4:15hr is actually a pretty reasonable pace of play for our group

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Because that's what it says in the etiquette section of the rules of golf.

And it isn't about you. If everyone keeps up, or at least tries to keep up, with the group in front, then hopefully no-one will be held up un-necessarily.

I was actually playing yesterday and we lost ground on the group in front, I made a comment to our group that we had to get a move on and the response from one of the guys was exactly the one I would imagine I would get from you, "the group behind aren't waiting so we're fine" - no attempt was made to speed up despite my efforts and comments.

On the 15th, one of our group had a bit of trouble and the group behind caught up and were waiting as we putted out, the group in front were now on the 16th green so we had lost a fair bit of ground. As it turned out, one of their group lost a ball with their approach to 15 so the gap between us opened up again but that really isn't the point. Gaps can open up between groups for lost balls etc but if you do nothing to make up time, things can go wrong, it simply isn't good enough to say you aren't holding anyone up, better to ensure you never do.

Quite. Keep up with the group in front and if you get held up they should let you through. Unless the group behind you is up your backside how far behind you they are is irrelevant - they are not your problem and of no relevance to your speed of play. You keep up with the lot in front. Because as you said - if you can open up a good gap with the group behind (however it comes about) then you have the opportunity to take some time looking for a ball, returning under S&D, going back to playing a provisional etc - without your group immediately causing a hold up in play. You play to the speed of the group in front - not the group behind.

 

[Slime]

Who decides whether or not it is you who are playing at a 'decent' pace, surely this is subjective?
I think I play at a decent pace, for me, as I'm not a youngster & I want to savour every moment of every round and can do so without holding play up. If that takes five hours, so be it.
For some, apparently, this will make them lose the will to live as, in their opinion, 3½ is a decent pace, and that's okay too.
Why should I have to try to keep up with the group in front if their pace of play is obviously far quicker than mine .................... as long as I don't slow up those behind, where's the problem?


Slime.

Sorry HawkeyeMS, I didn't quite type what I meant to, doh, see insert in red, sorry mate.

Because that's what it says in the etiquette section of the rules of golf.

And it isn't about you. If everyone keeps up, or at least tries to keep up, with the group in front, then hopefully no-one will be held up un-necessarily.

I was actually playing yesterday and we lost ground on the group in front, I made a comment to our group that we had to get a move on and the response from one of the guys was exactly the one I would imagine I would get from you, "the group behind aren't waiting so we're fine" - no attempt was made to speed up despite my efforts and comments.

Wrong! I'd have said "no problems, lets do it".
I know that I'm slow compared to some of you guys, but it's not deliberate! I'm not trying to make a point by being slow .................. I just am, compared to some.................. not all, just some.

Quite. Keep up with the group in front and if you get held up they should let you through. Unless the group behind you is up your backside how far behind you they are is irrelevant - they are not your problem and of no relevance to your speed of play. You keep up with the lot in front. Because as you said - if you can open up a good gap with the group behind (however it comes about) then you have the opportunity to take some time looking for a ball, returning under S&D, going back to playing a provisional etc - without your group immediately causing a hold up in play. You play to the speed of the group in front - not the group behind.

It's as simple as that, is it? Sometimes that's just not possible ................... even for me!


Slime.

 

[bluewolf]

It's as simple as that, is it? Sometimes that's just not possible ................... even for me!


Slime.

And therein lies the rub. No one is asking everyone to play at the same pace. Every golfer has a different natural pace. I'm slower than some, but faster than others. The trick is to ensure that if a gap opens up between yourself and the group in front, then let the group behind play through if they're playing at a faster pace than you. If there's no one behind you, then happy days..

I've no issue with a round taking 4 hours plus if there's nowhere to play through.. The real problem lies with the people who think that their pace of play is absolutely fine and flatly refuse to allow anyone through despite their being a gap of at least a hole in front. These people should be given warnings, then made to play at the back of comps.. (they're not the only ones btw.)

 

[delc]

Who decides whether or not it is you who are playing at a 'decent' pace, surely this is subjective?
I think I play at a decent pace, for me, as I'm not a youngster & I want to savour every moment of every round and can do so without holding play up. If that takes five hours, so be it.
For some, apparently, this will make them lose the will to live as, in their opinion, 3½ is a decent pace, and that's okay too.
Why should I have to keep up with the group in front if their pace of play is far quicker than mine .................... as long as I don't slow up those behind, where's the problem?


Slime.

