SPEED OF PLAY

[mjsw13]

And if people's work dictates that they have to work 7.00-15.00, on the course for 15.30 to play an 18 hole comp, yet they can't because of pace of play ahead and it being dark by the time they're on the 15th?

That's not poor time management, that's a difference in people's work patterns. Some people have all day to play, some people don't, the one thing they do have in common is that they both want to play.

We have all paid our subscriptions, 'normal' golfers don't want to be held up by slow golfers, just as 'normal' golfers don't want to be rushed by quicker players. I play quick (by others' standards) when on my own and the course is clear, but when with others I maintain a steady pace - that is all I ask of the others. Quick golfers have no right to put normal paced golfers under pressure, but normal paced golfers have every right to tell slow people to hurry up or get out of the way, as the latter clearly have all the time in the world.

I therefore think it would be an advantage to put golfers on the clock (pros and amateur), so they generally do not dawdle between shots and take no more than 45 seconds on set up. I don't agree with fines, golf is expensive enough, but penalty shots in comps should hit home.

 

[welshjim22]

Not too much of a problem at my course as i tend to miss the worst times and i normally get let through quickly. In fact my biggest problem is getting let through and then playing badly and therefore slower.

As for set times unless in comp how is this to be monitored and how strict would you want it. I am off to Orlando soon and noticed one courase has a time limit of 4hrs 13 mins for a four ball. A little specific i think?

 

[USER1999]

Surely 4 hours 15 is just as specific?

Most Florida courses do have marshals, who do ask players to keep up with those in front. Often the buggys have GPS, and this advises if you fall behind.

The worst thing with this, and it happened to me recently, is the 4 in front took 30 minutes to play one par 4, and then legged it on the next hole, which coincided with the arrival of the Marshal, who accused us of lagging behind the group in front.
Livid wasn't the word for it.

 

[USER1999]

Parmo, As I have tried to point out before, I am never in a hurry on the golf course, but my natural walking speed and playing speed are fast. I can't help it, I am made that way. I find it very stressful doing anything slowly, I like to live my life at a million miles an hour. I don't have to get round in a specific time, but I have a very low tolerance for hanging about doing nothing. I too play golf for enjoyment, but I cease to enjoy it if I end up standing about doing nothing.

Obviously there are compromises to be made, but there are no fast tee times in comps. I have been 2nd out, and still had to take 4 1/2 hours, as the only 3 on the course in front of us wouldn't let us play through. I don't know what anyone can do that takes 4 1/2 hours on the course as a 3 ball. At my normal speed, I could play round twice.

I can't see a sub 4 hour round as rushing in an undignified hurry. It is dawdling, plain and simple.

 

[Twire]

Murph, what did you think of our round at RA? Personaly I thought it was a little slow, but I didn't have a clock on it.

 

[JustOne]

That's not poor time management, that's a difference in people's work patterns. Some people have all day to play, some people don't, the one thing they do have in common is that they both want to play.

I want to sail round the world... should I buy a yacht?
Can I do it quickly as I want to be home for tea

I can play like greased lightening if I want but I'd rather play at whatever pace the course and my fellow golfers dictate. If that's 5½ hours so be it...even better on a nice sunny afternoon.

What do you do when your playing partners hit the ball into the trees on every hole? carry on without them? You must be pulling your hair out!

I think playing a round of golf by yourself is certainly a different issue altogether but then again you should expect to get held up.

FWIW I happen to hate it when I see someone playing 2 golfballs on the course. If they weren't I'd probably call them through!

 

[mono217]

In our compitition on sunday it took us 4 hours to do the front nine because of 4 ball texas scramble and then 3 to do the back 9 a 7 hour round that is just a joke.

 

[welshjim22]

murphthemog


I think the 4:13 bit was odd, although our timeshare has a 23mph speed limit not 25. Maybe that is the speed limit of the golf buggies which share the road. As for marshalls not keen on them i have heard some negative comments about the ones at Orange county National. Any course suggestions would be appreciated just PM me. Stuck to Orange lake last year who were more relaxed.

