Slow play again

[rosecott]

I know we had a couple of threads last year but I couldn't be bothered to resurrect them.

Our management has decided to give all members - free - one of these timers used at Woodhall Spa.

They are pre-set for 3 minutes at which time an alarm sounds.

Chances of success in helping with slow play?

 

[chellie]

I know we had a couple of threads last year but I couldn't be bothered to resurrect them.

Our management has decided to give all members - free - one of these timers used at Woodhall Spa.

They are pre-set for 3 minutes at which time an alarm sounds.

Chances of success in helping with slow play?

Hopefully will stop cheating in competitions as imo anyone who spends longer the 3 minutes looking for a ball is one.

 

[Backache]

A good initiative, but I suspect spending over three minutes looking for balls is not a major cause of slow play.

 

[Pants]

I know we had a couple of threads last year but I couldn't be bothered to resurrect them.

Our management has decided to give all members - free - one of these timers used at Woodhall Spa.

They are pre-set for 3 minutes at which time an alarm sounds.

Chances of success in helping with slow play?

 

[BiMGuy]

People won’t use them as they don’t like calling people out on looking for balls.

At the weekend we followed 3 groups of 4 who were playing a 2 ball scramble. We teed off well after them and waited every hole from the 3rd tee. The group we were behind was well over a hole behind the group in front of them.

It took well over 2 hours to play the front 9. Under and hour and a half the back after the scramble groups went in.

They knew we were there and waiting but didn’t let us through.

I think they also had a rule that meant they weren’t allowed to be more than 10 yards from each other at any time.

 

[Backsticks]

Chances of success in helping with slow play?

Zilch. Nobody wants to be the wonk timing looking for a ball. Nobody wants to be stuck playing with a wonk with a timer.
Even if you are, then the choreography to look for a ball will just lose any time gained in the actual search. No more one person looking for a ball while others in the group play their shots, look for another ball, or put the cover back on their iron. The whole group will have to be assembles close to - but not close enough yet to risk actually being accused of searching - and then starting the clock as all start searching.

The issue of slow play is closed. Golf is slow now. Nobody wants to row back on lasers, shot procedure, aimpoint, slow motion practice swings, fiddling with shot tracker watches and apps, etc. Just accept 18 holes if 5 hours minimum, and dont get upset if it edges towards 6. And enjoy the game. In the new normal.

 

[Mandofred]

The issue of slow play is closed. Golf is slow now. Nobody wants to row back on lasers, shot procedure, aimpoint, slow motion practice swings, fiddling with shot tracker watches and apps, etc. Just accept 18 holes if 5 hours minimum, and dont get upset if it edges towards 6. And enjoy the game. In the new normal.

The sky is falling!!......not. Little over 4 hrs is a normal 4 ball anywhere I've been a member. 5hr rounds? Can't see it happening, and none of the excuses for slow play you mentioned are what cause slow play.

 

[IanM]

Lapsed time is almost irrelevant...

It's how long you're stood behind some snails, watching them faff about when they should be playing golf.

I dont think the 3 mins issue is a sliw play one, just a rules one

The timers might be a good idea... if everyone has one! Everyone in the group can be "that bloke" playing by the Rules

I can see it becoming an in joke about synchronising timers.

 

[Tashyboy]

Is there a ruling for how long you can look for the small green tees. Lost loads this last few weeks

 

[Slab]

I know we had a couple of threads last year but I couldn't be bothered to resurrect them.

Our management has decided to give all members - free - one of these timers used at Woodhall Spa.

They are pre-set for 3 minutes at which time an alarm sounds.

Chances of success in helping with slow play?

Do you reckon your club has/had a particular problem with the typical length of search by players? Will they also loan/hire these out to visitors?

I suppose any effort is positive but if its in isolation (e.g 3 min strictly enforced but groups still start on 1st when group in front out of range) I reckon it'll not help much

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

People won’t use them as they don’t like calling people out on looking for balls.

At the weekend we followed 3 groups of 4 who were playing a 2 ball scramble. We teed off well after them and waited every hole from the 3rd tee. The group we were behind was well over a hole behind the group in front of them.

It took well over 2 hours to play the front 9. Under and hour and a half the back after the scramble groups went in.

They knew we were there and waiting but didn’t let us through.

I think they also had a rule that meant they weren’t allowed to be more than 10 yards from each other at any time.

Never really get this as it’s not difficult or awkward to simply say ‘I think that that’s your three minutes…’ All you are doing is stating a rule just as you’d help when determining such as a NPR.

 

[BiMGuy]

Never really get this as it’s not difficult or awkward to simply say ‘I think that that’s your three minutes…’ All you are doing is stating a rule just as you’d help when determining such as a NPR.

Oh, I fully agree, but there are many who won’t.

I had a chap call me unsportsmanlike and get very upset with me for calling time on him looking for a ball.
It didn’t help that he found his ball on the way back to his bag

 

[Backsticks]

Never really get this as it’s not difficult or awkward to simply say ‘I think that that’s your three minutes…’ All you are doing is stating a rule just as you’d help when determining such as a NPR.

You can only call that if you have timed it. If its gut feeling, it isnt worth anything.

 

[Orikoru]

You're not going to fix slow play, people will take as long as they take. We all just need to keep hammering the message that you let faster groups through. So many people still have these preconceived notions and excuses like; they can't let you through because there's a four ball in front of them, or because they're playing a match/competition, or because a 'single player has no standing' or some other nonsense.

I don't really think looking for balls longer than 3 minutes is in the top 5 reasons for slow play.

 

[Mandofred]

I don't really think looking for balls longer than 3 minutes is in the top 5 reasons for slow play.

I agree. A few years ago at my old course, the admin got together and decided to really push for speeding things up. The usual things like putting a sign at the 9th tee stating what a 3 ball/4 ball etc SHOULD take to get there. They also simply starting naming and shaming a little bit. That's the only way I think you can solve the problem. People know who the really slow players are. If after a few warnings they just won't speed up....name and shame. I really don't think they will like being publicly acknowledged to be among the slower people on the course. It's either that or shut up and deal with slow play since you are not willing to DO something about it (this is for the course management to step in). Just me (or you) yelling at someone doesn't seem to work very well.

 

[bobmac]

Just accept 18 holes if 5 hours minimum, and dont get upset if it edges towards 6. And enjoy the game. In the new normal.

If that is the case, (and I doubt it is) I'm glad I don't play any more.

 

[BiMGuy]

If that is the case, (and I doubt it is) I'm glad I don't play any more.

It’s not the case at all apart from exceptional circumstances.

 

[bobmac]

It’s not the case at all apart from exceptional circumstances.

I'm sure you're right.
My questions on this subject are always the same... ''Who decides what is slow play and why do they think they have the right to tell people to play faster?
If I can't walk very fast or I enjoy a leisurely stroll and I've paid my subs, don't tell me to play faster.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I'm sure you're right.
My questions on this subject are always the same... ''Who decides what is slow play and why do they think they have the right to tell people to play faster?
If I can't walk very fast or I enjoy a leisurely stroll and I've paid my subs, don't tell me to play faster.

That's absolutely fine as long as you are not holding up others. As soon as you do that, you are the problem and you either need to play faster or keep letting people through.

 

[bobmac]

That's absolutely fine as long as you are not holding up others. As soon as you do that, you are the problem and you either need to play faster or keep letting people through.

Not necessarily.

It would be wrong to ask everyone to play at the speed of the slowest players, so having a slow group tee off first in the monthly medal would be a nightmare.
The solution is simple.
Don't have slow players going out early.