A long, slow story

[Golfnut1957]

The club had a 3 person team comp today which I declined to play in. The whole day was given over to it, but annoyingly there were only two teams going out in the afternoon, one at 12:30 and one at 15:00 and yet no tee time were open to casual golf, so these two teams had the whole course to themselves.

This post isn't about that though. I went out tonight just after 17:00. I love going out on my own on an evening, especially one like tonight, it was raining, and the course was almost empty, almost!! I played 6 and was going to nip across to 12, but there was a 3 ball there, the 15:00 tee time. I played 7, 6 again and then onto twelve. I saw the 3 ball a couple more times, the last was as I came off 9 and was entering the clubhouse, they were just leaving the 17th tee, it was 20:00.

One of the team members was the widely recognised slowest player in the club. He defends his right to be slow, and nothing anyone has ever said changes his stance on "his divine right to play the best golf he is able to".

He was on his way to at least a five and a half hour round. Unfortunately many of today's fellow competitors had remained for a drink and were forming a reception committee on the balcony. As I entered the clubhouse the heckling had already started, although being on 17 he couldn't really hear it. I didn't stay for the outcome but can't help but wonder if he got a reception on 18, good-natured or abusive. Either way he won't have been bothered, although his playing partners may have been embarrassed.

The person I feel sorry for is the member of the comp's committee who would have expected to have been home two hours earlier.

Interestingly, the results have just been published. 5.5 hours netted them 26th out of 31.

 

[oleinone]

I wouldn't partner him if he paid my annual subs.

 

[rulefan]

He defends his right to be slow, and nothing anyone has ever said changes his stance on "his divine right to play the best golf he is able to".

​

There is no such 'divine right'. The committee can and should take action.

All players are expected to play in the spirit of the game by:

• Showing consideration to others – for example, by playing at a prompt pace

 

[Golfnut1957]

​

There is no such 'divine right'. The committee can and should take action.

All players are expected to play in the spirit of the game by:

• Showing consideration to others – for example, by playing at a prompt pace

I spoke to him a couple of weeks ago on the range. Among his many reasons for taking it slowly was this gem, "The people who want to get round fast are all under the thumb. They have to get round the course and get home or they will be in trouble with the wife. I come and go as I please without any interference from her". That will be 99.9% of the members then, or everyone else.

As for the committee doing something, they do know about his traits, everyone does, but as far as I'm aware have not tried to address them.

It is obvious that yesterday he deliberately went out when he did as he knew the course would be empty and that his pace would not have an impact on anyone else. My point is with nobody else to slow you down how is it possible to take as long as five and a half hours, and as an aside come near to last.

 

[Jason.H]

At least he didn’t go out in the first group and hold up the field. Imo the committees at many clubs fail to punish slow players and so the complaints keep rolling in

 

[Teebs]

I spoke to him a couple of weeks ago on the range. Among his many reasons for taking it slowly was this gem, "The people who want to get round fast are all under the thumb. They have to get round the course and get home or they will be in trouble with the wife. I come and go as I please without any interference from her". That will be 99.9% of the members then, or everyone else.

As for the committee doing something, they do know about his traits, everyone does, but as far as I'm aware have not tried to address them.

It is obvious that yesterday he deliberately went out when he did as he knew the course would be empty and that his pace would not have an impact on anyone else. My point is with nobody else to slow you down how is it possible to take as long as five and a half hours, and as an aside come near to last.

I guess his Wife prefers him to be out of the house for as long as possible given his perceived attitude.

How old is he?

 

[PJ87]

I guess his Wife prefers him to be out of the house for as long as possible given his perceived attitude.

How old is he?

Apparently the milkman is round quite often

 

[Billysboots]

How old is he?

Considerably older than when his round started.

 

[clubchamp98]

It sounds like he can play faster if he wanted to but prefers not to.
I am very suprized he finds anyone to play with.
I would tell him not to put his name down with me.
Maybe this is the way to deal with him, if players just refuse to play with him.

The committee should be looking after everyone’s enjoyment not just his.
He dosnt have the right to hold everyone up. Obviously not in this case.

He does sound a very arrogant so and so though.

 

[Orikoru]

I spoke to him a couple of weeks ago on the range. Among his many reasons for taking it slowly was this gem, "The people who want to get round fast are all under the thumb. They have to get round the course and get home or they will be in trouble with the wife. I come and go as I please without any interference from her". That will be 99.9% of the members then, or everyone else.

As for the committee doing something, they do know about his traits, everyone does, but as far as I'm aware have not tried to address them.

It is obvious that yesterday he deliberately went out when he did as he knew the course would be empty and that his pace would not have an impact on anyone else. My point is with nobody else to slow you down how is it possible to take as long as five and a half hours, and as an aside come near to last.

I'm wondering that as well. Unless you're shooting around 150, losing balls every 5 minutes, you'd have to be just standing there staring into space half the time. Baffling.

 

[Billysboots]

I'm wondering that as well. Unless you're shooting around 150, losing balls every 5 minutes, you'd have to be just standing there staring into space half the time. Baffling.

Totally baffling, but with an empty course in front it gives the committee the perfect opportunity to take decisive action to deal with him. If they don’t act now they never will because, playing partners aside, there is nobody else to blame.

The simple solution would be to put this member in the last group for every single competition he plays until he changes his ways. If he wants an earlier tee time, he knows what to do. We’ve done it a couple of times at ours and eventually the message gets through.

