Slow Play (Again)

[HomerJSimpson]

Just seen this and their eight points make a lot of sense but surely this is just basic etiquette and there is nothing here that isn't being done...... is there?

http://nationalclubgolfer.com/features/articles/blog/eight-solutions-for-the-slow-play-problem.html

 

[Heidi]

we were a two ball behind a 4 ball today - they were super speedy, we only caught up with them the once! and then they motored on again

whereas yesterday a 2 ball had to let us thro

some people are just slow!

 

[mikevet]

I agree, some people are just slow on the course (and probably slow about everything else too), especially if they don't appear to have any awareness of anyone or anything around them and no idea of basic etiquette. I feel bad if I think I may be holding other players up, even though I generally play at a pretty respectable rate and they may just be even faster. I'd rather call through than let worrying about faster players behind affect my game and enjoyment.

 

[nufc86]

i like the break into a pretend jog

 

[Slicer30]

I tend to agree with the 4 ball idea.

Have played my last 3 rounds in 2 or 3 balls. Its much more enjoyable than being the 4 ball thats holding everyone up.

 

[SwingSlow]

Our club has installed a number of clocks at various tees around the course that show the tee time you should have been on if you arrive at that point, so if you get to the 5th tee and the clock is showing 9:20 when you teed off at 9:30 then you are 10 minutes behind and need to speed up. Easy check to make.

 

[Foxholer]

Disagree with the 'Don't play in 4s' idea as a means to speed up play. While quicker for a particular 3-ball, It means that fewer can play overall.

If a 4 ball takes 4 hours to play on a busy course, 3 balls would have to get around in 3 hours to get the same number of players around. This just does not happen - the saving is normally about 40mins. So 'all 4-balls' are the most 'efficient' method.

They also missed the obvious, to me. method of speeding up play. Walk faster between shots! While those points might save 30secs total per hole - 10 mins say a round, which is OK but not spectacular, there is far greater benefit to be had by walking quickly between the shots - quite possibly 2-3 mins per hole - which equates to 35 to 55 mins which is really significant! And it's much better for you as well!

And, where possible, play in groups that hit the ball similar distances. In my experience, it's this that makes for slowest play as significant differences mean that everybody stops/waits at player 1's ball, then at next etc. So, while no player is actually slow, the etiquette of not disturbing other players works against the group. Normally 2 Men and 1 Lady, however good, take longer to get round than a relatively matched Men's or Ladies 4-ball!

 

[JustOne]

And, where possible, play in groups that hit the ball similar distances. In my experience, it's this that makes for slowest play as significant differences mean that everybody stops/waits at player 1's ball, then at next etc!

I find this the slowest thing too... even more frustrating as I often have to wait for the group in front to get far enough out of the way in case I hit them... making me look slow as if i'm just hanging around with nothing better to do... then i have to watch all 3 partners play their 2nd (sometimes 3rd) shots before even getting to my ball... then I have all 3 watching me...and again that makes me look slow and I generally end up with the least time to actually prepare for my shot after watching all 3 others put their gloves on... have 3 practice swings each.. line up then top it 70yds.. .take their gloves of.... and repeat..... fun fun fun!!

 

[Slab]

The linked list is boring at best and utter tosh at worst

As usual with these things it reads from the writers perspective as he views perceived faults with other players & is the same points being trotted out for years & won't change the pace of play to any notable extent

Again as usual with these lists he places no blame at the door of his club/course for their failings that actually determine the overall pace of play and all listed points refer to what you can do & not what he does to improve his pace of play (because as mentioned no-one really meets a player that openly admits to causing slow play)

The list is full of tiny tweaks and nothing meaningfull is being offered to combat the overall time needed to play a round, he even has the audacity to call them commandments promising a three hour round, so who can plame players who follow this and still take 4-5 hours to then disregard their impact!

Edit to add: I don't deny that he starts the blog attempting to accept some of the blame by using the we, but the tone and text quickly reveal the true intent

 

[Smiffy]

I find this the slowest thing too... even more frustrating as I often have to wait for the group in front to get far enough out of the way in case I hit them... making me look slow as if i'm just hanging around with nothing better to do... then i have to watch all 3 partners play their 2nd (sometimes 3rd) shots before even getting to my ball... then I have all 3 watching me...and again that makes me look slow and I generally end up with the least time to actually prepare for my shot after watching all 3 others put their gloves on... have 3 practice swings each.. line up then top it 70yds.. .take their gloves of.... and repeat..... fun fun fun!!

Can you not find a club where everybody plays off scratch James????? Sounds like you'd enjoy it more

 

[pokerjoke]

Can you not find a club where everybody plays off scratch James????? Sounds like you'd enjoy it more

Nice to know how you feel about your playing partners James.
However i agree with the point about hitting long.
I played with a guy on saturday who generally hits the ball miles,on every second shot we had
to wait for him,as he felt he needed the green ahead clear,even for shots 250 yrds away.
He felt he could reach every time,he didnt once,however he could have.
It slowed us down considerably,but what could we do?

 

[Junior]

I do think the one thing that would help reduce slow play no end is course marshalling and also a bit of organisation in the pro shop.

This weekend I was at Carden park in Chester on a Sunday / Monday dinner b&b deal. Yesterday we tee'd off at 0930 and our 4 ball was behind a 2 ball, that was soon a couple of holes ahead. However, there was a 3 ball behind us , then 2 x 2 balls behind them and then another 3 ball.

We got round in 4 hours (and caught up the 2 ball on the 15th) , however, near the end of the front 9 , the group behind did have a short wait on the 9th tee. Luckily, the half way house broke things up a bit and we didnt hold them up again until the short par 3 15th, when the gimme putts were becoming a bit less generous

Normally I'd have let them through, however, we were making a conscious effort to not play slowly and we decided not too let them through as we would have had to let the 3 more smaller groups through at the very least. The 2 x 2 ball's would probably have arrived on the tee whilst we were waiting and probably the three ball also. I went in the pro shop after and explained to the staff that they should have joined up the 2 x 2 balls, we could have let the 3 ball through but the young man explained that people don't like to be joined up into 4 balls these days.....go figure. I'd certainly rather play in a nicely paced 4 ball.

I spoke to a guy in the group behind to after we had finished and he was very understanding and said that they didn't have to wait too long at all, and thanked us for our pace of play. However, for me , knowing that we were being pressed, did detract from the enjoyment of the round.

 

[Foxholer]

Nice to know how you feel about your playing partners James.
However i agree with the point about hitting long.
I played with a guy on saturday who generally hits the ball miles,on every second shot we had
to wait for him,as he felt he needed the green ahead clear,even for shots 250 yrds away.
He felt he could reach every time,he didnt once,however he could have.
It slowed us down considerably,but what could we do?

Actually, that indicates that you were actually catching the guys in front back up. So, unless the guys ahead were actually slow, your 'safety first' guy was doing the course a favour - or at least not causing a problem.

Going through groups, while good etiquette, normally causes a bit of chaos - unless at half-way-house. Someone normally scuds their most reliable shot!

Think Pro shops should at least offer consecutive 2-balls the option of joining up when 4-balls are in front.

Best days are on a sunny day, in a 3-ball with a 2-ball in front and a 4-ball behind. Too often it's been dreich, in a 4-ball with a 3-ball and 2-ball behind!