Following slow play.....what actions cause slow play or delay in play.

[jammydodger]

As a relative newcomer to the game, and while totally understanding the frustration slow play can cause, I still don't really know what would be considered as being a par time for 18 holes.

I have got round in a 2 ball after work in less than 3 1/2 hours when the course is pretty deserted, but surely its different in a competition?

Far too slow in my opinion , a 2-ball on a deserted course taking just under 3.5 hours and you think thats ok. Nothing personal but thats very slow indeed. Would have thought a MAXIMUM of 3 hours is more acceptable. We usually do our medal rounds in max of 3 3/4 hours as 3 balls

A bounce 3/4 ball shouldnt take anymore than 3.5 hours imo

 

[Imurg]

Why?

As long as you're all happy and not holding anyone up why should you have to go at that speed?

Speed of play is relative to overall conditions. On an empty track and no time constraints why rush round in 3 hours - it just doesn't make sense. if the course is busy then yes, you should keep up with the pace but empty? Take your time...

 

[drawboy]

Another major culprit of slow play is the Medal round, I think too many golfers don't take into consideration where they are in relation to par, let's face it if you are 20 over after nine no amount of eyeing up borrow and throwing up grass is going to have any impact on your card. If you have a card going however I have no objection to anyone playing to the best of their ability and taking a little longer over their shots.people just have to be sensible.

 

[edgey]

Hi

Slow play on most courses is the reserve of the chav chopper and the blue rinse brigade.

Flame throwers is the answer

More great tips from Edgey

Edgey

 

[Billysboots]

Leaving your bag in front of the green!
Now on rare occasions this is unavoidable due to course design, but most cases this causes irritation, not just because when the golfers have finished on the green, one player or more have to walk back to collect their bag before leaving the line of fire, but more importantly this activity can prevent following players from hitting their max shot, or hitting a lay up, thereby interfering with play.

I had just that happen to me on our 3rd yesterday - a longish par 5 on which I had hit a goodish drive into the semi, leaving me a long iron to the green.

I waited for the 2-ball in front to clear the green, intending to lay up short of two bunkers guarding the front of the green. One of them then walked 20 yards back down the fairway to the right hand semi to collect his bag, the next tee being 180 degrees in the opposite direction.

I played and got an absolute flyer from the rough. I watched the flight of the ball, which was a good twenty yards left of the fella. I noticed he was also watching, waving his arms in my direction - the ball went nowhere near him, landing on the green (a full fifty yards further than I normally hit a six iron), ending up 20 feet from the flag.

Cue lots of jumping up and down, shouting and continued arm waving from the fella in front, despite the fact that both he and I had watched the ball flight and both of us knew he had not been put in any danger. I did not shout "fore" for that reason.

At the half way house the two players were having a coffee. I went up to the one concerned, offered a warm smile and an apology, explaining that I had got a real flyer, and was actually laying up. His partner said "No problem mate - these things happen", whilst he just stared at me like I was some sort of child molesting scum.

I said "Well I'm sorry you're upset, but I have offered an apology which you can accept or not, it's up to you". As an afterthought I added "And perhaps I could ask you to leave your bag between the green and the next tee, rather than the opposite side of the green - that way you won't hold other golfers up."

I couldn't resist the dig, and the chap's face was a picture as he went crimson. We all make mistakes on the course, and I held my hand up to mine, even though he had not been endangered. But thoughtless positioning of bags by greens, not being ready to play when it's your turn, looking for a lost ball for five minutes before waving the group behind - all those, and more, are inexcusable causes of unnecessarily slow play.

 

[freddielong]

Why?

As long as you're all happy and not holding anyone up why should you have to go at that speed?

Speed of play is relative to overall conditions. On an empty track and no time constraints why rush round in 3 hours - it just doesn't make sense. if the course is busy then yes, you should keep up with the pace but empty? Take your time...

No you have to rush, play as quickly as you can, remember you are not allowed to enjoy yourself, you are playing golf, speed is everything

 

[jammydodger]

Why?

As long as you're all happy and not holding anyone up why should you have to go at that speed?

