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

[Snelly]

Personally, I think the OP is a slow player and this is one of a number of his posts that have an underlying current of mitigation against the biggest problem that golf has.

There is no excuse for slow play. You won't be any better a player if you copy Jason Day.


Get a move on. Hit it, find it and hit it again. Be ready to hit the ball when it is your turn. Stop fannying about.

 

[USER1999]

Shoot them...

If they refuse you can politely state that you actually have a right to play through under etiquette and possibly under club guidance rules in place to avoid slow play. I have never actually forced the point and walked onto the tee to play. Don't think I would.

I'd hope that were a group actually to come to my group asking to play through using language such as I have suggested - that we'd recognise that they must feel strongly about our pace of play or their desire as a smaller faster group to play through - and that we are only going to get aggro and hassle if we don't - so we just stand aside.

The problem would be much less so if players were taught how to play through a group and let a group behind play through. In recent matches I have been waved through quite a few times by groups who knew what they were doing and knew that we knew what we were doing - and I reckon they added a handful of minutes maximum to the duration of their round.

So for instance - we were a foursome and a fourball in front of us. As we approached the green one of the group in front came across and asked if we wanted to play through (they could see we were catching them). We said yes thankyou - and proceeded to play out the hole. Meanwhile the group in front teed off and off they went. By the time we got to the tee and were ready to play they were just about all out of range and stood aside as we teed off. They then played on, When we got to our balls they were still chipping on or about to start putting. They marked their balls and stood aside. We played on. As we walked up that group replaced balls and played until we reached the green. Those that hadn't finished marked their balls and picked up. We played out and went to the next tee and teed off. They got to the tee minutes before we got out of range. So they maybe lost 3 minutes on the green and 2mins waiting for us to get out of range. And our play-through went smooth as a babies bum. Easy, and no grumbling from anyone

This drives me nuts. If I'm being played through, stop, get out of the way, and let me play through properly. Playing just ahead, and constantly waving me up is not the way to do it, it's just rude. I had this happen to me in a match once, and it took 5 holes to get through, due to the guys in front waving up, and then legging it.
Waiting doesn't take long, so let the guys playing through get on with it, and the group standing aside are never in danger of being hit by a golf ball.
I wouldn't stand just off the fairway, or just off the green, inviting the lot behind to have a free shot at me.

 

[woody69]

This drives me nuts. If I'm being played through, stop, get out of the way, and let me play through properly. Playing just ahead, and constantly waving me up is not the way to do it, it's just rude. I had this happen to me in a match once, and it took 5 holes to get through, due to the guys in front waving up, and then legging it.
Waiting doesn't take long, so let the guys playing through get on with it, and the group standing aside are never in danger of being hit by a golf ball.
I wouldn't stand just off the fairway, or just off the green, inviting the lot behind to have a free shot at me.

By forcing someone to completely stop and move aside allowing you through and then only proceeding once you have either finished the hole or completely out of range is adding to the problem. You just cause congestion as the group behind the group you are letting through are going to catch up and they will then be held up.

The only time it is OK to step aside like you suggest is if there is no one behind the group you are playing through. Otherwise the process should be as SILH describes and you effectively play up together for one hole and a bit.

 

[sawtooth]

If you cant beat them then join them.

Fair enough mate, when you have tried everything in your power to go through then why not adjust your pace so that you aren't waiting an inordinate amount of time on every hole?

I've seen some people adopt a different policy of "play when they're still in range, they'll soon get the message" so you opted for the safe and diplomatic option of hanging back a bit.

 

[GB72]

By forcing someone to completely stop and move aside allowing you through and then only proceeding once you have either finished the hole or completely out of range is adding to the problem. You just cause congestion as the group behind the group you are letting through are going to catch up and they will then be held up.

The only time it is OK to step aside like you suggest is if there is no one behind the group you are playing through. Otherwise the process should be as SILH describes and you effectively play up together for one hole and a bit.

That is not allowed at my club or the one I was at before. Once you call a group up you have given the hole over to them and you are not allowed to play until they are out of range or finish the hole

 

[njrose51]

I think I've done everything that has been commented on here - approaching people on the tee, hitting whilst in others range, adjusting my game speed to suit the play, even calling the event organiser to come out and have a moan at the group in front. Being let through doesn't always solve the problem, either for you or the groups behind. There is part of me (and the good lady wife!) that is now resigned to the fact that a game of golf will take 4.00-5.00 hours. For me, until it changes from above and with the golf clubs themselves, is to play my own game and not worry about what is happening in front. If I have to wait, I wait. I try and relax, focus on the next shot, course management, making sure yardages are known, practise my grip or takeaway, practise chipping techniques (without a ball obviously), etc etc. I agree that it is a sad state of the game but we are not all the same, whether it is the style of our play, our ability or our desire to get round in a reasonable time. We cant control the weather, the unjust bounce, etc either. So most of us on this forum know the correct etiquette of the game and in a way it is down to us to keep forcing the issues with our clubs, our playing partners, the R&A and use organisations like Golf Monthly to keep making the point.

 

[dufferman]

Personally, I think the OP is a slow player and this is one of a number of his posts that have an underlying current of mitigation against the biggest problem that golf has.

There is no excuse for slow play. You won't be any better a player if you copy Jason Day.


