Slow play - Discussion

[One Planer]

We get numerous threads on here over the course of the week about the dreaded slow play. We've all been there, stuck behind a group, waiting on tee's, in the fairway, you get the idea.

My question to you guys is this:

How do you define slow play? What makes somebody a slow player?

People will invariably play at different paces. People who play at a slower pace, will no doubt, not think they are slow, just playing at their own pace.

Likewise with people who have a quick pace and run aroud the course like their hair is on fire. They play at a pace that feels comfortabe to them.

Personally, I don't think slow play exists.

Seriously

Now, wipe your coffee from your computer screen and I'll explain my view.

As I said above people play at their own pace and within themselves. When they get outside that pace, where they feel they are rushing because of a group behind or they are indeed being slowed down by a group in front, is where the problems start.

How many times have you heard

"Well, I was playing OK util we qot stuck behid this group."

Or

"Well, I was playing OK, until the group behind started to push us."

As I said I don't believe slow play exists. If people want to take 6 hour to play a round of golf, fine, they've paid their subs and are entitled to play at a pace they feel comfortabe with. It's the same with the people who want to be done in 3 and a half hours, again, they have paid their subs and are entitled to expect that.

I don't believe pre shot routines, ability, pace of walking contribute to slow play. As I said above, that's people playing at their own place.

What I do believe causes the illusion of slow play is Poor etiquette.

People of all abilities and all speeds not letting groups play through when there is room in front to do so.

If the course is heaving, then it's going to be slow no matter what people do. That, unfortunatley is when you have to accept it's going to be a slow day. By all means still let people through if you feel you're unduely holding them up, or, call people through if you're looking for your/a playing partners ball in the clag. It's surely not that difficult, is it?

If there is a group behind, playing at a quicker rate, let them through. It's that simple for me.

Please feel free to tell me I'm wrong, I love a good debate :thup:

 

[In_The_Rough]

Not letting people through is the main cause IMO. Stop this and your a long way to solving the problem

 

[pokerjoke]

Your wrong imo.
6 hours is ridiculous.
How can a golf club make money if we all took 6 hours.
We went to a 4 man team event yesterday 2 scores to count.
It took 4 hours 10 mins.
One guy complained it was so slow[they scored 67 points].
Imo he blamed slow play for there poor score.
We came to the conclusion that there group were being held up by 2 long hitters.
The reason was the long hitters had to wait longer on tees,and longer on fairways until all was clear.
We also found out that many were playing on when clearly they couldn't score[that is poor etiquette].

 

[JustOne]

People could walk faster.
They could try to keep up with the game in front.
People should call thru more often.
People should understand that those in front might lose a ball or two.
People should not EXPECT play to be super fast, other games on the course might not be a 2-ball matchplay.

 

[DCB]

Saw a perfect example of the problem yesterday afternoon. Last group out in our junior comp had dropped well off the pace. I watched them tee off at the 10th and then went and had a word. One of them has the 'three practice swings before you're ready' routine. We had told him about this earlier in the summer and thought he's curtailed it to a single practice swing. Trouble is, these wee guys watch the pros on tv and see all their antics and try and copy it. They don;'t see anything wrong with it and over 18 holes it causes a lot of wasted time.

 

[Foxholer]

Oh look. A slow play thread.

It must be Monday!

Just apply etiquette and everything works fine.

A 6 hour round is ridiculous, but I've experienced a couple nearly that where etiquette hasn't been applied and there are no marshals to sort it out!

@DCB A couple of practice swings is Ok by me. Better to have 1 more practice swing and hit a good shot than shirk with doubt and hit it into the junk! It's walking quickly between shots that can save the most time. There are a lot of myths about what causes slow play. Even the dreaded marking the scorecards on the green isn't necessarily a cause of slow play - though that's no excuse!

 

[tsped83]

Slow play DOES exist in my opinion and at my club, and from what I've observed, the following two things are the most significant reasons why;

a) Tedious and overly long pre shot routines
b) Too busy talking to playing partners or other golfers on the course. That does my head in.

 

[louise_a]

If the course isn't too busy then people should be aware that they losing pace and let the group behind through. The trouble is if there is a queue behind then letting one group through just causes the ones behind to have to wait longer.

