Slow play…….

[PJ87]

The good old slow play debate.

We really drag this one out ...

I'll get my coat

 

[r0wly86]

a few things that cause slow play IMO some of which have been highlighted already.

One thing that infuriated me at my course in Devon was that on the 12th drives would often end up in front of the 13th tee that cam back in the other direction. People on the 12th would state that they had right of way as the 13th hadn't teed off yet and so no ball in play.

But by doing this, they slowed down the 13th, so that those players were not cleared by the time the players on the 12th finished, causing them to wait on the tee.

You do that on 3 or 4 holes and there is wave propagation and everything get's slowed down.

Some days the course is just log jammed, not a lot you can do about that. Other time it is one or two groups that are slowing everyone up, and refuse to call through

 

[Lump]

I can manage slow play at times, having decent playing partners helps. This was tested while on holiday recently.
On both occasions we got stuck behind multiple groups of German holiday makers of varying ages. 5hrs 20mins for 18 holes, they even had buggies. They backed the whole course up, at one point we had 6 groups on a par4. Didn’t seem the slightest bit bothered. Course didn’t care when we complained, they paid full price for the golf….

 

[fundy]

Theres a lot of reasons, not always the same but the big contributors for me are:

No education of new golfers as to what is expected of them in terms of etiquette (and refreshers for those who have forgotten!!) compared to the more selfish attitudes of some these days . Used to be very clear what was expected in terms of pace of play, letting groups through, looking after the course etc, nowadays people just argue theyve paid theyre money theyll do as they like

Tee times too close together cramming too many people on the course. At my last course you often saw three groups on the first, one on the green one in the fairway and one on or walking off the tee. Would usually be another group or two on the tee and they would tee off as soon as clear.

Courses set up that slow things down. Either bottle necks through course design or course condition being overly penal for amateur golfers

Modern golfers, egos and copying the tour pros or being taught by teaching pros to incorporate PSRs, over assessing shots etc

 

[Smiffy]

It's not always the players fault to be fair. I consider myself to be a fairly quick player, and tend to play with guys who are fairly quick themselves. I played in a club competition at Cooden one day, and it was painfully slow. I was spitting feathers. The reason??? The first cut of rough had been allowed to grow longer than usual, and a ball rolling just a foot off the fairway was almost impossible to find. I actually emailed the secretary about it, I was so annoyed. Not something I would usually do.

 

[CountLippe]

I think of two types of slow play. firstly, bad golf... more shots, more looking for balls, more time spent. Not alot you can do about that.
Secondly, is the general faffing about. Whether that be absurd pre shot routines / practice swings, walking slow or not being ready when its your turn.

My question is this. Your paired with notorious slow player(s). How do you deal with it during the round and not let it put you off your game? I find myself conscious of losing ground to the group in front, rushing my shots and cursing under my breath. I rarely play well.

 

[Oddsocks]

You don't mention what distance you were covering for these rounds/courses? For all we know 3.45 might be on the painful side of slow

I did say that both times were around the same course, the addington and this was pre Alton wood before all the woods had been cleared for speed of play.

 

[GB72]

From what I used to see the main causes for me were:

1. Groups with a general slow pace chatting away where the golf almost seemed secondary. No problem with that but let people play through.
2. Losing a ball and not letting groups through whilst searching.
3. General faf, pre shot routines etc.
4. Worst aspect for me, time spent on the green. I have seen groups that are quick tee to green but then spend an age over putts, marking, discussing who is to play next etc.
5. Those who insist on playing every shot when they cannot score

None of these are serious offences but the fact that golfers and the media have vilified slow play so much that to be accused of it is seen as an affront to someone's manhood means that nobody is going to admit to being slow or let people through and the mere accusation of slow play is enough to bring groups near to blows. Sadly, the anti slow play lobby has become its own worst enemy by harping on so much that any suggestion fo slow play is seen as an insult on par with questioning the virtue of their mother.

 

[Deleted member 23270]

Are we talking slow golfers or just people that may play a bit slower than you? Consideration in society goes both ways and some people may have longer to be out in the fresh air and not need to be back in the house within 3 hours. They may see their golf as social time and don't want people driving the green just as they are putting the flag in, etc

This is just a view on the issue and does not in anyway condone those who dawdle around for 5 hours!

I'm talking slow golfers, what are you talking about?

 

[patricks148]

Slow play in golf is just an extension of modern life. Lack of awareness and consideration for others.

