Monthly medal

[North Mimms]

A friend plays at Beaconsfield GC where a three ball is expected to get round in 3.10 if you want to play in the front third of the field in ladies comps.
Failure to keep up means you are demoted to the second third.

Amblers are expected to play at the back.

I have no idea who monitors this, but I am assured it works!

 

[duncan mackie]

all other things being equal a 'slow' game will deliver a cumulative impact on later groups ie they will take more than the time the first group took.

recording timings for each group at each point through the course show this clearly (as done for PoP purposes). If one group drops a minute by hole 3 then the next group will be 1min+ behind, and the one after them 1m++ etc- sure as eggs is eggs.

however, the course can recover as long as the first tee intervals are set correctly - the corollary is that courses that simply tee off groups as soon as the previous one is 'out of range' will always slow up through the day.

unfortunately a lot of interested parties believe that they can get more people around a course if they (1) insist on play in 4 balls and (2) set times at 8 mins - sadly the actual result is painfully slow long rounds with little enjoyment.

 

[Foxholer]

exactly- as in post 3

And it's only that 1 group that gets complained about!

Maybe that's what should happen. Send the Club Captain, Ladies Captain and Handicap Secretaries out in the first group and require them to play slowly and not let anyone through!

Does that seem sensible Bob?

 

[bobmac]

Some say the first slow group would set the pace for the day while others say the course would recover after the first group finish.
It could be an interesting experiment.
I'm in the camp that think the pace would be set for the day and in fact it would get longer rather than quicker as the day goes on.

 

[bladeplayer]

Some say the first slow group would set the pace for the day while others say the course would recover after the first group finish.
It could be an interesting experiment.
I'm in the camp that think the pace would be set for the day and in fact it would get longer rather than quicker as the day goes on.

Im no time management expert but id be same as you , unless there were gaps on the start sheet there would be no recovery time available IMO

 

[CMAC]

Some say the first slow group would set the pace for the day while others say the course would recover after the first group finish.
It could be an interesting experiment.
I'm in the camp that think the pace would be set for the day and in fact it would get longer rather than quicker as the day goes on.

Im no time management expert but id be same as you , unless there were gaps on the start sheet there would be no recovery time available IMO

so you reckon 5.5 or 6hr rounds or worse

 

[bladeplayer]

so you reckon 5.5 or 6hr rounds or worse

.
Well if the time sheet is full & every group plays all 18 and the cause of it dont let anyone through its going to be at least their time, maybe a bit longer ..

couldnt see every group staying out tho

 

[Beezerk]

Some say the first slow group would set the pace for the day while others say the course would recover after the first group finish.
It could be an interesting experiment.
I'm in the camp that think the pace would be set for the day and in fact it would get longer rather than quicker as the day goes on.

My guess is play would eventually speed up after the sloths have holed out, al la the infamous post #3
I can't see how it would stay at the same snails pace unless there are more slow players later on who hamper progress again.
Can't wait to see what the scores on the doors are, is it this weekend?

 

[duncan mackie]

My guess is play would eventually speed up after the sloths have holed out, al la the infamous post #3
I can't see how it would stay at the same snails pace unless there are more slow players later on who hamper progress again.

if there are no gaps injected into the field through the day, either in the form of lots of small ones via tee time spacing or by missing a group every 2 hours then there is nothing for any group to accelerate into at any point in their round - so no, it will just get sloower and slowwer....

 

[bobmac]

so you reckon 5.5 or 6hr rounds or worse

It doesn't really matter what number you put on it, the point of the thread was to gauge opinion on whether the slow first group would affect the pace of play ALL DAY or would the pace pick up after the first group finished and left the course.

Opinion seems divided

 

[louise_a]

Once the 5 hour 4 ball finished at 12.30 then the pace would pick up, so the afternoon players would complete in say 4 hours so the answer is 8pm.

 

[Birchy]

Once the 5 hour 4 ball finished at 12.30 then the pace would pick up, so the afternoon players would complete in say 4 hours so the answer is 8pm.

The last group wont be starting at 4pm. How can the afternoon groups speed up when its bumper to bumper? Theres nowhere to go.

 

[USER1999]

The last group wont be starting at 4pm. How can the afternoon groups speed up when its bumper to bumper? Theres nowhere to go.

A lot of groups will have walked in after 9 so the pm back nine will rattle round!

 

[Birchy]

A lot of groups will have walked in after 9 so the pm back nine will rattle round!

There is that

Bet the bar is a nightmare afterwards as well

 

[HawkeyeMS]

.
Well if the time sheet is full & every group plays all 18 and the cause of it dont let anyone through its going to be at least their time, maybe a bit longer ..

couldnt see every group staying out tho

In a packed field such as this, the slow group playing people through would only benefit the group being let through, everyone behind the slow group would still suffer. Playing through in these situations is not the answer, it is good etiquette, but it isn't the answer.

 

[Foxholer]

In a packed field such as this, the slow group playing people through would only benefit the group being let through, everyone behind the slow group would still suffer. Playing through in these situations is not the answer, it is good etiquette, but it isn't the answer.

As long as they left others through once a gap between them and the group in front opened, then it doesn't matter. It's just as if they started <however many groups they let through> tee times - later. What they must do is recognise when they first get behind - as there is no group in front to use as a reference.

One thing this (unrealistic if they don't let groups through) topic has shown, is the reason why it's dangerous to 'squeeze' a group into a full sheet.

 

[louise_a]

The last group wont be starting at 4pm. How can the afternoon groups speed up when its bumper to bumper? Theres nowhere to go.

good point, I hadn't thought this through.

 

[stevelev]

If it was up to me, I would put them out on the last tee times the next comp, and put them seperate groups. But five hours out first is a joke. Oh and give them all a 2 shot penalty just to drive a point home

 

[Dave1980]

I think the time for the last group would be around the same as the first.

At our club if the first couple of groups out is not back within 3 & 1/2 hours you get comments made in the changing room and bar afterwards.

During the summer we generally have and 1 to 1 1/2 hours break in competition tee times which normally means the afternoon players will set a new pace.

 

[MashieNiblick]

The last group wont be starting at 4pm. How can the afternoon groups speed up when its bumper to bumper? Theres nowhere to go.

But when the slow group have finished, without them holding everyone up, won't all the other groups gradually be able to speed up? That will ripple back through the field.

It's an interesting puzzle. There's probably some complicated maths equation or a bit of fancy traffic management software which can calculate the effect.