Slow Play Penaties

[Crazyface]

Sunday was a real drag. We were stuck behind a four ball in a comp who by the 15th hole had lost three holes on the game in front and were making no attempt to keep up. Seeing As I'm the new comp sec, the lads with me were asking what could be done about it (slow play). I checked in the with Pro at the end. His reply was that we'd need to send a marshall out and keep a check on groups that are being slow and put them on the clock etc etc etc. Surely this is impracticable, what club can do this? I had an idea. What if finishing times were put on cards at the end and the first group to not to be in x minutes behind the group in front gets the penalty. Everyone else would just have to keep up, as they wouldn't know if anyone had already been given the penalty.
Also, I think groups of four are just asking for trouble, and comps should be groups of three max ! ( We can do this at ours as we don't have a huge entry into the comps).
Thoughts please.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I don't know how fair it is to just penalise the 1st group that is slow. Other groups behind may be slow as well, but just not quite so bad.

I do agree with noting times taken, we are currently doing this at my place - that way the club can identify common offenders and have a word with them.

Also at my place we have 2 or 3 balls for comp days, and at my old club 4 balls were DQ'd.

 

[Slab]

If the comp & pace warrants penalty strokes for slow play then having marshals should not only be practical but mandatory

 

[Crazyface]

I don't know how fair it is to just penalise the 1st group that is slow. Other groups behind may be slow as well, but just not quite so bad.

I do agree with noting times taken, we are currently doing this at my place - that way the club can identify common offenders and have a word with them.

Also at my place we have 2 or 3 balls for comp days, and at my old club 4 balls were DQ'd.

Agreed with the fact others may also be slow, but if I only penalize one group per comp, subsequently people would be ware it was happening and make an effort of keep up.

 

[garyinderry]

If a group is slow because a couple of the players hit wild tee shots and use their permitted 5 minutes to look for balls, they will NEVER ever allow people to play through if they are going to get penalty strokes for coming in past their allotted time for a round. They will back up the field and make everyone else late and angry.

 

[rosecott]

Interestingly, England Golf has just introduced a new policy on slow play for their championship events:

http://www.englandgolf.org/page.aspx?sitesectionid=1476&sitesectiontitle=Pace+of+Play+Policy+2016

 

[louise_a]

I played in the Lancs seniors championship earlier this month, it was slow going and a ball spotter on the 9th told me that the group 2 in front of us had lost 2 holes on the group in front of them. There was a wait on the 10th tee so I went and told the competition organisers as we were near the clubhouse. They tutted but said what can we do, I suggested sending someone out in a buggy to give them a push but they didn't. The two players involved both had very low handicaps and at least one of them qualified for the knockout stages.
it makes me wonder whether the organisers didn't want to have words with two of the lowest handicapped players in the competition.

 

[rksquire]

I think you should be timed on every hole!

Our round was significantly slower on Saturday, and nothing to do with people in front. A combination of things: Stroke play, the rough was rough (I'm 20 yards of the fairway, took 3 blows to get the ball clear!), the daisies were out in force combined with the fact the first cut was higher than the ball it was taking longer to find the ball, and on 2 of the par 5s 2 people lost balls and because it was stroke the full allotted time was taken to look for the balls. The round took 4hrs 20, whilst not dreadfully slow, alot slower than recent weeks purelu, in my opinion, course set up. Hopefully rough returns to the same level as the previous few weeks as this will benefit pace which being fairly penal.

So the point is, the course set-up itself can be a contributing factor to pace of play!

 

[Crazyface]

If a group is slow because a couple of the players hit wild tee shots and use their permitted 5 minutes to look for balls, they will NEVER ever allow people to play through if they are going to get penalty strokes for coming in past their allotted time for a round. They will back up the field and make everyone else late and angry.

There's always someone who comes up with reasons why my ideas might fail. sigh.

 

[Old Skier]

Sunday was a real drag. We were stuck behind a four ball in a comp who by the 15th hole had lost three holes on the game in front and were making no attempt to keep up. Seeing As I'm the new comp sec, the lads with me were asking what could be done about it (slow play). I checked in the with Pro at the end. His reply was that we'd need to send a marshall out and keep a check on groups that are being slow and put them on the clock etc etc etc. Surely this is impracticable, what club can do this? I had an idea. What if finishing times were put on cards at the end and the first group to not to be in x minutes behind the group in front gets the penalty. Everyone else would just have to keep up, as they wouldn't know if anyone had already been given the penalty.
Also, I think groups of four are just asking for trouble, and comps should be groups of three max ! ( We can do this at ours as we don't have a huge entry into the comps).
Thoughts please.

Good luck with whatever you attempt however, without marshals who can make observed valid assessments of the situation I'm not sure if just time in and out on a card is the solution.

 

[patricks148]

Good luck with whatever you attempt however, without marshals who can make observed valid assessments of the situation I'm not sure if just time in and out on a card is the solution.

i agree, marshals is the way to go

 

[woody69]

Time in v Time out over a period of a few comps. You'll soon start to see who the persistent offenders are and who just happen to have a slow round that day.

 

[Robster59]

If someone has lost three holes to the group in front they should be looking to let the group behind play through. Where they losing lots of balls or just generally slow.
Also 4 balls in comps is too many IMHO. Maximum three at our club.

 

[ScienceBoy]

Start off "slow".

First monitor times and look for trends. Gather more data like weather etc if possible. Don't give away too much about what you are doing!

Do the basic thing for a while then give notice that you will publish the worst TIMES only.

Only if that does not work think about penalties of some kind.

Do be honest if someone asks what you are doing however, don't set out to deceive.

Partner all this with education material on slow play etc.

Education is the ultimate solution here

 

[NorfolkShaun]

I think course set up has an awful lot to do with it.

Ok if you hit it straight on the fairway every time you are going to be faster.

Through the summer our course can grow very dense ankle to knee high rough and with some good patches of clover. Now if these are way off line fair enough, but quite a lot of these are only around five to ten yards off line some are closer and there is very little first cut between the fairway and the deep stuff. You don't stand a chance of finding it if you go in but everyone looks. You only need a three ball to go in this two or three times in a round to easily drop fifteen minutes.

Now I'm not saying clear all the rough as it should be a hazard but surely there is a sensible limit?