Speed of play is relative to overall conditions. On an empty track and no time constraints why rush round in 3 hours - it just doesn't make sense. if the course is busy then yes, you should keep up with the pace but empty? Take your time...

The chap asked what he thought was the going rate for a round of golf cos he was new to the game. I gave him my opinion of what I thought was reasonable for a bounce game. He can then work from those times and adjust as necessary for busy/deserted/competitions etc

Frankly I dont care if people go round a deserted course in 5/6/7 hours as long as they know that when its busy that they have to speed up to enable everyone to enjoy their round.

 

[jammydodger]

Why?

As long as you're all happy and not holding anyone up why should you have to go at that speed?

Speed of play is relative to overall conditions. On an empty track and no time constraints why rush round in 3 hours - it just doesn't make sense. if the course is busy then yes, you should keep up with the pace but empty? Take your time...

No you have to rush, play as quickly as you can, remember you are not allowed to enjoy yourself, you are playing golf, speed is everything

If you think 3 hours is rushing for a 2-ball and that you cant enjoy yourself in that time then you may well be a part of the problem this thread is trying to address

 

[Billysboots]

Much as I dislike taking sides ( ) I have to say there is no reason at all why a 2-ball can't get round in 3 hours, with absolutely no need to rush.

 

[Imurg]

My point is that on an empty course you can take as long as you like. if you want to go roiund in 3 hours then that's fine. But if you want to stroll round,chatting and putting the world to right in 4 hours, where's the problem? As long as you let any groups through that catch you there isn't one.

We get too hung up on how long it takes to play this game. 2 hours, 3 1/2, 4, it all depends on the conditions on the day. The world is not going to end if you take 4 hours over your round instead of 3 1/2.
Slow play is prevalent in today's game but if everyone plays by the rules (ettiquette) then only the group playing slowly ends up playing slowly. And if they want to play slowly, who's to say they can't?

 

[Billysboots]

And if they want to play slowly, who's to say they can't?

I agree with almost everything you say, but not this point. If a group are out in the middle of the day and decide they want to take all the time in the world enjoying eachother's company, taking in the surroundings and so on, then whilst I suppose they have a right to do that, even if they show good etiquette and let following groups through it has an enormous knock on effect on those playing later.

Repeatedly letting groups through, even with the best of intentions, creates a slow pace of play, and is precisely why the advice is to keep up with the group in front, not just ahead of the group behind.

Even those who think they are being courteous, and I don't for one minute dispute a group like the one I describe are being polite, contribute to the problem.

 

[viscount17]

there are a lot of issues that are down to the course, amongst them;
poor signage and no direction to the next tee in the scoresaver, if they have one
unnecessarily penal rough
no monitoring of play (and not always down to the pro, ours doesn't manage the course)
completely unrealistic tee-time spacing, same timing whether it's one or four going out

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Why is it that a lot of people seem to think its the responsibility of the pro. In most cases they are independant of the club itself and paid a retainer for the provision of their services. They collect the green fees more as a gesture (and to save the club employing someone to do it) and don't actually get any of that revenue.

In my opinion the responsbility lies firmly with the ownersof the club. It's their course and they have a responsibility to ensure that those parting with their hard earned cash as green fees of membership subs get to play the game in a stress free environment. How that is acheieved is the problem.

Thats said, the other side of the coin are golfers ill versed in even simple ettiquette and who frequently hunt in groups for lost balls, chat together instead of moving to their ball, park their bag or trolley at the furthest point from the next tee and take numerous practice swings or line the putt up with a surveyors intensity.

