I see another 'slow play' letter wins a putter

I get very frustrated at this topic. Lads it's a hobby, it's out of the house, away from the wife & kids and as such it should not be a race to either get into the bar or to get home and put up the wallpaper/go shopping. Chill, have an enjoyable stroll around the golf course and flipping enjoy being out FFS. If there is somewhere you should be in 3 hours don't go golfing and get up the group in fronts jacksies and huff and puff, snarl and whinge and moan. Stay away and put up the paper or go shopping then when you have time spare go golfing.
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Agree 100%
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Agree 110%
 
Yep.....Never ceases to amaze me how many people are still ignorant of this change made 6 years ago!!!

Here is what now appears in the Etiquette guidelines of the Official Rules of Golf:

* In the "Pace of Play" section: "It is a group's responsibility to keep up with the group in front. If it loses a clear hole and it is delaying the group behind, it should invite the group behind to play through, irrespective of the number of players in that group."

* In the "Priority on the Course" section: "Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, priority on the course is determined by a group's pace of play. Any group playing a whole round is entitled to pass a group playing a shorter round. The term 'group' includes a single player."
 
This is probably the most interesting point....

4 ball is 4 hours, 3 ball 3-3 1/2 hours, 2 ball 3 hours ish.
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How does a 2-ball possibly play in 3 hours if they are not let through?

A 4-ball would have to let at least 4 groups of 2 players play through in order for them to achieve a 3 hour round as opposed to the 4+ hour round that the 4-ball is having.

So how many of you let through 4 or more groups in a round?


A singelton who is not let through could see his round turn into 4+ hours instead of the possible 2hrs 20min, an addition of 1 hr 40 min.... just for the sake of the 10mins you might not get to the bar by letting him through.
 
Perhaps ignorance is part of the problem and not just arrogance!

Unlike some others who will quite happily enjoy the meander around a golf course, I have two young children, a wife that works full time and a business to run. My golf is my only time out, but I cannot spend a whole day 'out of it'. Yes it would be nice to stroll around without a care in the world, but I don't have the pleasure of switching off at the weekends.

I enjoy being out, I enjoy the company, and I mostly enjoy my golf. But to use an analagy. Why should some middle lane 60 mph person control my only bit of free time.

Take five hours if you want. But at least have the decency to let others through that do need to be elsewhere.

As on the roads. Please think of others and not just yourselves.
 
This is probably the most interesting point....

4 ball is 4 hours, 3 ball 3-3 1/2 hours, 2 ball 3 hours ish.
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How does a 2-ball possibly play in 3 hours if they are not let through?

A 4-ball would have to let at least 4 groups of 2 players play through in order for them to achieve a 3 hour round as opposed to the 4+ hour round that the 4-ball is having.

So how many of you let through 4 or more groups in a round?


A singelton who is not let through could see his round turn into 4+ hours instead of the possible 2hrs 20min, an addition of 1 hr 40 min.... just for the sake of the 10mins you might not get to the bar by letting him through.
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Just playing devils advocate without taking sides.

If none of the 4 balls are losing ground on the group in front of them then each group that lets the single guy through holds each group behind them up by another 5-10 minutes.

If the single needs to be let through 6 groups to play his round in 2h20m then the first group to let him through could have their 4hr round turn into 5hrs.

Or is my logic faulty :D
 
Or is my logic faulty :D
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You let someone through and it takes 10 minutes... in that time the entire field has moved on 10 minutes... the other group in front didn't stop... they'll wait their 10 minutes when it's their turn, and then you'll catch THEM up too back where you started right behind them, at a loss of 10 minutes.

So you lose 10 minutes, unless my logic is also faulty :D

I guess if you let 6 groups through then yes you'd lose more time... but then you're only there for the stroll, right? and it's etiquette to let someone through who may get through the field faster... << not a rule I personally wrote just in case you didn't know ;)

nb: When ever I've let a single player through I can't say I've ever had to wait more than a minute or two, a two ball is usually out of the way quite fast if they don't whack it in the cack, or unless they are actually playing a serious game/match.

By not letting someone through (especially a faster/smaller group) you are INSTANTLY turning their possible 2-3hr round into whatever it takes your group to get around. Etiquette?
 
So, regarding the lone golfer.....

Does he really have the support of the Rules of Golf behind him ?

;)
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Nope.
But the good thing is, if he gets bored he can nip in the bushes for a quick Jodrell and there aren't any mates around to go "eeuuurrh you perv".
I love it
 
There's only 34 of them, so which rule relates to the standing of the single golfer ;) ;)

Can a club make a local rule that gives a single golfer no standing :D

;) ;)
 
If my Missus asks me "what time will you be home?" I will tend to work on these timings.
2 ball....3 hours plus a drink or two
3 ball....3 1/2 hours plus a drink or two
4 ball....4 hours plus a drink or two

Over the years this has proved to be fairly accurate and I tend to roll in about 8 hours later
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That reminds me of my grandfather.

He died before I was born and when I took up golf in my 20s, I happened to ring my grandmother at about 12:00pm. I told her I'd just finished playing 18 holes of golf.

She didn't believe me as, apparently, a round of golf took at least 6 hours - according to my grandfather!

The crafty sod had been telling her that it was at least six hours plus he had to stay for a quick drink so he'd be back 7 hours later.

She was most unimpressed when I told her as he'd done this for years and years. Mind you, with my grandmother, my mother and my two aunts in the house, I can't blame him! :)
 
HID knows that a round of golf usually takes about 5 hours, plus the time it takes to have a pot of tee (or a swift half or two) and a chinwag, plus any travelling time if playing away from home.

It can be a bit awkward though if we have zipped round as a 2 ball in under 3 hours and don't fancy a couple of hours in the bar. Usually get away with telling her that the round was so slow that we came off after 9 or 12 holes. Ahh! Bless her. :D
 
Can a club make a local rule that gives a single golfer no standing :D
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Yes it can I believe because our course has done just this thing , knobs
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LOL, I was going to say that I suppose they could but it would be stupid and defies common sense. :D

Seriously though, I'd have a word. Local rules are not supposed to change the rules of golf, only add to them and the etiquette section is part of the rules. They are actually totally out of order but I suspect that won't stop them as obviously they know best :D
 
The subject of slow play may be an old chesnut but at least some people have learned something here.

If anyone has problems being let through, perhaps they could print a few copies of the change in the rules and scatter them liberally around their clubhouse.
It's clear that some people still don't know the rules have changed.
 
The subject of slow play may be an old chesnut but at least some people have learned something here.

If anyone has problems being let through, perhaps they could print a few copies of the change in the rules and scatter them liberally around their clubhouse.
It's clear that some people still don't know the rules have changed.
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Some people still don't care Bob.

I think you are either the type that does or doesn't in terms of calling through.

I tee off in a 4 ball last Saturday including a 12 year old lad. As we putted out on the first a two ball came down the fairway.

I told them we'd tee off on the 2nd then they could go straight through. We had a clear course after our tee shots on the 4th and they could go at their own pace.

On the other side of the coin the other week I caught up to the ladies comp on the 12th (Par 3) which in mens comps is a "call down" hole (ie you tee off ,mark and call down the next group). One of our venerable lady members said the famous "We would call you through but it's a comp" :mad:

The fact that they were at least 2 holes behind the reast meant nothing to them despite my polite explanation of golf's finer points.
 
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