 

[Slab]

I’ve mentioned before that the impact the club has re the pace of play always seems understated to me and it’s the players end up taking the brunt because we’re the ones on the course

Loads of posts on the impact from players etc so I’ll just list my pet annoyances from clubs...

• Incorrect spacing on 1st tee (usual excuse of, it’s a business when they want to cram in tee times but revert to being a club when they want to set rules etc)
• Info on the expected pace for that days play (info from starter, marshals etc, weather impact, pin placements, comp activity etc)
• Limited meaningful advice of general pace on any day for their course (elapsed time noted on scorecard, decent signage)
• Pin positions that don’t reflect the fields playing ability or weather conditions etc or how busy it will be that day
• Length of first cut and full sized rough
• Management of players tee’ing off from the right coloured tee’s for general play V a comp day and considering group ability etc and how full the course is etc

p.s
I tee’d off at 9am on Saturday as a 4 and I’ve no idea when we finished. It didn’t cross my mind for a second. It took as long as it took
(Did make sure we didn’t hold up the group behind and kept pace with those in front but I’ve honestly no idea how long it took to play 18 & if I took a guess it wouldn’t surprise me if I was out by up to 30 minutes)

 

[Curls]

Slow play is going to be much more of a problem if you are in a smaller group. Unfortunately people think that if they are in a 4 ball, and there's a few 4 balls ahead of them, there's no point in letting the 2 ball through. This is nonsense. All it takes is one of the 4 ball to lose a ball in the clag and the 2 ball would be through. Over the space of 6 or 7 holes if the 3 ball would be through 3 or 4 groups and do you know how much that would hold up the 4 balls? Nothing.

Gasp, he can't be serious.

I am. It takes about 5 - 7 minutes for a 2 ball to play a hole, but this does not get multiplied by the number of 4 balls they play through. They hold up the first 4 ball by 5 minutes. Then while the hold up the second 4 ball by 5 minutes the one behind catches up. If this is while the 4 ball look for a ball then technically they havent held anyone up at all. By the time 4 or 5 holes have passed all the 4 balls are queued again, with the pace of the first 4 ball out dictating the pace behind them.

I wish I could explain this to people in a nice way but whenever you do you get the "we own the course" or "its stacked busy no ones going anywhere" attitude that imo is poor etiquette hiding behind a weak excuse.

The point made above about big hitters having to wait is very valid, it makes the 4 in front think they are keeping up pace when in fact the group behind are standing about on the tee waiting for them to get out of range.

To the OP, I agree with you, if people want to spend forever let them as long as they immediately let play through. However I think there are factions who park their trolley on the wrong side of the green, wander aimlessly around not ready when its their turn etc that can be described as slow play because regardless of how they want to play they should be out of folks way when their hole is over.

 

[Hunka Turf]

We got moaned at by a guy on Saturday for playing slowly. He was 2 or 3 groups behind us and said we were taking too long.

We were a 3 ball and we got round in just under 3:45mins. I know that's not exactly speedy but I would say that's more than acceptable.

Most people look forward to weekend golf all week, I don't understand why they want it to be over so quickly!

 

[guest100718]

Some golfers are just slow.! I played in a 4 ball yesterday and we had to wait several times for the 2 ball in front and they had nothing ahead of them.

As has been said before, it's the doing the simple things that keep the course moving. Unfortunately to many golfers are oblivious to the world around them.

 

[fundy]

Nice attempt Sir, must not bite!!!!!!

 

[Khamelion]

Normally on a Sunday morning, it takes myself and Kraxx around 3 to 3.5 hours to play a round, we're not running, nor are we dawdling, we have to look for the occasional ball, but otherwise we walk up to our own balls, be they together or on opposite sides of the fairway.

Slow play does exist, as I've mentioned in other threads we got stuck behind a fourball playing in a comp that was slow to the point of tedium, one guy was walking around the green like he was putting in the final of the fed ex cup and the other three in the group were just as bad. Each was taking 2 mins plus for each to putt out, that's 8mins alone just on the green. Then when on the tee box they stood chatted and marked their cards, not one was ready to take his shot, all were putting on gloves and selecting clubs after watching others play their shot.

At times slow play becomes dangerous as groups behind get frustrated and start to take shots to try and push things along and even though you are standing in plain site it doesn't stop them swinging away.