 

[nmartyn]

i only get to play on the weekend and i usually have to play very early to spend some reasonable time with HID on the weekend.
unfortunetly this coincides with the busiest time and i'm looking at 5hour rounds which is a pain in the a$$ and has got me into a lot of hot water with the other half.

i've now had to promise her that regardless of which hole i'm on i will leave the course to come home if i've been playing for 4hours.

unfortunate - yes, of course it is.
solution? none really, tends to be the old boys out at stupid o'clock who take an age to get round and aren't keen on letting us through even as a 2ball.

its not that they're particularly slow, just they can't walk faster than a snail!

 

[JustOne]

i've now had to promise her that regardless of which hole i'm on i will leave the course to come home if i've been playing for 4hours.

Blimey, I don't know whether to say that it's fantastic that you're in a relationship that you respect that much OR that you should introduce her to the term 'golfing widow'.
I openly admit that if my missus tried to put a kerfew on me I'd be telling her to look for a different father for the kids

note: she respects the fact that I'm on the course when I could be doing far more sinister things with my time, and we're very happy together... inbetween arguments

 

[nmartyn]

it all depends mate, she's a nurse who works shifts some some times we won't see each other all week and she works a lot of weekends so when she does get one off.....

plus take into account the guy i play with has a newborn...

 

[JustOne]

I hope you don't think I'm knocking it... I'm not.

I think it's great that you don't spend your whole life on the course. I've already lost 2 businesses. I'm a bit more chilled now-a-days and only think about golf 23 hours a day

 

[Parmo]

Martyn, I used to tee off about 0630 just to get home for 10am on a saturday, so thats a 5am wake up!! I was once known to tee off at 0615!! This only creates another problem as you are knackered the rest of the day!

Going back to what I posted before, if I came across a very slow group holding the field I would have no doubts to phone the pro shop and complain. The problem is where and who holding up the field and if the group behind are willing to do so.

 

[nmartyn]

not at all mate. i play as much as i can, was fortunate last summer when i first started playing as was 'working from home' a lot of the time
plus had a mate dossing at mine so we were out most afternoons.
not so easy now though and struggling to find regular playing partners.

 

[Parmo]

Jammy sod!! My wife is a nurse but is lucky and works on a day ward, so get hassle on weekends if the 19th is taking my cash.

 

[nmartyn]

yeah it goes in swings and roundabouts - the only unfortunate thing is my mates missus is a nightmare and rarely lets him play or punishes him if he does! lol

 

[JustOne]

the only unfortunate thing is my mates missus is a nightmare and rarely lets him play or punishes him if he does! lol

I have a mate like that - I'm thinking about disowning him!

Come to think of it I haven't played golf with him this year

My other mates are golfaholics which certainly helps

 

[madandra]

I blame Leccy Trolleys. I see them at my course and they stroll up the fairway like the golfing equivalent to CHIPS, side by side like Ponch and Jon putting the world to rights at the amazing speed of half a mile an hour. I would allow leccy trolleys on my course if the speed was pre set to brisk walk as this would keep some slower member in the bar.


I haven't heard if I have won the trolley yet

 

[Herbie]

I would like it to be faster as I play better when its a bit quicker, but its not so much the overall speed of a round in a comp (come to expect lengthy ones) its the stop start, wait and queue sort of game that really and truely pees me off. I can set off at a slow pace, accept it and establish a rhythm for that match (quicker the better though) but when you get these muppets taking forever to do absolutely everything badly, or those who take delight in assuming they can take 5 mins to look for a ball BEFORE thinking of waving the following group through or the gathering of the un elected controlers at one or two tees where all seem to discuss the merits of their gathering and how it came about when all the time it came about because they met each other and discussed it while waiting for the group ahead to play out the green on the 400yd par 4 thinking it would speed things up if they held everyone back, only to duff tee shots in front of the gathering groups and you can never hit them as they are too old.

Unhindered flowing is fine by me if a little tedious sometimes but the stop start causers should be secured to a tree and covered in sugar for the duration of summer .

Anything more than a 4 hr rate and I tend to get fed up, 4.1/2 to 5 and I dream of these 'waiting to die' merchants(people of all age groups who do not wish to use their lungs,feet or brain) being suddenly sucked underground should they fall behind on pace

Thankfully there is none of this kind of thing at my new club, non that I have seen anyway

 

[TurfEater]

So, 4Hrs/4Players = 1Hr 60min/18holes = 3.3 minutes/hole

Sounds easy that way, but wheres the fun and banter on the way around