Old Chestnut Slow Play

[bogside84]

I entered my clubs Members Guest day on Saturday. My mate and myself Teed off at 11.25 aprox in a 4 ball better ball 3/4 handicap competition. 2 1/2 hours later we were on the 10th tee.We did stop for a hamburger and a beer at the 12th tee and moved swiftly on.4hrs later we were putting on the 14th green and decided there are better ways to spend a day.Death by SLOW PLAY.I know this has been brought up a few times on this forum but is this a record and if not let me know and that will be another course to stay away from.
What is happening to golf competitions when it takes this long to play golf.

 

[mansell]

I entered my clubs Members Guest day on Saturday. My mate and myself Teed off at 11.25 aprox in a 4 ball better ball 3/4 handicap competition. 2 1/2 hours later we were on the 10th tee.We did stop for a hamburger and a beer at the 12th tee and moved swiftly on.4hrs later we were putting on the 14th green and decided there are better ways to spend a day.Death by SLOW PLAY.I know this has been brought up a few times on this forum but is this a record and if not let me know and that will be another course to stay away from.
What is happening to golf competitions when it takes this long to play golf.

Not this topic again, take up a new sport!

 

[bigslice]

thats a bit harsh nigel, maybe take up F1!

 

[mansell]

thats a bit harsh nigel, maybe take up F1!

but seriously there is nothing any one can do
we just have to put up with it

 

[HomerJSimpson]

There is plenty that can be done. Educate golfers to let faster groups through. Play provisionals off the tee. Employ marshalls to keep competition fields moving.

If it was anything like our Members/Guest Day then it would have been a huge field. We usually have shotgun starts AM and PM and go around in 4 balls. As a lot of the field won't have seen the course (or not very often) that will inevitably lead to some small delay but its really up to the members in each group to try and keep their own party moving.

I'm not a fan of slow play but it is an inevitablity sometimes. I'm lucky in that I don't have a family that take priority and mean that I only have a set number of hours to play my round so if a game is slow I can just chill and relax.

 

[thecraw]

To be fair Alan, members guest at Bogside was always gonna be slow. Its a tough tough track, gorse and heather everywhere and pretty narrow fairways. Add in very fast running greens and fairways with the dry spell and its no wonder you were looking at a 5+ hour round.

Incidentally I'm gutted that I missed it. Sure would have been better than my day of bigoted hatred and numpties!

 

[thecraw]

Oooops just realised that it wasn't Mr McCaw who started this post!

 

[DingleBerry]

Spot on Homer!! There is lots to do, Firstly start issuing yellow cards as a friendly warning and red as final warning and more course marshals is the answer!! After red 2 stroke penalty and if municipal course and non club members tell them to play the game or play somewhere else!!

 

[mansell]

There is plenty that can be done. Educate golfers to let faster groups through. Play provisionals off the tee. Employ marshalls to keep competition fields moving.

so why as it not been done

 

[mansell]

Spot on Homer!! There is lots to do, Firstly start issuing yellow cards as a friendly warning and red as final warning and more course marshals is the answer!! After red 2 stroke penalty and if municipal course and non club members tell them to play the game or play somewhere else!!

so why as it not been done

 

[USER1999]

Invitation days are always going to be slow. Guys who don't play often, crammed courses, beer, not a good mix. You know it will be slow, so if it is going to bother you, don't put your name down. I don't.

Got our Florida scramble today. Not playing that either.

 

[bobmac]

Spot on Homer!! There is lots to do, Firstly start issuing yellow cards as a friendly warning and red as final warning and more course marshals is the answer!! After red 2 stroke penalty and if municipal course and non club members tell them to play the game or play somewhere else!!

so why as it not been done

I'll tell you why.
Because too many people have the attitude that nothing can be done. We have to live with it so why even try

 

[Snelly]

I think a big bell should be rung every 15 minutes to remind you that you should have finished the hole you are playing since it last chimed. If you haven't - early bath!

 

[bogside84]

This answer is probably my next move. I have played at Bogside for over 26 years mostly to a handicap of between 4 & 6 and year on year it is getting slower and slower. The normal medal is 4hrs + so I seldom play in Comp.BUT there is something that can be done.Apply the Slow Play rule.

 

[Billysboots]

Sorry, but whilst golfers persist with the attitude that nothing can be done, nothing will be done.

Ultimately it is down to the clubs themselves - until they start imposing sanctions on serial offenders were are all in for slow competition rounds.

 

[Imurg]

And risk losing members in the process.
There needs to be education to all golfers on this.
Once everyone knows the ettiquette procedures there'll be no problem.

 

[clubchamp07]

It's the guys that take 4-8 swings over every shot that should be shown the yellow cards.... I played with a guy yesterday and he was trying to change his swing every shot....I told him to hurry up a few times. So slow unreal, his handicap was 17..............
I think 4 hours is ok for a competition, but if your only out playing a friendly 4ball, 3 and half should be enough time. Something has to be done before we're out there for 5+ hours....
I love being on the course, but standing watching some monkey swinging like a windmill before every shot is'nt good viewing...............

 

[jammydodger]

Totally agree with Clubchamp on this one. Met and played with a guy last Sunday for first time , he was off 17. Every bloomin shot he had to go through this torturous routine of several practice swings and regripping etc. It did my head in and we had to let 3 groups through us during the round purely cos this bloke was fannying about.

I'd like to throttle the coaches who give high h/c amateurs advice on these preshot routines that take up to a minute to complete and all they do is knobble 150 yds and then start all over again

I'm sure they'd benefit more from just wacking it without all these daft things going on in their heads...sigh.

 

[Ken_A]

I'm sure they'd benefit more from just wacking it without all these daft things going on in their heads...sigh.

I play with 2 lads (different days) who have really long PSR's and I swear to god it kills me - they take so long but the results are good. Perhaps to others however, they are poor golfers - in general I try to push them along but fap me it really annoys me.
I do think we should have a good PSR - but it should only be a few seconds long.

One fella does the following-
Addresses ball
Holds club horizontal to see feet position
Places club along shoulders so see aim position
puts club along back - to ensure its straight
waggles club
places club head in front of the ball
takes really fast back swing
decelerates into ball
hits it forward - watches all of the flight (even if destined for fairway)
keeps finish
remarks on flight (nice draw - bloody hook)
searches for tee
And thats about 1.5mins long every shot is the same - and you really dont want to see the putting PSR.

This may sound like a lot of time wasting but to be totally honest he now hits most fairways and greens - with his handicap being due to the poor pitching and 3putts on most greens - so this long boring PSR actually saves time.

Played last night with the same lad and we played 18 in 3 hours 15 mins with me hitting 2 off each tee - he managed 7 pars, 1 birdie, 1 double and the rest where bogies. (18 handicap)

So the long PSR does have a place but fap me I wish they could be compressed a bit.

 

[GB72]

There is a bloke that I play with occasionally who takes an age to chose a club before going in to a long pre-shot routine. On Sunday I could honestly that I could have worked out the club he was going to need before he reached his ball but he still had to spend a couple of minutes dithering over his bag and changing clubs. I try to hurry him along but it is not easy.

As for his pre-shot routine, he is always complaining that he needs to make changes to his swing but can never seem to do it. i always thought that the purpose of a routine is to try and drill consistency into you so if you stick by the same routine, set up etc then changes will never happen.