The Definitive Pace of Play Thread

[9wood]

I voted 3:30-4:00 but that is mainly due to the fact that everyone seems to be playing from the blues regardless of whether or not their game demonstrates the skills and ability to do so. I have been using the whites and have noticed that most of the people who are playing from the blues have no business doing so because they are worse at golf than I am. I was watching a twosome in front of me yesterday that was playing from the blues. It was taking them 4 or more strokes to get on the greens on par 4's. Don't these people realize that the blue tees don't match their level of skill. Or are they simply ignorant of the fact that other tees are available that would better match their skill level? Well at least this twosome let me go ahead of them after the 4th hole. 

[Lihu]

1 hour ago, Missouri Swede said:

This was installed this week at the course I usually play:

Yeah, right. 5 holes in one hour? Dream on. . .

If this course could actually keep this pace of play, it would be immediately jammed with golfers.

The only way I can get around slow play is to drive a cart jumping holes. Sometimes, I wait for specific days when I know specific slow groups are playing and jump ahead of them and get them all done in a couple hours then go back to the first 3 holes when those groups are just finishing them up and play those last.

 

[Dave2512]

31 minutes ago, Lihu said:

Yeah, right. 5 holes in one hour? Dream on. . .

If this course could actually keep this pace of play, it would be immediately jammed with golfers.

The only way I can get around slow play is to drive a cart jumping holes. Sometimes, I wait for specific days when I know specific slow groups are playing and jump ahead of them and get them all done in a couple hours then go back to the first 3 holes when those groups are just finishing them up and play those last.

 

12 minutes a hole is pretty standard as an average. When I see POP posted on cards it jumps around from 8 to 16. The first 5 could be some of the shorter/easier holes. That's a 3.5 hour plus round at 12 per.

[Lihu]

3 minutes ago, Dave2512 said:

12 minutes a hole is pretty standard as an average. When I see POP posted on cards it jumps around from 8 to 16. The first 5 could be some of the shorter/easier holes. That's a 3.5 hour plus round at 12 per.

I was just commenting upon the general slowness of golfers regardless of how easy are the holes.

 

[DaveP043]

41 minutes ago, Lihu said:

Yeah, right. 5 holes in one hour? Dream on. . .

If this course could actually keep this pace of play, it would be immediately jammed with golfers.

Don't be cynical, applaud the effort to make things better.  This type of communication is essential if they're actually going to marshal the course.  You have to set an expectation before you try to force people to speed up.  If you tell them to get done in 3 and a half, there's a chance they'll get done in 4.  If you tell them 4 and a half, they won't feel bad at playing in 5.

[Lihu]

2 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

Don't be cynical, applaud the effort to make things better.  This type of communication is essential if they're actually going to marshal the course.  You have to set an expectation before you try to force people to speed up.  If you tell them to get done in 3 and a half, there's a chance they'll get done in 4.  If you tell them 4 and a half, they won't feel bad at playing in 5.

Yeah, I shouldn't project my cynical attitude regarding my home courses to other courses. I admit it's very admirable for them to try.

[Dave2512]

My experience is the clocks actually work if combined with ranger presence. Something about being at a checkpoint and seeing the hall monitor.

[Missouri Swede]

1 hour ago, Lihu said:

Yeah, right. 5 holes in one hour? Dream on. . .

If this course could actually keep this pace of play, it would be immediately jammed with golfers.

Depends on the day of the week and the time of day.  I tend to go when it's less likely to be busy.  Yesterday I was walking, playing solo.  The course was empty because the high school teams had been using the course and had just left, so the regulars weren't out.  I was at the 6th tee 40 minutes later, not rushing.

Your second comment sounds like the opposite of the Yogi Berra quote "nobody goes there anymore--it's too crowded."  

57 minutes ago, Dave2512 said:

12 minutes a hole is pretty standard as an average. When I see POP posted on cards it jumps around from 8 to 16. The first 5 could be some of the shorter/easier holes. That's a 3.5 hour plus round at 12 per.

The first 5 are a pretty even sampling of the whole course.  But it's an easy course (back tees 6123 yards, 67.4/110).  The fairways are wide, and the rough is usually very short--the biggest challenge is usually the wind.

48 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

Don't be cynical, applaud the effort to make things better.  This type of communication is essential if they're actually going to marshal the course.  You have to set an expectation before you try to force people to speed up.

Yep.

44 minutes ago, Lihu said:

I admit it's very admirable for them to try.

And that's why it's good to see--and why I posted.  It's a start.  Next, they'll need to educate people about why they're playing slowly.  The biggest thing I notice at this course is people not being at their ball and ready to hit when it's their turn: they drive to one ball, wait until it's clear to hit, then hit, then head off to the other ball (instead of both going to their balls and getting ready to hit while waiting).  Even worse, two carts wait at one ball, then after he hits, both carts drive to the next ball, ... [repeat].

[Dave2512]

8 minutes ago, Missouri Swede said:

 The biggest thing I notice at this course is people not being at their ball and ready to hit when it's their turn: they drive to one ball, wait until it's clear to hit, then hit, then head off to the other ball (instead of both going to their balls and getting ready to hit while waiting).  Even worse, two carts wait at one ball, then after he hits, both carts drive to the next ball, ... [repeat].

It's a problem everywhere and starts and ends with most people going out to golf and be social with friends. I run into it a lot early on week days when the seniors are out. Weekends when I get stuck behind two couples it's common too.

[Lihu]

24 minutes ago, Missouri Swede said:

And that's why it's good to see--and why I posted.  It's a start.  Next, they'll need to educate people about why they're playing slowly.  The biggest thing I notice at this course is people not being at their ball and ready to hit when it's their turn: they drive to one ball, wait until it's clear to hit, then hit, then head off to the other ball (instead of both going to their balls and getting ready to hit while waiting).  Even worse, two carts wait at one ball, then after he hits, both carts drive to the next ball, ... [repeat].

