how long is too long for a game of golf?

Not at all. I just liked the fact the club seemed to get a lot of easy cash downloading the unspent amounts at the end of the year and anything that helps reduce the need to increase my subs is a big :thup: in my book

I'm pretty sure that having a bar levy to get lots of easy unspent cash is the absolute wrong reason to have a bar levy!
 
Being a 9 hole course our competitions rely on the later morning groups to take no longer than 2 hours 20 mins to complete their front 9 otherwise they start to delay the afternoon starters. On Saturday one group from the morning took 2 hours 40 to do 9 holes and two groups from the afternoon had already gone out by the time they got to the turn.

A couple of the players from the next group due out then commented about the time taken and things escalated pretty quickly to people squaring up to each other and threats being issued. It took the intervention of the Captain and steward to calm things down before play restarted. Two of the morning fourball decided that they had had enough anyway so there was no problem with their back 9.
 
My group was first out at Wallasey yesterday and we took 5 hours, I don't think anyone moaned about the length of the rounds, well not in range of my hearing at least.
 
First out?

5 hours?

Nobody complained?

You're having a laugh.

We were 2nd last group. We never had to wait once. Played at a leisurely pace. 4 ball medal around a big links course can easily take longer than a jaunt around a small parkland course.

5 hours around lee park you would be ready to top yourself. 5 hours around Wallasey yesterday was a pleasure. It didn't feel like 5 hours at all.
 
My group was first out at Wallasey yesterday and we took 5 hours, I don't think anyone moaned about the length of the rounds, well not in range of my hearing at least.

Was it 5hrs :eek: . I was in the group behind and I knew we was playing at a leisurely pace but I had no idea we were out there for 5hrs. It honestly didn't feel like it.
I was a nice day though on a great course and the Golf was pretty good too so I suppose we were just happy to be out there :thup:
 
We were 2nd last group. We never had to wait once. Played at a leisurely pace. 4 ball medal around a big links course can easily take longer than a jaunt around a small parkland course.

5 hours around lee park you would be ready to top yourself. 5 hours around Wallasey yesterday was a pleasure. It didn't feel like 5 hours at all.

Yep, you held us up in the last group all the way round.

If it wasn't for you pesky chompers, I'd have gone really low........;)
 
Was it 5hrs :eek: . I was in the group behind and I knew we was playing at a leisurely pace but I had no idea we were out there for 5hrs. It honestly didn't feel like it.
I was a nice day though on a great course and the Golf was pretty good too so I suppose we were just happy to be out there :thup:

Thats sums it all up perfectly - the length you were out there has no meaning - you all had a great time and were not held up and just enjoyed the game
 
3.20 for my group on Saturday in the last monthly medal of the year, I wouldn't consider my place short or easy. we do have 10 min gaps this year between groups.

That sounds good going. We also have ten minute gaps but a shade under four hours is the norm for our medal rounds. Never much over mind except perhaps club champs. Pace of play seems to move reasonably in all our comps. To be honest as long as I keep moving I'm happy and even if it takes 4+ hours it usually doesn't feel that way if you aren't waiting around.

I think H4H took about 4 3/4 hours but with the banter, stop at the halfway hut and the numbers playing it never really felt I'd been out there that long and to be honest still felt it went far too quick on a lovely course even with me playing as many shots as I did to get my money's worth
 
That sounds good going. We also have ten minute gaps but a shade under four hours is the norm for our medal rounds. Never much over mind except perhaps club champs. Pace of play seems to move reasonably in all our comps. To be honest as long as I keep moving I'm happy and even if it takes 4+ hours it usually doesn't feel that way if you aren't waiting around.

I think H4H took about 4 3/4 hours but with the banter, stop at the halfway hut and the numbers playing it never really felt I'd been out there that long and to be honest still felt it went far too quick on a lovely course even with me playing as many shots as I did to get my money's worth

The main thing for me is having to wait to play all the time, standing on the tee, then walk to the ball wait again etc.

I remember playing with a mate a couple of years ago at a very short course and it took for ever, we had to wait on every shot, behind a 4 ball with no one in front of them. it turned out to be a 3 hour round (i take my watch off to play) it felt like more:(
 
It was tropical on Sunday over @ Leven Links, the starting sheet was full to the brim and with plenty of 4 balls it was 3.30 for the round.

No complaints at all :thup:
 
I played at St George's Hill last week and enjoyed the first 11 holes immensely. We then caught up a four ball with a guy in it who is notoriously slow and a sub 4 hour round turned into a 5+ one. It was awful. Ruined my score too.

I'd rather not play if the choice is that speed or not at all.

Slow play is the single biggest problem in golf today. Slow means selfish and I can't abide it.

In answer to the OP, over 4 hours 10 minutes for a 4 ball is too long in my book, medal play or not. 3 ball should be 25% faster and a 2 ball in 3 and a quarter hours or less..
 
The longest waits always seem to be while you wait for the group ahead to clear the green before you play your approach shot, or tee shot on a Par-3. These days there seems to be so much faffing around on the greens, with players looking at their putts from every angle, marking, replacing and then lining up their ball, before lots of practice strokes and finally striking the putt. If it finishes beyond tap in range, then the whole ritual is repeated. All copied from what is seen on televised pro tour events?

My suggestions for speeding up play on the greens.
1) Make the hole a bit bigger.
2) Remove the penalty for hitting the flagstick when in the hole, which would remove the necessity of attending, removing and replacing the pin.
3) Encourage players not to mark their balls unless on another players line.
 
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