Is pace of play (or slow play) a real problem?

[Missouri Swede]

9 hours ago, Kalnoky said:

I started carrying an orange whip so I could stay loose while watching groups ahead of me look for balls.

As long as you know that it’s not in compliance with the RoG.

[BaconNEggs]

I played on Monday with my dad, older brother, and cousin at a 6200 yard course (from the whites). It's a pretty basic, straight forward course without many elevation changes. 

We teed off at 7:15 and were the first group out. We had carts and played in about 4:15. After the round, my brother and dad were talking about how we played pretty fast, and while I would normally be pleased with a 4:15 round on a typical weekend here, given that there was nobody ahead of us, it just felt a lot slower than that. The total lack of ready golf was the most frustrating part, even if it only added 10 or 15 minutes to our playing time. Watching my brother sit in his golf cart next to his ball while my dad searched for his lost ball, only to then start his routine once my dad found his ball and hit... drove me absolutely nuts. There was no reason we couldn't have finished in 3:45 or even 3:30. 

I'm not trying to rush, but I am there to play golf. Plan your shot, hit your shot, move on. That is golf. Everything else, whether it's yakking it up with your buddies, appreciating nature, whatever-- it should be done within the confines of playing golf first and foremost. If those things are distracting you from playing golf, and in turn that is preventing or slowing other people from playing golf, then you are a problem.

[Aflighter]

1 hour ago, BaconNEggs said:

I played on Monday with my dad, older brother, and cousin at a 6200 yard course (from the whites). It's a pretty basic, straight forward course without many elevation changes. 

We teed off at 7:15 and were the first group out. We had carts and played in about 4:15. After the round, my brother and dad were talking about how we played pretty fast, and while I would normally be pleased with a 4:15 round on a typical weekend here, given that there was nobody ahead of us, it just felt a lot slower than that. The total lack of ready golf was the most frustrating part, even if it only added 10 or 15 minutes to our playing time. Watching my brother sit in his golf cart next to his ball while my dad searched for his lost ball, only to then start his routine once my dad found his ball and hit... drove me absolutely nuts. There was no reason we couldn't have finished in 3:45 or even 3:30. 

I'm not trying to rush, but I am there to play golf. Plan your shot, hit your shot, move on. That is golf. Everything else, whether it's yakking it up with your buddies, appreciating nature, whatever-- it should be done within the confines of playing golf first and foremost. If those things are distracting you from playing golf, and in turn that is preventing or slowing other people from playing golf, then you are a problem.

Calm down and remember that everyone isn't the same.20-30 extra minutes shouldn't be any reason to get upset over especially since you were first ones out.My question is was there anyone behind you having to wait because then its a problem.My problem is in situations like you said is in afternoons when you trying to get done before dark.That aggravates me.

[Fourputt]

 

On 8/2/2018 at 10:54 AM, Kalnoky said:

I started carrying an orange whip so I could stay loose while watching groups ahead of me look for balls. 

 

On 8/2/2018 at 8:02 PM, Missouri Swede said:

As long as you know that it’s not in compliance with the RoG.

I was ready to comment here too.  Okay I guess if you just play for fun, but for competition or for wagering, not allowed.

Quote

14-3/10

 

Use of Training or Swing Aid During Round

Q.During a round, may a player make a stroke or a practice swing using a club with a weighted headcover or "doughnut" on it, or use any other device designed as a training or swing aid?

A.No. The player would be using an artificial device to assist him in his play in breach of Rule 14-3, but see also Decision 4-4a/7 for use of a weighted training club.

 

[Patch]

I am not in favor of slow play, as I have posted before. I just deal with it when it happens. That said, I don't see that much slower play as it is. 

Yesterday I played a 5 hour+ round with three guys who were unknown to me before we met at the first tee. 

Here's the deal. We all broke 80. We stayed in front of those behind us, and behind those groups in front of us. Three holes, we had to wait to tee off, but it was not a big deal.

It seemed no one was in a rush on the course, do to the heat, humidity, and of course, individuals' pace of play. Could we have played faster? Not in the conditions we had to deal with.

My thought is this, if I could break 80, most of the time, during a plus 4 hour round, time on the course wouldn't matter. 

[buttputt40]

I am tired of slow play. In addition to speed, many golfers ask for an "occasional" tip which then leads to 15 minutes of unpaid tips. 

[NZ Golfer]

I like a constant mid-high speed game esp without too much waiting..2 half hours for many of the solo games I play.... like to walk at pace (I enjoy the fitness)

Mens Comps and playing in foursomes of course that goes around 4hrs which is a bit more of a grind for me at the latter stages In foursomes etc I take my time analysis the shot more so (esp putting)                                                                                                                                                                                               Now playing 5hr+ round I better be drinking as I'd be pissed at how slow it was ,,I just can't get why players have to go over that 2 foot putting for 20 seconds  etc  .. or look for the same players balls sliced into the growth every second hole                                                      

I'm on the course to play golf not stand around waiting .. 

