Slow play Hurts Your Scoring

[Deleted member 15344]

How about those who can't walk very fast?

In my experience they won’t be the ones who spend ages when they get to their ball - you can’t help Mother Nature.

 

[Oddsocks]

I can GUARANTEE that if I asked 36 players how they rated themselves speed wise, four or five would say "pretty quick" the rest would say "average". Even the slowest tosspot there wouldn't admit to being slow..

Hence the term slow or casual. Casual is cool, slow is a stigma.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

As per my reply above, I find that remarkable, and I speak as someone who grudgingly accepted that we had to have a booking system imposed. It's been a revelation in pacing play, keeping log jams on the first tee away, I just cant fathom a club removing booking.

Constitutionally we have always been no tee times which was a unique selling point compared to our other local courses. We went to tee times for track and trace and haven't gone back which in itself is a huge bone of contention and decimated the roll up groups. We've seen no difference in speed of play and people can still be slow, leave bags in poor places and generally not be ready

 

[sunshine]

I dont get why this has to be hard to figure out.
If a course says, a round at our course should take no more than 3h30 (for example) for a 4 ball, 3h15 for a 3 ball, 3h for a 2 ball. Everyone knows the expextations, of each group is then timed going round and one found to be slower by more than 10 mins, that group gets a warning each of the players in that group, 3 warnings for any particular player sees you reatricted to afternoon tee times for a month. That should keep pace of play up to the courses set standard.

As has been said in this thread, slow is subjective, but not if the course states what slow is and actually does something about it.

I'm aware this is unlikely to happen

Are you going to stand by the 18th green all day with a clock and clipboard?

 

[sunshine]

How about those who can't walk very fast?

A lot of slow play is perception. Someone who walks fast but takes longer on their pre-shot routine may appear slow, but someone who hits without delay but shuffles along at snail's pace rarely gets called out as slow. The reality is the fast walker is probably quicker overall.

 

[Orikoru]

Bit of a pointless study. Slow play maybe hurts your scoring - but higher scores make the rounds longer as well. What came first, the chicken or the egg?

Slow play from other people certainly hurts my scoring. Especially now in winter if you're standing around getting colder.

 

[chrisd]

We had the booking system vote as to whether to keep it or not, and the decision was to keep it and I voted for it too. The downside is that it is fairly inflexible and can be manipulated by the members whereas rocking up can't. There are several occasions where I see a 3 ball booked and a one ball in the next booking knowing that they are going to play as a 4 ball on the 2 and 3 ball side. Someone I know booked himself and 3 guests on consecutive days knowing that he was going to only play on one of them which means a full club potentially loses a tee off for 4 players.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

We had the booking system vote as to whether to keep it or not, and the decision was to keep it and I voted for it too. The downside is that it is fairly inflexible and can be manipulated by the members whereas rocking up can't. There are several occasions where I see a 3 ball booked and a one ball in the next booking knowing that they are going to play as a 4 ball on the 2 and 3 ball side. Someone I know booked himself and 3 guests on consecutive days knowing that he was going to only play on one of them which means a full club potentially loses a tee off for 4 players.

I can sympathise with this issue, it seems to be an unfortunate by product of the system. It can be snuffed out if the management are on top of things but if not then it is a strong irritation. We have a few groups who do similar at key times on a saturday morning to give them space around their group. It was pointed out to the manager but he was dismissive of it. They put money behind the bar so the irritation to others is outweighed, in his eyes

 

[hovis]

All these options, idea's and arguments wouldn't be needed if all golfers where ready to hit the ball when it's their turn and putt out on the greens. The amount of faffing I see at my place is unreal. I've had a group recently hold us up because they were feeding the carp in the pond!!! To alot people golf is a day out and they've got all day and nowhere to go.

Personally slow play does effect my score. I expect to be able to walk up to my ball and hit every shot without waiting. That's why I go out first.

 

[BiMGuy]

All these options, idea's and arguments wouldn't be needed if all golfers where ready to hit the ball when it's their turn and putt out on the greens. The amount of faffing I see at my place is unreal. I've had a group recently hold us up because they were feeding the carp in the pond!!! To alot people golf is a day out and they've got all day and nowhere to go.

