Slow play

[IanM]

Are you a laserer ?

Why are you going on about yardage books ? Gone the way of telex machine and VHS. GPS.

GPS is a 1s second glance. So a saving of 9s (assuming your 10s per laser is correct - time someone next time you have the chance). Thats still probably 10 minutes per fourball lost to lasering. No lasering - round 10mins faster on that component alone.

Our club's slowest player uses his laser, then puts in back in the bag and gets a hand held gps out. Then stands there staring at the flag!! He almost never plays the shot with the first club he pulls.

The staring vaguely into space has been copied from the Pros on tv. They stand on the tee and take an age to play... OK it's for cash, but they've played the hole several times in the previous few days, so they've seen it before

Blooming get in with it!!

 

[clubchamp98]

So, to solve slow play, each club should buy their members a GPS device? Or would that be a condition of membership, they should buy one?

No GPS or laser wouldn't save all that time, as golfers would clearly still want to know their yardage, in general. That takes time, finding markers and then working out where they are in comparison. Especially difficult if they are in unusual spots.

A laser generally doesn't take up any extra time at all anyway. It can often be done while you are waiting for your partner to play a shot, or the group in front to get out of the way.

In all my years of playing golf I find it’s the group in front that dictate our pace of play.

what’s in front of them dictates theirs.

a slow group dictates everyones behind them.

 

[Jimaroid]

In my observations the slowest players all use pink castle tees.

 

[Backsticks]

So, to solve slow play, each club should buy their members a GPS device? Or would that be a condition of membership, they should buy one?

No GPS or laser wouldn't save all that time, as golfers would clearly still want to know their yardage, in general. That takes time, finding markers and then working out where they are in comparison. Especially difficult if they are in unusual spots.

A laser generally doesn't take up any extra time at all anyway. It can often be done while you are waiting for your partner to play a shot, or the group in front to get out of the way.

When you havent been able to reach your ball when your partners are playing, and they are now waiting on you, you then dont use the laser ?

 

[Swango1980]

When you havent been able to reach your ball when your partners are playing, and they are now waiting on you, you then dont use the laser ?

That is why I said "generally". However, for the cases this doesn't apply, see the previous comments in my post

 

[Deleted member 15344]

When you havent been able to reach your ball when your partners are playing, and they are now waiting on you, you then dont use the laser ?

It really isn’t rocket science and most of it is common sense but then I suspect you know that already and just being awkward

Many things contribute to slow play but the one single main reason - the player themselves and how they act when playing a round , the tools don’t cause slow play , the person using them in a manner that’s going to cause issues will cause slow play

The difference between someone using a GPS watch correctly and a laser correctly is seconds at most

Use ready golf - if someone is sorting out his distance and deciding what club to take and you are ready to play then providing it’s safe to do so hit the ball.

It’s all just common sense at the end of the day

 

[Backsticks]

It really isn’t rocket science and most of it is common sense but then I suspect you know that already and just being awkward

Many things contribute to slow play but the one single main reason - the player themselves and how they act when playing a round , the tools don’t cause slow play , the person using them in a manner that’s going to cause issues will cause slow play

The difference between someone using a GPS watch correctly and a laser correctly is seconds at most

Use ready golf - if someone is sorting out his distance and deciding what club to take and you are ready to play then providing it’s safe to do so hit the ball.

It’s all just common sense at the end of the day

If it were common sense there would be no such phrase as slow play. As I say, play faster, use common sense, ready golf, etc have achieve nothing. Do you see slow play as an issue or as a non issue. If an issue, what would you propose ? (clearly we cannot rely on the common sense of the average golfer - he is just getting slower and slower).

 

[Pants]

For goodness sake folk, STOP FEEDING THE TROLLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Unfortunately too many of us on the golf course seem to put telling their joke, funny story or life history ahead of playing their next shot…and then continue telling us their story when it is our turn to play, expecting us to stop and put listening ahead of us playing our shot.

And then there is the player, when standing over a putt, stops to work out how many shots he’s already played…and he’s playing medal…. Just putt out and count up afterwards…

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Ewan Murray recalling the time Brian Barnes took a chair and book on the Euro Tour.
[Mark James and Ken Brown being the main slow play offenders.]
The way things are going we will soon have a lunch break built into every 18 holes.

