Five-some question

[RickK]

One of the clubs I play out of allows 5somes on both weekdays and weekends.  We have a total of 10 guys who make up the group that I play with.  Some days we may have 5, 6, 7,all the way up to 10.  Our normal pace play for our group on a non-weekend is right around 3-1/2 hours...could be less if we have only 2 or 3 playing (not everyone plays on weekdays). 

On weekends, we generally have the 7:37 and 7:45 tee times.  It takes us about 4-1/2 hours to play but we have groups in front of us who usually are not 5, but could be.  2 weeks ago, I was there when the first group of the morning teed off.  It was a 3some, followed by all 4somes till it got to us.  We had 5 in first group and 4 in our 2nd group.  I was in the first group.  First hole is a par 5.  As one would imagine, we had to wait to tee off because someone ahead thought they could hit the green in 2 (didn't).  We had to wait on every hole but I never saw a complete open hole ahead of us.  Sometimes the group ahead would be one shot behind but never a full hole. So, it would not have mattered if we had been a 4some instead of a 5some.  We all ride (cannot have a walker in a 5some).  FWIW, we have single digits players all the way up to a 23 playing in our group of 10.  I find that handicaps do not determine how fast or slow a player is.  I personally don't care how many are in the groups I am following as long as they keep up the pace.  In a 5some, you need to play ready golf.  For that matter, we should all play ready golf regardless of how many in the group as long as it is not a match play tournament. 

Edited August 4, 2016 by RickK