round this morning.  On the scorecard are a few lines of local rules, including:

"

The course should be played in 4 hours, 15 minutes.

You are considered slow if there is an open hole in front of you.

"

Hadn't noticed it before.

I still don't really get the point behind the rule.  It asks you to either match your speed to the fastest group on the course or to allow a bunch of groups to play through or play faster.  But the problem with that is that if that is going to be the rule, why have a POP?  I can't think of any situation here the POP at my course matters.  Are you behind the group in front?  Your too slow.  Up with the group in front?  Good speed.  Why have the POP line?

It just seems crazy to me that this is the way it is set up; that other groups determine your speed.

I've eaten crow a few times on the boards and I'll have to do some more now.  Obviously my stance on this is not the "accepted" one or the rule at my club, but I really don't understand why you tell me to play in 4 hours 15 minutes then immediately say "Forget all that.  See those guys?  Play at that speed."

I don't think you need to "eat crow" here. If you can finish on or under your courses POP then you're not out of line.  There is no rule that you HAVE to keep up with the group in front of you, because sometimes they're just faster than you.  Not everybody plays at the same speed.  But if you can't keep up with the group in front of you, and you're still under the POP, then you're fine.  But you still should recognize that there might be other speed demons behind you, and there really isn't any reason to let faster groups play through ... no matter how fast you play.  The only thing I objected to was the idea that if you're at the POP then you don't worry about anybody behind you ... it's their fault for starting after you.  That's what I didn't agree with.

[mcanadiens]

The more golf I play the more I see examples of massive differences in people and the speed that they play at. We focus on the slow guys, but there are guys that are greased lightning as well.

I've never considered myself or my guys particularly slow. Saturday, two of us were playing and we were behind a group of four guys in their 50s to 60s. I figured we may pass them. I was completely wrong. We followed them around the course and never waited more than a minute on them.

We got 18 holes on the par 3 course in a little over 2 hours, and I got back in plenty of time to torture myself at the local street fair. Hoo-ray.

[late347]

Commit to your shot stop secondguessing yourself. I realized that i hit better shots when i tell myself inside my head "now is the time" Then you initiate and commit

[saevel25]

There is no rule that you HAVE to keep up with the group in front of you, because sometimes they're just faster than you.  Not everybody plays at the same speed.  But if you can't keep up with the group in front of you, and you're still under the POP, then you're fine.  B

Tell that to the starters who still will bitch at you for not keeping up with the group in front of you!!!

I still don't really get the point behind the rule.  It asks you to either match your speed to the fastest group on the course or to allow a bunch of groups to play through or play faster.  But the problem with that is that if that is going to be the rule, why have a POP?

When i doubt playing a 4:15 round is more important. Also keeping up with the group in front of you basically is trying to maintain a solid pace. Given if the first group is slow then everyone will be, but even in that scenario keep up with the group in front of you. It basically reaffirms pace of play in a more goal oriented way.

[Dave2512]

It's rare a group ahead gets too far out unless the course is wide open or there are several groups of speedsters. You can only play as fast as the group ahead. I've never seen a course with an abundance of fast golfers. My experience is playing near or just under the POP usually keeps you close to the groups ahead. At some point you have to decided whether you want to wait behind someone or play at a reasonable pace. If there is no place to go I'd rather play comfortably than spend the majority of 4 hours waiting on the people ahead. Even if that means chipping and putting after holing out to kill time.

[seagullplayer]

I never heard of POP until this thread.  After reading some of it I kind of thought it might be a misspelling of POOP.

I can see why a posted expected play time might be of benefit to the course.  They would have some recourse to back

the point you where playing too slow, or if another group complained that you where taking too long.  It would be a

bench mark to gauge by.

It would also be a gauge used to decide when the last group would be allowed out each day.

Last Thursday my brother and I went to our local course after I got off work.  She gave us twilight rate?  We assumed that this

meant they didn't expect us to have time to finish before dark?  But no one was on the course ahead of us, so we where able to

play at our own pace and did 14 holes, until our wife's caught us and made us stop for dinner at the club house...

We could have done the 18 easy...

[3putter]

I had a funny experience yesterday that made me question my love for golf. This gentleman ahead had teed off before I even pulled into the parking lot, and he was riding. I fully caught up to him on the 4th hole while walking. He then told me that I could either play with him or wait a while. I really wanted to say something "interesting" , but as they say, golf is a gentleman's game. So I politely declined and skipped the hole. I finished the next hole while he was still wondering what to do with his approach shot. If growing the game includes having to deal with stuff like this, I think I'll gladly quit the game. I'm not sure there's any justifiable reason why I should be catching up to an able-bodied, riding single that teed off 20 minutes ahead of me.

