I’m convinced people just like to moan about slow play for the sake of it...

[HomerJSimpson]

love to have dear boy but county comp so we had to wait

Surely the county must have rules regarding slow play. Losing 3 holes is unacceptable at any level and even at pro level they would have been on the clock and hurried along. Doesn't rule 5.6 cover this and give the competition committee power to act

 

[Tashyboy]

Played in a three ball yesterday. We caught up with the group in front of us on the 4th. Another 3 ball. The tee time in front of us, they never turned up. So the group we caught teed off 16 mins earlier. Every shot we played from then on we had to wait. From our 9th green to the 10th is a 200 yard walk. By the time they had cleared the 9th green, we played our approach shots, chipped onto green putted out. Got to the 10th tee and they had hit there drives and had walked 15 yds. We were Gobsmacked. One had hit his ball OOB. The three of them proceeded to look for the ball. After 3 mins, the guy dropped a ball and hit it. The other two walked across to there balls and played there second shots. One of the guys had left his trolley in the middle of the course with his ball. At that point. The three ball behind us turned up. At no point did they even attempt to let us through. Now if they were keeping up with play, fair enough. But not when you are a hole and a half, plus behind.
4 hours and 25 mins later we finished our round. It was rammed behind us.
What do you say Though?

 

[KenL]

That's a shocker Tashy.
What do you say? "Hurry up!"

 

[bobmac]

2 balls out first, followed by 3 balls, 4 balls out last.
Everyone's happy

 

[robinthehood]

Played in a three ball yesterday. We caught up with the group in front of us on the 4th. Another 3 ball. The tee time in front of us, they never turned up. So the group we caught teed off 16 mins earlier. Every shot we played from then on we had to wait. From our 9th green to the 10th is a 200 yard walk. By the time they had cleared the 9th green, we played our approach shots, chipped onto green putted out. Got to the 10th tee and they had hit there drives and had walked 15 yds. We were Gobsmacked. One had hit his ball OOB. The three of them proceeded to look for the ball. After 3 mins, the guy dropped a ball and hit it. The other two walked across to there balls and played there second shots. One of the guys had left his trolley in the middle of the course with his ball. At that point. The three ball behind us turned up. At no point did they even attempt to let us through. Now if they were keeping up with play, fair enough. But not when you are a hole and a half, plus behind.
4 hours and 25 mins later we finished our round. It was rammed behind us.
What do you say Though?

You say get out of the way.....

 

[Sports_Fanatic]

2 balls out first, followed by 3 balls, 4 balls out last.
Everyone's happy

I think a couple of clubs were doing this after seeing the pace improve for two balls just after lockdown. Think Little Aston was one of them, would be interested to see if it's worked.

Likewise one of my old clubs had a board which directed you to start on 1st or 9th depending on numbers in the group and time. E.g. 9 am 3/4 balls off first and then 2 balls off tenth, then that changed from 10.30/11ish so two balls off first along with the groups continuing their round and 3/4 balls filtered into similar groups. I guess it only works on quieter days so it wasn't implemented during competitions.

 

[Jamesbrown]

So many changes in the rules you would think things would speed up. Don’t have to pull the flag, ready play, 3 minute search time etc.
Even if someone has lost a ball, the other players should be playing there shots and then having a look for the ball for the remaining time.
Things should almost be seamless in a competition setting with competent golfers.

 

[Jacko_G]

So many changes in the rules you would think things would speed up. Don’t have to pull the flag, ready play, 3 minute search time etc.
Even if someone has lost a ball, the other players should be playing there shots and then having a look for the ball for the remaining time.
Things should almost be seamless in a competition setting with competent golfers.

Sadly some golfers take more than 3 minutes to hit their shot never mind then help look for a ball. Buffoons.

 

[Tashyboy]

So many changes in the rules you would think things would speed up. Don’t have to pull the flag, ready play, 3 minute search time etc.
Even if someone has lost a ball, the other players should be playing there shots and then having a look for the ball for the remaining time.
Things should almost be seamless in a competition setting with competent golfers.

This was part of our grief the other day, two guys hit there ball in the middle of the fairway. The 3rd OOB. One walked to his ball on the fairway and left his trolley there. We took is as your not playing through. After 3 mins a guy drops his 2nd ball and played that, so we were assuming there not in comp. We were. The other 2 then walked back to there ball and hit it. Unbelievable.
Don’t even want to talk about there 2 min natter with a green keeper whilst we’re waiting on the 14th, same again on the 18th.
Quite frankly some folk are self centred planks.
What bogs me off is Ave been through this before with our club pros, and am positive it would not be allowed to happen at the weekend when the comps are on but midweek it’s deemed acceptable.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

So many changes in the rules you would think things would speed up. Don’t have to pull the flag, ready play, 3 minute search time etc.
Even if someone has lost a ball, the other players should be playing there shots and then having a look for the ball for the remaining time.
Things should almost be seamless in a competition setting with competent golfers.

