Rushing Because of Faster Players Behind

[Braivo]

Until today I would have been 100% in agreement with you but during my club championship match (C flight) we had the women's B flight championship match ahead of us.  These (older) women were painfully slow and each insisted on having their own personal caddies (they took it much more serious than I did) and took forever on the greens.  At the 15th hole I was about 180 yards out in the rough.  They were standing off the green and the flag was in the hole so we thought they had putted out but it turns out they were reading the greens for their pitch shots.

I had already hopped out of the cart and grabbed my club when I realized they still had to putt.  I stood there waiting and after about 10 minutes I figured I would get ready and took some practice swings to stay loose and to see how the club would travel through the rough.  They finally putted out and I saw them call our (shared) caddie over.  On the green I asked our caddie what they said, they told him, "We are playing a championship match so tell your members to back the f**k off".

So I guess @Moppy and old women find it aggressive / rude when someone is trying to play ready golf while they dawdle at whatever pace they feel entitled to.

Exactly. This all boils down to basic psychology. How much do you care / worry about what other people think? If you are on the green and the person behind you is taking practice swings, your reaction says more about your personality and level of maturity than it does about the person taking the swings. You are projecting onto them your own insecurities about slow play, or fear that you are upsetting that person in the fairway. Those are the only two plausible explanations.

You have to think deep and understand, why does it bother you that this person in the fairway may (or may not) be upset with your pace of play. Answer that question and many things will become clear.

I go to the course as a single pretty much every time. If i can find someone to play with i will and i actively look for a group. If i cant find someone ill play by by self obviously. If i have an open course ahead of me i can get a round done in under 1 hour and 45 minutes no problem. I play mostly twilight so i dont have to wait for a full course.

I love those twilight rounds on an empty course. The slow creep of earlier sunsets is making it harder to get the full round in.

[newtogolf]

Exactly. This all boils down to basic psychology. How much do you care / worry about what other people think? If you are on the green and the person behind you is taking practice swings, your reaction says more about your personality and level of maturity than it does about the person taking the swings. You are projecting onto them your own insecurities about slow play, or fear that you are upsetting that person in the fairway. Those are the only two plausible explanations.

You have to think deep and understand, why does it bother you that this person in the fairway may (or may not) be upset with your pace of play. Answer that question and many things will become clear.

I agree, the women were aware they were playing slow (they were two holes behind the Men's B Flight championship match) which would never fly during normal play at my course.  I was in no way aggressive or rude, I stood there watching for 10 minutes before I took one practice swing.  Turns out that the woman who complained to our caddie had been up by 6 earlier in the match,  was upset that she was down 1 at 15 and blamed her loss of the lead on "playing too fast".

I think people spend too much time watching the pros and think that's the pace they should be playing at.

[David in FL]

Thought about this thread yesterday. Interestingly enough, we were the group that was run up upon. Our 4-ball finished in 3:20, which I have to admit is unusual for a Sunday morning, 8:50 tee time. I don't know where they came from, they may have jumped in on 10, but on 12, we suddenly had a 2-some, each with their own cart, on our ass. We hit our drives on 13, a short par-4, and waited for them on the tee box and let them through. They hit, we all drove to our balls, and we waited until they finished the hole to hit our approach shots. Thinking of this thread, I checked our actual wait time to let them through. Total time, 6 minutes. Never saw them again as the group ahead of us let them through too. Letting them blow through didn't slow us down a bit, and made for a more pleasant round for all of us.

[iacas]

Like I said, it isn't just me. But whatever. I will drop out of this thread out of respect for this forum. I await the first indication of courtesy that a faster player might owe others on the course. Apparently not speeding through a course with multiple groups playing while riding as a single requires absolutely no consideration for any of the groups out playing golf. I learn more about etiquette every day!

Nobody has said the things you've repeatedly paraphrased them as saying.

[turtleback]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pretzel

Having been in the position you describe (single behind my group, backed up course, single taking practice swings), I disagree that humans have it "built into their DNA" to feel pressured in such a situation. It's merely you feeling pressured and that's nobody's fault but your own.

