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

[Doon frae Troon]

Can any modern player give a sensible answer as to why 3 hours was considered a slow round in 1964 and 4 hours is considered a fast round in 2014.


[Remember there were far fewer courses in 1965 so they would probably have been busier than 2014.]

 

[Birchy]

Some serious head in the sand views on this thread so no wonder golf is getting slower.

 

[pokerjoke]

It does if it means waiting on every shot. If the round takes 5 hours I don't care, as long as it's not because I'm being held up every hole. The truth is, rounds are getting slower because people make them slower by taking too much time doing things they don't need to do. Unfortunately it seems too many people are accepting of that.

Of course I go in the rough, but I don't have a pointless PSR before doing so and I'm conscious of my position on the course when looking for it.

I would argue that if your waiting on every shot the whole course is doing the same.
I agree that waiting on every shot is demoralising but imo its not the PSR.
My routine is not rushed or slow,however if it was either I wouldn't be giving the shot its full attention.

 

[MendieGK]

Point A- is rude and ignorant and goes against the etiquette of golf IMO. Maybe fine when your playing with your usual fourball of crash bash moaners. Nothing worse than trying to play a shot into the green when some muppet is up 50 yards infront of you having practice swings and what not because it's a disaster if he isn't walking up the backside of the group in front.

Point B - yep I agree with to a certain extent.

Saying a round should take x amount of time is like saying ALL cars should lap silverstone in 3 minutes!

I quite clearly state in my post 'on the tee'. I also say ' in my group...' I didnt say that has to be the accepted way. So saying its rude and ignorant is a little unfair to me. I wouldnt never walk in front of people and hit my shot before they have hit theres, but i will walk to me ball if its not on their eyeline and prepare to hit my shot.

a round of golf should not take more than 4hrs in my opinion (Call me rude and arrogant if you like). People that think its acceptable are quite likely to be the same ones that think buggies speed up golf.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

I would argue that if your waiting on every shot the whole course is doing the same.
I agree that waiting on every shot is demoralising but imo its not the PSR.
My routine is not rushed or slow,however if it was either I wouldn't be giving the shot its full attention.

PSR was just an example, there are many unnecessary ways to faff. A PSR admittedly need not be an issue, some however are.

 

[pokerjoke]

So if 15 mins to half an hour doesn't matter, why don't you speed up by that much? Its less than 2 mins per hole - knock 10secs off your PSR.

Personally, I think that if every group looked at where they are in relation to the group in front. I've played 4.5hr rounds and its not felt slow, or that it was holding people up. Equally, on an easier/shorter course, 4hrs can feel slow.

30 mins doesn't make any difference to me as I give myself plenty of time to play,
and im in no rush.
Have you ever been driving to get somewhere quick because your late,but the journey
always seems slower because your in a hurry.
You can only go as fast as the course is going when its chocca.
10 seconds off a PSR is not 2 minutes per hole,unless your taking 12 shots per hole.
And if that's the case get some lessons

 

[Robobum]

I'm a real NIMBY when it comes to slow play - I have rarely been victim or subject of it.

But purely on numbers......

Is 30 secs (average) plenty of time to hit each shot - probably.

72 shots x 3 golfers = 108mins

Extra "faff" time of 30secs per hole for the group = 9mins

Walking time per hole @ 3mph (350yds p/h) = 4mins per hole = 72mins

So, for 3 scratch golfers, we are already over 3hrs without hitting a bad shot or having an "issue" along the way or having much of a walk green to next tee.

Bit of guesswork involved in those figures - I'll wait for some pedantic arse to start picking them apart.

If I was so tight on time that an extra 30mins on the course made any difference - I don't think I should be out there in the first place, or the golf holds such little significance that walking off after x amount of holes holds no consequence.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

50 players contested the final day of the 1965 Open Championship.

Final day was a Friday and they all played 36 holes.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

I'm a real NIMBY when it comes to slow play - I have rarely been victim or subject of it.

But purely on numbers......

Is 30 secs (average) plenty of time to hit each shot - probably.

72 shots x 3 golfers = 108mins

Extra "faff" time of 30secs per hole for the group = 9mins

Walking time per hole @ 3mph (350yds p/h) = 4mins per hole = 72mins

So, for 3 scratch golfers, we are already over 3hrs without hitting a bad shot or having an "issue" along the way or having much of a walk green to next tee.

Bit of guesswork involved in those figures - I'll wait for some pedantic arse to start picking them apart.

If I was so tight on time that an extra 30mins on the course made any difference - I don't think I should be out there in the first place, or the golf holds such little significance that walking off after x amount of holes holds no consequence.

