What is your definition of slow play?

[JonMA1]

Sorry, but I disagree. Slow is slow, regardless of the reason.

Well, if they are teaching someone the game properly, they'll teach them to let faster players play through - and is usually the case in my experience.

Of course you're right that "slow is slow",  but the reasons behind it matter in regards to my attitude. Not everyone is a single-digit player. As long as they're making an effort to play as quickly as their ability allows, I find it far less aggravating.

[colin007]

Honestly? 4 hours feels slow to me. If it takes 4 hours it means we're waiting on multiple holes. If no one is in front of your group and it takes you 4 hours, you're slow.

[RayG]

Slow is as slow as it feels. Again- If you play on a ''normal" course like a Muni or even a public course at peak times on a weekend you are NOT going to zip around in your precious 3:15 or whatever. Too many variables in talent, difficulty, idiocy, etc... You can only hope that there is a Ranger actually doing something other than following the cart girl around to make it look good. You would hope he is keeping people moving and not chatting with his buddies about said cart girl. Speed and Pace of play can be separate things. If it takes 5 hours on those kinds of courses, then it takes 5 hours. It rarely is less than 4.5, but as long as everyone is MOVING along at the same pace, and waits aren't stupid long because someone decides to take their 10 practice swings, chunk one 10 yards, walk back to the cart, get a different club, and repeat the process, it at least FEELS faster. As I 've mentioned, I've played 4 hour rounds that seemed like forever and 5 hour rounds that felt like a snap. As for slow being "not keeping up with the group in front", that's alright on the above situation. But having to keep up with some rabbits who are zooming around just for the sake of getting home in less than 3 hours? Forget it. If we're maintaining a pace that is agreeable with course guidelines and aren't holding up those behind us, we will gladly watch you pull away. I've played with rabbits on days when it is NOT the way to play. You can't force 18 groups ahead of you to move at your pace, so why are you hitting practically into their carts while they are still in fairway, or hitting your approach as they reach the edge of the green as they walk off? Then rush to putt only to wait for them on the next tee and repeat. If there's no place for them to go, there's no place for you to go. Enjoy yourself and don't get all pissed on how slow it is. You chose the time to play...

[Fourputt]

When you're not keeping up to the group in front of you. If they've already teed off and you haven't reach your green, you need to pick it up a bit because that gap will only widen as the round goes on. Huge pet peeve of mine is when you point that out to the turtles you're playing with and they say, "relax, there's nowhere to go, there right there." When in fact they are pulling away from you and within 2-3 holes you may be a hole behind.

This is my biggest peeve.  If you are a half hole behind, and the guys in back of you are a half hole behind, those two groups total one hole behind.  Do that for a few more groups and you have your 5+ hour round guaranteed.  Just because the group in front of you is in sight, it doesn't assure you of being in position.  This is why I also keep an eye on the time as well, and if my watch says I'm behind and I have even a small gap in front then it's time to shift gears and catch up again.

This is even more important if you catch up to the group in front and find that you are still off pace.  You don't want to be that group that makes an already bad situation worse.  If the course is playing slow and you still can't keep up, then you have a real problem.

Quote:

Originally Posted by David in FL

Sorry, but I disagree. Slow is slow, regardless of the reason.

Well, if they are teaching someone the game properly, they'll teach them to let faster players play through - and is usually the case in my experience.

Of course you're right that "slow is slow",  but the reasons behind it matter in regards to my attitude. Not everyone is a single-digit player. As long as they're making an effort to play as quickly as their ability allows, I find it far less aggravating.

On a busy course, letting players play through just slows it down that much more for everyone behind you.  There is always going to be another group on the heels of that group you just let through.  I don't care how crappy you play, keep up with  the pace.  My wife averages about 55-60 for 9 holes and she keeps pace with no problem.

A busy course is not the place for lessons.