So I have repeatedly said that I would let the jerk who can't keep himself from taking practice swings at his ball while I am putting, play through, *even if* there is no open space in front of me. If he shouted out, that would be bad form, but apparently this guy needs a dozen or more practice swings or his game will fall apart, and yet he is the speediest guy on the course when he plays... Whatever. That right there says that you guys aren't serious. But as I said, I have repeatedly said that I would let you through to get you out of my life as soon as possible, on account of the fact that I do consider your aggressive activities rude, but that is not enough, is it?

Not only do I have to let you through, but I have to tug my forelock as you pass, bowing my head so as not to meet your royal gaze and accidentally lock eyes too?

Sorry guys, I will let you through, but nothing you can say is going to keep my from thinking you are a seven letter word that is a synonym for jerk.

And those of you that insist on playing as a single riding when the course is crowded but to maintain maximum pace, constantly pushing on the group in front of you, and then coming here to whine about your experience? Well go ahead and suffer through life thinking that you are right and all of the  other humans are the .....s.

And @Hatchman, I bet you really enjoy those rounds of golf where you are hitting into people "by accident" and getting into altercations all the time.

Here is an honest question, if taking practice swings at your ball if a group in front of you happens to be slow is not how you communicate to them that you think they are playing slow, how do you do it? What is next? Hitting into them? Ohhhh Nooooo! You would NEVER hit into anybody, right, got that. So what do you do? Do you start an altercation with them right off? How do you show your displeasure without getting into a verbal altercation? Or do you go right for confrontation, first sign that a group in front of you is slow?

I am just curious because I would like to know what actions a group behind me takes that I *should* interpret as signs they are getting impatient with my slow play.  And don't give me a lecture about the group in front of me, what if they are only half a hole ahead and we just completed a ball search and we expect to be right back on pace by the next green? But you are behind us, you see that half a hole space, that has been there for less than a hole of play, and you figure you should be playing there. How do you communicate to the group in front of you that you are getting impatient?

And if you say I should let you through if half a hole opens up even for a few minutes, is that how you play? Every time you lose a ball that you make an honest effort to find, you let the group behind you play through?

I am still laughing about you 'fast" players needed a dozen or two practice swings though. Seriously, do you imagine the flight of the ball too as you do it? Hold your position until the imaginary ball lands, is that why you need so much time for "practice swings" that you have to start your "routine" even before we hole the last putt and continue it as we replace the flag and walk off the green?

Just think about that for a minute. Seriously.

And don't come back with you are trying to keep pace with the group behind you, we have alread said there is no group behind you. You are a SINGLE PLAYING ALONE RIDING on a course full of three and foursomes walking.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duff McGee

I think I ran into a Moppy the other day. I was a single in a cart and they were a walking threesome. This dude kept glaring at me as I waited by my ball and took practice swings (not a malicious thought in my mind).

Not only did this guy throw his hands up in the air at me in anger (which bewildered me) he then went on to drop balls on the putting green after putting out, apparently trying to prove something.

I just stayed back and relaxed, not getting angry. I am a very relaxed person and no way I was giving off an air of impatience.

Have you visited Tacoma, WA lately Moppy?

Like I said, it isn't just me. But whatever. I will drop out of this thread out of respect for this forum. I await the first indication of courtesy that a faster player might owe others on the course. Apparently not speeding through a course with multiple groups playing while riding as a single requires absolutely no consideration for any of the groups out playing golf. I learn more about etiquette every day!

A certain golfer is used to playing at a faster pace. You're holding him up. What's he going to do? Spend a little time staying loose, maybe working on his swing a bit, or sit in the cart and tighten up? What is your big beef with someone making a few swings.

Like I said, I am not holding anybody up, there is a group teeing off right now on the next tee. But I really appreciate this forum, and I will drop it.

You sure argue a lot against things no one ever said.

[Hatchman]

Thought about this thread yesterday. Interestingly enough, we were the group that was run up upon. Our 4-ball finished in 3:20, which I have to admit is unusual for a Sunday morning, 8:50 tee time. I don't know where they came from, they may have jumped in on 10, but on 12, we suddenly had a 2-some, each with their own cart, on our ass. We hit our drives on 13, a short par-4, and waited for them on the tee box and let them through. They hit, we all drove to our balls, and we waited until they finished the hole to hit our approach shots. Thinking of this thread, I checked our actual wait time to let them through. Total time, 6 minutes. Never saw them again as the group ahead of us let them through too. Letting them blow through didn't slow us down a bit, and made for a more pleasant round for all of us.