I hope the awareness effort continues, and people actually pay attention to it.

[Moppy]

IDK,  I played alone on Saturday, two groups let me through. One was a five ball, which I thought the course didn't allow, but whatever, and after the second group, an older couple I know from town, let me through, I never saw another golfer ahead of me. I played nine in about an hour and a half. I didn't like playing that fast. I wished I had just joined the couple on the senior tees and enjoyed the afternoon. The five ball was never going to catch us and we could have had a nice round. Instead I found myself burning through the course even though I shot over 60. I did stop at  par three to take three or four shots with different clubs and tried a couple of different balls,but I just didn't like the experience of golfing that fast. On the ninth hole, a par four, with nobody in sight behind me, I practiced up and downs(for me that's a chip and a two putt) for a bit because I didn't want to leave the course so fast. I should have played 18, but I only had two hours or so.

So I vote with the guys that say that POP is to do with meeting the time allotted and letting through faster players.

[Moppy]

I had a funny experience yesterday that made me question my love for golf. This gentleman ahead had teed off before I even pulled into the parking lot, and he was riding. I fully caught up to him on the 4th hole while walking. He then told me that I could either play with him or wait a while. I really wanted to say something "interesting" , but as they say, golf is a gentleman's game. So I politely declined and skipped the hole. I finished the next hole while he was still wondering what to do with his approach shot. If growing the game includes having to deal with stuff like this, I think I'll gladly quit the game. I'm not sure there's any justifiable reason why I should be catching up to an able-bodied, riding single that teed off 20 minutes ahead of me.

I hope the awareness effort continues, and people actually pay attention to it.

Now there I will agree with you that you met a jerk that day.

[Dave2512]

If I catch a slow-poke I will go around them, welcome or not if the course is open in front of them.

[Hardballs]

I had a funny experience yesterday that made me question my love for golf. This gentleman ahead had teed off before I even pulled into the parking lot, and he was riding. I fully caught up to him on the 4th hole while walking. He then told me that I could either play with him or wait a while. I really wanted to say something "interesting" , but as they say, golf is a gentleman's game. So I politely declined and skipped the hole. I finished the next hole while he was still wondering what to do with his approach shot. If growing the game includes having to deal with stuff like this, I think I'll gladly quit the game. I'm not sure there's any justifiable reason why I should be catching up to an able-bodied, riding single that teed off 20 minutes ahead of me.  I hope the awareness effort continues, and people actually pay attention to it.

It's idiots like this that can ruin a full day of golf for everyone on a course! I would have done exactly the same as you! This idiot is also the reason why courses need Marshall's at peak times! To let these idiots know what an idiot they are! Grrrr! And I'm pretty sure, although not right, I would possibly have fired a few warning shits towards him could I not get past him!

[Hardballs]

IDK,  I played alone on Saturday, two groups let me through. One was a five ball, which I thought the course didn't allow, but whatever, and after the second group, an older couple I know from town, let me through, I never saw another golfer ahead of me. I played nine in about an hour and a half. I didn't like playing that fast. I wished I had just joined the couple on the senior tees and enjoyed the afternoon. The five ball was never going to catch us and we could have had a nice round. Instead I found myself burning through the course even though I shot over 60. I did stop at  par three to take three or four shots with different clubs and tried a couple of different balls,but I just didn't like the experience of golfing that fast. On the ninth hole, a par four, with nobody in sight behind me, I practiced up and downs(for me that's a chip and a two putt) for a bit because I didn't want to leave the course so fast. I should have played 18, but I only had two hours or so. So I vote with the guys that say that POP is to do with meeting the time allotted and letting through faster players.

Two of us did eighteen tonight in 2.5 hours! It rained and the course was empty, Played the best golf in a while, equalled my PB of 84! Took a nice photo too!

[Dave2512]

I have no desire to play 18 holes in 2.5 hours.

[3putter]

It's idiots like this that can ruin a full day of golf for everyone on a course! I would have done exactly the same as you! This idiot is also the reason why courses need Marshall's at peak times! To let these idiots know what an idiot they are! Grrrr! And I'm pretty sure, although not right, I would possibly have fired a few warning shits towards him could I not get past him!

My course hardly has any marshals, a main downside that will make me reconsider joining next year. He could have easily just let me play through, but oh well.

[Hardballs]

I have no desire to play 18 holes in 2.5 hours.

My only desire is to play golf without pausing for inconsiderate idiots! Tonight was bliss, I never once checked the time and was quite surprised myself at how quick the time went! I don't know why, but I usually find I play better when I'm not standing around waiting between shots!