Sub 3 hour rounds

[patricks148]

i Reg play around in 3 hours and we do't rush around just play at our pace. four and a half hours just sounds like a lot of waiting around.

Sure i'm fortunate to be able to play at a course thats not overcrowded except during the vistitor times during the day say after 10.30 and till 4pm. I played at Castle Stuart the other day and the course was fairly quite apart from Paul Lawrie behind us, we were round in Under 4 hours, and we stopped at the halfway hut and did not rush, but that was playing with 3 guys all cat 1 so no lost balls, not sure its possible to lose a ball at CS

One of the staff was telling us about a 3 ball the week before that took 3 hours to play the font 9!!!!!!

We don't race around, are not ob with playing fast, we just don't bugger around between each shot, well not much anyway.

 

[dufferman]

I prefer to play fast but not am obsessed with being round in 3 hours (that said on an empty course in a 2 ball I almost certainly will be). Personally like to play to a decent rhythm and not have to stand and wait over shots (just gives me more time to think destructively lol), I dont take a great deal of time over the ball and am pretty much always ready when its my turn.

Personally think those at the other end of the spectrum suck the life out of the game, often thinking they own the course and can play at any pace they like without any regard for anyone else. Last weekend played a knockout match, turns out we were behind a 4ball ko final who thought 5 and 1/2 hours and not letting anyone else through was perfectly acceptable (2 groups walked off at 9 and 2 groups skipped 2 holes to bypass them!)

A 5 hour round like that IS unacceptable. If I play a 5 hour round, it's because that's the pace of the course, not holding up groups for the fun of it!

 

[Piece]

Can someone explain to me what this obsession with getting round in under 3 hours is. I really do not understand how anyone can enjoy playing golf, if all they are worried about is being sat back in the clubhouse within 3 hours of arriving.

Played on the Arden course yesterday with NWJocko and Stuey01. It took a grand total of 4 1/2 hours to get round, but it did not wreck my day, or my enjoyment of the round. I think this is because the sun was out and I was playing with a couple of top lads that had a good laugh all the way round. If you are playing with some good lads and you are good company on the course, then you should still be able to have a good time and enjoy your round, irrespective of how long it takes.

Do not get me wrong, if someone is holding me up and they have a clear course in front, I do expect them to wave me through, as I am always courteous and wave other players through when it becomes apparent that I am holding them up.

But what I will still never work out is how someones enjoyment of a round can be spoilt by not getting round in under 3 hours.

Great post and my thoughts too. I HATE rushing around as it spoils my day. Sure, we'll let people through if needed, but we ain't going to bust a gut to keep up with the three ball in front of Usain Bolt, Linford Christie and Michael Johnson because the etiquette of golf says we should.

 

[thecraw]

Craw, we waited on almost every tee and several approaches as the course was backed up. There were a couple of slow groups in front of metal mickie, Gil-Emott and rob2.
It took 4 1/2 hrs to get round because that was the pace of play in front, not because of us. We didn't let it bother us though and had a good time regardless of how long it took.

But thanks for your concern for the non-existent groups behind.

Well you can't give only half a story! It doesn't paint a proper picture! If you had said you were held up and it took 4.5 hours that would be different. I would have been having a word with the groups in front. Ignorance and slow play, what's worse?

 

[One Planer]

Normally around 3.1/2 hours for me and my old boy.

If we play as a 4 ball with 2 members we introduced, it takes around another half hour, so 4 hours maximum.

I have no issue letting faster moving groups through. To me it doesn't matter if it's another 4-ball, 2 ball or even a single player, if they are moving at a quicker pace it's only right to let them through.

Fundy's example is prime of a few, established members, at my track. It wouldn't matter if the course was empty they still wouldn't let you through.

Totally wrong!

 

[Pin-seeker]

100% agree with this.

Common sense and be aware of others is not too much to ask! Is it?

Think that's the problem with a lot of things in life pal,people lack common sense. If a group behind you is obviously playing at a faster pace than you the obvious thing to do is wave them through.

