how long is too long for a game of golf?

[DaveyG]

Far too many variables for me.

I got round teeing off at 07:50 on a Wednesday morning in 3 hours
I got round teeing off at 14:00 on a Thursday in 2 and half hours
But I have also gone round in 4 and a half hours the same course when teeing off on a saturday at 10:00

I agree 5 and a half is mental and its not what anybody wants but try not to let it bother me - its made easier when you are in good company.

 

[Ian_Bristol]

Far too long, I think i may have turned round and gone back to the clubhouse for another coffee and headed out later, all it would do for me is ruin my round.

 

[AmandaJR]

We were over 5 hours on Friday but it was a Charity Day and from what I saw on the range beforehand a few who barely ever picked up a golf club. Weather was great though and good company plus copious amounts of cake at half way so I wasn't too fussed. We had to wait a number of times but it was the pace of play on the day so lived with it and stopped checking the time. Group behind us though seemed to thank that it was acceptable just to play and not wait so had balls landing near us on fairways and also twice whilst we were putting out. Turned out they were members - nice - won't be playing there again...

If it's the pace of the course any given day then I just suck it up although less keen if it's hosing it down or freezing. If it's one group holding the whole course up though then I get seriously irked and find it hard to switch off when it's finally time to take my shot.

 

[patricks148]

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?

but that attitude makes you part of the problem, golf should not take this long.

 

[AlexDarling]

so I assume there was a HUGE gap in front of 9 people on buggies (3x3 balls?)
was it one set of 3 casuingb the issue or all of them, anyone speak with them and ask to play through?

3 hrs for 9 holes you should have spoken to the pro shop and asked for help as that would back up the rest of the day

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Group behind us though seemed to thank that it was acceptable just to play and not wait so had balls landing near us on fairways and also twice whilst we were putting out. Turned out they were members - nice - won't be playing there again...

I once played with a neighbour at his course. The course was busy without spaces, ie no point letting someone through as there was nowhere for them to go. The group behind hit through us once and apologised. They then did the same a few holes later. My playing partner walked forward to the ball, turned around so they could see him, stepped on the ball and pressed it into the soft ground whilst never losing eye contact. He was a prison warder so nothing much fazed him. They didn't hit through us again and I have to admit to smiling about it even to this day.

 

[AmandaJR]

I once played with a neighbour at his course. The course was busy without spaces, ie no point letting someone through as there was nowhere for them to go. The group behind hit through us once and apologised. They then did the same a few holes later. My playing partner walked forward to the ball, turned around so they could see him, stepped on the ball and pressed it into the soft ground whilst never losing eye contact. He was a prison warder so nothing much fazed him. They didn't hit through us again and I have to admit to smiling about it even to this day.

The one that came through us whilst we were putting sat there so tempting to do something with it! I was going to tee it up or kick it in the bunker but instead we turned and gave him a round of applause - very visibly. After that there were no more occasions but also no apology and then same guy barged past us in the pro shop. I recognised him from beforehand as nearly got taken out at knee high on the putting green - he was chipping (of the hosel!) onto it despite the signs...twit...

 

[Deleted member 15344]

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.

It's not just "hackers" as you call them that cause slow play

Pros cause slow play

Am's acting like Pros cause slow play

Elongated PSR cause slow play whilst people wait for various people to get into think boxes etc

It's not just high handicappers that show a lack of etiquette in regards slow play

 

[Deleted member 15344]

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.

By types I hope you mean slow players regardless of ability

 

[patricks148]

so I assume there was a HUGE gap in front of 9 people on buggies (3x3 balls?)
was it one set of 3 casuingb the issue or all of them, anyone speak with them and ask to play through?

