Pace of Play Question

[Effington]

Pace of Play Question

Hey all, I'm a novice golfer that took 5 years off.  I just brushed the dust off my clubs, took a lesson and am swinging better than ever on the range, which has encouraged me to get on the course.  After reading so many messages here on pace of play, as well as a quick search on the topic, I'm a little surprised at what I've read and wanted some clarification

The first website that popped on my search (http://www.popeofslope.com/paceofplay/), notes that pace of play is too slow for 18-20 handicappers who are very deliberate in their approach (taking practice swings, slowly line up their shots, watch shots completely before moving on, etc.)  With that as my baseline, I will surely be a lag on the course as I'd be ecstatic to break 100 and also do those things as previously mentioned.  The above website also cites dealing with this slow pace as a reason so many quit the game.

Golf is as much, or more about etiquette than any other sport, and I'd like to follow protocol (and be welcomed back).  What types of things should I do to make sure I'm staying in line with expectations on pace?  I see that I should probably schedule a later tee-time as opposed to morning, and probably get a cart (this is disappointing, honestly), but what else?  As a novice I have a built in 30+ shots in my round that an expert would have; does this mean I shouldn't be playing all of those shots and pick up if I'm not on pace?  Honestly, this topic gives me a little anxiety and surely this will also impact my game.

(On a side note, taking no practice swings, not deliberately lining up shots or watching shots completely sounds like a speed round that is not fun!)

[chilepepper]

Practice a pre shot routine at the range. I do this most of the time in practice anyway minus the practice swing.  Take 1 practice swing, pick your line. Step up and hit the ball. Agonizing and over thinking the shot doesn't help me. 

Pick up after 8 strokes per hole

go forth and have fun!

Edited April 30, 2017 by chilepepper

[Club Rat]

2 hours ago, Effington said:

What types of things should I do to make sure I'm staying in line with expectations on pace?

Pace will vary at all courses each and every day. Some days, a problem will generate and disrupt the entire course or only a few groups.
Pace is the responsibility of each group. While in certain conditions, pace may be good for many or a few holes, and sometimes it may be a bad day to be on the course.

Often there are courses who simply want to generate revenue at any cost. They must make "Hay when the Sun is Shining"
Other courses may take actions to help keep pace on their course the best they can.

The best scenario is keeping up with the group ahead, without waiting to play and maintaining the same with the group that's behind your group.

[uitar9]

Couple of rules I follow:

-Ignore the people behind me. My job is to stay within a couple of shots max of the folks in front of me. if they are slow, thats not my problem. I rarely look behind me.

-Be ready when its my turn to shoot.

-Bring my clubs with me (I walk with a cart) when I'm looking for a ball. Nothing slows me down more than walking 50 yards forward to look for a ball then walk back , get my clubs, and walk forward to my place of shot.

-bring my cell and phone the clubhouse if I'm being hassled. Using an iron to settle an argument  with an a--hole is inappropriate

[No Mulligans]

When using a cart don't wait for your fellow player sharing your cart to finish their shot and get back in the cart if it is quicker to drop him off and drive to your ball while he is getting ready to hit.  You have to use your judgement on when this will quicken your pace of play, it often will.

There are really dozens of things you can do to help with pace of play. Little things, like where you park your bag around the green when walking, bringing your head cover to the tee box so you can put it back on as you walk back to your bag, mark your scorecard at the next tee while your playing partner is teeing off, etc. etc.  They all add up.  If you stay focused and aware of pace of play you'll learn them and/or figure them out.

Edited April 30, 2017 by No Mulligans

[Missouri Swede]

4 hours ago, Effington said:

The first website that popped on my search (http://www.popeofslope.com/paceofplay/), notes that pace of play is too slow for 18-20 handicappers who are very deliberate in their approach (taking practice swings, slowly line up their shots, watch shots completely before moving on, etc.)  With that as my baseline, I will surely be a lag on the course as I'd be ecstatic to break 100 and also do those things as previously mentioned.

 

I wouldn't use the concern about lining up shots as a reason to not line up your shot--I think the  emphasis would be on "slowly."  On the fairway, you can be picking a target/starting line while someone else is taking their shot or you're waiting for the green to clear.  (Same thing with figuring your distance to the pin/selecting your club.) When it's your turn to hit, be ready.  On the green, figure out your line while others are putting (if you're not first).

Not sure I agree that "watch shots completely" is a problem.  Know where your ball went--watch it, so you can find it.  Bonus: With a little time under your belt, watch the shots of your playing partners as well. We've all had times where an extra set of eyes helps in locating a ball.  Less time searching helps with pace of play.

Don't think that your high score necessarily means you have to play slowly.  Yes, you're hitting more shots, but sometimes the extra shots are quickly done. (For example, if I'm punching out of the rough just to get to the fairway, it may not take me very long to punch out, then get to my ball to hit my approach shot.)

5 hours ago, Effington said:

I see that I should probably schedule a later tee-time as opposed to morning, and probably get a cart (this is disappointing, honestly),

Check with the course (ahead of time) to see when there tend to be fewer golfers out there.  Some afternoons (at my course) have golf leagues--not the time to slip in.

