(Sorry this has been done to death) The solution to slow play is slow play

[TheDiablo]

Unfortunately, people are arguing against the man instead of the ideas....sad really.

Spot on. You would think he and the club are trying to encourage slow play the way some people have reacted!

Is slow play a problem at a number of clubs? Yes. Are many actually doing anything other than lip service? No. So if a club tries something, it should be applauded.

If it doesnt work out, and they begin to lose a few members or whatever, I am sure the club will look again and stop the new measures. But at least they will have tried!!!

 

[Junior]

The problem is nobody looks at the clocks and goes off in correct intervals, they go when they believe the group in front is no longer in range, so even if it was a par 3 the 10 minute or more intervals should stand or otherwise you just get a bottle neck very quickly on the first par 4. Even starters at Woburn in the afternoon called you down once the group in front was clear, interval times didn't come into it IMO.

This is a great point that is often overlooked imo. You should wait till your tee time to tee off, not just smack away once the first group is out of range. People do this and are surprised when they catch the group in front up because they are looking for a ball for a couple of minutes.

 

[Norrin Radd]

the way marshalls approach players on the course has a bearing on speed . i played a society day at a place that none of us had played before ,i was in the third of five groups out and yes it was slow ,as we were waiting on most shots ,[cant say all as we did putt on the green lol]
anyway ,pompous pete the marshall turns up and says to me who is waiting with a seven iron in hand from the middle of the fairway, why are you waiting ,well it was obvious to my group why ,but not pompous pete ,well you are holding up play just hit a wedge closer to the green.
then drove off .i think it must have been the look i gave him that made him take the early exit.
one of my pp on the day was the organiser and he went into the clubhouse after the round to complain ,all he got was not you as well.
a little bit of courtesy would have helped matters im sure but to just drive up and demand i layed up from about 145yds was a bit poor in my opinion.
nobody intentionally plays slow im sure ,but if your group loses a hole then by all means a gee up from a marshall is not unheard of ,but not when you are tight up the arris of the group in front.

 

[Midnight]

in my opinion, 8 minutes gap isnt enough, not for a 4 ball, maybe altering the search time for a lost ball to 2 minutes to compensate might be worth considering, lets face it, if you cant find it in 2 minutes, then you probably dont want to find it.'


Out of interest how was the 5 min rule time for looking for a lost ball decided on?

 

[Qwerty]

The amount of time between Teetimes is irrelevant to Slow play.
You could have 2 minute Gaps and a huge queue on the 1st but once your out and playing the pace of play is dictated by the slowest group in front of you on the course.
You may not even see who's causing the problem as they're 6 or 7 holes in front.

 

[Smiffy]

Once your out and playing the pace of play is dictated by the slowest group in front of you on the course.
You may not even see who's causing the problem as they're 6 or 7 holes in front.

Is the correct answer.
Not saying it's the 1st group out, it could be the 2nd, 3rd or 4th.
I hate it when you can see that a group up ahead have pulled 2 or 3 holes out on the following group.
But when you comment on it to the players in the group that are causing the grief, they all look at each other and say "well it's not me".
One of life's mysteries

 

[pokerjoke]

The amount of time between Teetimes is irrelevant to Slow play.
You could have 2 minute Gaps and a huge queue on the 1st but once your out and playing the pace of play is dictated by the slowest group in front of you on the course.
You may not even see who's causing the problem as they're 6 or 7 holes in front.

Spot on time gaps 8 or 10 mean diddly squat.

 

[Smiffy]

I used to play with a guy who was notoriously slow. Bob Eagle. What a name for a golfer!
But boy he was slow. I've seen more movement in a glass eye.
Nobody enjoyed playing with him. We nagged, and nagged and nagged.
It did no good.
He was in a world of his own.
No exaggeration, but the group he was in sometimes fell as much as 45 minutes behind the group in front.
We made sure he was always in the final group out.
If he had been a horse, you would have shot him.
Nice guy, but a right royal pain in the arse to play golf with

 

[patricks148]

We had that was a first for me, slow play wise today!!!!!!

our 4 ball Held up by a single player.

The club don't allow visitors out before 9am but let this guy go as he was on his own.

he tee'd off at 8.40 and us the first group out in our roll up at 9am. he was still on the first green stalking his putt while we waited to play.

I think he must have been the son of Kegan Bradly and Jason Day the time he took.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

This is an example of a letter to send to members

Good Etiquette; or, the way we do things around here
The oncoming Masters reminds us that the golf season is getting into full swing, and already we have had some feedback to suggest that a timely reminder on etiquette on the course would be helpful to us.

It is noteworthy that the first section proper of the R&A Rules of Golf is that covering 'Etiquette' and it is summarised as follows;

This section provides guidelines on the manner in which the game of golf should be played. If they are followed, all players will gain maximum enjoyment from the game. The overriding principle is that consideration should be shown to others on the course at all times.

