Rushing Because of Faster Players Behind

[Moppy]

When someone is cold trailing you to the point of effecting your game, why continue playing that way is my thought. It also works the other way when I'm sitting waiting for them to slow play and not pull over. 50/50.

I was playing alone on a very hilly course, and another guy playing alone caught up with me. He was more fit and able to walk it faster than me, and a better golfer who needed few shots to finish the hole. I parked on the bench of a tee for a par 3, drank a bottle of water, and let him play through.

But this was on the 18th green. Anybody who thinks that this behavior was even modestly justified is plain wrong.

[DaveP043]

The twosome behind never reached the tee before I cleared the green till 18.

This is what struck me about the original post, and I'm glad you repeated it.  There was never a reason to invite the group to play through, as they were apparently never waiting until the very last hole.  They were foolish when they hit into you, putting you in danger, and I think you handled it well when you spoke to them.  They apprently handled it well at that point too, politely apologizing.

I'm not sure whether this case points to a systemic problem caused by the "speed golf" phenomena, or whether it was simply a mistake in judgement by a relatively young, and potentially inexperienced, golfer.  I hope your calm and polite handling of his mistake will stay with him, an example of how to handle future problems on the golf course.

[Hatchman]

That is just BS. If they are so ADD that they can't wait a minute or  three to finish a round on the last hole, they should have just walked off on the 17th if they had something so much more important than golf to get to that day that they would endanger a fellow human being.

I think there was more to it then the incident on 18. Only one side of the story here. He admittedly noticed them on 11/12/13. They played behind him up to 18. At 18 they unfortunately sent him a message, I believe, which was wrong.

[Moppy]

Well of course a single with no one in front of them can play 18 holes in under 3 hours. I could easily finish 18 holes in 2:15 by myself on an empty course. But when and how could that ever happen?? Where are you guys playing golf that you get an empty golf course? Seems unheard of.

See, that's why Vermont is a crappy golf state, ranked 43 or something, so you shouldn't come here. The courses are too lonely.

[CR McDivot]

...At 18 they unfortunately sent him a message...

Precisely my point about speed golf encouraging poor etiquette.

[Moppy]

I think there was more to it then the incident on 18. Only one side of the story here. He admittedly noticed them on 11/12/13. They played behind him up to 18. At 18 they unfortunately sent him a message, I believe, which was wrong.

"They sent him a message."

What message, he sped up and stayed ahead of them until 18! What was the "message"? Don't play slower than us within our sight even if you are not slowing us down? That speed golfers are always morally in the right and that to avoid having them have to wait two minutes for him to putt out alone, he should have waited ten minutes for them to catch up to him and pass him so that he didn't offend them in any way?

Nope. Not buying it. This is the kind of BS that the preening speed golfers encourage.

If you can't wait long enough for a single to putt out without hitting into them, maybe golf isn't the right game for you?

[Hatchman]

Precisely my point about speed golf encouraging poor etiquette. :dance:

Yep. And that's when I have my firm discussions with a golfer. It's dangerous, and have almost been hit myself a few times!

[Lihu]

[quote name="Pretzel" url="/t/83251/speed-golf-sucks#post_1169232"]Or you could have let them play through if the course was open ahead of you as well, avoiding any possible confrontation and resulting in a happy ending for all parties involved.

Right. You always have the option to let someone else play through, especially when you are feeling rushed and the course is open. I will say that 3.5 hours as a single does seem like a slow pace. Even walking the course, I would expect to finish in well under 3 hours as a single. It does not surprise me that a swift twosome would be on your tail. Of course that is never an excuse for hitting into somebody....[/quote] I was going to chime in as well, letting them pass through would have been my first thought. I've been lazy lately, and use a golf cart. As a twosome it's possible to finish an unhurried round in a little over 2 hours. I prefer walking, and would take about 3 hours an unhurried round. So, as a cart twosome I would be waiting an hour for myself walking at a 3 hour pace.

[Hatchman]

"They sent him a message."  What message, he sped up and stayed ahead of them until 18! What was the "message"? Don't play slower than us within our sight even if you are not slowing us down? That speed golfers are always morally in the right and that to avoid having them have to wait two minutes for him to putt out alone, he should have waited ten minutes for them to catch up to him and pass him so that he didn't offend them in any way? Nope. Not buying it. This is the kind of BS that the preening speed golfers encourage. If you can't wait long enough for a single to putt out without hitting into them, maybe golf isn't the right game for you?

Sorry for using the word "message" because I thought I would solicit some emotion. As long as CR the thread starter got it and clapped by the way, I'm ok with the statement. The answer lies in the 50/50 where we work together: walkers, carts, singles, groups, speeders, slow players, youth and golfers with disabilities play together sharing facilities.

[CR McDivot]

...I've been lazy lately, and use a golf cart. As a twosome it's possible to finish an unhurried round in a little over 2 hours.

I prefer walking, and would take about 3 hours an unhurried round.

So, as a cart twosome I would be waiting an hour for myself walking at a 3 hour pace.

And there is a whole new topic...

How is it that a goodly portion of "seniors" find it enjoyable to walk 18 holes at a fairly quick pace...

But a large portion of young healthy folks find it necessary to rush around in a cart?

If the young folks don't get some exercise they may legitimately require motorized assistance by the time they are "seniors"!

[CR McDivot]

...The answer lies in the 50/50 where we work together: walkers, carts, singles, groups, speeders, slow players, youth and golfers with disabilities play together sharing facilities.