Also walking pace is close to one mph.

 

[davidy233]

Also walking pace is close to one mph.

Actually average walking pace (not rushing) is just over 3mph - what you are describing is faffing around chatting to your FC pace as is common on golf courses

 

[dufferman]

It's not how long it takes, it's how long I have to stand around waiting that's the problem. Very rarely does a round take 4 1\2 to 5 hours unless someone ahead is being unnecessarily slow. One group faffing and losing time on the group in front backs up the course for everyone else. But I'll just suck it up from now on, after all, as long as they are OK, don't worry about everyone else behind them.

I think you've misread my post - I clearly said if one group is holding everyone up, then they should be playing people through. Not ignoring the backlog. But if you're waiting on the tee, and there's a group teeing off, one more up ahead waiting to take their approach to the green, one more group putting, one waiting on the next tee etc etc, what can you do? Tell them to bugger off because you want to play at a pace that suits you?

 

[MendieGK]

Also walking pace is close to one mph.

yeah to be fair i think i could crawl over 1mile in an hour

 

[pokerjoke]

I'm a real NIMBY when it comes to slow play - I have rarely been victim or subject of it.

But purely on numbers......

Is 30 secs (average) plenty of time to hit each shot - probably.

72 shots x 3 golfers = 108mins

Extra "faff" time of 30secs per hole for the group = 9mins

Walking time per hole @ 3mph (350yds p/h) = 4mins per hole = 72mins

So, for 3 scratch golfers, we are already over 3hrs without hitting a bad shot or having an "issue" along the way or having much of a walk green to next tee.

Bit of guesswork involved in those figures - I'll wait for some pedantic arse to start picking them apart.

If I was so tight on time that an extra 30mins on the course made any difference - I don't think I should be out there in the first place, or the golf holds such little significance that walking off after x amount of holes holds no consequence.

Thank god some else in the real world.

 

[dufferman]

Thank god some else in the real world.

:thup:

 

[delc]

In my opinion, 4 hours is the absolute maximum a round of golf should take. Beyond that it becomes more of an endurance test. One of the problems I see is hackers treating every putt as though it's "this one to win the Open Championship"! They look at it from every angle and then still miss. Just missing putts more quickly would speed up rounds quite a lot! A lot of this comes from club golfers copying the antics of the tour pros on TV as they grind round 5 hour rounds, so speeding them up would also help.

 

[pokerjoke]

In my opinion, 4 hours is the absolute maximum a round of golf should take. Beyond that it becomes more of an endurance test. One of the problems I see is hackers treating every putt as though it's "this one to win the Open Championship"! They look at it from every angle and then still miss. Just missing putts more quickly would speed up rounds quite a lot! A lot of this comes from club golfers copying the antics of the tour pros on TV as they grind round 5 hour rounds, so speeding them up would also help.

Don't agree.
Most comps are won by 1 shot or countback.
Taking time over a short putt can make a difference.
If 4 hours is your maximum what happens if it goes over that.
It means either you deal with it well and don't let it effect your game.
Or you let it effect you,you mess up and then blame someone else.
IMO someone who blames someone else for there crap game,is imo a big baby.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Also walking pace is close to one mph.

I walk 2 miles with the dogs in 40 minutes. Walking at 1mph is called dawdling

 

[USER1999]

In my opinion, 4 hours is the absolute maximum a round of golf should take. Beyond that it becomes more of an endurance test. One of the problems I see is hackers treating every putt as though it's "this one to win the Open Championship"! They look at it from every angle and then still miss. Just missing putts more quickly would speed up rounds quite a lot! A lot of this comes from club golfers copying the antics of the tour pros on TV as they grind round 5 hour rounds, so speeding them up would also help.

They don't just miss though. Often they leave it 6 feet short. They could have achieved the same, one handed, with their eyes closed. Until someone is a good enough putter to be expecting to hole 30 ft putts, there's no need to look at it from 15 different angles. Judging pace is going to be more important in terms of lagging it.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

I think this thread might spawn the millionth post :thup:

 

[john0]

Seriously mate does it really wind you up that much that 15 mins to half an hour
is going to make that much of a difference to your round and your day.
Golf is a game of enjoyment.
There are lots of things that make golf slower than a PSR.
Are you really that good that you never go in the rough,is your playing partner that
good he never slices it into the rough.
Come on mate seriously.
I would say if it bugs you that much that your day is ruined give yourself time for 9 holes only.

You do know who Hawkeye's regular playing partner is dont you?