how long is too long for a game of golf?

[patricks148]

Played at Spey Valley in a sort of society outing on Sunday. as the Lowest handicappers we went out first. There had been a gap in front on us of 40 mins, 9 guys in buggies.

Anyway we caught them up on the 2nd green....

then a wait on every shot, for the next 5 and half hours. They were pretty oblivious to us and the rest of the course behind, with some of the back markers walking in from our group.

Spoilt the day for me as its a long course anyway, felt like i'd played 2 rounds when we eventually finished.

I didn't expect to be much less than 4 hours but we took almost 6...

Must be what its like for a lot of you guys down south.


That is the longest round Ive ever played.... and for me thats far too long by 1 and half hours.

Must have been 6 and a half for the group we were behind...... that is too long for anyone to take on a golf course

 

[Lord Tyrion]

5 hours is my longest, on a corporate course where once a year golfers were never going to pick up even when they reached double figures. Purgatory.

4 1/2 hours is my limit before it really starts affecting my day although in reality once over 4 I start to get twitchy. Absolutely no need for a round to take that long.

 

[Slab]

I'm gonna guess there's more to this than three x 3-balls going out, the first 40 mins before you, the second 30 mins and the third 20 mins and they were late teeing off and lost a ball or two on the first

 

[guest100718]

anything over 4 hours starts to be a drag. I'd have been telling the group in front to hurry the up.

 

[louise_a]

Whilst I like to get round in under 4 hours, I try to be philosophical and try not to let waiting affect my game.

If I get frustrated it affects the way I play so whether it waiting or hitting a bad shot I just do my best to shrug it off.

 

[bluewolf]

Depends on the company.. A 2 hour round is too long with some people....

 

[patricks148]

I'm gonna guess there's more to this than three x 3-balls going out, the first 40 mins before you, the second 30 mins and the third 20 mins and they were late teeing off and lost a ball or two on the first

Nope, the last group were 40 mins. They were just heading for the tee as we arrived. We then had coffee, got changed and hit some balls on the range, then putted on the practice green right next to the 1st tee.

 

[FairwayDodger]

Depends on the course and the event but, as a general guide, I'm looking to play in about 3.5 hours, don't mind much if it stretches to 4 but much beyond that is too long. 5.5 hours is just wrong.

 

[garyinderry]

We were nearly four hours yesterday for a 4ball around lee park which is a long time. I have to take a lot of the blame. I hit 1 of 13 fairways. Played a lot of great recovery shots and some smart play around the greens. I lost the head standing on the 16 and walloped one oob! Blanked that, 3 and 18. 31 points, 3 blanks playing from the rough wasn't a bad score considering.

We teed off just after half 2 and it felt like it was time for bed coming up 18 with the light fading. :rofl:

 

[Val]

Played an open at Barassie a few years ago 4 hours for 13 holes, think we finished in 5 hours or so but cannot remember as I completely switched off by then. It's an open I wont play in again.

I don't mind any game of golf taking 4 hours plus if you are constantly moving and not waiting.

 

[Davey247]

I had a 5 hour round last Saturday. Was awful. Playing really golf too with 9 pars through 12 then had a bit of a paddy when I realised we'd been on the course for 3 hours already...

On the flip side, my quickest 4 ball was 2h 45min followed by another at 2h 55min when I did the Muscular Dystrophy 4 course challenge. Had 36 holes at 2 different courses under our belts by 10am!! Only things we changed was to scrap the rule of furthest away plays first and only looked for balls for 2min maximum. Worked a treat.

 

[garyinderry]

Hillside for the king of kings day was my longest stretch this year. We were last group out so it was a wait the whole way around.

Not too bad on links because its rare that your 4ball all knock it down the middle so helping to look for balls passes the time.

 

[Hickory_Hacker]

Been there and I feel your pain Patrick.

Golfer's have got to start somewhere but I've always said that I'd prefer that it's not in the group in front of me. :rant:

There's a place for society golf and in general all the warriors @ 18 and above but the question is - The industry loves them but where do you put them? My mate swears by penalty charges @ 2 quid a shot when your over 80 blows and a tenner @ five minute intervals when your taking over 4 hours :thup:

 

[Lord Tyrion]

My mate swears by penalty charges @ 2 quid a shot when your over 80 blows and a tenner @ five minute intervals when your taking over 4 hours :thup:

I am off 22 but can play 18 holes in 3 hours as part of a two ball, no problem at all. I was stuck behind a 3 ball at my club in the summer in a competition, I was also part of a 3 ball. We were held up the whole way round and one player in particular stood out as the culprit. Clearly he had read a golf magazine too many as his pre shot routine took forever on every shot. Afterwards we found out he had won and played off 8. That day he shot 75 but held us all up. Sooo....he took less shots than me but held me and everyone else up. He also meant that I took over 4 hours but it was not my fault. Nice theory but not as simple as it sounds to enforce fairly.

 

[North Mimms]

Five and three quarter hours on the Celtic Manor 2010 course on Tuesday afternoon.
The light was poor as we hit to the 18th green...I suspect the group behind just got in. Heaven help anyone behind them

 

[patricks148]

Been there and I feel your pain Patrick.

Golfer's have got to start somewhere but I've always said that I'd prefer that it's not in the group in front of me. :rant:

There's a place for society golf and in general all the warriors @ 18 and above but the question is - The industry loves them but where do you put them? My mate swears by penalty charges @ 2 quid a shot when your over 80 blows and a tenner @ five minute intervals when your taking over 4 hours :thup:

was pretty brutal, but TBH i would have had to dish out a few quid as once i was told it took us almost 3 hours to play the front 9 i lost the will to live and play golf

Did you and Sam ever get a game Sorted at Nairn?

 

[Doon frae Troon]

I remember a near 5 hour round at Dartmouth in an Open meeting not long after it opened.

I stopped playing this year, partly because I did not have the patience to wait for hackers with no idea of etiquette slowing me down.
I think slow play is one of the main reasons golfers are leaving the sport. Golf takes up a whole day now, it did well when it was a half day sport.

 

[Canary_Yellow]

I don't like a round to take more than 4 hours, and over 4.5 is too long. Ideally, I like to get round in 3:45 ish.

 

[dufferman]

I had a 5 hour round last Saturday. Was awful. Playing really golf too with 9 pars through 12 then had a bit of a paddy when I realised we'd been on the course for 3 hours already...

I can't understand why seeing the time would mess up your game? Surely the game is about playing the shot, not finishing within an allotted time??

I've often said that if people don't like slow rounds, they shouldn't play at busy times. Nothing worse than someone moaning that the round took more than 4 hours when playing at 9am in the monthly medal... if you want to play at the speed of light, tee off at 7am or wait until the course quietens down at 3pm?

 

[patricks148]

I remember a near 5 hour round at Dartmouth in an Open meeting not long after it opened.

I stopped playing this year, partly because I did not have the patience to wait for hackers with no idea of etiquette slowing me down.
I think slow play is one of the main reasons golfers are leaving the sport. Golf takes up a whole day now, it did well when it was a half day sport.

TBH, if every round took this long I would soon give up myself.

Only solution at a lot of Places to slow play is to get proper Marshals out on the course and get these types moving. we had words with them, but they were oblivious to the rest of the course.