Wholeheartedly agree!

This is the spirit of the game!

[MyrtleBeachGolf]

See, that's why Vermont is a crappy golf state, ranked 43 or something, so you shouldn't come here. The courses are too lonely.

Lol. I've played the Stratton golf course before.

[Jon Hoover]

And there is a whole new topic...

How is it that a goodly portion of "seniors" find it enjoyable to walk 18 holes at a fairly quick pace...

But a large portion of young healthy folks find it necessary to rush around in a cart?

If the young folks don't get some exercise they may legitimately require motorized assistance by the time they are "seniors"!

Because driving the cart is 1/2 the fun, but seriously in south Florida most courses are cart only probably so people don't die of heat stroke. I'm sure the course encourages people to pay that cart fee more $ for them also it pretty much ensures a faster round thus allowing them to send out more groups per day again $ for the course. Then they can use this $ to upgrade/maintain the course that you love to play. Carts are the way of the future! If you don't like a cart you can always Surf the Earth.

I really want one of these!

[Hatchman]

And there is a whole new topic... How is it that a goodly portion of "seniors" find it enjoyable to walk 18 holes at a fairly quick pace... But a large portion of young healthy folks find it necessary to rush around in a cart? If the young folks don't get some exercise they may legitimately require motorized assistance by the time they are "seniors"! :cry:

I know you addressed @lihu and I'd like to respond also, as a senior, I left off the 50/50 list, by the way. * Retirement provides more time for taking my time playing. * Working I had to speed up to get the round in most of the time weekdays. * I generally avoid weekends because of pace of play, except for twilight practice, or tournament/event. Can't do 5 hour rounds very well on bad legs. Swelling. The legs were shot by sports and overuse as a youngster!

[Lihu]

[QUOTE name="Lihu" url="/t/83251/speed-golf-sucks/18#post_1169464"] ...I've been lazy lately, and use a golf cart. As a twosome it's possible to finish an unhurried round in a little over 2 hours. I prefer walking, and would take about 3 hours an unhurried round. So, as a cart twosome I would be waiting an hour for myself walking at a 3 hour pace.[/QUOTE] And there is a whole new topic... How is it that a goodly portion of "seniors" find it enjoyable to walk 18 holes at a fairly quick pace... But a large portion of young healthy folks find it necessary to rush around in a cart? If the young folks don't get some exercise they may legitimately require motorized assistance by the time they are "seniors"! :cry:

True, it is kind of backwards, isn't it? :-D

[turtleback]

Quote:

Originally Posted by CR McDivot

Quote:

Originally Posted by CR McDivot

Played 18 today walking as a single....

When I reached the tee at 10, I could see a clear green in front, and no one for 4 holes behind. By 12 I caught sight of a twosome in a cart on the 11 green, and when I teed on 13 they were on the second shot of the par 5 twelfth...

I stepped up my pace, and cleared every green before the twosome behind hit tee shots, but by the time I was on the par four 18 green the speedsters hit into me!

Gentlemen, this was a mid day round on a Tuesday. One would expect to play a low pressure comfortable pace. I finished an hour ahead of pace. I hit my approach as they reached 18 tee. Then they hit their approach into me on 18 green.

Really, some of these replies simply make my point.

Due respect, but I do not understand how they can be so far behind you that you can't let them play through yet you felt rushed.  If you felt rushed they were close enough for you to let them play through without some BS criteria to justify not letting them through.  If they never reached a tee before you cleared the green than in what way would you have felt rushed?

Quote:

No, my position is that if someone catches me on the tee and there is a clear hole to the green ahead..

Now how in the word could this have happened?   You can be the slowest golfer in the world and they can be speed golf champs and yet you have set up conditions on when you will let someone play through that are essentially impossible.  If there is a clear hole ahead when they get to the tee than why hadn't you already teed off?  So in order for them to play through they have to hit their approaches, deal with any necessary chips, etc.  Putt out.  And IF they can do ALL OF THAT before you have walked to the next tee and hit your shot without waiting (since the hole ahead is assumed to be empty) they can just forget about playing through.

[Tat14]

I will say that 3.5 hours as a single does seem like a slow pace. Even walking the course...

Agreed, but look at his avatar. Those are tiny legs!

[CR McDivot]

Due respect, but I do not understand how they can be so far behind you that you can't let them play through yet you felt rushed.  If you felt rushed they were close enough for you to let them play through without some BS criteria to justify not letting them through.  If they never reached a tee before you cleared the green than in what way would you have felt rushed?

Now how in the word could this have happened?   You can be the slowest golfer in the world and they can be speed golf champs and yet you have set up conditions on when you will let someone play through that are essentially impossible.  If there is a clear hole ahead when they get to the tee than why hadn't you already teed off?  So in order for them to play through they have to hit their approaches, deal with any necessary chips, etc.  Putt out.  And IF they can do ALL OF THAT before you have walked to the next tee and hit your shot without waiting (since the hole ahead is assumed to be empty) they can just forget about playing through.

If you read the original post you will see that 2 groups in front of me only played 9 holes. Thus the open holes in front at 10.

When I noticed the group behind I purposely increased pace so as not to hold them up. As I already stated perhaps I should have allowed them to catch up on 13 and play through, even though they were still 3 shots back.

The main point was that undo emphasis on speed encourages poor etiquette.

(edited for hole number)