Slow play again

[Teebs]

My course has cleared out lots of scrubland under trees that caused an issue for lost balls.

Still a penalty if your balls lands in these areas as you need to avoid trees etc, but at least you can walk to the ball 9 times out of 10.

 

[Oddsocks]

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?

Back to the topic as it’s another detailed thread. It’s great to see a club taking an approach. The fact that the alarm sounds takes all conflict, awkwardness and accusations of poor sportsmanlike behaviour out of the equation.

I’d be interested to hear how this goes

 

[Singlefiguregokfer]

A friend of mine used to have a 5 minute timer function on his trolley. Do any have the same but 3 minutes?

 

[jim8flog]

Really ? You have 4.5 hours. But 5 hours means you give up the game.
Catastrophising ?

Most of my rounds are around the 3.5 hour mark as a 4 ball. On a personal note I consider any round over 4 hours to be a slow round.

Yes I do not think my body would take being out on the course for 5 hours every time I play and I would therefore give up or join a 9 hole course.

I think the one of the big problems (based upon experience) is that slow players think there is nothing wrong with being slow. I had one mate even say that.

 

[clubchamp98]

Baffles me.
Midweek people get around in 3.50 hrs .
But put a card in their hands and it’s 4.30 hrs.

The same people playing the same course
Maybe they are being more careful and trying not to make mistakes.

 

[SteveW86]

Baffles me.
Midweek people get around in 3.50 hrs .
But put a card in their hands and it’s 4.30 hrs.

The same people playing the same course
Maybe they are being more careful and trying not to make mistakes.

So not only are they playing slowly, they also don’t put GP cards in during the week. Disgusting behaviour

 

[clubchamp98]

So not only are they playing slowly, they also don’t put GP cards in during the week. Disgusting behaviour

Not quite .
They put GP cards in but can do it in 3.50 hrs that’s what baffles.
Competition cards must be heavier or something.!
It’s the same culprits every week.

I do think clubs know who these people are ( one of ours was the Captain)

 

[Backsticks]

I think the one of the big problems (based upon experience) is that slow players think there is nothing wrong with being slow.

And there isnt anything wrong with being slow. Thats just a relative term employed by those who are faster, have ordained themselves as right, and are quite offensive and discriminatory against those who dont conform to the world as they want it, and seemed to have granted themselves an automatic superiority, that makes them correct.

 

[Backsticks]

Let's face what we've all known that slow play is simply bad manners and oafish behaviour. It's not illegal though like not washing your hands and flushing the toilet, or being a drunken bore.
We can call it out for what it is oafish and lacking in respect for others but it's hard to change.

This maybe a feeling from those who dont believe anyone should play at a slower pace than they have declared acceptable.
It is downright offensive.

 

[Billysboots]

The point is, given the choice, I agree with you, I think most players would rather be in front of a slow group than behind them.
I also think the same could be said for slow groups, they'd rather be behind faster players so not pushed all the way round. (see post 109)
So sprinters out first, slower players out towards the end.
If, for any reason, a slow player needs to go out early then fine but they are probably not going to enjoy their game. The same goes for sprinters going out last.

It may take a few comps but I think everyone would work out which group they enjoy the most without being told when they can and can't play.

With the exception of team events, all our comps are drawn.

There is one 4-ball who, when playing as a team, are notoriously slow. They will ALWAYS lose well over a hole on the group in front.

We had a team event three weeks ago when they were second out. The event wasn’t drawn - they booked that slot. Despite it being slow in front of the comp, with the first group out being held up, the second group still managed to lose nearly two holes on them by the middle of the back nine. It backed up so badly behind the second group that players in later groups were walking off the course.

Cue a flurry of complaints about the second group. We expected our committee to sit on their hands and shy away from any positive intervention, as they so often do at times like this. Much to our surprise they have taken the group to task and told them that, until such time as they can see the error of their ways and play at a decent pace, they will play at the back of the field in team events. Furthermore, if any of them are drawn together in other comps, the committee have said they will redraw to prevent them playing together.

