Are YOU the cause of slow play?

[Slab]

I find myself in groups that will get pulled up maybe once or twice a year by on course staff, so even if I believe it isn't me but one of the others that caused it really doesn't matter, the point is as one of the group I didn't do enough to speed them up before a marshals visit so I guess on those occasions it makes me part of the slow play problem

Another good reason for not letting the same fourballs group themselves together week after week, a slow group is going to be slow most of the time

Main offenders:
1) using a driver despite consistently being unable to hit the fairway with it
2) not being ready when it's your turn
3) leaving your bag at the front of the green
4) taking an age to line up your putt with a marker (and still missing)
The more experienced club members don't do the above.

As usual I've got to disagree with '3' it makes no difference to your pace or elapsed time whether you leave bag at point of entry or point of exit

The only purpose it serves is to make the following group feel better because they didn't see the time you spent taking the bag to the exit point instead of getting on with putting out

 

[garyinderry]

Sorry but you are wrong. If the three other players do the right thing and leave their clubs by the exit and you leave your clubs down by the front of the green. You are then solely keeping the group behind back.

The others make a sharp exit while one more player lumbers down to his bag.

 

[Spuddy]

I find myself in groups that will get pulled up maybe once or twice a year by on course staff, so even if I believe it isn't me but one of the others that caused it really doesn't matter, the point is as one of the group I didn't do enough to speed them up before a marshals visit so I guess on those occasions it makes me part of the slow play problem

Another good reason for not letting the same fourballs group themselves together week after week, a slow group is going to be slow most of the time





As usual I've got to disagree with '3' it makes no difference to your pace or elapsed time whether you leave bag at point of entry or point of exit

The only purpose it serves is to make the following group feel better because they didn't see the time you spent taking the bag to the exit point instead of getting on with putting out

Consider this scenario. Player A leaves his bag at the front and the rest leave theirs at the 'tee' side of the green. If you assume that player A doesn't start putting before the rest have left their bags and also assume that A doesn't retrieve his bag before the rest of the group have finished then a little bit of time will be lost. How much that is over them course of the round is anyone's guess but I suppose it all adds up.

 

[Slab]

Sorry but you are wrong. If the three other players do the right thing and leave their clubs by the exit and you leave your clubs down by the front of the green. You are then solely keeping the group behind back.

The others make a sharp exit while one more player lumbers down to his bag.

Yes clearly if you're in a group and adopt both systems it won't work but the premise is not wrong

Everyone at point of entry is as fast as everyone at exit

 

[StrangelyBrown]

Four ball for medals should not be - always going to be deadly slow. Three balls for medals.

It's a local rule at my place.

I don't think I'm slow. I'm ready to play, I don't lose many balls and I don't have much of a pre shot routine. If a three ball takes longer than three and a half hours, then it's been slow.

It's all about opinion though. My preferred pace of play might be really fast or really slow depending on who is behind or in front of me.

 

[bladeplayer]

Sometimes when i wait to drive on a short Par 4 or second to par 5 then make a hash of it .. its ok in my own club coz most members know who can & cant drive the short par 4's or who can get home in 2 usually pretty aware of it tho..

I dont flaff about over shots , yardage , club have a look , hit ..

Ready golf is the key , if your ready GO .. but thats gona upset some .. even on here

 

[TheCaddie]

I believe it is mostly due cramming people onto courses. I play at Richmond Park at the moment, and unless you turn up late in the afternoon, you are in for a long haul there..... You rarely have marshalls, so even people tee'ing off every 8 minutes turns out to be people que'ing at the tee's after a par 3!

 

[garyinderry]

Yes clearly if you're in a group and adopt both systems it won't work but the premise is not wrong

Everyone at point of entry is as fast as everyone at exit

People can start the placing of the bags by the exit well before the putting begins. Or at least in the vicinity of the exit. any time you are last to putt and have left your bag at the wrong place you will keep others behind. It may not be by much over all but it does and is poor etiquette.

It is something that becomes second nature.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Consider this scenario. Player A leaves his bag at the front and the rest leave theirs at the 'tee' side of the green. If you assume that player A doesn't start putting before the rest have left their bags and also assume that A doesn't retrieve his bag before the rest of the group have finished then a little bit of time will be lost. How much that is over them course of the round is anyone's guess but I suppose it all adds up.

Besides - if Player A's bag is left at front of green then the next group have to wait until he is out of the way.

 

[Snelly]

No I am not a slow player. Far from it. Neither are JustOne, Richart, Drive4Show, Wookie, RickG, ChrisD, PieMan, Murph, Bobmac or PNWokingham. I have played with them all and they play at a good pace, never too fast, certainly not slow. E.g. Wookie and I played in a 3 ball at Hayling a couple of weeks ago in a very stiff breeze and despite that, we were still round in just over 3.5 hours and we were not rushing in any way, shape or form.

In the society I play with, I have a list of players that I request not to play with due to their horrendous pace of play and when my company is the sponsor, I ask the Society secretary to put them at the back of the field. Additionally we advise the host club (Hankley Common) that they need to leave a decent gap behind the last of our society groups as there are two 3 balls at the back that consist of slow players. The players in question have all been spoken to on many occasions about their speed of play but it makes no difference to them.

One of them when asked about speeding up said, "I know I am slow but it is the pace I want to play at and I don't care what other people think about me." I think that is a very poor attitude to be honest.

Slow play is killing golf in my opinion and whenever I play with someone who is slow for whatever reason; overlong PST, dawdling, not ready to play etc, I try to have as polite chat as possible with them as soon as it becomes apparent that they are slow, usually by the 3rd or 4th hole. The chat essentially consists of explaining that you can take all the time you like getting ready to play your shot but you must do it whilst others are playing in order that when your turn to play arrives, you are ready to pull the trigger in relatively short order. E.g. 20 seconds.