Personally slow play does effect my score. I expect to be able to walk up to my ball and hit every shot without waiting. That's why I go out first.

We’ve got a few groups that can’t hit a shot without the others in the group standing next to them. They wander from ball to ball in a group as if they are worried that one might go missing or taken by a fox if they split from the group.

 

[bobmac]

We’ve got a few groups that can’t hit a shot without the others in the group standing next to them. They wander from ball to ball in a group as if they are worried that one might go missing or taken by a fox if they split from the group.

That's their choice.
If they're encouraged to play later in the day, they can take as long as they want.

 

[BiMGuy]

That's their choice.
If they're encouraged to play later in the day, they can take as long as they want.

Absolute rubbish.

We got stuck behind them on Saturday. When we started, we could see them half way up the 4th. We were approaching the 6th as they were just walking off the 7th tee. Did they stand aside and let us through? Of course not.

We then had to wait ages on 8 and 9, meaning we didn’t finish in the light.

Why do they have a right to play slowly and hold other people up? And before, you tell me to play earlier in the day. I can’t.

If we are forcing people to play at specific times. Maybe we should stop retired people from playing on a weekend too and free up some space ??‍

 

[hovis]

That's their choice.
If they're encouraged to play later in the day, they can take as long as they want.

It doesn't make sense bob. That just means if I want to play or if I can only play in the afternoon I have to wait behind snails. People need to realise that they need to get a move and it's a game not a daily stroll with your mates

 

[Backsticks]

Absolute rubbish.




Why do they have a right to play slowly and hold other people up? And before, you tell me to play earlier in the day. I can’t.

Why do you expect others to play at your pace ? Why are you 'correct' and they 'wrong' ?

People are going to play at different speeds. No one is right or wrong. All that's wrong is the expectation of the quickest that every one else should play at their set pace.

 

[bobmac]

Why do they have a right to play slowly and hold other people up? And before, you tell me to play earlier in the day. I can’t.

If we are forcing people to play at specific times. Maybe we should stop retired people from playing on a weekend too and free up some space ??‍

Where did I say you should force people to play at specific times?

 

[bobmac]

It doesn't make sense bob. That just means if I want to play or if I can only play in the afternoon I have to wait behind snails.

Wouldn't it be better to have the snails behind you?

People need to realise that they need to get a move and it's a game not a daily stroll with your mates

Says who?
For some people it is.

 

[BiMGuy]

Why do you expect others to play at your pace ? Why are you 'correct' and they 'wrong' ?

People are going to play at different speeds. No one is right or wrong. All that's wrong is the expectation of the quickest that every one else should play at their set pace.

I do not expect people to play at my pace. Not do I think I should be held up by a group out for a gentle stroll on a Saturday afternoon. But when a group is clearly faster then they should be let through. I thought this was common courtesy? Clearly not!

 

[Lord Tyrion]

People can be as slow as they like, I know I may regret that statement, as long as they get out of the way of those who they are blocking. If they want to dally, smell the roses, leave their bag in the wrong place etc, carry on but let people through. When they are slow but don't let groups through, that is a problem. Slow play may be relative but not allowing faster groups through is clear for all to see.

 

[BiMGuy]

Where did I say you should force people to play at specific times?

Err, you’ve been saying faster players should play early in the day and slower people later. Unless I have you confused with someone else I’d have misunderstood. In which case I apologise.

 

[Orikoru]

People can be as slow as they like, I know I may regret that statement, as long as they get out of the way of those who they are blocking. If they want to dally, smell the roses, leave their bag in the wrong place etc, carry on but let people through. When they are slow but don't let groups through, that is a problem. Slow play may be relative but not allowing faster groups through is clear for all to see.

This is what it always comes back to. Take 5 hours if you want but let other groups through immediately. I sometimes get a bit tetchy when waiting on a group in front, as I like to be able to arrive at my ball and then hit it - but as soon as they let us through all is forgiven.