 

[Singlefiguregokfer]

This maybe a feeling from those who dont believe anyone should play at a slower pace than they have declared acceptable.
It is downright offensive.

I agree, everyone should mess around, be unprepared, chat and play at their own pace.
Damn those who are sensible, don’t mess around, are prepared, & their shot prep while others are playing their shots etc.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Golfing logic.
If the time taken to play 18 holes has doubled in 60 years by 2084 it will take 10 hours to play a round of golf.

 

[Backache]

This maybe a feeling from those who dont believe anyone should play at a slower pace than they have declared acceptable.
It is downright offensive.

I have no idea who is offended but time on the course is a shared resource. People who take up more of a shared resource are by definition being selfish.

 

[Backsticks]

I have no idea who is offended but time on the course is a shared resource. People who take up more of a shared resource are by definition being selfish.

You are saying that sliwer players are displaying bad manners and oafish behaviour. That is offensive.

The logic on the shared resource is utterly flawed. They are not selfish. Are 90s shooters selfish, and 70s shooters are not ? Or are 70s shooters selfish from the perspective of a 65 shooter ?

 

[Backsticks]

Just in from a 4 hrs 40 mins fourball round btw. The group ahead was a bit slower than us. We probably would have bee 4:20-4:30 taking out the waiting.
The sky did not fall on our heads.

 

[jim8flog]

And there isnt anything wrong with being slow. Thats just a relative term employed by those who are faster, have ordained themselves as right, and are quite offensive and discriminatory against those who dont conform to the world as they want it, and seemed to have granted themselves an automatic superiority, that makes them correct.

I play with 2 different groups of about 20 players, 19 of each group all agree that one player within each group is a very slow player.
Are you saying that the one player should dictate the speed of the other 19?

Or are you arguing for the sake of arguing to gee every body up?

 

[Mandofred]

Went out early this morning...not many around the course. We just said the hell with it....5 of us....go (5 ball...gasp....dodged the lightning strikes). 4 hrs. Didn't hurry at all....in fact we were held up for a while by the 3 and 2 ball groups in front of us. It's just the little things that slow groups/people down.....but they repeat them over and over and over without caring. Empathy is missing from the people who think that 4:30-5hrs is ok. Oh....and I got 40pts.....zing.

 

[Mandofred]

I play with 2 different groups of about 20 players, 19 of each group all agree that one player within each group is a very slow player.
Are you saying that the one player should dictate the speed of the other 19?

Or are you arguing for the sake of arguing to gee every body up?

Yes.....that is what he is saying. It's everybody else's fault, not the slow person.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I think it would be interesting to know how many high handicappers you actually have playing in comps. The perception is probably greater than the reality. (I don't intend that you actually look this up but I know from past experience of threads when this has come up that the actual number of h/h playing comps is actually very low. So low that they really don't impact many other groups)

Out of interest l checked last Saturdays medal. And exactly 1/3 of entrants had a handicap of 19 or more. No idea how that might compare with other clubs, but I guess that that ratio is typical for comps at my club.

 

[The Fader]

No individual can be the arbiter of what constitutes "slow" play. Everyone will have their own subjective opinion.

It should be down for each course to set an acceptable speed of play criteria based on the course's playing characteristics, historical information and common sense.

That could be 3 hours or it could be 4.5 hours. And that could vary depending on the time of day, the format being played etc.

Then players know what is expected and more importantly what to expect. Don't want a 4.25 hour round? - play elsewhere or at a different time!

But courses need to be prepared to enforce their own timeframes by penalising players who won't or can't comply. Start with a warning for a first offence, then a 1 shot penalty, then a 2 shot penalty and then a imposition of when they can play. Not many golfers will offend more than twice!! I accept this is easier to apply to members playing in comps than visitors - but anecdotally it seems to be card in hand rounds that start stretching round times.

That, in my view would solve 90% of issues for 90% of players. There's no pleasing some folks, so as long as you cater for the vast majority - you are heading in the right direction.

As a side note, I have as much of a problem with the outlier fast players as I do with the genuine slowcoaches.