 

[thecraw]

Great post and my thoughts too. I HATE rushing around as it spoils my day. Sure, we'll let people through if needed, but we ain't going to bust a gut to keep up with the three ball in front of Usain Bolt, Linford Christie and Michael Johnson because the etiquette of golf says we should.

How can 10 minutes a hole be rushing?

 

[FairwayDodger]

Depends on the course, how busy it is and who I'm playing with. With a player of similar speed to myself and an empty course I'd expect to play my home course in under 3 hours. That's without unduly rushing; just how long it takes. Probably a bit longer on a longer course but I'd still expect to rarely be over 3.5 hours.

As craw says, be ready to play when it's your turn (play "ready" golf - especially in bounce games - i.e. whoever is ready can play even if they're a couple of yards closer!), hit a provisional when necessary, walk briskly between shots, don't treat each putt as if it's to win the Open, clear the green quickly etc. etc.

 

[thecraw]

i Reg play around in 3 hours and we do't rush around just play at our pace. four and a half hours just sounds like a lot of waiting around.

Sure i'm fortunate to be able to play at a course thats not overcrowded except during the vistitor times during the day say after 10.30 and till 4pm. I played at Castle Stuart the other day and the course was fairly quite apart from Paul Lawrie behind us, we were round in Under 4 hours, and we stopped at the halfway hut and did not rush, but that was playing with 3 guys all cat 1 so no lost balls, not sure its possible to lose a ball at CS

One of the staff was telling us about a 3 ball the week before that took 3 hours to play the font 9!!!!!!

We don't race around, are not ob with playing fast, we just don't bugger around between each shot, well not much anyway.

^^^^^^^

This. It really isn't difficult to keep moving alone at a decent pace without rushing!

 

[thecraw]

Depends on the course, how busy it is and who I'm playing with. With a player of similar speed to myself and an empty course I'd expect to play my home course in under 3 hours. That's without unduly rushing; just how long it takes. Probably a bit longer on a longer course but I'd still expect to rarely be over 3.5 hours.

As craw says, be ready to play when it's your turn (play "ready" golf - especially in bounce games - i.e. whoever is ready can play even if they're a couple of yards closer!), hit a provisional when necessary, walk briskly between shots, don't treat each putt as if it's to win the Open, clear the green quickly etc. etc.

Craw likes this attitude:thup:


Have a Milky Bar on me!

 

[Stuey01]

Well you can't give only half a story! It doesn't paint a proper picture! If you had said you were held up and it took 4.5 hours that would be different. I would have been having a word with the groups in front. Ignorance and slow play, what's worse?

I just gave you the story, it wasn't my post.

Yes the groups in front of the other GM lads were ignorant and should have let them, and us, through. But they didn't. I'm not about to go running up the course two holes in front to take someone to task about not playing at a quicker pace, i'm just not going to let it ruin my day.

 

[CliveW]

Is this a North/South phenomenon or could there be a problem with the spacing of tee times? One of my old courses had a six minute interval between tee times and slow play was sometimes an issue, wheras my current course there is nine minutes between tee times and slow play is not a real issue. On the issue of North/South, I have found that the further south I have played, the slower the pace of play.

 

[dufferman]

Is this a North/South phenomenon or could there be a problem with the spacing of tee times? One of my old courses had a six minute interval between tee times and slow play was sometimes an issue, wheras my current course there is nine minutes between tee times and slow play is not a real issue. On the issue of North/South, I have found that the further south I have played, the slower the pace of play.

The courses I play (down Sauf') have about 7-8 minutes between tee times. Not enough IMO. but then if the day is slow, I've also learnt to not let it affect my day.

One guy I play with lets slow play get to him - and his golf goes to pot once we have to start waiting on tee boxes.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

It was a lovely sunny afternoon playing a top course with top people. It was slow but not the end of the world. I think all 6 of us enjoyed it despite the pace of play.

You can't just have a go at people in front who are slow because you never know which group is at fault at any one time.
Our 3 ball help up Adey, Stuey & Jocko. We were held up by the 2 ball in front. They were held up by a 3 ball in front of them & so on & so on.

