Slow play - golf club options

[JonnyGutteridge]

I'm sure a golf club would just circulate a link to the video via e-mail and social media.

Ok, so not everyone would watch it, but enough might to make a difference and at least create more of a stigma towards the slower players.

The slow players wouldn't think it's meant for them and thus would avoid it! LOL

 

[MartynB]

As mentioned earlier, I think the biggest hurdle is the ‘its not us mentality.’

Played Champions Gate in Florida a couple of weeks ago. The carts had a GPS screen but also pop ups reminding groups if they needed to speed up. I know this as we were delayed 45 minutes in a thunderstorm and kept getting reminders about how far behind the pace we were.

I think technology has the answer here, did I read on here that at some clubs each group has to carry a GPS tag to monitor speed and progress? Easy to message groups and remotely ‘put them on the clock’ rather than have the awkward conversation.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Denial is a barrier I can't see breaking soon. We have a member of our roll up that is notorious and his group irrespective of who makes it up will always be at least a hole behind. He gets a load of stick and some direct challenges to his pace of play but he doesn't see he has a problem. He argues he's quick between hitting and getting to the ball and so is entitled to take his time. The problem is, he addresses the ball and it can be anything between 25 and 42 (longest I've timed) seconds before he actually plays the shot

 

[Slab]

The OP says “slow play issues now being experienced” I’m assuming they didn’t previously so the obvious question is what’s changed? Is it just one or more players who are now too old &/or infirm but still going out early which is impacting the pace for the entire day. The ‘fix’ then is completely obvious (dealing with it tactfully so as not to lose members is another matter)

But there’s three main areas contributing to slow pace so before nailing these guys to the cross it’s worth the club asking itself if anything else has changed between:

1. Players actions/behaviours
2. Course Conditions/Weather
3. Course Setup/Operation

Players are typically made to be the sole scapegoats when pace is slow because it’s very tangible to see someone playing slowly, but unless the club knows for sure that they only have an issue with the players actions then efforts put into fixing a single component without doing the other two is near wasted or at best just a minimal benefit that will only last short term

 

[badgermat]

Probably a really stupid question, but why didn't you ask to play through?

A bit pushy, maybe, but might have saved a bit of grief.

bm

 

[Orikoru]

I don't get why people are always saying the slow people don't realise they're slow. If a massive gap has developed in front of you, the group behind is right up your backside, and you've taken nearly 5 hours for your round, how could you possibly not realise you were on the slow side??

 

[dronfield]

Probably a really stupid question, but why didn't you ask to play through?

A bit pushy, maybe, but might have saved a bit of grief.

bm

Hi

We were 5 groups back of the guilty group.

As stated, the 3 ball directly behind them are part of their normal Sat fiddle group, and so were happy to go at the same pace & not pushing to be let through.

My group was powerless to do anything due to the traffic between us and the slow group(s).

Rich

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Are you guys for real? Bringing all the golfers inside to watch an instructional video? That's hilarious.

You either don’t understand it’s just one plausible idea to help educate the slower players, or are one of those players who don’t care about anyone else.

 

[English golfer in Spain]

Four hours for a round of golf, those were the days! As I have said before a lot depends on the layout of courses. Where I play in Spain we have several walks of 300 yards from one green to the next tee, of course they are designed for buggies. I usually walk, but during July and August many of us hire buggies due to the hot temperatures. However they are a nuisance as we try to keep them as close to the buggy path as possible, but sods law plays his game and you find yourself taking 3 clubs and walking 70 yards to play your ball, just to walk back another 70 yards to the buggy, urrrr.

Now I am not the quickest of golfers I admit, but I consider myself as a very generous golfer as I will always help a fellow golfer around the course, I.e advising them where their ball has gone, help them look for their ball, and fish their balls out of the lakes. But I walk fast and know my yardages, so I have a good idea what club I am going to use as I walk to the ball, but yes I do check my watch before I select my club, and then hit my shot.

As for committee members going around with slow players, we have two opposites on our committee. One, who rushes round like a maniac, who thinks its a race, who if he took his time could easily cut his handicap by 2 or 3 shots, but no! I'll finish it off he says, stands awkwardly to the ball and then misses the putt, 5 times a few weeks ago he did that with me. And the other committee member who will helps everyone, walks slowly, repairs every pitch mark he can find, but is generally just slow. 4 hours 30 minutes is average with us.

However we do have marshalls on our course now which seems to be helping.

 

[sunshine]

Four hours for a round of golf, those were the days! As I have said before a lot depends on the layout of courses. Where I play in Spain we have several walks of 300 yards from one green to the next tee, of course they are designed for buggies. I usually walk, but during July and August many of us hire buggies due to the hot temperatures. However they are a nuisance as we try to keep them as close to the buggy path as possible, but sods law plays his game and you find yourself taking 3 clubs and walking 70 yards to play your ball, just to walk back another 70 yards to the buggy, urrrr.

Now I am not the quickest of golfers I admit, but I consider myself as a very generous golfer as I will always help a fellow golfer around the course, I.e advising them where their ball has gone, help them look for their ball, and fish their balls out of the lakes. But I walk fast and know my yardages, so I have a good idea what club I am going to use as I walk to the ball, but yes I do check my watch before I select my club, and then hit my shot.

As for committee members going around with slow players, we have two opposites on our committee. One, who rushes round like a maniac, who thinks its a race, who if he took his time could easily cut his handicap by 2 or 3 shots, but no! I'll finish it off he says, stands awkwardly to the ball and then misses the putt, 5 times a few weeks ago he did that with me. And the other committee member who will helps everyone, walks slowly, repairs every pitch mark he can find, but is generally just slow. 4 hours 30 minutes is average with us.

However we do have marshalls on our course now which seems to be helping.

