Slow Play Conundrum

[Slab]

3 others ‘speeding up’ their shots isn’t really gonna work
Telling a slow player he’s slow isn’t really gonna work either

Regardless of what pace the other three of you think you play at, if you guys are losing a hole it’s the ‘group’ that are out of position, not just the slow guy. So if there’s any blame it has to be owned by the group and it’s the groups job to pick up the pace

That means any comments/acknowledgement about being out of position/speeding up etc etc are made by one of the group to the other three players & include themselves

Then you have an agreement as a group to speed up (or not)

 

[Neilds]

Because it’s a golf forum, we talk about all aspects of golf, and just asking if other people have had a similar situation.

Sorry if that came over a bit harsh but some people seem to be afraid of confrontation and upsetting people's feeling nowadays so try to avoid the problem by asking on the internet.
The best way to solve this is to sit down with the guy before your next round and explain to him what he issue is and how to solve it. This may be walk quicker, get ready when others are playing their shot, etc. He is not a mind reader and may not know he is slow or if he does he may not know how to speed up.

 

[PJ87]

Sorry if that came over a bit harsh but some people seem to be afraid of confrontation and upsetting people's feeling nowadays so try to avoid the problem by asking on the internet.
The best way to solve this is to sit down with the guy before your next round and explain to him what he issue is and how to solve it. This may be walk quicker, get ready when others are playing their shot, etc. He is not a mind reader and may not know he is slow or if he does he may not know how to speed up.

Maybe he is hoping the guys reads it and thinks oh dear best speed up

 

[Trapdraw]

3 others ‘speeding up’ their shots isn’t really gonna work
Telling a slow player he’s slow isn’t really gonna work either

Regardless of what pace the other three of you think you play at, if you guys are losing a hole it’s the ‘group’ that are out of position, not just the slow guy. So if there’s any blame it has to be owned by the group and it’s the groups job to pick up the pace

That means any comments/acknowledgement about being out of position/speeding up etc etc are made by one of the group to the other three players & include themselves

Then you have an agreement as a group to speed up (or not)

If someone is slow, there’s nothing the other 3 can do, it’s obvious to people behind the cause of the slow play.
But it’s a touchy subject bringing it up with people. No one likes to be told they are slow and causing issues within the group.

 

[Mandofred]

If he is that slow that's his choice. He's paid his subs, no-one has the right to tell him to play faster.
However if he is losing holes on the group in front and holding people up, he has to call faster players through.
Then he has the choice of speeding up or playing later

The club gets to make the rules. Every club I've been at has something that says if you are slower than xxxx then you are moving too slowly. If the club states it wants you to get around in 4:15 or less.....do it. Individuals don't get to make that decision. I usually start mumbling things like " we are falling behind, we need to speed up".....then maybe "we have a group on our butts, we need to get going". It usually helps a little.

 

[PJ87]

The club gets to make the rules. Every club I've been at has something that says if you are slower than xxxx then you are moving too slowly. If the club states it wants you to get around in 4:15 or less.....do it. Individuals don't get to make that decision. I usually start mumbling things like " we are falling behind, we need to speed up".....then maybe "we have a group on our butts, we need to get going". It usually helps a little.

Problem comes when a group gets round in 4 hours 15 but really they are slow. Held up your group who can do it in 3 hours 30 without the slow group

 

[IanM]

What about his play is slow? Pre shot routine? Walking speed? Not being ready.? Talking when he should be hitting? Etc

Give him feedback he can use?

"Oi Speed Up!" isn't helpful

 

[RichA]

If someone is slow, there’s nothing the other 3 can do, it’s obvious to people behind the cause of the slow play.
But it’s a touchy subject bringing it up with people. No one likes to be told they are slow and causing issues within the group.

Just don't wait for him. As long as it's safe, play your shots and keep walking. If he wants to stay with you he'll be forced to keep up. If he doesn't, he'll get left behind.
We did it with a friend at our old course. We tried banter but it didn't really work. He soon got the message when we were always 100+ yards further up the hole when he got around to taking his shot.

 

[PNWokingham]

We have known someone who is really slow. Often just missing what is going on and taking lots of photos in a world of his own. He knows it but has done nothing to change. If he is not snapping away he is arguing with anyone who will engage and always has to have the last say. Very difficult!

 

[Mandofred]

Problem comes when a group gets round in 4 hours 15 but really they are slow. Held up your group who can do it in 3 hours 30 without the slow group

That's when you let them through. Every club I've been at has been typically at 4 hrs.....4:15 is usually a bit slow.

 

[Morfeen75]

I play with a guy like this and he didnt actually know or believe he was slow and holding up groups until i asked him why is he so slow at playing golf. He was amazed. From that point on he became concientious and kept up with the pace of the others.

Before tearing into him i would approach him and make him aware first. If he fails to improve then it becomes fair game for ribbing him.

 

[PJ87]

That's when you let them through. Every club I've been at has been typically at 4 hrs.....4:15 is usually a bit slow.