[colin007]

Slow is as slow as it feels. Again- If you play on a ''normal" course like a Muni or even a public course at peak times on a weekend you are NOT going to zip around in your precious 3:15 or whatever. Too many variables in talent, difficulty, idiocy, etc... You can only hope that there is a Ranger actually doing something other than following the cart girl around to make it look good. You would hope he is keeping people moving and not chatting with his buddies about said cart girl. Speed and Pace of play can be separate things. If it takes 5 hours on those kinds of courses, then it takes 5 hours. It rarely is less than 4.5, but as long as everyone is MOVING along at the same pace, and waits aren't stupid long because someone decides to take their 10 practice swings, chunk one 10 yards, walk back to the cart, get a different club, and repeat the process, it at least FEELS faster. As I 've mentioned, I've played 4 hour rounds that seemed like forever and 5 hour rounds that felt like a snap. As for slow being "not keeping up with the group in front", that's alright on the above situation. But having to keep up with some rabbits who are zooming around just for the sake of getting home in less than 3 hours? Forget it. If we're maintaining a pace that is agreeable with course guidelines and aren't holding up those behind us, we will gladly watch you pull away. I've played with rabbits on days when it is NOT the way to play. You can't force 18 groups ahead of you to move at your pace, so why are you hitting practically into their carts while they are still in fairway, or hitting your approach as they reach the edge of the green as they walk off? Then rush to putt only to wait for them on the next tee and repeat. If there's no place for them to go, there's no place for you to go. Enjoy yourself and don't get all pissed on how slow it is. You chose the time to play...

To everyone complaining about "rabbits" - if the course was empty, how long does it take your foursome to play?

[DaveP043]

To me, slow play means  playing at a pace to complete the round in over about 4 hours (less in Scotland, maybe a bit more at some courses in the States), AND not keeping pace with the group in front of you, AND holding up the group in behind you.  Having said that, just because you're playing at a reasonable pace doesn't mean you shouldn't invite faster players to play through if there's room in front of you.  That is simply good manners, being considerate of other golfers.  The flip side of the same coin, if you're keeping pace with the group in front of you, I see no compelling reason to invite other groups through.  I know there are some situations where it might make sense, but not as a general rule.

[MrDC]

I often wonder if courses that have frequent issues simply got rid of the carts, obviously if they could, and made everyone walk, if those courses would see less slow play.

Now I understand this is a pipe dream, no course would do it, for various reasons, but still, everyone walking may keep a more reasonable pace and keep ready golf moving.

[Jeremie Boop]

I often wonder if courses that have frequent issues simply got rid of the carts, obviously if they could, and made everyone walk, if those courses would see less slow play.

Now I understand this is a pipe dream, no course would do it, for various reasons, but still, everyone walking may keep a more reasonable pace and keep ready golf moving.

No cart days on courses around here = very few golfers for the day. Works out fantastic for people that don't mind walking because the course is wide open. I tend to get a cart because when booking online it just includes the cart. I need to get away from riding all the time though, it's making me lazy.

[Fourputt]

I often wonder if courses that have frequent issues simply got rid of the carts, obviously if they could, and made everyone walk, if those courses would see less slow play.

Now I understand this is a pipe dream, no course would do it, for various reasons, but still, everyone walking may keep a more reasonable pace and keep ready golf moving.

It might, because there would be very few players on the course.  Before long they'd go broke and then all of those players would have to squeeze in on another busy course, helping to slow that course down.

Besides, your basic premise is flawed - carts don't cause slow play.  Slow players cause slow play, and it doesn't matter how they choose to get around the course.

[Yukari]

IMO, slow play is when you're not keeping up with the group in front of you - for whatever the reason might be.  If there's no group in front of you, slow play is when you're unnecessarily holding up the group behind you - again, for whatever the reason might be.  The group ahead is slow if they're not holding their place behind the group in front of them; if they're doing that, I can't blame them if we have to wait for them.  If they're dicking around unnecessarily and not hitting when the green is clear ahead of them, then they're playing too slow.

Within my own group, I can't put a finger on an exact time or number of practice swings - but you're slow if the rest of us are having to wait unnecessarily for you and/or you're the cause of our group falling behind the group ahead.  Move to your ball with a purpose, go through your pre-shot routine, hit the ball and get going.  If there are groups behind us, now is not the time to go hunting for balls in the bushes, taking ten practice swings to perfect your finish pose, getting your phone out to take selfies, etc.

If the course is pretty empty, I don't care if people in my group want to spend a little more time looking for a ball, roll a couple extra putts/chips after we finish a hole, fish balls out of the water hazard, take a few extra practice swings, or whatever (as long as it doesn't get ridiculous).  I'm not in a race out there and I enjoy a leisurely pace as long as we're not holding anybody up.  We went out as a twosome today on an almost totally empty course and finished 18 holes in about 3 hours - and that wasn't rushing in the least.

This isn't always true, but I generally agree.

