how long is too long for a game of golf?

Playing mainly in the afternoon midweek we tend to get a straight run and usually get round in 3-3.5 hours so when I do get a slow one it does affect my game, we can have a few slow rounds on the weekend and it's not as fun... Two 5 hour rounds certainly did not suit my game in the club champs this season.

So I'll go for anything over 4 hours for me.
 
Doon frae Troon said:
Wee fix for you there delboy
Click to expand...
In that case I must be pretty smart to. I cancelled my Sky subscription years ago, because I was fed up of paying a small fortune to watch hours of talking heads and stupid, repetitive adverts. If I really want to watch golf on Sky I go to my golf club, as they have it. :)
 
When we played in the Lombard qualifier late in July we were on the course for SIX HOURS!!!!!
It wasn't so much the time we were out on the course but the heat with a total lack of trees to take shade under.
 
3 hours can be too long and 5 hours can be most enjoyable. If the weather and the golf is good, I have plenty of fluids and some great company then I can quite happily be out therefor 5 hours. Put me with dome miserable golf club chucker 3 hours can feel like a lifetime.
 
I played at Coombe Hill the other week-end with Craig, Richart and Paul Nash.
The course was stunning, the weather was superb and the company, (and banter), was brilliant.
It was one of those days where time didn't really matter.
I don't think I looked at my watch once during the whole round and I felt cheesed off when I realised we only had a few holes left to play. If you had asked me after the round how long we had been out there, my honest answer would have been "haven't got a clue".
Some days are like that.
There have been plenty of times over the years when I have stepped onto a tee on the back 9 and thought to myself "Thank God there are only 4/5/6 holes left to go".
Some days are like that too.
 
Conjugate the compond verb "to be slow"

I am ok
You (single) are not ready
He/she is slow

We are enjoying ourselves
You (plural) are faffing about
They are a ****** nightmare.

Sound familiar anyone ??
 
Valentino said:
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.
Click to expand...

I'm sure I played that day too. Probably many people had entered without realising how tough the course would be off the white tees. Also the club had anticipated this slightly by introducing a "temporary local rule" whereby you hit a provisional if your tee shot ended in the rough, which could be often
 
6inchcup said:
am i the only one who thinks golf should be a fun game,when i go to the club i expect to be there for 5 or 6 hours 4 hours or so for the game and the rest for a drink and something to eat,if you have to run round the course to get finished to be somewhere else its not the game for you i think,play 9 holes if you can only spare a couple of hours,but its a leisure sport and as such should be a leisurely stroll not a sprint.
I play in comps and it gets annoying when people keep looking at their watch tutting and saying they have to be somewhere in an hour when your stood on the 12,if you cant spare 5 hours to be on the golf course you have a poor work life balance.
Click to expand...

THIS! :clap:
 
dufferman said:
THIS! :clap:
Click to expand...

I am the perfect example of a car park golfer. rarely do i use the clubhouse for anything other than getting my card or signing in to a comp. It's turn up, play and go home for me. try to keep it to 4 hours max all in!
 
For me over 4:30 is hard to take and I prefer a 4hr pace for a 4-ball

Coincidentally I watched the While We're Young series of vids last week (not many other have on youtube so I hope the majority use the USGA site or its a total failure)

They list 6 areas that contribute to slow play:
  • The golfer
  • Course design
  • Policies
  • Tee time spacing
  • Course set up
  • Format

Rightly the golfer is always highlighted as an area that can improve, but tends to receive too much attention proportionally as without the other areas receiving equal attention golfers are helpless to aid pace after a point

i.e if you have 8 minute 1st tee spacing but a hole that takes an average 11 minutes for a group to play (flag in from one group to next) then it will bottleneck every single time (and it may not even be the hole design that's causing it, it could be toilets or half way hut etc that's located nearby. So they reckon rather than increase spacing first find out the cause of the 11minute average to see if it can be easily changed then look at tee spacing

Other obvious things when looking at the list like changing the playing format for that day when there's a large/busy field so that putting out isn't required after missed bogey. Pin positions, length of rough , group sizes etc etc there's plenty to get working on including the behavior of the golfer

Just wonder how many clubs are applying all this to their courses
 
guest100718 said:
I am the perfect example of a car park golfer. rarely do i use the clubhouse for anything other than getting my card or signing in to a comp. It's turn up, play and go home for me. try to keep it to 4 hours max all in!
Click to expand...
in my opinion your not a "proper" member,what are you contributing to the running of the club,ok you pay your green fees but thats only a small part of what i call a member,i would never dream of just turning up getting changed in the back of my car and sloping of to the first tee,i treat golf as a social activity and enjoy the banter in the club house,as well as the steak and ale pie and a pint.
 
Some like to play quickly some like to drag their heels but I think the main problem is the Golfers who are generally slow just don't realise it and are unable to give themselves a kick up the backside and hurry up when they're holding others up. I'm not the quickest but I know when its time to get a move on.