Get a move on. Hit it, find it and hit it again. Be ready to hit the ball when it is your turn. Stop fannying about.

I'm not a slow player.... Did you READ the first post...?

 

[patricks148]

I'm not a slow player.... Did you READ the first post...?

Oh i don't know, you do seem to post a lot about how slow your rounds are... that a winning prizes!

 

[Deleted member 16999]

I would be fuming if I was 3rd off and went round in nearly 5 hours, that's just not acceptable on any course. The first 2 flights need a shoeing.

Later in the day, yep these rounds happen, relax but be ready to play, don't make it worse for those behind you.

 

[Billysboots]

I may have missed the explanation elsewhere in the thread but, focusing solely on the Saturday round, why on earth are your club allowing a 2-ball out at 9.30am? Quite aside from the fact it means you'll be the meat in all the sandwiches when you get stuck between 3 and 4-balls, every time you get let through it has a massive knock on effect on the pace of play behind.

There aren't that many clubs which allow 2-balls out that late on a Saturday, and those which do tend to be quite strict - expect the pace of play to be that of a 4-ball and don't get upset if that's too slow for you.

 

[freddielong]

Almost every group will have a gps or similar device with them maybe at some point these could be monitored from the club house and players could be told to wave groups through or even penalties or warnings given.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

The honest answer is that there is no solution, the problem will persist. You can point the finger at as many people as you like but most clubs cannot afford to lose members so do nothing. If my club is anything to go by, the worst offenders are long term members who think they own the place and adopt the 'I pay a lot for my membership and I will play how I want' attitude. You threaten action on some of these long term members and you could easily lose a dozen or more members with them when they flounce off.

I have said this on a number of topics, not just pace of play, golf and golf clubs have no interest in change. They are happy with things the way they are whether it is pace of play, dress code, making the game more inclusive, attracting younger members and all sorts of other areas.

Basically, until the last golf club in the area is about to close its doors permanently, there is a breed of golf club member who has no interest in anything beyond that which suits him and his peer group and those are the ones to who tend to run the clubs.

Slow play will remain because there is no will at many clubs to do any more than pay it lip service.

Brilliant post. The answer would be education but if the members aren't prepared to listen and learn then nothing will change. Most won't accept they are even part of the problem

 

[Qwerty]

Is Hoebridge a Pay and Play?

If so is there anyone who's played 18 holes on a pay & play/ Muni in less than 5 hours.. During the season on a weekend?

I know I haven't and I did it every weekend for about 3 years before I joined a club.

Its a different Game. There's probably groups out there who've only just started out, some ok and some who'll probably never pick up a club again. You've no option other than to go with the (Very Slow) Flow.

It might be different in Surrey but I wouldn't fancy approaching a group of lads on a Manchester Muni and trying to 'Educate' them on the knock on effect of Slow Play.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Is Hoebridge a Pay and Play?

If so is there anyone who's played 18 holes on a pay & play/ Muni in less than 5 hours.. During the season on a weekend?

I know I haven't and I did it every weekend for about 3 years before I joined a club.

Its a different Game. There's probably groups out there who've only just started out, some ok some and who'll probably never pick up a club again. You've no option other than to go with the (Very Slow) Flow.

It might be different in Surrey but I wouldn't fancy approaching a group of lads on a Manchester Muni and trying to 'Educate' them on the knock on effect of Slow Play.

It is pay and play and to be honest five hours is the norm

 

[3565]

Slow play again?
The OPs point may be seen by a lot here as not the done thing but, he stated that the last 3 holes were more enjoyable for him and his pp's when they 'adjusted' their pace to those in front who were holding them up. So as well as being aware of your standing on the course if those in front won't let you through then accept it and adjust your pace accordingly. What is the point in getting all wound up after all as some would attest to on here, it's just a hobby, pastime.

 

[freddielong]

It is pay and play and to be honest five hours is the norm

Seriously 5 hours I am not sure I could handle that 4 hours is too long

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Seriously 5 hours I am not sure I could handle that 4 hours is too long

To be honest, most of the play and pays around here (Pine Ridge, Downshire, Hoebridge) are all going to be the same at weekends. I know what you mean and I couldn't do it regularly.

 

[Qwerty]

Seriously 5 hours I am not sure I could handle that 4 hours is too long

I did it every week for some time. I think it gets to the point where you either bite the bullet and join a club or find something else to do at weekends.

I suppose if your happy just playing with your mates and you don't want to take it any further then you just put up with it.
Also I don't know about the rest of the country but Theres some very good Muni's in the North West.

 

[Karl102]

I did it every week for some time. I think it gets to the point where you either bite the bullet and join a club or find something else to do at weekends.

I suppose if your happy just playing with your mates and you don't want to take it any further then you just put up with it.
Also I don't know about the rest of the country but Theres some very good Muni's in the North West.

Walton Hall in Warrington (a decent muni) would be a good 5 and a half hours on a hot day weekend in the Summer.... People know the score before they go and enjoy it.

 

[Senseicads]

I'm a member at Merrist Wood, it's a long course. Our rounds are usually 4.5 hrs. There is a pace of play sign on the tenth which says 2 ball 2hrs05 4 ball 2hr15 I think it is. That's just how long it takes. 5 hrs is very easily acheived when the course gets a bit backed up. The pace isn't slow, it's just the way it is. I think most people on the forum would hate our course from the sound of it!