Slow Play - The Real Reason(s).....

[Smiffy]

As most of you know, I organise (or used to) a lot of forum meets and always stipulate before players start their rounds the requirement to keep up with play, if you can't score on a hole pick up, etc. etc. etc.
It frustrated me at the recent Cooden meet when I stepped onto the 13th tee (which is right next door to the 9th) to see 3 players walking towards their balls on the 8th fairway not yet ready to play their 2nd shots but the group in front were putting out on the 9th green. Bearing in mind the 9th is a par 5 it just shows how far this particular group had fallen behind. They should have at least been walking off the 9th tee after playing their tee shots, but still had another 10 minutes (at least) left to play the 8th.

 

[Tab373]

After todays medal round I would say people marking the ball too much on the green. Both my playing partners today on there putts if they missed and sometime less than a foot away. Just mark it and wait for there turn again. So many time I said just finish it or tap it in. One guy had a 6" putt max and was looking for his ball marker to mark it. Pros might be playing for lots of dish but we are not.

 

[JustOne]

Golf is a SPORT ! Its played by a wide section of people who have considerably different physical capabilities and who are playing for social, fitness and a load of other reasons. Expecting all groups to play in roughly to same time is unreal - if you ain't got time to enjoy your this sport find another and stop whingeing about something that's inherent because one person's view of slow is, from another person's capabilities, quick.

I often play 9 holes solo and frequently catch other groups who are slower, so what - I am enjoying myself so occasionally I'll drop another ball and play against myself - big deal; it just means I take 20 -30 minutes longer; so spend less time over coffee - I don't play when I don't have the time !!

There's a misconception about the time saved letting groups through. Sometimes in our four-ball we let a 2-ball or faster group through - this slows play even more as you then wait for them to play through and clear enough distance for us to play our shots. This means the 'group' behind has probably also now caught up - should we let them through too ??

Any statistical analysis would show that the combination of number of players, age, physiology, skill variation, playing conditions, length of 'rough', Par, SI, weather, etc. will lead to a wide range of times (averaging 10 to 15 minutes) to play a hole. Multiply this by 18 and the consequences are easily a 30 -40 minute average deviation on a 220 minute activity.

JustOne likes this post :thup:

 

[3565]

Of course I'd love to get round in 3 hours. I've been round ours in a little over 2 hours as a 2 ball with a 24 h/c, so it's nonsense to talk numbers, but I'm about to blow your collective minds.....



I had a playing lesson with the pro at our place and this issue came up, he said I'm a very quick player and it may be to my detriment. But you know what he said that stuck with me?

"You know who isn't concerned about slow play? A slow player."

I'll give that a second to sink in.

You know those guys ahead who are ambling about, not ready to take their shot, no intention of letting you through, what they all have in common is they don't care. They have absolutely no interest in you or your game, couldn't care less if you're being held up or drop dead, they are playing their own game at their own pace and see no reason to change this behaviour.

A sign in the clubhouse will have no effect.

Mentioning it to them casually that they might speed up will have no effect.

Roaring at them to get out of the fairway will have no effect, other than to allow them the high moral ground to scold you for being ignorant.

Penalising them shots might have an effect, in many cases it won't, in all cases it's too hard to police.

The only way to deal with slow play, according to the pro, is to accept before you go to the course that it's a medal Saturday and it'll probably take you the best part of 5 hours to get around. Have nothing in your schedule that means that you'll be stressed about finishing at a certain time. If you're a two-ball and the bases are loaded, make a 4 ball. Accept that the slow players are going to hold everything up and have no consideration and just adapt to a slower pace of play that means taking as much time as you need over your shot. Of course its no reason not to observe etiquette yourself, if you lose a ball and its gonna be a search, lose a hole or there's an obviously much quicker/smaller group behind let them through. They may only be held up by the idiots ahead but its the right thing to do.

He said when he was playing for money rounds would often take 6 hours. It drove some guys crazy, and they generally didn't finish in the prizes. Once you accept what you cannot change, you will enter a new Zen-like state.

Trust me, it's changed my golf for the better, give it a try this weekend, say to yourself "this round will take 5 hours", then if you finish early its a bonus. Madness? Well, in a way, but if you cant change someone elses behaviour you can only change how you chose to deal with it.

Some sense right their. You can only control what you do, you can't control others. You start at 1, finish on 18th green and the time it takes to play the game is that time.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

I was under the impression that it was bad etiquette & somewhat unwise to stand closer to the pin that the ball being addressed? If I'm wrong on the etiquette please correct me, but I still think within reason it is silly to stand closer to the pin incase of a mis-hit and the ball leaves the club face in an unexpected trajectory & towards the other players. I worry enough about the ground staff in the line of fire without adding to the number of fleshy targets.

That said we are not slow and more than able to keep up with the group infront (more often than not we're faster), and very conscious of our surroundings- tbh I worry about it too much and I just go to pieces on a busy course.

If standing by your ball closer to the hole than your PP can be done without distracting them or getting in the way (i.e. The opposite side of the fairway) then it makes sense to be near yourball ready to play when it's your turn.