Ah see that's 2 weeks on the bounce I've not been let through by slow visitors , within the 4 hour mark but when your a 2 ball and a 3 ball respectively and waiting every single shot you can of expect them to go oh hold on a second

 

[Mandofred]

Ah see that's 2 weeks on the bounce I've not been let through by slow visitors , within the 4 hour mark but when your a 2 ball and a 3 ball respectively and waiting every single shot you can of expect them to go oh hold on a second

It also comes back to the argument about whether you should let a 2 ball through even though the course is crammed and NOBODY is moving very fast. A bunch of guys at my first club insisted you HAD to let a 2 ball through everybody....because they were a 2 ball. I kept pointing out to them it would make a lot more sense then....to book our 4 ball in as 2x2 balls....we could then get around really quick since everybody would have to get out of our way.

 

[PJ87]

It also comes back to the argument about whether you should let a 2 ball through even though the course is crammed and NOBODY is moving very fast. A bunch of guys at my first club insisted you HAD to let a 2 ball through everybody....because they were a 2 ball. I kept pointing out to them it would make a lot more sense then....to book our 4 ball in as 2x2 balls....we could then get around really quick since everybody would have to get out of our way.

Oh don't , this 4 ball nobody was in front of them which made it worse

By the last few holes I'd lost the will but they had a hole all looking for balls and didn't wave us through whilst we were on the tee

So annoying

 

[Arthur Wedge]

It also comes back to the argument about whether you should let a 2 ball through even though the course is crammed and NOBODY is moving very fast. A bunch of guys at my first club insisted you HAD to let a 2 ball through everybody....because they were a 2 ball. I kept pointing out to them it would make a lot more sense then....to book our 4 ball in as 2x2 balls....we could then get around really quick since everybody would have to get out of our way.

Pace of play etiquette is simple

You let the faster groups through

Lost count the amount of times someone has said - we can’t let you through because they are up with the group in front

 

[PNWokingham]

Pace of play etiquette is simple

You let the faster groups through

Lost count the amount of times someone has said - we can’t let you through because they are up with the group in front

If you are up with the group in front all thr time and waiting on shots continually, then your group is faster than someone's group but that might be many groups in front. In that circumstance I would not want to let a 2 ball or anyone else through. I have offered many times to do so in these circumstances and they have always said they are fine and see they can't go anywhere.

In this scenario, a cause ranger or manager needs to identify the issue group and give them.a kick up the arse

 

[GB72]

Pace of play etiquette is simple but also needs some common sense from the clubs. A busy Saturday at my old club was predominantly 3 or 4 balls and the course would be rammed. On that basis, and the club never did, 2 balls should be encouraged to join up to keep the pace of play even. I would go as far as to say on days like that, anything below a 3 ball should lose their standing on the course and accept that they are not the norm on that day and so should accept that they pace of play on the course is that of larger groups. Sometimes letting a few 2 balls through on a crowded course only speeds up the round for those groups whilst potentially holding up all of the larger groups on the course.

I am all for slow play etiquette if you assume that it has to be applied (I am actually of the opinion that a lot of issues on the course are caused by the incessant calls for faster rounds and for people to play through and would actually abolish playing through unless told to do so by a course official) but I also think it needs some tweaking.

As for why someone would ask on here. I have seen some terrible reactions to people being told they are slow on the level of telling someone that you had slept with their wife. People do not take it as simple, rational advise and take it as a massive personal affront. As such, I can see plenty of common sense in asking a group of experienced golfers how they have approached the subject.

 

[Mandofred]

Pace of play etiquette is simple

You let the faster groups through

Lost count the amount of times someone has said - we can’t let you through because they are up with the group in front

That's not quite what I was saying. The course is crammed....not just a group in front of you. This happens from time to time during the summer. How many times have I played in a 3 or 4 ball that was playing faster than a 2 ball.....quite a few times. A 2 ball in back of a 4 ball "should" go faster.....but if everybody is just sitting around waiting on the group in front of them, how do you decide whether the group in back of you is faster? You can't. Yesterday we went out fairly early in a 5 ball. Let a 2 ball through after 4 holes. There was another 2 ball in back of them and they lost ground during the round. The 2 ball we let through was the Capt and his wife. He knows we aren't going to hold people up.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

That's not quite what I was saying. The course is crammed....not just a group in front of you. This happens from time to time during the summer. How many times have I played in a 3 or 4 ball that was playing faster than a 2 ball.....quite a few times. A 2 ball in back of a 4 ball "should" go faster.....but if everybody is just sitting around waiting on the group in front of them, how do you decide whether the group in back of you is faster? You can't. Yesterday we went out fairly early in a 5 ball. Let a 2 ball through after 4 holes. There was another 2 ball in back of them and they lost ground during the round. The 2 ball we let through was the Capt and his wife. He knows we aren't going to hold people up.

A 5 ball

Well that won’t help pace of play

 

[jim8flog]

One of the guys in our group has lots of players who were (still are) getting at him. He even asked others if he was slow but he did not like the answers he got back, I got told "it is not me that is slow, that is you!!" Lots of other players in the club frequently moan about him.

One big problem is that he also has a problem with etiquette and does not let others play through despite having a lot of opportunity to do so.

No matter what he tries he always slips back in to his old ways, too many too list.

As comp/ rules sec one organiser asked me if there was anything in the rules so they could make all the slow players play last but the simple answer is no.