3 hrs for 9 holes you should have spoken to the pro shop and asked for help as that would back up the rest of the day

they kept saying they were being held up by guys in front of them, but the way the course is layed out you can only really see the hole you are on, until you get to the 13th green then you can see the next 4 holes.. and once we got there, not a sole in front.

we had words with them a few times but they were oblivious to anyone else. when standing on the 15th tee guys were cutting across who had had enough and they were making them fully aware of the time they were taking.

what was needed was a Marshal, the pro can't do much sat back in the club house

 

[pokerjoke]

Im definitely in agreement 5 hours is a very long round.
As someone said theres so many variables and most have been highlighted.
Obviously it also depends what type of format is being played.
In a monthly medal it is going to take longer simply because all shots need
counting and a lot of provisional need taking.
However a Stableford wont take so long if the rules state pick up if you cant score.
So many times ive seen at my course people take 10s and not pick up.
However as also been said if the companys good time goes a lot quicker.
Also if your having a good round as apposed to a bad one time goes quicker.
I would also add that I never attempt to have a round if im in a hurry to get somewhere,
you just know its going to be slow.
I don't think we will ever get rid of slow play its just up to the ones that see it to have
a quiet word to speed things up.
As I mentioned the variables are plentiful.
Our 3 ball on Sunday took 3 hours,first off and home for lunch,nice.

 

[ArnoldArmChewer]

Would normally hope for 4 hours inc a 10 minute half way house stop. Any longer is slooow imo.

 

[Ads749r]

I made the mistake one time of teeing off midday on the hottest day of the year at blue mountain golf course in bracknell with a mate who said he could play golf. I got worried when the lowest lofted club he had was a 5 iron. Any way took 2 hours to play the first 5 holes then we caught everybody up. Took 5 and a 1/2 hours to finish. I wanted to go after 4 as I had sun stroke but he said he was having fun so I stayed. Again the course was just jam packed so no point in letting people play through. On the 13th par 3 we was putting out and the 2 chav lads behind us wearing denim shorts hit there shots on the green nearly hitting me. Put his ball in my bag and his mates ball and then had words on the next tee. For me around the 4 and a bit hour mark is enough if its a slow day. But I can stay out all day playing if I'm having fun.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Five hours would normally be too long for me. However charity days etc are usually very slow with mixed abilities of golfers involved so I go out with a mind set it'll be slow and just enjoy the day knowing money is being raised for a good cause. In the OP I'd have been having words with the pro shop after 9 as that behaviour was totally different and unacceptable.

 

[mhwgc]

Depending on the course and competition around 4 hours is about right. If I'm playing in a charity day with lots of guys that don't play much then I'm expecting it to be a slow round and try not to let it worry me, clearly if the weather's good it helps. But there's a balance, clearly charity days are all about raising money but if it's so slow and really poor etiquette then all it succeeds in doing is piss a lot of players off and they won't come back the following year!

 

[AlexDarling]

they kept saying they were being held up by guys in front of them, but the way the course is layed out you can only really see the hole you are on, until you get to the 13th green then you can see the next 4 holes.. and once we got there, not a sole in front.

we had words with them a few times but they were oblivious to anyone else. when standing on the 15th tee guys were cutting across who had had enough and they were making them fully aware of the time they were taking.

what was needed was a Marshal, the pro can't do much sat back in the club house

but I meant he could facilitate a marshall or club official to action what is an obvious problem.

 

[dufferman]

but that attitude makes you part of the problem, golf should not take this long.

Says who? Show me the rule :thup:

Golf is what you make it. I've been held up on a course playing on my own before of an evening, rather than get irritated and angry and trying to play through 10 groups of 3 and 4 balls, I've learnt to relax, take in the scenery, enjoy the walk

If there is one group who will not let me play through then I'll get slightly annoyed at the fact there is no-one in front, but sometimes politely asking those people holding you up is the hint they need to let you play through.

Life's too short to make the hobby we play become stressful and un-enjoyable.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

but I meant he could facilitate a marshall or club official to action what is an obvious problem.

Are marshalls common? I have never seen a marshall on a UK course and I have played a reasonable number of nice courses although admittedly never really high end such as Open venues for example.

 

[delc]

We are not going to solve the problem of slow play in general until something is done about slow play on the pro tours. Problem is that the hackers ape all the endless pre-shot routines of the pros, as seen on TV, for every shot, while still failing to break 100. Society Days are particularly bad in this respect, because they often include a number of people who rarely play golf. In my opinion, three-and-a-half hours is plenty long enough to play a round of golf, and this was almost always the case before there was much golf on television.

 

[Val]

Says who? Show me the rule :thup:.

Says everyone who get stuck behind a slow group, if it gets tolerated then it will never change. Etiquette is all about staying behind the group in front not just ahead of the group behind.