 

[Swango1980]

Ewan Murray recalling the time Brian Barnes took a chair and book on the Euro Tour.
[Mark James and Ken Brown being the main slow play offenders.]
The way things are going we will soon have a lunch break built into every 18 holes.

There was a chap at my old place that was notoriously slow. My mate was drawn to play in group behind him once. Just after the slow guy teed off the first and began walking down the fairway, my mate went to first tee, brought out a camping chair, and sat down in middle of tee box, getting a few laughs from those still at clubhouse

 

[Slab]

How times change.
When I was a teenager [1960's] over two and a half hours around a championship par72 course was considered slow.

So we just let players on the course with the fitness of a teenager and exclude the rest we'll have the foundation for 2 1/2 hour rounds?... Hold on though, I guess you'd be in your 70's now and maybe unable to keep the same pace you did back then. Time to hang up the boots maybe

 

[fairways12]

Slow play can indeed be a significant issue in golf, and it has been a concern for both recreational and professional golfers for many years. While not every round of golf is affected by slow play, it does occur frequently enough to warrant attention. There are several reasons why slow play happens and steps that can be taken to address it:

1. Inexperience: Many golfers, especially beginners, may take longer to make shots, line up putts, or find their balls in the rough. This can add significant time to a round.
2. Course Difficulty: Courses with challenging layouts, difficult holes, or long distances between holes can naturally lead to slower rounds.
3. Course Crowding: Overbooked tee times and a high volume of golfers on the course can cause backups, leading to slower play.
4. Searching for Lost Balls: Golfers spending excessive time searching for lost balls can slow down the pace of play. Encouraging golfers to use fewer lost-ball searches or implement a "maximum strokes" rule can help.
5. Distractions: Distractions on the course, such as socializing, phone usage, or waiting for other groups, can contribute to slower play.

 

[Deleted member 31467]

When you havent been able to reach your ball when your partners are playing, and they are now waiting on you, you then dont use the laser ?

OK I'll give you that one. so it adds on 10 seconds to the round in your example. How many lots of 10 seconds need to be wasted to turn a 3.5 hour round into a 5 hour round though? By my calculation it needs to happen 540 times in a 4ball. If a 4ball is having to laser 540 shots between them then clearly the laser is not the issue. The issue is LOFT.

 

[Deleted member 29109]

OK I'll give you that one. so it adds on 10 seconds to the round. How many lots of 10 seconds need to be wasted to turn a 3.5 hour round into a 5 hour round though?

540

 

[Voyager EMH]

In my observations the slowest players all use pink castle tees.

They don't seem to waste much time looking for them and picking them up, because I've got loads of 'em and never bought any.
Or perhaps they have wasted loads of time looking for them, but are rubbish and finding them.

What I genuinely find is that given two players of round about equal age, physical capability, golfing ability etc, the slower player will most likely be the one who has spent the most money on kit.

 

[RichA]

What I genuinely find is that given two players of round about equal age, physical capability, golfing ability etc, the slower player will most likely be the one who has spent the most money on kit.

In total or just in today's bag?
Just asking because I know someone who currently owns about a thousand golf clubs.

 

[Voyager EMH]

In total or just in today's bag?
Just asking because I know someone who currently owns about a thousand golf clubs.

Whatever they have with them - in the bag and about their person.
I did say - "most likely" to be the slower player.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

They don't seem to waste much time looking for them and picking them up, because I've got loads of 'em and never bought any.
Or perhaps they have wasted loads of time looking for them, but are rubbish and finding them.

What I genuinely find is that given two players of round about equal age, physical capability, golfing ability etc, the slower player will most likely be the one who has spent the most money on kit.

What I genuinely find is those that are pointing out others that are the slower players are most likely slow themselves

 

[Swango1980]

What I genuinely find is those that are pointing out others that are the slower players are most likely slow themselves

That makes no sense.

Why would slow players call out other players for being slow? Surely it is the quicker players, that are being held up by slower players, that are feeling the frustration and then venting their issues with slow play? The ones that complain about slow play the most are the ones that seem to be able to sprint through a round of golf in well under 3 hours, and then get irate when a group in front may be playing at a rate of 3.5 hours or more a round.