Rules on letting through the following group(s)?

[Slab]

Trouble is, if you wait past your tee time, there will be congestion behind. We are 7 minutes between slots.

Ouch!

I feel for you and I think we can see why you have 2nd tee pile ups, dunno the course but with a par 5 start they really need to get that out to 10 or 11 minute spacing (at least for a trial period)

'Out of sight out of mind' isn't the best formula for spacing

 

[inc0gnito]

I'd expect a single to catch up and I'd expect the pair to let you through &/or invite you to join them... But jeez what's the tee spacing like if you were waiting from the 1st hole!

It doesn’t really have one. It’s a municipal, so usually you just walk on or they say “there’s a group in front”, so just go when there is space.

 

[clubchamp98]

groups going out before their alloted time doesnt help either, I as waiting for a friend on the tee and a group who were after us asked afew times if they could go, meaning they would have gone off a few mins before my time.
Me and friend went off on time and had I not waited by the tee we would have had a group between us and the group who when off at the correct time ahead of us.

Can’t you be DQ for teeing off early?
Was it a comp? if so you can’t tee off early you must tee off at your allotted time ,unless this has changed.

 

[rulefan]

Can’t you be DQ for teeing off early?
Was it a comp? if so you can’t tee off early you must tee off at your allotted time ,unless this has changed.

The player must start at (and not before) his or her starting time:
A starting time set by the Committee is treated as an exact time (for example, 9 am means 9:00:00 am, not any time until 9:01 am).
Penalty for Breach of Rule 5.3a: Disqualification,
Exception 2 – Player Starts No More Than Five Minutes Early: The player gets the general penalty applied to his or her first hole.

 

[clubchamp98]

The player must start at (and not before) his or her starting time:
A starting time set by the Committee is treated as an exact time (for example, 9 am means 9:00:00 am, not any time until 9:01 am).
Penalty for Breach of Rule 5.3a: Disqualification,
Exception 2 – Player Starts No More Than Five Minutes Early: The player gets the general penalty applied to his or her first hole.

Yes the op said 7 mins between games so they would be DQ if they went before the game in front .

 

[williamalex1]

We play whenever the starter tells us.

 

[clubchamp98]

We play whenever the starter tells us.

He is the committee representative so he can let you go early.
That’s what I was informed anyway.

 

[Beedee]

We are 7 minutes between slots.

We used to be 8 mins between tee times, and it was common practice to tee off as soon as the landing zone was clear. We had instant congestion as our 2nd is a par 3.

Recently we changed to 9 min gaps, and the riot act was read to the club about not teeing off early. It was very successful in easing congestion, for a few holes anyway. tbh the first group of the day is frequently a fraction early, but mostly moving to 9 mins has been a big success. 7 mins is just asking for trouble.

 

[dronfield]

We got an email like that recently but from what I can see, it’s made no difference. Medals on Saturdays can be painfully slow, and I’m not ripping 200 yards off the tee and running to it, far from it.

We had a similar email - made little difference as folk just either ignored it or assumed it wasnt directed at them.
In reality, at most clubs there will be regular offenders, who people are reluctant to challenge through fear of causing an atmosphere in the clubhouse, or a row escalating on the course etc.
Generally people end up biting their tongues and grumbling amongst themselves.
The lead needs to come from the club - initially having a quiet word with the group(s) at fault, and then taking firmer action if necessary. It should be easy to identify such groups if they are regularly finishing rounds 2/3 holes behind the group in front.

Rich

 

[williamalex1]

I hate slow play and usually play too fast for my own good. But i was a bit saddened last week , while coming of our 1st green.
We met this old guy [about my age ] looking a bit down as he headed back towards the clubhouse with his leccy trolley.
I've seen him about but don't actually know him.
I asked, have you had enough then ?.
He replied, I'm out of breath trying to keep up with them, so i'm just walking in.

Some older guys just can't rush , and can't afford a ride on buggy.
So what's the answer , get them put down , or make them play at night when it's dark along with the blind members

 

[KenL]

Trouble is, if you wait past your tee time, there will be congestion behind. We are 7 minutes between slots.

That may well be the problem. We moved to 9 minute gaps in medals several years ago. Rare now to be held up and 3 ball games take about 3 hours 30.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Thinking that in a full field all groups keeping to the set pace of play - so not playing too fast and not playing too slow, just playing the right speed - is like managed speed on smart motorways. When the motorway is very busy the speed limit will often be reduced to 50mph, and if everyone sticks to this speed limit the traffic tends to flow smoothly. Problems arise when some cars are too slow and others too fast - then we get congestion.

On our place there is no point in teeing off as soon as possible - keep to the start time to maintain the time gap - and charging through the first two holes as the 3rd is a par 3 and a known point of congestion when groups do that.

 

[need_my_wedge]

If your banked up already on the 2nd then your starting intervals aren’t long enough.

This kind of exercise will identify that quickly, especially if you add more tees to the time grid.

We see similar on occasion, especially for later tee times. Our second is a par three, missing the green left can often result in a nasty bounce into trees off the slope. Start times are fine usually, but adding 3 mins to a volume of searches will create delays that can result in two groups waiting on the tee whilst a third is still playing on the green.

 

[Orikoru]

Our tee times are 8 minutes apart when you're booking. But it seems to be approximate when it comes to actually teeing off. Our first is a par 3, and people always just tee off when the green is clear, whether it be 2, 3, 5 minutes before their start time or whatever.

 

[williamalex1]

Wouldn't make much difference at ours, I've seen us catch up groups by the 8th hole who'd teed off 30 mins before us .
We call them the Tortoise sweep and try and get out before them or at least 1 hour behind them, they usually only play 15 holes.

 

[robinthehood]

Can’t you be DQ for teeing off early?
Was it a comp? if so you can’t tee off early you must tee off at your allotted time ,unless this has changed.

It was just a social game.

 

[robinthehood]

Our tee times are 8 minutes apart when you're booking. But it seems to be approximate when it comes to actually teeing off. Our first is a par 3, and people always just tee off when the green is clear, whether it be 2, 3, 5 minutes before their start time or whatever.

Thats the issue i was pointing out. You can end up with 3 or 4 groups compressed in to 1 tee slot

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

It was just a social game.

Indeed it is. So at our place if we race through the 1st and 2nd holes - we know we are almost certainly going to be held up on the 3rd. If we are happy to accept that and don't moan or pressurise the guys in front, then no big deal. But let's be aware that by playing fast and closing a gap when the group in front is playing to pace - we will put pressure on that group - and really we shouldn't.

Our 1st and 2nd are long and tough holes (latter especially) - so it's worth just playing to pace - taking our time.