I totally agree that threads like this are really helpful to make aware the reality of play in actual time not estimated or imagined. How you think it should play out is biased by personal experiences, good and bad. TST I think has raised everyones conscience about pace of play and for some who can't handle others views or facts have quit. I was out this morning playing with seniors friends across the border (70-80 year olds) at a difficult course and the round took only 3:32 for two foursomes. Several drives were even inside the no cart sign area yet no mean mouthing took place. We did notice as we teed off on 10, that at tee 1 a smart car with bags on the back was curbside. Oh boy, look out 2 hour rounds in air conditioned car, stereo, seat back, tilt wheel. Heck, I won't get out now for nothing until the last minute. No practice swings for me. Probably slow the group behind, but speed to the ball in front. Only in North Carolina I suppose!

[Lihu]

A smart car with bags on the back was curbside. Oh boy, look out 2 hour rounds in air conditioned car, stereo, seat back, tilt wheel. Heck, I won't get out now for nothing until that last minute. No practice swings for me. Only in North Carolina I suppose!

This is a great idea for Palm Springs in the summer!

[Hatchman]

This is a great idea for Palm Springs in the summer!

Right. While waiting, we could WATCH our TST swing coach videos, read LSW, and sip Piña Coladas!

[Dave2512]

Pretty wild Smart car on the course. It's that course path only or do they let them out on the fairways.

[Hatchman]

When we were on 17, it was zipping across a fairway. Too fast to snap a shot...here hee. We were wondering the same thing on the tee box after taking the picture. Then the discussion moved to engineering and course design to handle the smart car like cart path weight, slope, just normal guy talk passing time waiting for our slower friends in front of us to clear.

[Dave2512]

Wow nuts. Can't believe a course would take the risk of having something out there that can reach high speeds. I see hotrod golf carts at private courses that do 15-20 mph and it's scary what people do in those. Some are street legal with lights and stuff. Anyway having that thing on your tail could make you feel rushed. I'd crush the course in that going to my ball at 30 mph. I'd be sure to peel out after the slow pokes let me through.

[Aflighter]

Hey hatch can you give me hint what course it is? Im in nc

[ryan772]

I was in asheville nc until nov of last year.i would venture thats in eastern nc.

[Hatchman]

Hey hatch can you give me hint what course it is? Im in nc

. It's "The Pines" at Elisabeth City. Nags Head and Corrolla not far away with nice courses also. Beautiful, up and back type smaller course 6,660 yards but many challenging holes. One playing mate dunked 8 today slowing play down to 3:32. Happens.

[Aflighter]

Yeah I was figuring coastal because it looked fairly flat and just had the beach look like myrtle.

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aflighter

Hey hatch can you give me hint what course it is? Im in nc

.

It's "The Pines" at Elisabeth City. Nags Head and Corrolla not far away with nice courses also. Beautiful, up and back type smaller course 6,660 yards but many challenging holes. One playing mate dunked 8 today slowing play down to 3:32. Happens.

Off topic again, but how is that golfer going to stick the green while carrying the water using what looks like a FW?

[Hatchman]

Off topic again, but how is that golfer going to stick the green while carrying the water using what looks like a FW?

Good question. He was @ 178 I think was the number I gave him. He said what the heck, see his impatient look? Hope the guys on green aren't looking. Part of the slow play issue where he wound up with basically a bad lay up and subsequent more difficult shot. Relevant to speed of game anyway - Decision making.

[ForestryExpert]

A couple of things just strike me as crazy in this thread....What's wrong with taking practice swings while people are putting? If I'm 100+yards away from the green....frankly, it's none of their damn business what I'm doing and they should concentrate on THEIR game. And as I said earlier, my only problem with fast players is when they disrepect the course. Pro players take practice swings for a reason....and I do too. I recently played a round in a lot of pain and chose to forgo the practice swings (just hurt too much) and my game suffered. Now if someone takes a half dozen practice swings and then can't even make good contact....he is confusing the golf course for the practice range.... Anyway....I'm not sure what I did...hadn't hit any balls for a couple of years...and got this painful goose egg on my arm at the driving range the day before my HS reunion scramble.