The Definitive Pace of Play Thread

[pumaAttack]

i oftentimes find myself waiting on the other two guys sharing a cart if im walking and get paired with them.

Same here.

The same good procedures apply, or should apply, no matter where you play.  Nobody suggests that you can play any faster than the groups of players ahead of you.  What I think many of us are suggesting is that the pace of play can, and should, be improved by simple good practices of ready golf.  It requires educating slower players, and it requires the slower players to accept the goal of increasing their pace of play.  I don't think the kinds of things I talk about require anyone to "hurry", just to be aware.  And I suppose, it means that some of them will have to get their lazy backside out of the cart and walk a few paces.

That is pretty idealistic, don't you think?  Expecting an entire population to play at a rate that is faster than they are used to.  And to be taught the fast play methods.

Private courses usually space things out better, so everyone who pays the $20,000/year maintenance fees has a wonderful experience. I can't imagine paying that much money and having to wait for every shot I make.

I played quite a few private courses and there was no wait on any tee box. I guess the starters put parties in an order that makes sense time wise?

I played a private country club growing up.  Never had an issue with pace of play.

Public courses are a totally different story.

[RGoosen]

Maybe a poll needs to be added: Do you play public courses or private courses. If we are not talking about the same environment, then the time really does not apply.

Municipal courses owned by the city are slow as hell. Just b/c a course is open for public play or semi-private doesn't make it slow. I will not play there if pace of play is not enforced. (I corrected this for the spelling geeks :) Tryping on a phone is not as effective as a computer)

[pumaAttack]

Municipal courts are slow as hell.

Just b/c a course is public or semi-private doesn't make it slow. I will not play there if pace of play is not enforced.

You just contradicted yourself in two sentences.

A public course has more players at a shorter interval, they are going to be slower than a private course.

Just like when a line starts moving, there is going to be a delay.  The more people the longer that chain of delays builds up.

[Fourputt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pumaAttack

Maybe a poll needs to be added:

Do you play public courses or private courses.

If we are not talking about the same environment, then the time really does not apply.

Municipal courts are slow as hell.

Just b/c a course is public or semi-private doesn't make it slow. I will not play there if pace of play is not enforced.

Courts?

Municipal courses can be, but both of the courses I referred to a couple of posts above are city or district owned courses, municipal or equivalent.

[pumaAttack]

Courts?  Municipal courses can be, but both of the courses I referred to a couple of posts above are city or district owned courses, municipal or equivalent.

Since you are in Colorado Fourputt:

Have you ever played City Park, Welshire, Willis Case, or Overland Park on a weekend?

If so, what was your time there?

[DaveP043]

I see the potential for a new service......anti-slow-play adviser.  For a moderate fee, I'll play with your group and train you to play faster without hurrying.  Yeah, you'll think I'm nagging for half the round, when I tell you "take 3 clubs and walk to your ball....NOW, kid!" or "drive now, write your scores down by the next tee" or whatever else I tell you, but after a couple of days with me you WILL know how to play faster.

[RGoosen]

You just contradicted yourself in two sentences. A public course has more players at a shorter interval, they are going to be slower than a private course. Just like when a line starts moving, there is going to be a delay.  The more people the longer that chain of delays builds up.

Fixed it.

[Fourputt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fourputt

Courts?  Municipal courses can be, but both of the courses I referred to a couple of posts above are city or district owned courses, municipal or equivalent.

Since you are in Colorado Fourputt:

Have you ever played City Park, Welshire, Willis Case, or Overland Park on a weekend?

If so, what was your time there?

Can't say as the last time I played any of those courses was 30 years ago.  I played Overland a lot in the mid 70's, but I was a beginner and time didn't mean much to me.  We stayed with the group in front and finished when we finished.  Being single and free it really didn't matter.  I was like as not to play 36 holes and plan on being at the course all day anyway.  I've played Wills Case a couple of times and Wellshire a dozen times or so, but all back in the 70's and early 80's.  Once I started playing at Foothills as my home course in the mid 80's (I was a Foothills District resident), I never played any of the Denver courses any more.

By the way, I've had some lethargic rounds at Foothills too, and The Meadows can be horrid.