This is a very clear statement that doesn't leave any room for, or need for, debate.

The section is dominated by the paragraphs on 'Slow Play', the acknowledged curse of the game. Indeed, golf writing as a whole is dominated by the topic. Golf Monthly magazine recently devoted 10 pages to the subject. The article is well written, interestingly presented, and makes good suggestions that, if followed by all, will quicken up play on our course. Copies are available in the members' bar.

Do not think slow play is a new concern. Henry Longhurst wrote in his article 'Don't muck about', published on 28th October, 1954, that 'These days a two ball going round in two and a quarter hours would excite favourable comment, whereas onceover it was the norm.' Be assured, this was for all eighteen holes. Nowadays, we feel we have done well if we get round in 4 hours.

The club has taken various measures to help speed up play: undergrowth and brush has been cleared; signage around the course has been improved; distance markers are accurate and available on every hole; playing conditions through the green have seen huge improvements.

We have considered introducing course marshals, and, also, taking sanctions against 'repeat offenders'. We have shelved the idea of course marshals because they are expensive and some people, who may already be playing quickly, find their presence disturbing. We don't want to go down the route of taking sanctions because we think our members are capable of being self policing and of helping each other to enjoy the game. However, we will keep a watching brief in this regard.

The answer to slow play is to take Henry Longhurst's advice and, 'Don't muck about'. Familiarise yourself with the suggestions to combat slow play in the aforementioned Golf Monthly article; the R&A rules of golf http://www.randa.org/RulesEquipment/Etiquette/Behaviour-on-the-Course ; the notes that have been in the locker rooms for two years; the suggestions in the Club Diary, and ensure that you follow them, and, if you are an example to the rest of us, don't be afraid to tell us, your playing partners, to get on with it and keep up with the game in front.

If all members follow this commonsense advice, we should be able to get round a three ball medal or a 4 ball betterball in four hours. But the key word is all.

If only one group fails to keep up with play, the enjoyment of the entire field is spoiled.

Please, don't be in that group!
Good golfing

 

[PhilTheFragger]

Nice idea, but people won't read past the 2nd paragraph.
Just too long

Edit it down, bullet points, short n sharp

 

[Hobbit]

Nice idea, but people won't read past the 2nd paragraph.
Just too long

Edit it down, bullet points, short n sharp

Exactly what I did. If I got something like that it would end up in the bin unread... Just had another go at it, and didn't finish again. It's way too fluffy wordy.

I guess it wasn't put together by a marketeer. If my marketing manager came into my office with that we'd be having a very direct conversation.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Nice idea, but people won't read past the 2nd paragraph.
Just too long

Edit it down, bullet points, short n sharp

It's already gone and been received well so far

Done the short and sharp version before already - this is being sent from the President in a letter format. It is fluffy as a start to the members.

 

[Deleted member 18588]

Nice idea, but people won't read past the 2nd paragraph.
Just too long

Edit it down, bullet points, short n sharp

Have to agree that members will pay little regard to a long-winded notice.

The most effective forms are short and punchy e.g. "Remember your three R's!

Replace divots

Rake bunkers

Repair pitchmarks."

That proved more effective than the previous more wordy reminders. But anything is worth a try to resolve the issue of slow play

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Have to agree that members will pay little regard to a long-winded notice.

The most effective forms are short and punchy e.g. "Remember your three R's!

Replace divots

Rake bunkers

Repair pitchmarks."

That proved more effective than the previous more wordy reminders. But anything is worth a try to resolve the issue of slow play

It's not a notice

There are already short and punchy notices around the club - this is a letter from the president to the members

 

[Smiffy]

Don't like this bit...
"the way we do things around here"

I'd be tempted to tell you to poke it.

 

[Deleted member 18588]

It's not a notice

There are already short and punchy notices around the club - this is a letter from the president to the members

But that's my point, Phil.

I hope it works for your Club but like PtF and Hobbit I fear that most will just bin such a letter after reading just the first para'.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

But that's my point, Phil.

I hope it works for your Club but like PtF and Hobbitt I fear that most will just bin such a letter after reading just the first para'.

Going by the response so far from the members ( considering it's not been out long ) it has been received positively

There are notices and snippets from certain areas etc to be communicated out via weekly pro update

For years out members get zero communication - over the last year that has improved and now they swallow up anything that is communicated out to them.

 

[upsidedown]

Going by the response so far from the members ( considering it's not been out long ) it has been received positively

There are notices and snippets from certain areas etc to be communicated out via weekly pro update

For years out members get zero communication - over the last year that has improved and now they swallow up anything that is communicated out to them.

Whilst admiring your clubs pro active stance in addressing the slow play issue I suspect your replies /comments from members so far will be from those that don't need telling and those to who it really applies will not be bothered to comment/reply as it's not us that are slow .

 

[Robobum]

Don't like this bit...
"the way we do things around here"

I'd be tempted to tell you to poke it.

I didn't read past this.