At our course there are signs on various holes stating the maximum time you should have taken to get there. The maximum suggested time for an 18 hole round is 4 hours and 5 minutes, bearing in mind that our course is quite long with some long walks between holes. You don't have to sprint around the course to achieve a reasonable time, just walk briskly between shots and be ready when it's your turn to hit, without any over elaborate pre-shot routines. As a previous poster suggested, try to keep up with the group in front and let the following group through if you can't. It is not rocket science!

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

And therein lies the rub. No one is asking everyone to play at the same pace. Every golfer has a different natural pace. I'm slower than some, but faster than others. The trick is to ensure that if a gap opens up between yourself and the group in front, then let the group behind play through if they're playing at a faster pace than you. If there's no one behind you, then happy days..

I've no issue with a round taking 4 hours plus if there's nowhere to play through.. The real problem lies with the people who think that their pace of play is absolutely fine and flatly refuse to allow anyone through despite their being a gap of at least a hole in front. These people should be given warnings, then made to play at the back of comps.. (they're not the only ones btw.)

Which might seem on the surface to be absolutely OK. But don't forget that letting a group through as well as holding them up will cause hold-ups and bunching for many holes and groups back down the course - and that bunching does not quickly ease - in fact and I suspect in general the course is stuck with it.

In truth I think it is a little selfish to play at a pace that you can predict at the outset will end up with the group behind catching you and you having to let them through. You really shouldn't play at a pace that just suits you. You should play at the pace that you're supposed to and that suits all - so that if the first group out gets round in 3hr30min and everyone makes an effort and keeps up with those in front - then everyone gets round in under 4hrs. It actually is rather simple.

 

[Slime]

And therein lies the rub. No one is asking everyone to play at the same pace. Every golfer has a different natural pace. I'm slower than some, but faster than others. The trick is to ensure that if a gap opens up between yourself and the group in front, then let the group behind play through if they're playing at a faster pace than you. If there's no one behind you, then happy days..

I've no issue with a round taking 4 hours plus if there's nowhere to play through.. The real problem lies with the people who think that their pace of play is absolutely fine and flatly refuse to allow anyone through despite their being a gap of at least a hole in front. These people should be given warnings, then made to play at the back of comps.. (they're not the only ones btw.)

Bang on.
I and my mates know we are not the fastest on the course and always offer to let following groups through .............. always.

Which might seem on the surface to be absolutely OK. But don't forget that letting a group through as well as holding them up will cause hold-ups and bunching for many holes and groups back down the course - and that bunching does not quickly ease - in fact and I suspect in general the course is stuck with it.

In truth I think it is a little selfish to play at a pace that you can predict at the outset will end up with the group behind catching you and you having to let them through. You really shouldn't play at a pace that just suits you. You should play at the pace that you're supposed to and that suits all - so that if the first group out gets round in 3hr30min and everyone makes an effort and keeps up with those in front - then everyone gets round in under 4hrs. It actually is rather simple.

That pace does not exist .............. there is no such thing as a pace that suits all, how can there be, everyone is different.


Slime.

 

[Slime]

A scenario that happened to me last year.
Four of us were playing on a lovely summers' day.
Unbeknown to us was the fact that there were many two and three balls following us. We were caught up at the 12th green by a three ball that had obviously been holding up several two balls. We asked them to play through on the 13th tee, but they refused, stating that they didn't want to and would prefer to follow us.
What should we have done?


Slime.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

A scenario that happened to me last year.
Four of us were playing on a lovely summers' day.
Unbeknown to us was the fact that there were many two and three balls following us. We were caught up at the 12th green by a three ball that had obviously been holding up several two balls. We asked them to play through on the 13th tee, but they refused, stating that they didn't want to and would prefer to follow us.
What should we have done?


Slime.

Told them to stop being so inconsiderate...

 

[delc]

A scenario that happened to me last year.
Four of us were playing on a lovely summers' day.
Unbeknown to us was the fact that there were many two and three balls following us. We were caught up at the 12th green by a three ball that had obviously been holding up several two balls. We asked them to play through on the 13th tee, but they refused, stating that they didn't want to and would prefer to follow us.
What should we have done?


Slime.

At least you gave them the opportunity to play through, which is all that can be expected. Fourballs are almost inevitably slower than threeballs or twoballs. :lol:

 

[delc]

We use to have a guy in our group I swear had rigor mortis setting in. We timed him once and it could be up to 35 seconds standing over it. Played off 11 so not a bad player once he got on with it. Funny thing was he was like a whippet and straight off the second the last player had hit.