 

[howbow88]

Great story.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

In competitions we are asked to enter on the physical card we must submit (alongside system entry) the start and end time of our round. I am not sure if it as Competition Condition of Entry but it is on the email we get in advance of any comp we have entered reminding us of what is required from us on the day.

In this way the club is able to gather evidence of consistent slow play by any particular individuals, and can use it if it so deems necessary rather than rely on having to cite verbal observations made by others - these can be challenged as being biased.

 

[Golfnut1957]

I guess his Wife prefers him to be out of the house for as long as possible given his perceived attitude.

How old is he?

Late forties would be my guess.

I played a singles match against him a few years ago. On the 3rd we were both in a fairway bunker, I put my second on the green he fatted his just out and I won the hole, from that moment on I was the luckiest golfer he had ever met. On the fourth he put his tee shot in the trees, and it ricochets out into the middle of the fairway.

On 15 he hit driver, with his length bringing a small ditch into play at the bottom of a bank. I mentioned to him that it was a strange choice of shot, he replied that the match was over despite only being 3 down and receiving a shot on that hole. I told him that win this and it is 2 down with 3 to play, shrugs shoulders. His ball had jumped the ditch and was sat perfectly on the other side.

On 18 having beaten him we shook hand and whilst doing so he reminded me of how lucky I had been during the round. It was nearly 22:00, but he didn't want a drink he was going to practise as he didn't want to go home to his wife either who wasn't talking to him.

When it comes to practise the guy is a legend. When our range first opened you could buy a yearly season ticket for £100 and have unlimited balls. They stopped it because he was spending all day, day after day, at the range and was constantly emptying the dispenser.

He lives on the practise ground. I always imagine that his wife is quite happy with the arrangement.

 

[Billysboots]

Late forties would be my guess.

I played a singles match against him a few years ago. O the 3rd we were both in a fairway bunker, I put my second on the green he fatted his just out and i won the hole, from that moment on I was the luckiest golfer he had ever met. On the fourth he put his tee shot in the trees, and it ricochets out into the middle of the fairway.

On 15 he hit driver, with his length bringing a small ditch into play at the bottom of a bank. I mentioned to him that it was a strange choice of shot, he replied that the match was over despite only being 3 down and receiving a shot on that hole. I told him that win this and it is 2 down with 3 to play, shrugs shoulders. His ball had jumped the ditch and was sat perfectly on the other side.

On 18 having beaten him we shook hand and whilst doing so he reminded me of how lucky I had been during the round. It was nearly 22:00, but he didn't want a drink he was going to practise as he didn't want to go home to his wife either who wasn't talking to him.

When it comes to practise the guy is a legend. When our range first opened you could buy a yearly season ticket for £100 and have unlimited balls. They stopped it because he was spending all day, day after day, at the range and was constantly emptying the dispenser.

He lives on the practise ground. I always imagine that his wife is quite happy with the arrangement.

Sounds like he’s lucky to still have a wife.

 

[The Fader]

If I had been his team-mate, knowing the card was not anywhere near a winning score, I would have asked him politely to speed up. In fact thinking about it, it wouldn't matter
what the score was.

No response would have led to me walking in. His 2 playing partners must be saints or masochists. And to be honest bear part responsibility for allowing such poor behaviour.

I hope the balcony welcomed him home appropriately!!

I also cannot understand the course being unavailable for casual golf on a Saturday when only two afternoon comp slots were filled.

Your committee needs to grow a pair in respect to taking action against this particular player and also respect their other members right to use the course on a Saturday if their competition has not attracted a big field.

 

[Alan Clifford]

Doing some very simple number crunching, I played 9 with my wife on Friday, shot 45 in under 2 hours, but let's say 2 hours. That's 2.67 minutes per shot. Assuming he shot 90 in 5.5 hours, that's 3.7 minutes per shot.
So does he standover each and every ball for an extra minute? Pace out the rule of 12 for every chip?
What other factors could their be? Well, 3 people are slower than 2. On the other hand, my knee is painful. I reckon I must be the slowest walker in the world and I'm hitting a 3 wood off the tee because my knee won't do driver.
The guy who loses balls on every hole was in front of us and he still managed sub-2 hours.

If he's not being held up by players in front, what does your guy actuall do in those 5½ hours?

 

[Pants]

If I had been his team-mate, knowing the card was not anywhere near a winning score, I would have asked him politely to speed up. In fact thinking about it, it wouldn't matter
what the score was.

No response would have led to me walking in. His 2 playing partners must be saints or masochists. And to be honest bear part responsibility for allowing such poor behaviour.

I hope the balcony welcomed him home appropriately!!

I also cannot understand the course being unavailable for casual golf on a Saturday when only two afternoon comp slots were filled.

Your committee needs to grow a pair in respect to taking action against this particular player and also respect their other members right to use the course on a Saturday if their competition has not attracted a big field.

If I had been in that 3 ball, with no group in front or behind, I think that I would have agreed with the 3rd person to play at our pace. If matey couldn't keep up, then tough.

 

[Hobbit]

If he was in the last group, and his playing partners were comfortable taking 5.5hrs for the round, what’s the problem? If the member of the comps committee had a problem waiting he needs to bring it up in committee. Don’t get me wrong, anything over 4:15hrs and I’d be chomping.

The comps committee has the authority to put things in place to look to address this. If the members and the committee aren’t pushing for change, whats the problem.

 

[jim8flog]

You say that this is not what the thread is about.

We have a rule at our club that if there are any tee slots on the day of a comp not booked you can go in to the proshop and ask them to book you in to one of them.