 

[North Mimms]

Since i play on a busy course with mostly 4 balls, I have tried to be more relaxed about slow play this year.
I have always been a potential "running round like their hair is on fire" type of player which made others speed of play seem tortuous.
This year I have actually started takign longer on my preset routine so that i pace myself- I'm still a lot quicker than most!

Strange thing is that sometimes I will finish a round and think "that was nice and quick" and others "that's ws dreadfully slow" and find that oen round only took 5 minutes longer than the other. So it is more about the perception of speed rather than the speed itself.
If I have been playing behind a group who faff about, never have anyone ready to play on the tee, and meander around, they will seem slower than a group where at least there is always someone actually playing a shot

 

[Deleted member 18121]

I'm of the opinion that a 4 hour round is acceptable, I would never moan about a round taking 4-4.5 hours - on a weekend morning I expect some hold ups.

But in recent weeks I've had a 5hr 15 mins, 5 hr 45mins and another 5 hr 10 minutes and all because the group in front were playing a competition and seem to have the pig mindedness that their game is all that matters and sod the people behind.

All 4 players going to look for a ball shouldn't be allowed IMO. Each player goes to their ball and pick their club and start their pre-shot routine when it is their turn to play.

Don't dawdle by greens marking cards, you can do that at the next tee.


I'm 100% of the opinion that it is poor etiquette that causes slow play, no-one would walk slow enough to have a 5.5-6 hour round without poor choices during the round.

 

[JustOne]

Slow play does exist, as I've mentioned in other threads we got stuck behind a fourball playing in a comp that was slow to the point of tedium, one guy was walking around the green like he was putting in the final of the fed ex cup and the other three in the group were just as bad. Each was taking 2 mins plus for each to putt out, that's 8mins alone just on the green.

If you tee off, walk to your ball and hit it onto the green I don't see why it's an issue taking your time over your putts. I went to the US Open qualifying and that's exactly what they do.... they whack it down the middle, walk VERY FAST to their ball so they can spend a moment assessing their 2nd shot, hit it on or near the green then get to the green VERY FAST so they can spend time assessing what they have. They were 8 minutes on/around the greens and they were playing as 2-balls. They still got round in less than 3 1/2hrs and that was their livelihood on the line.

I like to play that way..... the other people in my group always seem to lose balls though

We all just walk too slowly... it's those slow Powercaddy things!!!!! :mmm:

 

[Curls]

I'm of the opinion that a 4 hour round is acceptable, I would never moan about a round taking 4-4.5 hours - on a weekend morning I expect some hold ups.

But in recent weeks I've had a 5hr 15 mins, 5 hr 45mins and another 5 hr 10 minutes and all because the group in front were playing a competition and seem to have the pig mindedness that their game is all that matters and sod the people behind.

All 4 players going to look for a ball shouldn't be allowed IMO. Each player goes to their ball and pick their club and start their pre-shot routine when it is their turn to play.

Don't dawdle by greens marking cards, you can do that at the next tee.


I'm 100% of the opinion that it is poor etiquette that causes slow play, no-one would walk slow enough to have a 5.5-6 hour round without poor choices during the round.

You're having a laugh right? Are you not the guy who wouldn't let the two ball through last week?!


I think the other thing that should be mentioned is that aspect of rhythm. When you play in a 4 ball, even a slow one, the gap between your own shots is pretty regular. You set into a tempo and even if it is slow you take a shot every 4th time (on average) and are used to that timing.

If more folk who are always in 4 balls played in the 2 ball behind themselves they'd think differently. Its no fun standing around for 10 minutes waiting to take your shot, you get cold and lose focus, its not about wanting to run around the course its about trying to maintain a rhythm. Like I said in my earlier post, even a stack of 4 balls won't be held up one bit by letting a 2 ball through, and yet it seems completely inconceivable for them to do. The same mindset occurs when a 4 ball are holding up another 4 ball - "the course is busy, no one is going anywhere", and everyone takes over 5 hours instead of just one slow group.

 

[StrangelyBrown]

Pace of play is entirely subjective. There is no definitive time that it should take to play a round of golf.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Oh dear Gareth, if you genuinely believe what you have posted then you are the problem