I see the potential for a new service......anti-slow-play adviser.  For a moderate fee, I'll play with your group and train you to play faster without hurrying.  Yeah, you'll think I'm nagging for half the round, when I tell you "take 3 clubs and walk to your ball....NOW, kid!" or "drive now, write your scores down by the next tee" or whatever else I tell you, but after a couple of days with me you WILL know how to play faster.

I see a new Profile title - Pace of Play Pedagogue.

[Lihu]

I see the potential for a new service......anti-slow-play adviser.  For a moderate fee, I'll play with your group and train you to play faster without hurrying.  Yeah, you'll think I'm nagging for half the round, when I tell you "take 3 clubs and walk to your ball....NOW, kid!" or "drive now, write your scores down by the next tee" or whatever else I tell you, but after a couple of days with me you WILL know how to play faster.

So, instead of "Course Marshalls" we'll have "Course Hastiers"

[pumaAttack]

Can't say as the last time I played any of those courses was 30 years ago.  I played Overland a lot in the mid 70's, but I was a beginner and time didn't mean much to me.  We stayed with the group in front and finished when we finished.  Being single and free it really didn't matter.  I was like as not to play 36 holes and plan on being at the course all day anyway.  I've played Wills Case a couple of times and Wellshire a dozen times or so, but all back in the 70's and early 80's.  Once I started playing at Foothills as my home course in the mid 80's (I was a Foothills District resident), I never played any of the Denver courses any more.

Ok thanks!

Just interesting the difference in times inside a metro area.

I know I could drive an hour to play a faster course, but I like the Denver courses and deal with the slower pace of play.

[dkolo]

No one should ever have to play 5-6 hour rounds...

No one should ever three putt either, but it happens far more often than I'd like and there's not much I can do about it, haha.

As for the larger discussion, I'm generally fortunate as a walker because I've turned into a bigger driver of the ball than the overwhelming majority of people I wind up playing with, so I almost always have time to look for my ball for a couple minutes or (occasionally) figure out yardages to the green. Having that extra time helps me play faster. I wound up playing with a group of bombers once who were also all riding carts while I was walking, so that turned into me having to haul ass all day, but it's an extremely rare exception.

Moral of the story is hit it farther, haha.

[nevets88]

I see the potential for a new service......anti-slow-play adviser.  For a moderate fee, I'll play with your group and train you to play faster without hurrying.  Yeah, you'll think I'm nagging for half the round, when I tell you "take 3 clubs and walk to your ball....NOW, kid!" or "drive now, write your scores down by the next tee" or whatever else I tell you, but after a couple of days with me you WILL know how to play faster.

Could theoretically write an app for that. Smartphone: Why aren't you taking your 4, irons w/you... Bitch! :-)

[DaveP043]

I think I'll try to find a different word than Pedagogue.  Pied Piper of Pace?

Could theoretically write an app for that.

Smartphone: Why aren't you taking your 4, irons w/you... Bitch!

Heck no, that's the first lesson.   Take your smartphone and leave it in your car!!  One less thing to distract from actually playing golf.

[pumaAttack]

Could theoretically write an app for that.

Smartphone: Why aren't you taking your 4, irons w/you... Bitch!

That would require people to care...

And that is the point of my "idealistic" claims.

People do not care that they are slow and don't want to be bother to learn the ready golf rules.

[stealthhwk]

I voted for 3:30-4:00. Seems like if the round is over 4, we were probably waiting. And that's been in a lot of big money matches ;-)

Gambling on the golf course is probably the biggest contributor to slow play. It just kills me

[mvmac]

Gambling on the golf course is probably the biggest contributor to slow play. It just kills me

Mike McLoughlin

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[Fourputt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nevets88

Could theoretically write an app for that.

Smartphone: Why aren't you taking your 4, irons w/you... Bitch!

Heck no, that's the first lesson.   Take your smartphone and leave it in your car!!  One less thing to distract from actually playing golf.

Hear! Hear!  Like anything else, phones don't cause slow play, but smartphones in the hands of already slow players just create slower players.

Originally Posted by DaveP043

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fourputt

I see a new Profile title - Pace of Play Pedagogue.

I think I'll try to find a different word than Pedagogue.  Pied Piper of Pace?

I like it -  good to see you're keeping the alliteration.

[Fourputt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by stealthhwk

Gambling on the golf course is probably the biggest contributor to slow play. It just kills me

Rick

"He who has the fastest cart will never have a bad lie."