We had a member at my previous club who would stand twitching and apparently going into spasms over the ball for at least a minute before he could start his swing. I just couldn't bear to watch this and had to turn my back to him while he went through this rigmorole. The funny thing was that he would then accuse his playing partners of slow play, because the group was losing touch with the group in front! Although he was a nice guy and a reasonably good golfer, I hated being drawn with him in a competition because I ended up rushing all my shots to try to make up for him! :mmm:

 

[Slime]

At least you gave them the opportunity to play through, which is all that can be expected. Fourballs are almost inevitably slower than threeballs or twoballs. :lol:

Absolutely, but groups further back won't necessarily know that & will assume that, as we were at the front of the queue, we were the cause of the hold-up for everybody!


Slime.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Golfers must remember that things are not always what they seem to be on a golf course.

I recall covering for a ranger for a few hours.
The first six holes where chocka and a four ball with two clear holes in front were standing on the 7th tee.
I started towards them with a view of giving them a severe talking to when I glanced at my tee time sheet and worked out that they had been on the course for less than an hour.
They spotted me and advised me of the deadly slow two ball that had just let them through.

 

[delc]

There seems to be an impression on here that high handicappers are one of the causes of slow play. However, some of the slowest players I know are actually quite low handicappers, mainly because they take an age to consider every shot and to get themselves set up with protracted pre-shot routines. One of them is also a very slow walker, despite only being in early middle age. They may take fewer shots, but take a long time doing so. At least most of the higher handicappers play their greater number of less good shots a lot more quickly! :mmm:

 

[Phil2511]

There seems to be an impression on here that high handicappers are one of the causes of slow play. However, some of the slowest players I know are actually quite low handicappers, mainly because they take an age to consider every shot and to get themselves set up with protracted pre-shot routines. One of them is also a very slow walker, despite only being in early middle age. They may take fewer shots, but take a long time doing so. At least most of the higher handicappers play their greater number of less good shots a lot more quickly! :mmm:

The 2 members in our club who get talked about by literally everyone are 4 and 6 handicaps, i played against the 4 handicap when he was still off 5 in 4bbb, 2 hours 20 minutes and we were only just walking off the 8th green, and there was gimmees and pick ups being implemented too.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

There seems to be an impression on here that high handicappers are one of the causes of slow play. However, some of the slowest players I know are actually quite low handicappers, mainly because they take an age to consider every shot and to get themselves set up with protracted pre-shot routines. One of them is also a very slow walker, despite only being in early middle age. They may take fewer shots, but take a long time doing so. At least most of the higher handicappers play their greater number of less good shots a lot more quickly! :mmm:

I got the impression that slow play is not connected to a persons handicap

Seen plenty slow players of high and low handicaps

I also don't see many low single figure handicappers with elongated pre shot routines - they are mainly seen with the mid handicappers acting like pro's

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I got the impression that slow play is not connected to a persons handicap

Seen plenty slow players of high and low handicaps

I also don't see many low single figure handicappers with elongated pre shot routines - they are mainly seen with the mid handicappers acting like pro's

Agree with you on this Phil. No correlation in my thinking between handicap and slow play.

 

[delc]

I got the impression that slow play is not connected to a persons handicap

Seen plenty slow players of high and low handicaps

I also don't see many low single figure handicappers with elongated pre shot routines - they are mainly seen with the mid handicappers acting like pro's

In terms of acting like pros, the worst offenders seem to be the Juniors, presumably because they have been most influenced by the grindingly slow play on the USPGA Tour, as seen on TV. By comparison, the arthritic old seniors like myself seem to zip round the course.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

There seems to be an impression on here that high handicappers are one of the causes of slow play. However, some of the slowest players I know are actually quite low handicappers, mainly because they take an age to consider every shot and to get themselves set up with protracted pre-shot routines. One of them is also a very slow walker, despite only being in early middle age. They may take fewer shots, but take a long time doing so. At least most of the higher handicappers play their greater number of less good shots a lot more quickly! :mmm:

Maybe I missed it, or forgot about it, but I don't recall anyone saying slow play is caused by high handicappers.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

In terms of acting like pros, the worst offenders seem to be the Juniors, presumably because they have been most influenced by the grindingly slow play on the USPGA Tour, as seen on TV. By comparison, the arthritic old seniors like myself seem to zip round the course.

Yet I have seen plenty arthritic old seniors hold up the whole course on many occasion - even this Saturday a three ball decided to hold up the whole course - all seniors

 

[delc]

Maybe I missed it, or forgot about it, but I don't recall anyone saying slow play is caused by high handicappers.

You would think that low handicappers ought to be faster because they take fewer shots, but that is not always the case. Higher handicappers in the Rabbits category can be a bit slow because they take more shots, but that is not always true either. There are slow and fast players in all categories, but the problem is that the pace of play is set by the slowest players! :mmm: