Jesus!!!!!!

[HomerJSimpson]

I played behind a few juniors recently. Jeez they were slow. Not bad players, just ludicrously slow. If they are the future of the game, we are doomed.

But surely they merely mimic what they see on TV so if the tendency is for elongated pre-shot routines, stalking the putt from every angle and generally take their time, then they'll assume that's the norm. If they are doing it as juniors and no-one challenges them then they'll take this into adult golf and think four hours is a quick round

 

[garyinderry]

Maybe with the advancement in tech we are all hitting the ball further. But further offline so more time spent searching for balls.

When I use a persimmon driver I can hit a safe fade and keep it in play but its about 50yards shorter than a modern driver. Couldn't hit it far enough to lose it. Lol

 

[Imurg]

Maybe with the advancement in tech we are all hitting the ball further. But further offline so more time spent searching for balls.

When I use a persimmon driver I can hit a safe fade and keep it in play but its about 50yards shorter than a modern driver. Couldn't hit it far enough to lose it. Lol

Oh, I can ALWAYS hit it far enough to lose it...

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

I thought modern drivers helped us to hit the ball straighter?

 

[Crow]

I thought modern drivers helped us to hit the ball straighter?

They do but because of that a lot of people go after the ball with all they've got instead of concentrating on quality of strike.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I thought modern drivers helped us to hit the ball straighter?

Just think how bad we’d be without them!

 

[garyinderry]

Oh, I can ALWAYS hit it far enough to lose it...

When you swing as slow as i do you cant lose it. Haha


Liverbirdie and Glen on commentary

 

[Smiffy]

Why is this such a big deal. I mean it has no bearing on my Sunday hack around

Sorry if this sounds perverted Paddy, but nor does 95% of the other stuff posted on this forum.
Do one, there's a good boy.

 

[Orikoru]

Golf has got way slower, tennis also, and the over rate at cricket too. As people have become more pressed for time, oddly, sports have expanded, to become slower.

As for golf, there is now this view that it can't have been slow, as it only took 4 hours. Where did this 4 hour time come from? It is garbage. Golf used to be nearer 3 hours. Handicaps have not changed, equipment has got better, players have just got slower.

I played behind a few juniors recently. Jeez they were slow. Not bad players, just ludicrously slow. If they are the future of the game, we are doomed.

I know this debate happens a lot, but I just can't understand that. If four-balls were taking 3 hours back in the day then people must have been playing at break-neck speed. I mean power-walking to their ball, pulling a club without even thinking about which one it is, no practise swing just smack it and get walking again. Is that really how golf was played 20 or 30 years ago?

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

I know this debate happens a lot, but I just can't understand that. If four-balls were taking 3 hours back in the day then people must have been playing at break-neck speed. I mean power-walking to their ball, pulling a club without even thinking about which one it is, no practise swing just smack it and get walking again. Is that really how golf was played 20 or 30 years ago?

No they didn't, they walked briskly (after all golf is a sport and we do it for exercise) and didn't faff about when they got to their ball. It isn't difficult.

 

[Deleted member 21258]

I know this debate happens a lot, but I just can't understand that. If four-balls were taking 3 hours back in the day then people must have been playing at break-neck speed. I mean power-walking to their ball, pulling a club without even thinking about which one it is, no practise swing just smack it and get walking again. Is that really how golf was played 20 or 30 years ago?

I only took the game up in the 90s, so around 25ish years ago and for certain the game was not quicker .....4.30-5 hour round were the most common at busy times and waiting on the first tee to get teed off could be upto 30 mins later than tee time at the weekend at certain courses I played at. It used to do my head as every weekend was the same.

I have never played a round of golf as a 4 ball in 3 hours, that is reasonably quick 3 ball pace imho.

 

[Orikoru]

No they didn't, they walked briskly (after all golf is a sport and we do it for exercise) and didn't faff about when they got to their ball. It isn't difficult.

There's just no WAY that adds up to a whole hour! When I play in a two ball with one of faster mates the best we do is like 2:45 usually. And that feels rapid. We walk fast, don't "faff about" as you put it, unless you count getting a yardage as you walk to your ball and talking one practise swing 'faffing about'. Honestly I'd love to witness a four-ball going round in 3 hours (and not all single handicaps because hitting less shots obviously is a lot faster) - just to see it with my own eyes because I don't believe it's possibly with going so fast as to kill the enjoyment of it.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

There's just no WAY that adds up to a whole hour! When I play in a two ball with one of faster mates the best we do is like 2:45 usually. And that feels rapid. We walk fast, don't "faff about" as you put it, unless you count getting a yardage as you walk to your ball and talking one practise swing 'faffing about'. Honestly I'd love to witness a four-ball going round in 3 hours (and not all single handicaps because hitting less shots obviously is a lot faster) - just to see it with my own eyes because I don't believe it's possibly with going so fast as to kill the enjoyment of it.

I never said anything about 4balls getting round in 3 hours. I said it's possible to get round much quicker than the time people take now.

 

[Orikoru]

I never said anything about 4balls getting round in 3 hours. I said it's possible to get round much quicker than the time people take now.

Well you should be clearer, you responded directly to my post where I mentioned 3 hours from murph's post. Alright then moving on.

 

[Grant85]

Golf is one of the few sports where there isn't a shot clock or a time limit - or an opponent to really dictate the pace, at least for 50% of the game.

Also this does filter down 100%. If people saw pros on TV walking up to a putt and hitting it within 15 seconds of the previous player hitting, then that would improve speed of play at all levels.

I watched the final stages of the Womans British Open yesterday and Shibuno, the leader, was in the fairway on the last hole. She had to wait and age for the 2 in front of her to play 5 shots between them. A lot of men at fault as well, but this was highlighted yesterday as there were only 4 players left on the course and the young Japanese player did very well to stay relaxed and not let the pace annoy her. I'm guessing she has been used to it.

Also noticed on the PGA Tour last night players in the final groups NOT standing behind their putt while their playing partner was lining up and taking his putt?
They've had to walk up to mark it, but then they go and stand away at the front of the green while the other person is putting rather than standing behind their putt and taking all the time they need to study it?

Why - probably because they have been taught to get into a routine where they wait till it is their shot, then study their putt from the low point on the green, then from behind the hole and finally from behind the ball.
This will take ages when playing in a 3ball Thursday / Friday and you are walking round everyone else's line.

And the OP is correct. Without on the spot penalties in the form of strokes in the event, it won't make a difference.

Ok - so you probably can't have a rules official with every group. But you can have a time keeper on every hole and tell the players that the time keeper will randomly time 1 shot by each player per hole. So effectively you could be on the clock at all times and can't risk taking more than 45 seconds. If it is the 72nd hole and someone loses the tournament, then he / she should have played to the rules that his competitors played to.

 

[sunshine]

I watched the final stages of the Womans British Open yesterday and Shibuno, the leader, was in the fairway on the last hole. She had to wait and age for the 2 in front of her to play 5 shots between them. A lot of men at fault as well, but this was highlighted yesterday as there were only 4 players left on the course and the young Japanese player did very well to stay relaxed and not let the pace annoy her. I'm guessing she has been used to it.

I was at Woburn on Sunday and the pace of play was horrendous. I realise it was the final day of a major and a lot was on the line, but some of the women were taking the p.... Shibuno was waiting on every shot, not just the final hole, she did very well to retain her focus. Salas was really slow, to the point where it felt like gamesmanship. As she was playing her approach to 16 the group ahead were already walking down the 18th fairway. She wasn't the only slow one. To be fair there were plenty who were getting on with it.