A cart may or may not help you with speed: If you know the course, being able to walk directly to the ball can be pretty quick.

2 hours ago, Club Rat said:

The best scenario is keeping up with the group ahead, without waiting to play and maintaining the same with the group that's behind your group.

 

2 hours ago, uitar9 said:

-Be ready when its my turn to shoot.

Quoted for truth

[b101]

To be honest, the fact that you're worried about it means that you'll probably be ok! It's the people who never think about it who are the slowest and cause issues because they just don't care. As others have said, a lot of the little things add up. For me, it boils down to three things. 

1. There will be times when people behind you are faster than you. Call them through at an appropriate moment (ideally on the next tee). When you do this, it can be a good idea to hit your tee shot, then let them hit theirs and walk on together. Par threes are ideal for this. 
2. Deliberate and slow are different things. If you rush a shot, you're more likely to hit a bad one, meaning you'll take longer. For example, I will almost always walk from the spot of my first putt to the hole to gauge the pace and as a result, I don't three putt that often any more. But I wouldn't ever look both sides of a six footer. That's a personal thing, but a lot of your pre-shot stuff can be done whilst others are hitting or getting ready themselves. Additionally, if I have a blind shot or am unsure where to go, I don't have a problem running ahead some 50 yards to check. I'm quite happy to argue that it's better for me to do that and hit the green or be close to than miles offline searching for 5 minutes for a lost ball. There will be those who'd argue otherwise, but I reckon the logic is sound. Don't be Jason Day, but don't be a clueless hacker either.
3. If you're doing these things well, don't worry about it and just enjoy playing. You'll get the pain-in-the-arse types who just want something to moan about - ignore them. (I had one today, who claimed we'd snuck into the middle of a ladies match, ignorant of the fact that we'd teed off half an hour before them, had let two groups play through and that we were only just in front of them because they were walking in after 12. Can't deal with some people...)

Above all, enjoy the game - I can't stress it enough. 

[krupa]

1 hour ago, Missouri Swede said:

Not sure I agree that "watch shots completely" is a problem.  Know where your ball went--watch it, so you can find it.

Agreed.  You need to watch your shot land or you're going to spend more looking for your ball than it took to watch it.  A lot of the time that won't really be necessary but if it's heading toward trees you want to watch to see if -- and which direction -- the ball bounces off a tree.

 

[David in FL]

Remember, your proper place on the golf course is directly behind the group in front of you, not directly in front of the group behind you.

Maintain that position, and keep the same level of concern for your pace of play that you've exhibited by asking today, and you'll be fine.

[DaveP043]

6 minutes ago, David in FL said:

Remember, your proper place on the golf course is directly behind the group in front of you, not directly in front of the group behind you.

Maintain that position, and keep the same level of concern for your pace of play that you've exhibited by asking today, and you'll be fine.

This is my thought exactly, the rest of the stuff are details to use in achieving these goals.  If you're asking at this stage of your golf career, you care, and that's the most important thing.  

[phillyk]

Ready golf, ready golf, and again ready golf.  Tee box, approaches, chipping, and putting, play ready golf.  You can be concerned all you want but if you play honors and no one is ready to hit, you'll inevitably slow down too much.

[dennyjones]

1 minute ago, phillyk said:

Ready golf, ready golf, and again ready golf.  Tee box, approaches, chipping, and putting, play ready golf.  You can be concerned all you want but if you play honors and no one is ready to hit, you'll inevitably slow down too much.

I echo this.   sometimes I play with a couple that is 74 years old.   The lady hits a good drive 125.   We can play 18 in about 4 hours because she was taught to play ready golf.   

[JonMA1]

51 minutes ago, b101 said:

To be honest, the fact that you're worried about it means that you'll probably be ok!

I thought the same thing @Effington as what @b101 stated above. If you care about it, you'll do fine. It's the folks who are either oblivious or pricks about it who cause many of the issues.

Keeping pace and most other etiquette issues are important to me as well. When playing a solo round I have no problem keeping up with faster twosomes in a cart - and I'm a walker who doesn't score low.

For me, the biggest issue is looking for lost balls. On a crowded course, I'll quickly do a fly-by where my ball may have landed. If it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb, I'll go play my provisional.

[Fourputt]

On 4/30/2017 at 7:30 AM, Effington said:

Pace of Play Question

Hey all, I'm a novice golfer that took 5 years off.  I just brushed the dust off my clubs, took a lesson and am swinging better than ever on the range, which has encouraged me to get on the course.  After reading so many messages here on pace of play, as well as a quick search on the topic, I'm a little surprised at what I've read and wanted some clarification

The first website that popped on my search (http://www.popeofslope.com/paceofplay/), notes that pace of play is too slow for 18-20 handicappers who are very deliberate in their approach (taking practice swings, slowly line up their shots, watch shots completely before moving on, etc.)  With that as my baseline, I will surely be a lag on the course as I'd be ecstatic to break 100 and also do those things as previously mentioned.  The above website also cites dealing with this slow pace as a reason so many quit the game.

