Golf Random Irritations

[KenL]

4 ball medal and stableford.....invariably it's just too damn slow for me.
Played with the Society on Thursday, it took 4 1/2 hours for a 6300 yard course as a 4 ball.
The trouble is that playing, walking a d then standing for extended periods does my knackered knee no good at all.
If I keep moving then I can get round relatively pain free during and after the game...even a long one.
A slow 4 1/2 hour round leaves my knee burning and not in a good place.
Haven't been able to do much since and golf tomorrow isn't a foregone conclusion...

No 4 ball play is allowed in medals at my club.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

No 4 ball play is allowed in medals at my club.

I wish that was a recommendation at all clubs. It's remarkable how much slower a round becomes with that extra player.

 

[Depreston]

I wish that was a recommendation at all clubs. It's remarkable how much slower a round becomes with that extra player.

yeah it's a good 30 mins if not longer when we are in fourballs for doubles comps compared to 3 ball for medal

 

[rulefan]

yeah it's a good 30 mins if not longer when we are in fourballs for doubles comps compared to 3 ball for medal

fourball/medal - chalk/cheese

 

[Depreston]

fourball/medal - chalk/cheese

yes i know my point was that even in them formats the extra person adds time. must be even worse in medal

 

[PaulMdj]

I wish that was a recommendation at all clubs. It's remarkable how much slower a round becomes with that extra player.

Don’t think it makes that much difference in a medal tbh, obviously 3 move faster than 4 and anywhere between 70-100 shots less per flight.

But you’ll get those believing they’ve had a slow round or expecting to fly round.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Don’t think it makes that much difference in a medal tbh, obviously 3 move faster than 4 and anywhere between 70-100 shots less per flight.

But you’ll get those believing they’ve had a slow round or expecting to fly round.

I'm with @Depreston on this. I'd say at our place it is a good 30 minute difference between a 3 ball and a ball group in a comp. That's quite a chunk of time.

 

[Neilds]

Off to the links for a couple of days tomorrow. N Devon is forecasting 45mph winds on Wednesday.

Surely that means it will be real golf?

 

[sunshine]

I'm with @Depreston on this. I'd say at our place it is a good 30 minute difference between a 3 ball and a ball group in a comp. That's quite a chunk of time.

I agree. In Saturday competitions a 4 ball is 30 minutes slower than a 3 ball at my place too.

I find format is irrelevant to speed. Main factor is the course set up, a tricky pin position can really slow things down.

 

[PaulMdj]

I'm with @Depreston on this. I'd say at our place it is a good 30 minute difference between a 3 ball and a ball group in a comp. That's quite a chunk of time.

Numbers alone will ensure it’s less, but be honest, when you tee off as a 4 Ball at a weekend you’ll have a rough idea how long the round will take, ie

4hrs - OK
3:30 - great
4:30 - slow
All give or take 10 mins

As a 3 Ball you’d have the same thoughts

3:30 - OK
3:00 - great
4:00 - slow
Again give or take 10 mins

But in either scenario you’ll get those saying it was slow and they don’t want to be behind X etc

And at the end of the day, does it really matter. If somebody is going out every weekend and expecting to be round in X minutes every week they are going to be disappointed.

Any discussions about 3 or 4 Balls is always about time, it’s never about the standard of golf or the quality of the golf played and if anything 3 Balls slow the day down as times between flights don’t change so extra slots are taken up by the Comp, 4 Balls overall take up less time.

120 players as 3 Balls - 40 flights required.

120 players as 4 Balls - 30 Flights required.

10 flights at 10 min intervals 100 minutes.

An extra 1hr 50 taken up needlessly.

 

[sunshine]

Numbers alone will ensure it’s less, but be honest, when you tee off as a 4 Ball at a weekend you’ll have a rough idea how long the round will take, ie

4hrs - OK
3:30 - great
4:30 - slow
All give or take 10 mins

As a 3 Ball you’d have the same thoughts

3:30 - OK
3:00 - great
4:00 - slow
Again give or take 10 mins

But in either scenario you’ll get those saying it was slow and they don’t want to be behind X etc

And at the end of the day, does it really matter. If somebody is going out every weekend and expecting to be round in X minutes every week they are going to be disappointed.

Any discussions about 3 or 4 Balls is always about time, it’s never about the standard of golf or the quality of the golf played and if anything 3 Balls slow the day down as times between flights don’t change so extra slots are taken up by the Comp, 4 Balls overall take up less time.

120 players as 3 Balls - 40 flights required.

120 players as 4 Balls - 30 Flights required.

10 flights at 10 min intervals 100 minutes.

An extra 1hr 50 taken up needlessly.

There’s some analysis on your assumptions that has been shared previously when this topic has come up before. You can search for it, there’s only 200,000 slow play threads on this forum.

Actually there is a tipping point where it becomes faster overall in 3 balls.

Eg 40 flights as 3 balls is quicker overall if each group is 30 minutes faster than 40 x 4 balls.

 

[irip]

I have spent 4.5 hours playing and it seemed to go quickly, I have also played in 3.5 hours and it seemed to take forever.
If you’re playing a long course with big walks between greens and tees it’s going to take longer than a short course where the greens are close to the next tee.

The bit that does me in is waiting around to play your shot, that’s what makes the time drag for me ( not to mention when I stop/start the body doesn’t like it).