Keeping 2 balls away from 3/4 balls

[SteveW86]

Oooh I’ve missed a good slow play debate.

Think it’s totally fair that a club can say what pace of play “should” be on their course for any given size of group. It’s a guide time, not a “if you don’t play to this we will kick you out of the club”.

There are far too many people to try and keep all happy with pace of play/start times etc. keep the rules simple, play ready golf and let a quicker group through if there is space. If the course is full of 4 balls and you tee off as a single/pair in the middle of the day then I’d say it’s a little bit of tough luck, it’s not possible to play through everybody.

 

[Sports_Fanatic]

Mot sure if still there but Kenilworth have done this for 30 years plus. Always seemed to work pretty effectively.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Like this sign

 

[LincolnShep]

Like this sign

3hrs 18mins is very precise!

 

[Arthur Wedge]

3hrs 18mins is very precise!

Believe if you go over by one minute the sniper takes you out

 

[Slab]

3hrs 18mins is very precise!

No more than 3hrs 45 mins is

 

[Slab]

View attachment 59025

Like this sign

Better to have something than nothing, more should do it, and I like (and dislike) the added 15 mins for comps. Acknowledges that it’ll take longer... but I’m not sure why it should

i.e if its due to a tougher course set up or players taking added time over shot etc is 15 mins for a 4ball enough. Or implies in non-comp folk are less likely to spend 3 mins searching/playing provisionals etc so will be faster (although I hope its not the these last ones)

 

[Swango1980]

View attachment 59025

Like this sign

I wonder how they calculated these numbers?

Assuming players do not hit shots at the same time, then what time is spent per player (on average) to take their shot. On fairways and greens, they can hopefully do all their shot assessment when other players are playing (but not when they are the first player to play, or if their ball is directly ahead of another player), but once a player plays their shot, you still need to set up to your shot, play it, and everyone also generally watches the outcome of it. On tees, it takes longer as you all have to stand to the side whilst others play. And on greens it can take longer, as you wait for others to mark, take flag out, etc. Not to mention any extra time it might take to look for balls as more are in the group, thus more balls hit into the rubbish. And all sorts of other things that can take time, like raking bunkers and delaying you getting to your ball.

If I assumed a very conservative time (I believe) of 20 seconds per shot, and the average golfer is shooting 90, then for an extra 2 players in the group you are looking at an additional time of 60 minutes. If it is an average time of 30 seconds, it is an extra 45 minutes.

I'm trying to think, in what world, a 4 ball will only be expected to complete their round in an extra 27 minutes compared to a 2 ball!? Unless these times are allowing 2 balls to play at a very leisurely pace, but if you are in a 4 ball you have to try and play speed golf? From experience, I find playing in a 4-ball is significantly longer than a 2-ball, assuming no hold ups in front.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Better to have something than nothing, more should do it, and I like (and dislike) the added 15 mins for comps. Acknowledges that it’ll take longer... but I’m not sure why it should

i.e if its due to a tougher course set up or players taking added time over shot etc is 15 mins for a 4ball enough. Or implies in non-comp folk are less likely to spend 3 mins searching/playing provisionals etc so will be faster (although I hope its not the these last ones)

Comps always take a little longer because everyone has to putt out etc and no gimmies

 

[Neilds]

I wonder how they calculated these numbers?

Assuming players do not hit shots at the same time, then what time is spent per player (on average) to take their shot. On fairways and greens, they can hopefully do all their shot assessment when other players are playing (but not when they are the first player to play, or if their ball is directly ahead of another player), but once a player plays their shot, you still need to set up to your shot, play it, and everyone also generally watches the outcome of it. On tees, it takes longer as you all have to stand to the side whilst others play. And on greens it can take longer, as you wait for others to mark, take flag out, etc. Not to mention any extra time it might take to look for balls as more are in the group, thus more balls hit into the rubbish. And all sorts of other things that can take time, like raking bunkers and delaying you getting to your ball.

If I assumed a very conservative time (I believe) of 20 seconds per shot, and the average golfer is shooting 90, then for an extra 2 players in the group you are looking at an additional time of 60 minutes. If it is an average time of 30 seconds, it is an extra 45 minutes.

I'm trying to think, in what world, a 4 ball will only be expected to complete their round in an extra 27 minutes compared to a 2 ball!? Unless these times are allowing 2 balls to play at a very leisurely pace, but if you are in a 4 ball you have to try and play speed golf? From experience, I find playing in a 4-ball is significantly longer than a 2-ball, assuming no hold ups in front.

As it states average time, I would guess they added up all the times for each 2 ball and then divided it by the number of rounds. They then repeated it for the 4 balls

 

[Slab]

Comps always take a little longer because everyone has to putt out etc and no gimmies

Yeah maybe, although if that's what it is then when would they base their timing on players not completing a round of golf.
Visitors (& maybe members) wont know that the ave time of 3:45 is based on taking these 'shortcuts'

 

[SteveW86]

View attachment 59025

Like this sign

The only thing I don’t like is the pick up if you can’t score bit

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Yeah maybe, although if that's what it is then when would they base their timing on players not completing a round of golf.
Visitors (& maybe members) wont know that the ave time of 3:45 is based on taking these 'shortcuts'

Sorry I’m confused? Shortcuts ?

 

[Arthur Wedge]

The only thing I don’t like is the pick up if you can’t score bit

That’s part of ready golf in a stableford though

 

[SteveW86]

That’s part of ready golf in a stableford though

Indeed it is, but the sign doesn’t say it’s just for playing stableford.

Quite a few of my best rounds are when I have blobbed a hole in stableford. Most of the time I’m playing socially we don’t do stableford either.

 

[Slab]

Sorry I’m confused? Shortcuts ?

Yeah if their estimated round time is as you say based on gimmies/not putting out etc then along comes a few players doing GP card or just playing social golf to the RoG then they might find they struggle to hit the time target

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Yeah if their estimated round time is as you say based on gimmies/not putting out etc then along comes a few players doing GP card or just playing social golf to the RoG then they might find they struggle to hit the time target

I’m sure common sense can be applied

 

[Swango1980]

As it states average time, I would guess they added up all the times for each 2 ball and then divided it by the number of rounds. They then repeated it for the 4 balls

Haha.

Well, the absolutely didn't do that. Unless they only recorded 2 balls that were significantly delayed by groups in front I suppose.

I know some 2 or 3 balls that would be absolutely furious to be held up by a 2 ball taking well over 3hrd to play a round