Both sides need to work together on this as it is becoming a cancer on social golf. I have a good friend who marshalls around Sunningdale. These guys are paying big bucks for their society day but he still has a responsibility to ensure members aren't unduly inconvenienced. He has become a dab hand at spotting potential choppers and so is able to quietly explain the need to keep moving, picking up if you can't score, playing provisionals etc. He patrols in a buggy and ensures play is running smoothly. If a big club like that with two great courses can get their house in order then surely it isn't asking for the moon for smaller clubs to do the same. By the same token, most public courses have a starter. Make him responsible for making sure everyone knows what is expected. Allocate on person in the group to be responsible for making sure pace is kept and that way you have someone a course marshall can liaise with on the way round

 

[Imurg]

At my previous club, after a spate of slow play, a course marshall was employed to keep things moving. He did the job for about 2 weeks and left, never to be replaced. But the sigh is still up."This course is monitored by a course marshall. Please play at a good pace" or something like that. Everyone knows he's not there so nobody takes any notice.

 

[JustOne]

I leave my bag wherever I put it down, front, back, side of the green. If the next tee is off the back of the green and my ball is at the front do I really need to walk right across the green just to put my bag down then walk all the way down to the front to start lining up my putt? If I line it up and hole it then I'll be across the green in a jiffy and off to the next tee. If people didn't waste time wondering where they should leave their bag then it'd go faster.

Sure you don't want to be leaving your bag down the fairway somewhere but around the green is fine by me. If you need to complain about which side of the green someone leaves their bag then you really should consider a different sport.
Likewise, if your that desperate to hit your shot before the person has actually vacated the green then you should also consider a different sport.

I don't think there's another sport where people MOAN so much

I echo what someone else said... it's crap play that causes holdups, nothing else.

 

[Robobum]

It's not crap play or any particualr issue alone that causes things to slow down. It's just a lack of common sense and consideration to other groups.

As OneUK said trawling 40yds to the back of the green and 40yds back just to drop your bag doesn't speed play, using common sense and dropping it in the most logical place for where your ball is and where you need to go next will. That may well be at the front of the green.

It's all about being ready to play as soon as it's your turn and even offering to play out of turn if it sensibly maintains the pace of play. Whilst player A is getting ready to hit his shot players B, C & D can all be putting on gloves, pulling clubs judging wind and yardage etc. As soon as the ball leaves player A's club then B can have a practice swing and move in to fire and so on.

Same as on the green Player A is 1st to putt but at the same time as he is reading his putt then the other 3 can be reading their's. As soon as A's putt is rolling B moves in to place his ball....it's just common sense.

I have obviously been lucky as I've never been at a club where I have been on the course for anything more then 4 1/4 hrs for a 4ball. I've played in Spain and such where you go prepared for a 5hr+ round but there is so much San Miguel in the cool box that I could be there for 12hrs for all I cared!

 

[mono217]

Ill play at my pace im comfortable playing in

 

[Herbie]

What always appears in such a debate is a very obvious (if guarded) critique of players who play the game at a brisk pace, what is this obvious objection to golf being played at a brisk pace? The problem is not with slow players but more with slow players who seemingly feel a faster players game is oh so bad, not golf or out of order, or worse, the attitude of some slower players towards quicker players . A fast player has just as much right to enjoy their game as any slow player, often there is a feeling of jealousy in the air.

I often see this problem like the 40mph merchant in a 60 limit, adamant that they are ok cos they are below the limit and so safe, yet there are rules and guidelines that are part of driver education from the onset...'make good progress on or about the speed limit whenever it is safe to do so and do not drive in a manner which causes an inconvenience or hazard to other road users'. A lot of drivers do the oposite simply because its not policed enough and they are arrogant enough, in the same way a lot of golfers have a similar mentality when playing , which does not in any way consider others! I may offend by this comment but, unnecessarily slow driving is bad driving, in the same way unnecessarily slow play in golf is just bad golf.

 

[Smiffy]

I'm playing in a fourball with Norm, Ray & Bob.
Par 5. I drive, walk off the tee, Norm steps up and drives, walks off the tee, Ray steps up and drives, walks off the tee....why has Bob still got his Driver in his bag with the headcover on???
That bloody winds me up.

 

[Region3]

Re: Following slow play.....what actions cause slow play or delay in p

unnecessarily slow driving is bad driving, in the same way unnecessarily slow play in golf is just bad golf

I don't know what analogy you'd make to golf, but tailgating because you think the car in front is going too slow is downright dangerous.