Yeah, this is one of the two things I see as the biggest problem. I have no problem waiting at the tee box for someone 200 yards away and hitting another ball another 75 yards from there, if they are efficient about it. It's clueless meandering that really gets me and my playing partners annoyed. No one that I know has every yelled out to people playing ready golf even if they took 4 shots to get to the green.

The other is, of course, pro style putting that takes an amateur number of putts while on the greens.

[Lihu]

4 hours ago, Missouri Swede said:

Depends on the day of the week and the time of day.  I tend to go when it's less likely to be busy.  Yesterday I was walking, playing solo.  The course was empty because the high school teams had been using the course and had just left, so the regulars weren't out.  I was at the 6th tee 40 minutes later, not rushing.

Your second comment sounds like the opposite of the Yogi Berra quote "nobody goes there anymore--it's too crowded."  

Yeah, that's funny, and I actually figured out what Yogi was trying to say too!

Tuesdays are the empty days for my home courses. All other days it's a total mess. Find the slow parties and jump in front of them.

[CR McDivot]

I, for one am sick to death of all this whining!

Today I played as a 63 yr old with a 72 year old (WALKING). We kept up with the cart with twosome in front till they left after #9.

On #13 we let the single behind play through as he seemed in a hurry.

Finished #18 in just under 4:00, playing at a REASONABLE PACE and allowing those who think they need to get off the course as soon as possible to play through.

The take from this...

If you don't have enough time to play a reasonably paced round...

STAY HOME, or find a less time consuming game. I suggest PingPong!

Edited April 22, 2016 by CR McDivot

[Jeremie Boop]

16 minutes ago, CR McDivot said:

I, for one am sick to death of all this whining!

Today I played as a 63 yr old with a 72 year old (WALKING). We kept up with the cart with twosome in front till they left after #9.

On #13 we let the single behind play through as he seemed in a hurry.

Finished #18 in just under 4:00, playing at a REASONABLE PACE and allowing those who think they need to get off the course as soon as possible to play through.

The take from this...

If you don't have enough time to play a reasonably paced round...

STAY HOME, or find a less time consuming game. I suggest PingPong!

Interesting, played as a fivesome two weeks ago. We never rushed, took plenty of time. Chatted from time to time, looked at the course from a few tees and greens. We finished in right around 4 hours. I'm thinking we have a much different idea of "reasonable pace" if you took as much time in a twosome as it took us as a fivesome...

*edit* Even went in at the turn so we all could grab a drink....

Edited April 22, 2016 by Jeremie Boop

[CR McDivot]

34 minutes ago, Jeremie Boop said:

...I'm thinking we have a much different idea of "reasonable pace" if you took as much time in a twosome as it took us as a fivesome...

*edit* Even went in at the turn so we all could grab a drink....

Interesting indeed...

Fivesomes are not allowed on any course we play. I presume you play a private course?

The single (in a cart) was 2 holes behind when the group in front of us left at #9. As we teed on #13 he was parking next to the #12 green... we suggested to him to come on through.

Just under 4:00 IS reasonable for a couple of seniors on a 6500 yrd course walking, especially when there is no one behind the hotshot single (whom WE asked to come through). Figured we would rather have a round at our pace than be rushed.

Fire it up, pal. Burn up the course as you do the rest of your hectic life.

We will likely outlive you!

Edited April 22, 2016 by CR McDivot

[Jeremie Boop]

9 hours ago, CR McDivot said:

Interesting indeed...

Fivesomes are not allowed on any course we play. I presume you play a private course?

The single (in a cart) was 2 holes behind when the group in front of us left at #9. As we teed on #13 he was parking next to the #12 green... we suggested to him to come on through.

Just under 4:00 IS reasonable for a couple of seniors on a 6500 yrd course walking, especially when there is no one behind the hotshot single (whom WE asked to come through). Figured we would rather have a round at our pace than be rushed.

Fire it up, pal. Burn up the course as you do the rest of your hectic life.

We will likely outlive you!

Actually, it was on a private course. We actually played 2 days at 2 different courses as a fivesome, which worked out because the temperature was so cold we were some of the only people crazy enough to be out there on the course. Both days we were able to finish in right around the 4 hour mark without any semblance of rushing. We were in carts, however, so that did help to speed things up, as well as 3 of the guys all being single digit HC players. Funny that you assume I live a hectic life... Far from it. Finally, you may well outlive me, but it won't have anything to do with how fast you or I golf.

[RH31]

Our foursomes usually get around the course(private) in right around 3:15. Most players are riding, but not all. Most players are shooting 75-85, but sometimes we have a 90+er out there. Most of the players are ready to hit and play ready golf, but not all. The quicker pace of play is the best thing about playing a private course.

[sirhacksalot]

almost 6 hours on Sunday.  I was playing with neighbors whom I haven't played before.  I was playing badly hit a lot OB, so were they.  I play cheap balls so when I do that I can look, then drop quickly.  It seemed they were maxing out the 5 min rule on every hole.  Plus doing Keegan Bradley impressions for every shot to shoot 100 and 110 respectively.  

[Lihu]

11 hours ago, CR McDivot said:

On #13 we let the single behind play through as he seemed in a hurry.

Finished #18 in just under 4:00, playing at a REASONABLE PACE and allowing those who think they need to get off the course as soon as possible to play through.

The take from this...

Thanks for letting the single through. Just continue to let faster players though including five somes and everyone should be happy. Golf is not usually that slow, but as a maximum time it's bearable.