Slow play moaners

[Ye Olde Boomer]

Our Saturday morning roll ups are taking 3.75 hours on a shortened winter course - absolutely painful at times! We should easily get round in 3.5 hours.

Excuse me, but are we talking about 15 minutes too long making for "absolutely painful?"

I must be a true plebeian! My time has never been worth that much!

 

[Ye Olde Boomer]

when it comes to slow play the simple mantra is

Are you holding up the group behind you because you have lost ground-

If you are getting to the tee whilst the group in front are getting off the green and the group behind are waiting for you then yes you should be letting them go through because there is space in front of you and they are clearly the quicker group and must be let through ( regardless of size )



You always seem to be wanting to say the “contraversial” point knowing that it’s against the grain

Ready golf is in both rules manuals of the sport - it is trying to combat on of the biggest issues in sport - slow play but then I suspect you know that hence your comment , if not then you have the same sort of attitude that some seniors have in most clubs ( from what I have witnessed )

Fair enough. We're not going to agree on everything.
My friends and I like to watch each others shots, and we play on weekdays when young, impatient people have to go to work!

 

[dronfield]

Excuse me, but are we talking about 15 minutes too long making for "absolutely painful?"

I must be a true plebeian! My time has never been worth that much!

Yesterdays round took 3 hours 50 mins, waited on every single shot, at times there were 2 groups on the tee - last 2 weeks we have twice had 3 groups playing a par 3 (1 group on green & 2 groups on tee). I reiterate, it was painful.
As i stated in my original post, the club has had sufficient complaints re slow play to invest in CCTV camera on 18th green.
Unfortunately, it is the mindset of certain members re "what's 15 minutes matter" that has led the club to have to take such action.

 

[Ye Olde Boomer]

I'm fairly certain at this point that no invitations are coming my way for me to join you on your lovely British Isles golf courses.

Too bad. I've got nothing but time.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Yesterdays round took 3 hours 50 mins, waited on every single shot, at times there were 2 groups on the tee - last 2 weeks we have twice had 3 groups playing a par 3 (1 group on green & 2 groups on tee). I reiterate, it was painful.
As i stated in my original post, the club has had sufficient complaints re slow play to invest in CCTV camera on 18th green.
Unfortunately, it is the mindset of certain members re "what's 15 minutes matter" that has led the club to have to take such action.

I take it the cctv on 18 is to check how long people are taking for a round or is it looking for those who have dropped behind?

 

[dronfield]

I take it the cctv on 18 is to check how long people are taking for a round or is it looking for those who have dropped behind?

Its really to see if groups have dropped behind, and in case of need should any complaints be received by the pro shop. Last year in a comp, one of the early groups managed to lose 3 holes on the group in front of them, which resulted in complaints being made in the pro shop.
In addition to the camera, the club also now have a marshall going round on a buggy to check pace of play/groups standings on the course.

 

[cliveb]

... Plus at our age, we need eight eyes to see where the ball went.

And with a bit of luck, at least one of you might *remember* where it went

 

[williamalex1]

I'm fairly certain at this point that no invitations are coming my way for me to join you on your lovely British Isles golf courses.

Too bad. I've got nothing but time.

Always welcome to a game at my gaff , take as much time as you like , as long as you wave faster players through .
I'm also 73 and still can play18 holes in 3 hours or under, without a buggy, except when some young bucks in front think they're Bryson De Chambles and hold us up
Edit, this time of the year it gets dark here around 4pm so bring a flash light

 

[Birdie2]

I’m currently off 30, trying to get that down and I know I should be off around 25. Played in the stableford comp today with 2 lads who play off 18. The group in from were off 1, 4 & 9, therefore clearly much quicker than us. Despite this, we more or less kept up with them, usually teeing off on a par 4 as them were on the green etc.

Personally played quite well on the front 9, 18 points even with a couple of blobs, and started off the back 9 with 3 points on the first 2 holes. So not exactly having a shocker.

After we’d teed off the 12th, one of the blokes behind moaned that we were holding play up and were nearly 2 holes behind the group in front. We just laughed/shrugged it off and ignored him, but it got to me. I ended up blobbing the next 2 holes, which included an OOB and not playing a provisional after hitting one into the trees, I felt under pressure to get on with it.

In all, our round took 3.5 hours, which I don’t think is particularly slow, especially for a Saturday morning and a comp where you might take a bit more care over your shots. We hadn’t felt ten breathing down our necks at all and only noticed them waiting once once on the short 9th. They were in the tee and we were putting out so not exactly an opportunity to offer them to play through, and probably not required anyway.

I really regret not responding to him. I’m wondering what other’s experience is of this and what’s the best way to handle it in future? Should you respond in any sort of way? Leave it till the clubhouse?

I get that a 4+ hour round is annoying, but we were nowhere near this. Just enjoy the game!

Don't worry about it mate. 3.5 hours in a comp is a decent time. Slow play is definately an issue in the game but people who race round the course are just as bad as those who are like snails in my opinion. If you feel like the game could flow quicker and there's a gap in front of you, then you need to get a move on. If not, enjoy it and forget about those that are obsessed with pace of play.

 

[Ye Olde Boomer]

Always welcome to a game at my gaff , take as much time as you like , as long as you wave faster players through .
I'm also 73 and still can play18 holes in 3 hours or under, without a buggy, except when some young bucks in front think they're Bryson De Chambles and hold us up

All kidding aside, I don't believe in being discourteously or unnecessarily slow, either.
I just like to play in traditional order so as to have eight aging eyes on a shot rather than two.
In the long run, that actually saves time.