One weekend, I had the second tee time of the day.  Unfortunately, the group in front was hackers and we had to wait on just about every shot.  Drove me nuts!  When you have one of the early tee times, you are basically setting the pace for the day.  Having a slow first group just ruins the day for everyone that follows.  It took 4:45 to play 18 holes.  As one of the first groups off, you should not take  more than 4:15 -- IMHO.

[Moppy]

If being forced to spend four hours on the course is your idea of torture, you should probably pony up the money for a private club, stay away from the course certain days, arrange your job so that you can get on the course at different times, play computer golf, refill your Ritalin prescription, whatever.

If the course is open ahead of me, you are always welcome to play through. The sign where they take my money to play says expected time 4:15. If I meet that playing in a foursome, I am perfectly content. Five hours, I am getting a little antsy, six hours, I am ready to walk off before finishing. I don't like to rush golf.

Playing alone on a cart, golf goes by so fast I am always sorry to walk off the course. I guess what makes me "death slow" is my choice of friends I play with. I didn't meet them though golf, and none of them are fast players.

[Moppy]

This isn't always true, but I generally agree.

One weekend, I had the second tee time of the day.  Unfortunately, the group in front was hackers and we had to wait on just about every shot.  Drove me nuts!  When you have one of the early tee times, you are basically setting the pace for the day.  Having a slow first group just ruins the day for everyone that follows.  It took 4:45 to play 18 holes.  As one of the first groups off, you should not take  more than 4:15 -- IMHO.

As people may know, I am no advocate of speed golf, but that would grind my gears too. I think the first cause of slowness is obliviousness. Those people in front of you were oblivious.

[Tgb02]

Where I live all the courses are very busy most of the time but some evenings or some mornings I can get in pretty quick 2 and half to 3 and half hour rounds and that is my ideal pace. Probably around 3 hours with other people is what I like to go for if we aren't waiting. I am a very fast person and even though I take my time with my shots I still play them relatively fast. For me slow is around 4 and half hours though. All the courses say a round should take no longer then 4:15 which if you are in a 4 some with people you like it isn't that bad but once you get past 4:15 that means you had to wait several times throughout the round which gets me off my rhythm.

Basically slow play is having to wait for extended periods of times on several holes in a round.

[JonMA1]

On a busy course, letting players play through just slows it down that much more for everyone behind you.  There is always going to be another group on the heels of that group you just let through.  I don't care how crappy you play, keep up with  the pace.  My wife averages about 55-60 for 9 holes and she keeps pace with no problem.

A busy course is not the place for lessons.

I guess our perspectives are just different. While there are courses up here as busy as you've described, I'd rather do just about anything else than be part of that cluster#$^&. Most of the time, I have a 2 or 3 hole margin between others - sometimes an entire course. But even that weren't the case, I can't imagine not being able to muster up enough patience to allow extra time for a Dad teaching his daughter the game. Perhaps a busy course is not the place for impatient players.

As far as your wife being able to keep pace with those scores, that's really good IMO. I shoot similar scores. I play ready golf. I take provisionals when I think I might be in trouble, I only take a quick glance to find a lost ball (less than a minute) and will break a rule by taking a drop if it means not holding others up. I'll often sprint back to my pull cart. With all that, I still find it difficult to play a round by myself in 3 hrs (at least this year). On the rare occasions when I do get caught from behind, I'll gladly let others play through. If that effort isn't good enough for someone else - and I'm sure it isn't - maybe they need to play another course.

[avmech]

A few years ago, we left after the 13th hole.....................after 6 hours!!! The course screwed the pooch on tee times that day, way too many.

We usually do 18 in about 3 1/2 hours, so I would say anything over 4 1/2 hours would be slow play.

[Spitfisher]

Four some Slow play....simple, anything more than 10 minutes per hole some you'll play in 5 minutes and others your play in 15. 180 minutes is 3 hours, hilly, difficult, tight course, long distances between tee boxes......make it 3:30 hours, anything more and you are contributing to slow play. During the week in the AM, 3 of us regularly play in 2:00- 2:10 on a 6500 yard challenging course.

[isukgolf]

My expectations on a weekend, during a peek time, is to play right around 4 hours ... In the summer, afternoon, 105+ in the shade ... your ass better be moving! (not that many people can play in those conditions) So my expectations is closer to 3:30 or better.

[HawkNballs]

I've played 5 1/2 hours on a local muni before... so anything around 4 hours is a small miracle. Over 4 1/2 I would consider slow. Courses more expensive than munis are always faster. Maybe because most beginners go to munis?