Edited August 13, 2018 by NZ Golfer

[Bucki1968]

This past Sunday the wife and I went to club to play at noon. We teed off at 12:05. We played through two groups who were nice enough to let us play through. One guy in one of the groups made the comment that they were not in hurry but just wanted to get done to see the PGA championship  final groups play. We finished at 3:00 exactly. We went into bar, had a couple beers, a little bit of food and watched the last groups start. We left the bar at 4:15 and the group that let us play through was in the parking lot unloading. That was about a 5 hour round with no one on the golf course.....I'm sorry if anyone disagrees with this but that is pathetic. Fortunately they were nice enough to let us play through but I thought about those guys being out there when the season starts and it made me sick. You can talk to your buddies and play at a decent pace. You can play bad golf quickly. There is no excuse.

[Zekez]

Say my group has 5 golfers.  Which grouping is better for pace of play, or are they both roughly the same?

1.Play as a  5-some 

2. Play as twosome and a threesome

[Jeremie Boop]

8 minutes ago, Zekez said:

Say my group has 5 golfers.  Which grouping is better for pace of play, or are they both roughly the same?

1.Play as a  5-some 

2. Play as twosome and a threesome

There's really no set answer to this because it depends on the players. I've played as a 5some multiple times and have rarely had any trouble keeping pace with the group in front. I've also played as a 3some that had trouble keeping pace with the group in front.

[Zekez]

2 minutes ago, Jeremie Boop said:

There's really no set answer to this because it depends on the players. I've played as a 5some multiple times and have rarely had any trouble keeping pace with the group in front. I've also played as a 3some that had trouble keeping pace with the group in front.

There is an answer if it is the same 5 players.  Is a 5-some faster than a 2-some and 3-some?  

[Jeremie Boop]

3 minutes ago, Zekez said:

There is an answer if it is the same 5 players.  Is a 5-some faster than a 2-some and 3-some?  

Then I would say it would be roughly the same either way.

[iacas]

20 minutes ago, Zekez said:

Say my group has 5 golfers.  Which grouping is better for pace of play, or are they both roughly the same?

1.Play as a  5-some 

2. Play as twosome and a threesome

If they're the same types of players, two groups is better (if you put the slower player in a twosome and/or in the second group).

[mcanadiens]

7 minutes ago, Zekez said:

There is an answer if it is the same 5 players.  Is a 5-some faster than a 2-some and 3-some?  

No. The same five players should play much faster as a 2 and a 3.  Let's face it. You aren't waiting any near as long for all those players to: get to the ball, take their swing, find their ball. 

Experience tells me the average five-some are not real golfers and have zero concern for anyone else on the course. 

[klineka]

27 minutes ago, Jeremie Boop said:

There's really no set answer to this because it depends on the players. I've played as a 5some multiple times and have rarely had any trouble keeping pace with the group in front. I've also played as a 3some that had trouble keeping pace with the group in front.

^^ This. There are 5 of us in my regular golf group so occasionally when everyone's schedules line up we have a 5 some. We never have any trouble playing right around 4 hours, and we have never had a 4some catch up to us, and we let singles and doubles through if that comes up. We play ready golf for the most part, help each other look for balls, common sense stuff.

[iacas]

Just now, klineka said:

^^ This. There are 5 of us in my regular golf group so occasionally when everyone's schedules line up we have a 5 some. We never have any trouble playing right around 4 hours, and we have never had a 4some catch up to us, and we let singles and doubles through if that comes up. We play ready golf for the most part, help each other look for balls, common sense stuff.

The fact that you let doubles play through is exactly why you can play faster as a twosome/threesome than a fivesome.

Take it to some weird kind of extreme. Which would play faster: a twenty-some or twenty players playing in twosomes? With a twenty-some each hole might take 30 minutes. Or more. Eighteen times.

[Zekez]

5 hours ago, iacas said:

The fact that you let doubles play through is exactly why you can play faster as a twosome/threesome than a fivesome.

Take it to some weird kind of extreme. Which would play faster: a twenty-some or twenty players playing in twosomes? With a twenty-some each hole might take 30 minutes. Or more. Eighteen times.

But if each of the 10 twosomes took 3 minutes to play a hole that's a total of 30 minutes also. I would still be waiting the same time to tee off at each hole.  And if the twosomes played each hole in 4 minutes that's 10 MORE minutes per hole.

 

If i come to the 1st tee and there is a twenty-some I would be waiting at least 30 minutes to tee off using your times.  If at the 1st tee there are instead 10 twosomes, then I would still have to wait at least 30 minutes to tee off.  Right?  So your example makes no sense to me as i am waiting the same amount of time.  

Edited August 14, 2018 by Zekez

[Shindig]

I have a question, and it's pace-of-play related.  How important are practice swings on the course for a player of my level (handicap 12.9 as of tomorrow)?  I've played my last few rounds only taking practice swings when I have a funky lie or stance, and then only one and (other than when I was exhausted for round 3 of club championship), I shot really good scores (for me).  I know I used to take a practice swing or two before every stroke, even things like a good flat lie in the fairway.  

I am asking in this thread because I think my doing so contributed to a slower pace of play than I should be holding myself to, and that's part of why I switched.  I don't think I'm leaving strokes on the table by doing so, but I see pros take practice swings... but I also know that just because they do it doesn't mean it's right.

I will continue to take 2-3 practice swings when I am working on my swing on the range.  But I'm rarely holding someone up when I do so, especially when I'm hitting into my net at home.