As for being 73, no fewer than three American presidents, including the present cretin, were born in the same year as I (perhaps we).
Every one of them was pretty much a jerk.
The only one who was younger was at least honest and competent.

If you play in three hours or less walking the course, by the way, you clearly don't eat like an American.
You measure your weight in stones. We're heavier than large rocks.

 

[williamalex1]

All kidding aside, I don't believe in being discourteously or unnecessarily slow, either.
I just like to play in traditional order so as to have eight aging eyes on a shot rather than two.
In the long run, that actually saves time.

As for being 73, no fewer than three American presidents, including the present cretin, were born in the same year as I (perhaps we).
Every one of them was pretty much a jerk.
The only one who was younger was at least honest and competent.

If you play in three hours or less walking the course, by the way, you clearly don't eat like an American.
You measure your weight in stones. We're heavier than large rocks.

Maybe if you guys walked the course in under 3 hours it would make your rocks a bit lighter . BTW I'm 5.8 and around 15 stone

 

[Ye Olde Boomer]

Maybe if you guys walked the course in under 3 hours it would make your rocks a bit lighter . BTW I'm 5.8 and around 15 stone

Mother of God.....you almost DO eat like an American. Good for you!
(And good for me for still being able to multiply fifteen by fourteen at this stage of my decrepitude.)

 

[rulefan]

The major problem with pace of play is not the players but the starting intervals. Clubs seem to insist in getting everyone ON to the course without taking cognisance of the queues that will form on the first par 3 or short par 4.
Ideal 10 min intervals. Good 9. Iffy 8. Disaster 7.

 

[jim8flog]

But this is the social aspect of golf. That's exactly what I like. Plus at our age, we need eight eyes to see where the ball went.

You are lucky, Very often with the guys I play with there may only be 4 eyes capable of seeing where the ball went.

 

[Jacko_G]

Don't worry about it mate. 3.5 hours in a comp is a decent time. Slow play is definately an issue in the game but people who race round the course are just as bad as those who are like snails in my opinion. If you feel like the game could flow quicker and there's a gap in front of you, then you need to get a move on. If not, enjoy it and forget about those that are obsessed with pace of play.

I agree re 3.5 hours for a competition being reasonable. I totally disagree that faster players are just as bad as snails. Faster play should be encouraged by everyone. And no you don't "forget about those obsessed with pace of play" you stand aside and let them through as they're obviously quicker.

 

[User20204]

It's hilarious folk complaining about slow play for a round that takes 4 hours, it takes what it takes, golf round 18 holes and 4+ miles isn't a quick game, you want a quick sport, take up 100 metre running, you'll be home in no time

 

[Billysboots]

Thanks for the responses so far. As mentioned, at no point did it look like we were holding them up.

Par 4 8th - no sign of them as we walked off the green. No delays

Par 3 9th - it’s a walk from the 8th green to the 9th tee. As we walked to the 9th green back past the 8th green they were still around the green. As we were putting out on the 9th they’d just got to the tee and were bushnelling the flag. No delays

Par 5 10th - as we cleared the green they were bushnelling the flag. No delays

Par 3 11th - I ended up in the bunker so this hole maybe took a smidge longer, but I’m a 30 handicapper!

Par 4 12th - this is where he had a moan. We’d hit our tee shots and were walking down, he was looking for his ball in the rough in between the 11th & 12th. So, again, no delays and no opportunity to let them play through as they hadn’t even got to the last hole never mind being on our tee.

And yes, part of my annoyance is that I felt it got to me. It certainly cost me points on the 12th because despite hitting a decent drive, I sent my second into the woods. Rather than playing a provisional and potentially have their eyes burning the back of my neck for daring to play a provisional, I hoped I’d find it in the woods. I didn’t and so blobbed it. I get 2 shots on that hole and so I could still have scored even with a dropped shot.

I looked at their handicaps afterwards and they were all sub-10, experienced players who have probably forgotten what it’s like to get nervous and feel rushed.

So, I guess now my question is, am I within my rights, in future, to challenge him back?

My first comment would be that this entire post concentrates on whether you were holding up the group behind. Far too often golfers seem to focus on the group behind, when they should really be concentrating on not losing ground on the group in front.

The other observation I have is that 3.5 hours for a 3-ball playing a stableford, where all three players appear to have been blobbing the odd hole, does seem to be a little on the slow side. If you continue to play out a hole when you can no longer score at our place the committee will have some questions for you.

If you could not score were you picking up and moving on? If you were doing everything expected of you to maintain a decent pace and keep up with those in front, the following group have no grounds to moan. If not, they may have had a point.

 

[Jacko_G]

It's hilarious folk complaining about slow play for a round that takes 4 hours, it takes what it takes, golf round 18 holes and 4+ miles isn't a quick game, you want a quick sport, take up 100 metre running, you'll be home in no time

Or on the flip side people who take over four hours should take up bowls?

 

[patricks148]

Or on the flip side people who take over four hours should take up bowls?

sure there are course that would take you 4 hours plus, but most members courses under 6500 yards shouldn't really

 

[Deleted member 1147]

The overall time isn’t the issue, it’s when people piss about and you end up with unnecessary waiting.

On the first hole every group should start on their allotted time, not just waiting until the group in front are out of range.

People should be ready to play when it’s their turn, and not start getting ready (lasering etc) when it’s their turn to play their shot.

If you aren’t sure if you’ll find your ball, hit a provisional.