Do you stop for tapas and a siesta?

 

[SammmeBee]

Played today - Open medal at a proper course that some of you lot actually like from proper tees and it was 4 hours 10 for a 3-ball. No issues at all.

 

[trevor]

I don't get why people are always saying the slow people don't realise they're slow. If a massive gap has developed in front of you, the group behind is right up your backside, and you've taken nearly 5 hours for your round, how could you possibly not realise you were on the slow side??

My mate whom I used to play with (moved away now) used to be slow but he was slow at everything. Slow getting his stuff out of the car, a dab of grease on the trolley spindles, tidy the boot of his car before shutting it, anything basically to waste time. He would walk round the green looking at his putt from all angles and when asked why he did that the answer would be that’s what you’re supposed to do, even if if it was a perfectly flat green. He would think nothing of teeing his ball up then coming over to tell me a story and if you told him to hurry up the usual answer was there’s no rush, don’t you like being out here in the nice fresh air. He would let other groups behind through no problem but still made our games very long. He knew he was slow but didn’t care at all.

 

[*TQ*]

Probably a really stupid question, but why didn't you ask to play through?

A bit pushy, maybe, but might have saved a bit of grief.

bm

I know it depends on the exact circumstances but surely in most cases this isn't possible?

You arrive at the tee and there is a group on the fairway so you wait to play your shot, you are waiting to play your approach while the next group are on the green, you get to the next tee and the slow group are half way to their tee shots; where is the opportunity to ask to play though? Do you have to shout down the fairway to people? Unless you play your approach super quick, run to the green and putt like lightening surely you're unlikely to actually physically catch them up?

 

[Orikoru]

I know it depends on the exact circumstances but surely in most cases this isn't possible?

You arrive at the tee and there is a group on the fairway so you wait to play your shot, you are waiting to play your approach while the next group are on the green, you get to the next tee and the slow group are half way to their tee shots; where is the opportunity to ask to play though? Do you have to shout down the fairway to people? Unless you play your approach super quick, run to the green and putt like lightening surely you're unlikely to actually physically catch them up?

If it's really slow you sometimes will catch them on the tee while their final player is still teeing off.

 

[SGC001]

Hi
Just wanted forum input re possible solutions for slow play issues now being experienced at our club.

We have several "fiddle" groups that play Sat mornings and these generally all play at the same times in club comps. Throughtout the year we have regularly experienced slow play from two of the early groups - when the issue has been raised, the club has acted by simply putting a comment in their next communication, that there have been complaints received regarding the pace of play.

On Saturday the issue came to a head - we had taken 2 hours 40 mins to play 12 holes, and one of my fellow competitors decided enough was enough (fear of being late for a post round commitment), and walked in to make a complaint in the pro shop. A 3 hole gap had developed between the 1st group out and the 2nd (the 3rd group play in the same fiddle as the 2nd group and so were not putting any pressure on them to speed up etc).
When we got to the clubhouse the asst pro advised that words had been had with the offending group, who had apologised and explained that they were slow due to one of them having just come out of hospital, and had struggled to walk (why the individual considered it acceptable to try and play in the 2nd group out on a Sat morning wasn't explained).
Ignoring the reasons given this week, these groups are slow every week and so i wondered what actions a club can take to address these regular offenders?

In discussions afterwards, it was suggested that every group sign in/out in pro shop re each comp, or someone from the club makes spot checks on the course to ensure everyone is up with pace of play.
Not really the pro job to police the course or challenge members, but what actual powers does the club committee have to act with - can specific members be banned from playing Sat morning etc?

Interested in what actions other clubs have taken - me and a colleague are going up to club tomorrow and seriously considering putting a comment in the suggestion book so that the committee is obliged to respond.

Rich

We used to to give a bad time each individual of any group that took over a set time (4 hours) and didn't finish within 12 minutes of the group in front.

1 bad time warning, 2 2nd warning, 3 back of the field.

 

[dronfield]

I know it depends on the exact circumstances but surely in most cases this isn't possible?

You arrive at the tee and there is a group on the fairway so you wait to play your shot, you are waiting to play your approach while the next group are on the green, you get to the next tee and the slow group are half way to their tee shots; where is the opportunity to ask to play though? Do you have to shout down the fairway to people? Unless you play your approach super quick, run to the green and putt like lightening surely you're unlikely to actually physically catch them up?

Hi
This was the case last saturday - the group directly in front of us was not the offending players, they were 5 holes ahead, holding the whole course up. The only group that could realistically have improved matters, were the group directly behind them, who play in the same fiddle & so happy to go at the same pace & have a nice drink and chat with them after.

Rich

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I was in first group of nine out today in our roll up. We were a three ball. We were followed by another three ball. We finished in 3hrs 25mins and had a lovely round following some ladies three holes ahead. The three ball behind us dropped from us almost straight away and had lost nearly three holes on us by the time we finished. That was not great - but clearly the four behind them didn’t press as nobody came through. Was the three ball behind us slow?

 

[patricks148]

be interested in what Tag marshal showed from yesterdays comp... we took 4 hours without losing or looking for a ball, waited on every shot, but still the group behind us lost two holes.

i suspect if slow people are out early it sets the pace for the rest

 

[dronfield]

Hi

Yesterday we played at 7.35 and got out just ahead of the slow fiddle groups (3 x 3 balls). We were 3rd group out - directly in front of us were a 4 ball of good players (3 ball in front of them) and we had to wait average 1-2 mins on several tees, which was fine. Got round in 3 hours 35mins, which was great & how it should be (we played off the medal tees).

The 3 ball behind at times lost a hole on us, and only occassionally came into view when we were waiting on tee shots.

Rich

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Played in a 3 ball today playing medal, so having to hit provisional shots on occasions and still round in 3 1/2 hours and not rushing