Golf is as much, or more about etiquette than any other sport, and I'd like to follow protocol (and be welcomed back).  What types of things should I do to make sure I'm staying in line with expectations on pace?  I see that I should probably schedule a later tee-time as opposed to morning, and probably get a cart (this is disappointing, honestly), but what else?  As a novice I have a built in 30+ shots in my round that an expert would have; does this mean I shouldn't be playing all of those shots and pick up if I'm not on pace?  Honestly, this topic gives me a little anxiety and surely this will also impact my game.

(On a side note, taking no practice swings, not deliberately lining up shots or watching shots completely sounds like a speed round that is not fun!)

It's a good thing that you are concerned about your pace of play.  You can do everything necessary for an effective preshot routine without succumbing to slow play.  Do all you can while waiting for your playing companions to play.  That includes getting your distance, checking wind, selecting a club, picking your aiming line, etc.  There will always be times when you are first to play, or when your ball is on another player's line so that some of those activities won't be possible before he plays, but do all you can so that you are as ready to hit as possible when it is your turn.  Make that routine as efficient as you possibly can.  It should never take more than 30 seconds from start to finish for a normal shot.  

Don't get so attached to your ball that you feel you have to take the full 5 minutes to search for it, especially when you know that it's in a spot where you couldn't play it even if you found it.  Lost balls are a part of golf, especially early in your golfing life, so play a model of which the loss of one or two per round won't break the bank.  The rule gives you a maximum of 5 minutes for a search, but it doesn't require you to take that long.  I almost never take 5 minutes when searching for my own ball, even in a tournament.  Play a provisional ball when you think that there might be a chance of not finding your ball anyplace other than in a water hazard.

For casual play, learn the basics of taking relief in both penalty and non-penalty situations.  Don't agonize over precise drops.  Close is close enough for most  noncompetitive play.  

Clean your clubs while your buddies are playing their shots.  Mark your score after you leave the green area.  Don't fiddle with stuff when you should be playing a shot or moving forward - wait for a normal pause in the action to take care of whatever it is.  

Just use common sense and stay within sight of the group in front of you, or if play is light that day, then keep track of your time so that you know if you maintaining the course's policy for pace of play.

Edited May 1, 2017 by Fourputt

[RayG]

17 hours ago, David in FL said:

Remember, your proper place on the golf course is directly behind the group in front of you, not directly in front of the group behind you.

 

Why? If that group ahead is rabbitting along at some ridiculous pace, I'm not going to speed up just to keep up with them. Courses I play, you can have a foursome with 2 carts ahead of a group who are walking. You want the walkers to jog just because they're "supposed" be right behind them? Especially if the cart group has open holes in front? That statement only makes sense if the course if full with no place really to go. The group ahead can't get away.

Again, people confuse the "speed of play" with the "pace of play". The pace is dictated by the number of players out there, you can't possibly get a 3 hour round in on a busy muni on a weekend morning. It just won't happen. Best you can hope is for a "steady" pace that isn't keeping everyone waiting for 2 or 3 groups on every hole. As I've mentioned before, I've played 4 hour rounds that seemed like forever and I've played 5.5 hour round that seemed shorter because everyone was at least moving.

[David in FL]

13 minutes ago, RayG said:

Why? If that group ahead is rabbitting along at some ridiculous pace, I'm not going to speed up just to keep up with them. Courses I play, you can have a foursome with 2 carts ahead of a group who are walking. You want the walkers to jog just because they're "supposed" be right behind them? Especially if the cart group has open holes in front? That statement only makes sense if the course if full with no place really to go. The group ahead can't get away.

Again, people confuse the "speed of play" with the "pace of play". The pace is dictated by the number of players out there, you can't possibly get a 3 hour round in on a busy muni on a weekend morning. It just won't happen. Best you can hope is for a "steady" pace that isn't keeping everyone waiting for 2 or 3 groups on every hole. As I've mentioned before, I've played 4 hour rounds that seemed like forever and I've played 5.5 hour round that seemed shorter because everyone was at least moving.

If you are directly in front of the group behind you, and the group ahead of you has "rabbitted" away from you, you are still out of position and are potentially holding up the group behind you.  You should offer the group behind you the opportunity to play through.  Even if you can't/don't want to play at the faster pace of the group ahead of you, those behind you very well may.

[RayG]

Well ,yes. I grant you that. That is certainly the case. 

But the "directly behind the group in front" business can be extreme in some cases. But not holding up the group behind is a given.

[drmevo]

Just now, RayG said:

Well ,yes. I grant you that. That is certainly the case. 

But the "directly behind the group in front" business can be extreme in some cases. But not holding up the group behind is a given.

Yeah, I have often thought the same thing. It's not an absolute but people tout it like it is, often with no additional qualifiers like in @David in FL's last post. It might be confusing to a beginner such as the OP when they tee off with two holes between them and the next group and wonder if they need to catch up. It's a good general rule for when the course is full, for sure, though.