Indeed but I haven't seen any evidence that play has speeded up by leaving flags in etc. It took 3:45 for a 3ball medal at my club before the rule change, still takes 3:45 now.

 

[Bazzatron]

We (3ball) got held up by a single yesterday. Thankfully he left after 9 and we just about finished in near darkness.

 

[Slab]

So many changes in the rules you would think things would speed up. Don’t have to pull the flag, ready play, 3 minute search time etc.
Even if someone has lost a ball, the other players should be playing there shots and then having a look for the ball for the remaining time.
Things should almost be seamless in a competition setting with competent golfers.

Yeah given all the changes you'd think every club must be seeing some improvement in round times over the last 18 months, even if its marginal. If not it probably means the club isn't doing their part re course layout, playability, tee spacing, choke points etc

 

[Jamesbrown]

Indeed but I haven't seen any evidence that play has speeded up by leaving flags in etc. It took 3:45 for a 3ball medal at my club before the rule change, still takes 3:45 now.

Is it probable that players aren’t using ready play and the flag in benefit cooperatively? Such as waiting for all players to get on the green? Furthest from hole goes first etc?

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Is it probable that players aren’t using ready play and the flag in benefit cooperatively? Such as waiting for all players to get on the green? Furthest from hole goes first etc?

We have been encouraging ready golf for quite a while now. As we are a private club and most members are 'clued up' we don't generally have many slow play issues. I'm also not convinced that removing the flag slows down play anyway.

 

[Jamesbrown]

We have been encouraging ready golf for quite a while now. As we are a private club and most members are 'clued up' we don't generally have many slow play issues. I'm also not convinced that removing the flag slows down play anyway.

It undoubtedly does, someone has to walk to the flag, someone has to pull it out and put it back in when they could be putting or at their ball waiting to putt. you have to wait for those who may need to chip, pitch or sand shot on the green.
Whereas pin in negates that and allows those on the green to have a putt up or out while waiting for those off green to select club, practice swing instead of waiting for the flag out.

Adds up to seconds per hole but minutes over a round. Leaves those who are quick and harmonious wondering why there’s so much faffing on the green.

 

[Jacko_G]

It undoubtedly does, someone has to walk to the flag, someone has to pull it out and put it back in when they could be putting or at their ball waiting to putt. you have to wait for those who may need to chip, pitch or sand shot on the green.
Whereas pin in negates that and allows those on the green to have a putt up or out while waiting for those off green to select club, practice swing instead of waiting for the flag out.

Adds up to seconds per hole but minutes over a round. Leaves those who are quick and harmonious wondering why there’s so much faffing on the green.

Ooooft thats gonna be unpopular with the cry babies! lol lol

 

[Jamesbrown]

Ooooft thats gonna be unpopular with the cry babies! lol lol

One thing I noticed when we was allowed to leave the flag in was that nobody grasped all its benefits and players struggled to break what they did traditionally. But some groups don’t even do ready play to its full extent either and it mostly stops on or around the green where most strokes are taken.

Alas not everyone’s on the same page or even in the same decade.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

It undoubtedly does, someone has to walk to the flag, someone has to pull it out and put it back in when they could be putting or at their ball waiting to putt. you have to wait for those who may need to chip, pitch or sand shot on the green.
Whereas pin in negates that and allows those on the green to have a putt up or out while waiting for those off green to select club, practice swing instead of waiting for the flag out.

Adds up to seconds per hole but minutes over a round. Leaves those who are quick and harmonious wondering why there’s so much faffing on the green.

How many seconds per hole? Shall we say 10 for arguments sake? That's 3 minutes per round, if that is of concern to you then you must play extremely quickly.

 

[Jacko_G]

One thing I noticed when we was allowed to leave the flag in was that nobody grasped all its benefits and players struggled to break what they did traditionally. But some groups don’t even do ready play to its full extent either and it mostly stops on or around the green where most strokes are taken.

Alas not everyone’s on the same page or even in the same decade.

Played yesterday and my mate had three birds on the bounce from 12 through 14. He didn't tee off first once. I may or may not have made a treble on one of these holes!!!

Some groups seem unable to grasp the "hit when ready" mantra and will still fart about waiting for the player with the honour to take the perch.

 

[patricks148]

Played yesterday and my mate had three birds on the bounce from 12 through 14. He didn't tee off first once. I may or may not have made a treble on one of these holes!!!

Some groups seem unable to grasp the "hit when ready" mantra and will still fart about waiting for the player with the honour to take the perch.

we play ready golf for pretty much everything, i did even say to our oppo in the NCC on wednesday to tee of if they were ready despite them only winning one hole the whole game