This.
I've noticed over the last few years at mine the pace of play has really slowed down. In the non drawn comps my 3 reg playing partners were able to get round in 3 hours at around 9am no problem.

As has been mentioned people used to know about course etiquette and it was something that everyone knew about. I see a lot of guys playing who have little or no clue on pace of play, where and when you should let people through.

 

[Dando]

it's caused by those who use Pink Castle Tees

 

[Pants]

Be it walking faster, doing something about drawn out PSR (incl glove on/off), leaving bag/trolley in suitable place, marking card on tee rather than green, course set up, etc, etc, if each golfer in a 3 ball spent 15 seconds less per shot, then about an hour would be saved over a round. A guy I used to play with many years ago, when he had reached his ball would faff about and take at least 45 secs before playing his shot. Reduce that by half and 30 mins or so would have been saved on the round by him alone. Unnecessarily long PSR's are the work of the devil.

 

[Newtonuti]

From what I've seen at the courses I've played, slow play is either due to losing balls and spending an age looking without calling groups through, or people messing about on the greens. I never seem to see groups fannying about on tee boxes. 4 hours is a good kind of average time, but I've played rounds taking 6 before, where we've actually walked off the course.

 

[Pants]

Oh! Forgot to mention calling groups through. This can (and usually does) slow you and the whole field behind you by 5 - 10 minutes. Just speed up ffs.

 

[IanM]

I don't know. You always get the old boys who say in their day a four-ball would get round in 2.5 hours or something daft, and I just don't see how it's possible

Watch the pre 1970s videos of the pros. From arrival at their ball to hitting, it took under 30 seconds. Now it is a several mins of staring into the distance on a hole they've played all week plus practice rounds! Multiply that by every shot, there's your difference.

This has leaked into the club game. Various stuff that slows it up, all mentioned on here ad nauseum. But of course, no one is guilty.

And, your 3 hour round would be seen a running regardless of how short the course is. Some courses take longer, There are walks between holes, the rough is tough etc etc. But, one thing is sure. If you ever get held up, the lot in front will be doing some or most of the stuff we all moan about!

 

[Orikoru]

Watch the pre 1970s videos of the pros. From arrival at their ball to hitting, it took under 30 seconds. Now it is a several mins of staring into the distance on a hole they've played all week plus practice rounds! Multiply that by every shot, there's your difference.

This has leaked into the club game. Various stuff that slows it up, all mentioned on here ad nauseum. But of course, no one is guilty.

And, your 3 hour round would be seen a running regardless of how short the course is. Some courses take longer, There are walks between holes, the rough is tough etc etc. But, one thing is sure. If you ever get held up, the lot in front will be doing some or most of the stuff we all moan about!

The pro game has certainly changed, that's for sure. Perhaps for amateurs tech such as distance measuring devices have added a few minutes here and there but I don't think it accounts for like an hour more. Most people can look at a device as they're walking up, or somebody else is hitting.

 

[GB72]

The pro game has certainly changed, that's for sure. Perhaps for amateurs tech such as distance measuring devices have added a few minutes here and there but I don't think it accounts for like an hour more. Most people can look at a device as they're walking up, or somebody else is hitting.

Some club pros have a hand in the delays. I remember many years ago having a lesson and being chastised for not having a pre shot routine and then spent an age teaching me an overly long, exagerated routine. Same with a putting lesson, the amount of time that the pro wanted me to take over even the shortest putt was embarassing.

 

[SteveW86]

I'n not sure there is anything to add to this debate. I think I'm quite lucky as we dont really suffer from slow play at our place, its a short course and no real rough to speak of, so only a few occasions where you can struggle to find a ball.

Just be ready to play when its your turn to hit, walk at a decent speed and dont faff about on the tees, that would solve the vast majority of issues I think.

 

[IanM]

@Orikoru I wish my mate Phil would do his lasering when he walks!?? He wont do anything until it is his turn to play. We've told him, he doesn't care. Often we walk off and leave him behind. Ready golf isn't in his vocabulary

I'm sure there's a generation of golfers who grew up and first saw the tour on Sky, and mirror the behaviour.

 

[oleinone]

For me, it's not being ready to play when it's your turn. Some people don't even start to think of club selection when it should be in their hand. Fannying aboout on the green,lining up the stripe on the ball , dangling the putter - I can't wait for the latest nonsense of planting your feet to feel the borrow to catch on. Not carrying on and knocking a short one in but insisting on marking the ball. Not picking up when you've racked up a cricket score. I could go on.