Another slow play thread - what would you have done?

[Deleted member 18645]

10 of us in a roll-up today, 2x3 balls and a 4-ball at the back (yes there's an issue right away). The 4-ball contains the notoriously slowest oldest player we have.

Within three holes, we are letting a 2-ball through and the old guy and one other in the group are moaning about having to let them through.

By the end of the round, we are 50 minutes behind the second of the 3-balls and there are groups queuing up behind us. And the first comment as we finished - "Well we got round in four hours so what is the problem?"

I really tried to just walk away but did tell the other guys in the clubhouse that it was just truly embarrassing to be put in that position. Should I have just ignored it or really gone off on one?



Frustrated of Tunbridge Wells.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

The fact that you had someone moaning about letting a 2 ball through shows the clear issue of lack of etiquette of those players.

A fourball will struggle to keep up with a threeball most of the time so they will finish a bit quicker

I'm not sure what situation you were truely embaressed about ? But who you should go on to is the guys in the group who are clearly slow and inform them of the slow play guidelines recently sent out by the R&A and also remind them of etiquette in regards pace of play.

 

[hovis]

You have to understand that different people like to play at different speeds. Me and my playing partner are known as road runner and speedy gonzales. a two ball round takes us 2:15. We genuinely don't rush either.

However i understand that to many people this wouldn't be enjoyable. when i was playing in a drawn comp once another player would leave his cart on the path and take his wedge across to the other side of the green to play his shot but left his putter behind. Even on the second time time he done this he didn't get the hint when i took his putter along for him.

I hate slow players to the core but i cant ask them to play at my pace to keep me happy if it makes them unhappy. The only thing you can do is avoid him if possible

 

[Crow]

What you should have done is played 2 ball, 4 ball, 4 ball with the slow guy in the 2 ball out first and then the following groups can all ensure he keeps a reasonable pace.

 

[Tarkus1212]

Are you saying that at the end there was a 50 minute gap between your group and the group in front?

 

[duncan mackie]

50 minutes having an extra player and having let a 2 ball through as well doesn't sound horrendous to me.

Putting a known really slow player out in the 4 ball however...

Where we're you playing?

 

[Tarkus1212]

50 minutes having an extra player and having let a 2 ball through as well doesn't sound horrendous to me.

Putting a known really slow player out in the 4 ball however...

Where we're you playing?

50 minutes is about three holes..... you don't think that's bad? Whatever happened to keeping up with the group in front?

 

[Slab]

Not sure I fully get this

A bit simplistic but if you allocate just 15 seconds per shot to the extra player who hits say 90, that's 22 minutes added there. Assuming you had gaping of 10 minutes on 1st tee then we're up to 32 minutes finishing time behind your 2nd 3-ball
Then you let a group through so say 8 minutes for that and its 40 minutes behind & assuming you even got an accurate '50 minute' quote then the 4-ball actually lost 10 minutes on the 3-ball's round or around 30 seconds a hole

(I think I'm being very generous in only adding 15 seconds per shot for an extra player and not counting any specific time searching for player 4's ball)

Agree not speed golf (after all the 3-ball took 4hrs) but a fairly unsurprising gap I'd have thought

 

[Deleted member 18645]

I would have put the blame 50-50 on the organiser of the roll-up for allowing the situation at the outset and then the rest on the two members of the fourball who just blatantly ignored anyone behind them.

To explain further, I was in that fourball and was doing anything I could to try and drag them along. But when you look back at queues of golfers waiting behind you and you just imagine being stuck there like that, then you tend to get damn annoyed.

The two three balls were round in 3:00 which on the fairly short course we play, is about normal. I guess it's more at the complete and utter disregard for anyone stuck behind especially as these two individuals are well known for complaining about anyone else doing anything wrong.

Rant over - found my happy place now

 

[delc]

10 of us in a roll-up today, 2x3 balls and a 4-ball at the back (yes there's an issue right away). The 4-ball contains the notoriously slowest oldest player we have.

Within three holes, we are letting a 2-ball through and the old guy and one other in the group are moaning about having to let them through.

By the end of the round, we are 50 minutes behind the second of the 3-balls and there are groups queuing up behind us. And the first comment as we finished - "Well we got round in four hours so what is the problem?"

I really tried to just walk away but did tell the other guys in the clubhouse that it was just truly embarrassing to be put in that position. Should I have just ignored it or really gone off on one?



Frustrated of Tunbridge Wells.

How long is your course, and any long walks between a green and the next tee? Four hours doesn't sound that bad for a reasonably long modern course. 5 hours is definitely too long!

 

[duncan mackie]

How long is your course, and any long walks between a green and the next tee? Four hours doesn't sound that bad for a reasonably long modern course. 5 hours is definitely too long!

The clue is written clearly in his last post...

"The two three balls were round in 3:00 which on the fairly short course we play, is about normal."

 

[mcbroon]

Played in a roll up a couple weeks back where a couple of mates and I were paired up with a guy who was looking for a game. No problem with that at all - he was a nice guy and good company - but we were followed out by a 2 ball. We let them through as soon as we could but why the pro didn't put the guy out with them I will never understand.

 

[delc]

I have recently injured my left hip, and can barely walk faster than a pregnant crab, but I am still getting round decent length courses in 4 hours or less and generally keeping up with the group in front. Shows that it isn't difficult! 😃

 

[Deleted member 18645]

Oh guys, major update on this thread. Today's Bank Holiday Competition. One of the two idiots who caused this slow play debate in the first place was apparently complaining loudly in the clubhouse about being held up by the group in front today. Not heard all the details but apparently he got put in his place really quickly. To have the nerve though .....

 

[WillC]

Oh guys, major update on this thread. Today's Bank Holiday Competition. One of the two idiots who caused this slow play debate in the first place was apparently complaining loudly in the clubhouse about being held up by the group in front today. Not heard all the details but apparently he got put in his place really quickly. To have the nerve though .....

You couldn't make it up could you! I think some people (him) probably just complain about slow play because most other people do - not because he is affected by slow play!

 

[woody69]

Oh guys, major update on this thread. Today's Bank Holiday Competition. One of the two idiots who caused this slow play debate in the first place was apparently complaining loudly in the clubhouse about being held up by the group in front today. Not heard all the details but apparently he got put in his place really quickly. To have the nerve though .....

I think that is fairly typical. Slow players don't know they are slow.

 

[delc]

I think that is fairly typical. Slow players don't know they are slow.

Usually they are the ones who don't start even thinking about their shots until it is their turn to play, have elaborate pre-shot routines, and/or freeze or twitch over their shots for a minute before actually pulling the trigger! 😒