It wouldn't bother me if it was just casual golf or on a Muni etc, that's just the norm',but I think when you decide to take it to the next level, ie Club golf & regular comps,players need to learn to speed it up when required. Theres far too many who just think this is my speed & and this is how I'm going to play for 18 holes regardless of everyone else behind me. I've come across this attitude in comps quite often and It seems most of the time the players are blissfully unaware of everyone else on the course.

I think a lot of players are also far too eager to just 'give up' and let players through which in itself costs time and backs the course up when a 3 ball in a comp can quite easily recognise the situation and just speed it up for a hole to make up some ground.

If we're talking casual golf, bounce games etc I'm happy to take as long as it takes so long as the game is moving and the sun is shining. But in Comps some need to learn to give themselves a kick up the backside.
 
Last edited:
Tee time spacings is the one thing that can make a huge difference. I would recommend 10 minute gaps
Coupled with holding back players on the first tee until it is their time to play.
How many first tees have the match playing as soon as the golfers in front are only just out of range.
 
Slab said:
For me over 4:30 is hard to take and I prefer a 4hr pace for a 4-ball

Coincidentally I watched the While We're Young series of vids last week (not many other have on youtube so I hope the majority use the USGA site or its a total failure)

They list 6 areas that contribute to slow play:
  • The golfer
  • Course design
  • Policies
  • Tee time spacing
  • Course set up
  • Format

Rightly the golfer is always highlighted as an area that can improve, but tends to receive too much attention proportionally as without the other areas receiving equal attention golfers are helpless to aid pace after a point

i.e if you have 8 minute 1st tee spacing but a hole that takes an average 11 minutes for a group to play (flag in from one group to next) then it will bottleneck every single time (and it may not even be the hole design that's causing it, it could be toilets or half way hut etc that's located nearby. So they reckon rather than increase spacing first find out the cause of the 11minute average to see if it can be easily changed then look at tee spacing

Other obvious things when looking at the list like changing the playing format for that day when there's a large/busy field so that putting out isn't required after missed bogey. Pin positions, length of rough , group sizes etc etc there's plenty to get working on including the behavior of the golfer

Just wonder how many clubs are applying all this to their courses
Click to expand...

Problem is, other than highlighting the golfer, most of the other factors are down to the club & their money:

  • The golfer
  • Course design - costly to change
  • Policies - this usually comes down to the rules, e.g. game format or what not, so not a lot to change there
  • Tee time spacing - again, bigger gap = less money for club
  • Course set up - costly to change
  • Format - comes back down to the golfer (like you say, pick up after bogey. ut not everyone does).
 
Doon frae Troon said:
Tee time spacings is the one thing that can make a huge difference. I would recommend 10 minute gaps
Coupled with holding back players on the first tee until it is their time to play.
How many first tees have the match playing as soon as the golfers in front are only just out of range.
Click to expand...

Yeah too often its 'out of range' spacing on 1st tee which is madness

But also no point in a 10 minute spacing on the first if the 2nd hole actually takes 14 minutes for each group to play through. Imagine the bottleneck after just 10 groups have gone out!
 
6inchcup said:
in my opinion your not a "proper" member,what are you contributing to the running of the club,ok you pay your green fees but thats only a small part of what i call a member,i would never dream of just turning up getting changed in the back of my car and sloping of to the first tee,i treat golf as a social activity and enjoy the banter in the club house,as well as the steak and ale pie and a pint.
Click to expand...

Well my 800 PA subs say otherwise.
 
dufferman said:
Problem is, other than highlighting the golfer, most of the other factors are down to the club & their money:

  • The golfer
  • Course design - costly to change not if its just re-directing an access path or making a bunker more playable
  • Policies - this usually comes down to the rules, e.g. game format or what not, so not a lot to change there, a much bigger area than just these
  • Tee time spacing - again, bigger gap = less money for club they're not advocating bigger gaps unless they are currently too short, they want correct gaping
  • Course set up - costly to change not really, just one area like pin positions need changed regularly so just looking for GK to think about the amount of traffic before selecting one 4 ft from a bunker
  • Format - comes back down to the golfer (like you say, pick up after bogey. ut not everyone does).
Click to expand...

Watch the vids or revisit if you've seen them before. The blue bits are just what i recall off the top of my head

Much of it makes complete sense and doesn't need to be a financial cost (& even if it is its an investment that will pay dividends)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

P
Getting a handicap for someone likely to be at max hcp
Replies
2
Views
740
Petercool
P
H
SENIORS
Replies
17
Views
2K
Backache
B
J
Golf Course Ownership Structure
Replies
8
Views
560
doublebogey7
D
R
chairman of our golf club accused of cheating
2 3 4
Replies
72
Views
7K
AussieKB
AussieKB
Klimski
Wales tour 2026 advice sought
Replies
18
Views
1K
IanMcC
I
Top