And yes, a good thread James. Nice one.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

It's a local rule at my place.

I don't think I'm slow. I'm ready to play, I don't lose many balls and I don't have much of a pre shot routine. If a three ball takes longer than three and a half hours, then it's been slow.

It's all about opinion though. My preferred pace of play might be really fast or really slow depending on who is behind or in front of me.

The slowness issue caused by 4 balls all holing out has been highlighted by our late Sat morning roll-up. Goes out in four balls - individual stableford for the roll-up and at the same time a little 4BBB match between drawn pairs in each group. If only stableford then that should be OK speed wise - but add on top an internal 4BBB and you often find everyone still playing when green is reached - and putting - and marking - and putting. And that essentially turns the 4 ball into a slow 4 ball medal group.

And it is causing problems now that this year our number of groups in the roll-up has grown from average of 5 or 6 to 8 or 9. The greater number of groups one after the other playing the same format compounds the slowness brought about by the 4BBB aspect of each group.

 

[BoadieBroadus]

i know i'm relatively quick, unless my ball is in line with a playing partner, i will almost always be ready to hit the second that his ball is in the air. i was grounded well in etiquette as a youngster, a lot of being ready to play comes down to the etiquette guidance and too many people just aren't aware enough.

my group always tees off 7.00 am and most groups at that time are quick players who want to get round quickly. if i teed off after 10.00am i think the time a round takes at that time would put me off playing anything other than comps.

in my experience, it's still wayward players who cause most delay. long PSR's are frustrating but make 30 secs seem like a minute. having everyone in a group look for a ball in the trees makes 3 mins feel like 30 secs (because you're all doing something) and then you have to go back to your balls and get ready to hit while the wayward player, takes drop, hacks at it, goes back for a new club, then plays his shot from behind the rest of the group, or goes to play their provisional.

 

[Slab]

The slowness issue caused by 4 balls all holing out has been highlighted by our late Sat morning roll-up. Goes out in four balls - individual stableford for the roll-up and at the same time a little 4BBB match between drawn pairs in each group. If only stableford then that should be OK speed wise - but add on top an internal 4BBB and you often find everyone still playing when green is reached - and putting - and marking - and putting. And that essentially turns the 4 ball into a slow 4 ball medal group.

And it is causing problems now that this year our number of groups in the roll-up has grown from average of 5 or 6 to 8 or 9. The greater number of groups one after the other playing the same format compounds the slowness brought about by the 4BBB aspect of each group.

Yup mixing the formats doesn't help at all

Been in society 4BBB with an individual comp inside that, not only slow but difficult to stick to the Rules too

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Yup mixing the formats doesn't help at all

Been in society 4BBB with an individual comp inside that, not only slow but difficult to stick to the Rules too

The 4BBB aspect certainly makes for slower play. For £1, £1, £1. You get some guys very serious over their putting for a roll-up blob as it counts towards the 'match'.

 

[JustOne]

As usual I've got to disagree with '3' it makes no difference to your pace or elapsed time whether you leave bag at point of entry or point of exit

The only purpose it serves is to make the following group feel better because they didn't see the time you spent taking the bag to the exit point instead of getting on with putting out

I agree. You should put your bag where your ball is... no point walking round the green to leave your bag at the exit point if your ball is on the other side. When you've finished putting the 8 extra steps you have to take isn't as long as the 5 minutes someone else spent looking for their ball.

Losing balls, slow walking and not being ready to play your own shot (because you're busy walking your bag round to the wrong side of the green?) are the main protagonists.

 

[garyinderry]

I agree. You should put your bag where your ball is... no point walking round the green to leave your bag at the exit point if your ball is on the other side. When you've finished putting the 8 extra steps you have to take isn't as long as the 5 minutes someone else spent looking for their ball.

Losing balls, slow walking and not being ready to play your own shot (because you're busy walking your bag round to the wrong side of the green?) are the main protagonists.

There is nothing wrong with the other side of the green. At least it is half way to the exit without having to bring it dully around.

The problem is people who putt from the front of the green. Lag it close. Putt out last or hold the flag them have to march done the green again to retrieve their bag.

Agreed it is not a massive factor is slow play but is a massive avoidable irritant to those standing waiting on the fairway.

Usually perpetuated by the ignorant and uninformed.

 

[richart]

I am naturally quick, but adjust my speed of play to the groups in front. No point being right up their backsides if there is no where to go on the course. Carrying does mean I get to the green first usually, so I can have a quick look at my line whilst playing partners are parking their trollies.

I do think a lot of golfers that have been playing a long time tend to be quicker, as we were brought up that way. I can also talk and walk which seems to defeat some golfers.

 

[Junior]

Really? Never noticed that.

I've no idea if I'm slow or not.... I "think" I'm a pretty fast player but maybe some folk that have played with me think otherwise?

Last time we played Fairhaven (the one and only time i beat you on home soil )we did the front 9 in just over an hour.....your not slow.

 

[richart]

I think I'm slow. But only those Ive played with (or near) can qualify that.

Can't remember why we called you the tortoise ?

You were bloody slow looking for that Skoda ball. but that apart you seemed to keep up with the whippets.:thup:

 

[Junior]

I do tend to freeze over the ball if im thinking too much. Im also concious that i sometimes lose my alignment 'spot' and have to step away for a second. I wouldnt say im slow, but im not a fast player either.

Id do try to walk to my ball at a pace and tend to leave most of the chatting to when im around the greens and tees.