CliveW
Tour Winner
Is there any pressure being put on slow play by the TV companies who cover the events? Obviously they want to show all 18 holes without interfering with their schedules by over-running due to slow play.
More slow play comments from Koepka
- Thread starter User 105
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User 105
Journeyman Pro
I suspect they know how long it takes and schedule accordingly. Think it only overran a few times last year on sky when the recording cut off before the final round had finished.
Good point Clive, Sky run most of the events on a dedicated golf channel, terrestrial TV would be the ones to struggle, like when test matches were on C4 and the beeb, reg missed the end of play.
Parsaregood
Head Pro
To be honest I don't think either of the tours take the issue all that seriously, at least not as seriously as they would like us to think they do. Sponsors aren't interested in whether or not a guy takes a minute to hit a shot, golf is sewn up with regards to tv deals. The tours main concern is keeping tournament sponsors happy and making money, slow play doesn't hinder that so unless somebody is excessively slow and groups behind are complaining about them, they simply won't do much about it
6535
Newbie
Just watched Furyk on 8th tee, so I put a stop watch on him. He was first to play, when fluff got to him and to the time he struck the ball it was 2min. I started the watch as soon as I saw Mahan on the screen and it took him 1min 5secs.
And on a course they’ve played many times before.
The authorities are NOT going to do anything in penalising these top players on slow play.
And on a course they’ve played many times before.
The authorities are NOT going to do anything in penalising these top players on slow play.
pendodave
Tour Rookie
True sadly.
But the tours are not really "the authorities" - they are just commercial organisations representing their members. I think people sometimes confuse the R&A/USGA (who care about slow play) and the tours (who really don't). I wonder, if there was a mandatory time in the rules of golf, whether the tours would actually just ignore it. We would be in thin end of the wedge territory then though.
HomerJSimpson
Hall of Famer
Which is why Sky is good for the viewer as they have a dedicated channel and can make provision for an over run but they are at the mercy of pace of play and can only guestimate when it will finish. The bottom line is the USPGA and RA need to get together and come up with some directive which should be enforced across all tours.
Parsaregood
Head Pro
Tours won't enforce something which could be detrimental to the members of the tour and the overall product
D
Deleted member 3432
Guest
You have to be a masochist to watch golf on TV, you could paint a room by the time it takes some of them to hit a shot.
HomerJSimpson
Hall of Famer
I agree which is why its' down to the R&A and USPGA to lay down some tournament enforceable rules and give the tours no room. It's in their interest to make their product more watchable to attract viewers, spectators and sponsors
Parsaregood
Head Pro
The tours can have their own rules, it's only the majors where they don't have control. It will never happen
bobmac
Major Champion
Or
Don't show a player until he's about to hit.
cliveb
Head Pro
Pity the same can't be said about bl**dy snooker. Lost count of the number of times I've gone to watch a recording of something only to find half an hour or more of snooker that overran.
woofers
Medal Winner
It would be interesting if the finish time, and hence time taken for each group could be published as a norm.
It would highlight any gaps and slow(er) groups. You would soon pick up a trend if there is one.
At club level I have found that asking all players in a competition to record their finish times on the scorecard is enough for them to realise that pace of play is being monitored, and it has had the desired effect - no one wants to be shown as the slow player.
Out of interest I asked a rules official at Wentworth BMW PGA last year what the ‘allocated time’ for the round was. He said 4hrs 25 min.
It would highlight any gaps and slow(er) groups. You would soon pick up a trend if there is one.
At club level I have found that asking all players in a competition to record their finish times on the scorecard is enough for them to realise that pace of play is being monitored, and it has had the desired effect - no one wants to be shown as the slow player.
Out of interest I asked a rules official at Wentworth BMW PGA last year what the ‘allocated time’ for the round was. He said 4hrs 25 min.
duncan mackie
Money List Winner
On the tours each hole has a time, and every group is timed on arrival at each. These will be the TDs times assessed from past experience and refined through observation on practice days rather than arbitrary timings.
Lead out groups are closely monitored to these, subsequent groups to the group in front or these timings, as appropriate.
After that the bad time process kicks in etc
The issues have been highlighted above pretty well - generally you don't get gaps and the field times protect individuals from exposure.
At club level you will get the odd group significantly out of position, and your times approach will seem to show the cause....but much will depend on way the last few holes are structured, and of course played! At our course 16 and 17 are the biggest risks to normal delays, and these frequently mask the underlying slow play groups completely.
Good that you have some visible monitoring in place, and even better if people respect it.
clubchamp98
Journeyman Pro
Fine the slow ones and give it to the quick ones!
The sponsor won’t have to pay then.
It’s a joke they are trying to speed up ams but not the pros.
Crowds do slow players down , but how do they affect a player taking to long from the middle of the fairway.
Parsaregood
Head Pro
Quite often players have to wait on fans using walkways over fairways etc. the pro game will never speed up, if you consider the length of the courses they play and all the other distractions round about 4 hours 45 - 5hours is probably about right in all honesty
D
Deleted member 1147
Guest
We held a few biggish events this year, Open Qualifying the McGregor championship, and according to officials at those the target time for a round was 4.15-4.25.
Thatyon a 7,000 yard course with no fans to move or wait for.
So I can see why pro events take up to 5 hours.
But some players just take the piss with the time they take.
Thatyon a 7,000 yard course with no fans to move or wait for.
So I can see why pro events take up to 5 hours.
But some players just take the piss with the time they take.
clubchamp98
Journeyman Pro
If they have to wait for things outside their control fair enough, but that’s not always the case.
As I said middle of fairway no problems they still take to long, and nothing is done.
Poddy
New member
So easy to solve. Just make slow play a penalty.
Money won’t work as it’s cheap to the players.
Shot penalty will solve it overnight.
Something has to be done, because it’s becoming painful watching the golf, particularly in the US and I’m getting frustrated by it (and I love watching it, so god know what the floating viewers make of it)
Money won’t work as it’s cheap to the players.
Shot penalty will solve it overnight.
Something has to be done, because it’s becoming painful watching the golf, particularly in the US and I’m getting frustrated by it (and I love watching it, so god know what the floating viewers make of it)
