** Pace of play ** Forumers' opinions wanted!

[USER1999]

Thanks for the reply Krokodil, all becomes clear. My only gripe with it is that the trolley comment re: being marshalled round greens, should only really apply in winter (topical), but for most of the year I can't see a difference, and so as a number one cause of slow play is a bit obtuse.

However, if that is how you feel, fine, no probs.

Today, I experimented with a pull trolley. SLOW. People really should go electric. All the things I normally do while walking were impossible. Club head cleaning, putting head covers on, marking card, putting clubs back in bag, looking at gps (new and novel), marking golf balls, finding replacement tees, etc, all have to be done before starting to walk. Solved by going electric or carrying.

 

[StruanM]

to many golfers starting the game will watch the pros play 5hour+ rounds and assume it's the done thing


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In the bag

Titleist D2
Titleist 904F 15',18'
Titleist 962b irons
Titleist Scotty Newport 2

 

[USER1999]

Played today, in a four ball, and for all the golfers out there who think 4 1/2 hours is reasonable, what the heck do you do to spend that long? We were 4 hours 40, waited on every shot, tried walking slowly, tried faffing about on the greens, tried losing balls, it is impossible to play this slowly. Just don't get it. Also, two of our 4 were over 65, one is 70 odd.

 

[TonyN]

I really think it depends on the course and the ability of the players Murph, I play with a 25er and altough we try get round swiftly, when he is in the 4 ball with another 25er, they take longer because they take more shots, especially on the harder courses!

 

[Junior]

Player related . . .

people not playing a provisional ball and having to sprint back to the tee after a fruitless 5 minutes search !!

Having a course full of 2 / 3 / 4 balls, inevitably a group of 4 wont let the 2 ball through the course !

Excessive time spent reading greens

Course related

Excessive rough height
No call through holes sign posted
Not implementing a booking system

Timings (medal left, stableford right)
2ball - 3.5 hours - 3 hours
3ball - 4 hours - 3.5 hurs
4ball - 4.5 - 4 hours

 

[Socorox56]

I appreciate that you want to categorise and be scientific - no problem.

However without a doubt the main cause of slow play is a players mind set,not their ability.

There is a clear reluctance to pressure group's ahead that are playing slowly.

Example, I was recently in a club competition where we have a blind drive. My playing partner hit left and was told by an adjacent group with a line of sight that the ball would be lost close to a prominent bush (if you were stood by the bush when the ball landed it would still not have been found!). A provisional was then played (good move) which also sailed left.
On arriving my playng partner considered he was entitled to search for 5 minutes for the first "lost" ball, then a further 5 minutes for the second "lost"ball before eventually returning to the tee to play 5 off.

It was a full 25 minutes between me playing my tee shot, to being able to play my second shot.

On the following hole a long standing committee member asked why we were so slow (rightly so) and was met with the response from my partner that no one was pushing our Group. Technically correct but my partner was oblivious to the fact that further back in the field 2 other groups had left the course/competition as the round was taking far too long.

The message is please keep right up with the group in front so that you can be let through and others behind you get the opportunity to be let through.

I have no problem with golfers taking 4-5 hour rounds (we all began once and need to encourage others)however we MUST NOT inflict our own slow play on other golfers - all I ask is that we show the courtesy we expect ourselves to be shown. There is no need to get defensive if you are playing slow, just recognise it and allow faster players to pass through as soon as possible.

Good luch with the "project"