I've played plenty of sub-3 hour rounds, but not always as enjoyable as yesterday.

 

[NWJocko]

It was a lovely sunny afternoon playing a top course with top people. It was slow but not the end of the world. I think all 6 of us enjoyed it despite the pace of play.

You can't just have a go at people in front who are slow because you never know which group is at fault at any one time.
Our 3 ball help up Adey, Stuey & Jocko. We were held up by the 2 ball in front. They were held up by a 3 ball in front of them & so on & so on.

I've played plenty of sub-3 hour rounds, but not always as enjoyable as yesterday.

Precisely, I think the point Adey was trying to make is that, if going is slow (remember this is a corporate/resort course that isn't easy either) it doesn't necessarily have to ruin you're day.

It was slow, painful at times as it was for the group in front. Didn't look good at the Starter's hut when he was sending some young lads out in buggies to "have a word" with some groups. Obviously to little effect but that's a different question.

Despite the pace of play it was a very enjoyable round of golf (despite me going missing for about 2 hours in the middle!), warm sunny day, lovely golf course and good company having a laugh. I can live with slow pace when it's like that and expect it on that type of course (De Vere etc the same).

 

[Snelly]

I totally agree with Craw, Patrick et al. If you are ready to play when it is your turn and by ready I mean ready to start your swing and hit the ball, then 3-4 hours is an absolute breeze for 18 holes, irrespective of your standard or form on the day. However, if your definition of ready to play means you are ready to start your pre-shot routine, three practice swings and visualisation of the shot etc, then you are absolutely part of the slow play problem. Assuming that your pre shot stuff takes a minute, then you not being ready to hit the ball adds 80 plus minutes to the round.

My only other observation would be that in my opinion, slow play is a pretty recent problem. There are lots of reasons for this, often debated on this forum and I won't get into that now. What I would say though is if you are relatively new to the game then you are probably of the view that 4.5 hours is normal and acceptable as that seems to be universally accepted these days. 30 years ago though, golf was just not like that. Halcyon days!

Lastly, I really resent the implication on here that if you want to play golf in 3 hours then you are; rushing, running, pushing others; ruining the day for the rest by hurrying them up. It isn't the players who go around in 3 hours that are spoiling golf as we know it.

If it is going to be slow, I would rather not play and have declined two events in July as I know that they will be 5+ hours. No fun and I would rather be doing something else with my time.

 

[Fish]

I don't think you should wait for a specific tee time interval, if the group in front are out of range for your ability after they've tee'd off on the 1st and your ready, then get on with it. I've stood on the first tee many times when a group has been waiting to tee off and were waiting for the group in front to almost disappear at around 300 yards only then to all hit shots around 180-200yds so effectively they could have gone off quicker! That can be said of people waiting for a green to clear at 240yds and then they knob it 120yds, could they have made the green, 1/10 possibly!

I think sometimes our comps are over subscribed and as such it would be almost impossible to let anyone through as you can see groups everywhere in front of you. Only a little while back there was technically 16 players on 1 hole! 4 waiting to tee off (me) on the 8th par 5, 4 waiting to take their 2nd shot, 4 waiting to approach the green and 4 on the green putting out! Looking down at that was frightening and quite simply the course was overloaded and could never spread out after that.

I've just looked at our last few comps and the average is 180 competitors in 3-balls so 60 groups, is that too many? We have 8 minute intervals so 60x8=480 divided by 60 = 8hrs to get everyone away (7am-3pm), is it no wonder its going to take over 4hrs?

 

[Slab]

The problem lies at either end of the spectrum

Those playing unduly slow and those playing unduly fast

It’s keeping up with the pace of play we should be aiming for, not crawling round or charging through (both will cause bottlenecks in play for the rest of the field)

And the pace of play will vary from day to day on the same course and while we have groups that think they aren’t slow (when they are) and the speedy groups who won’t slow down (simply because it isn’t supposed to take this long) then things won’t improve

Oh and 7 minute spacing is farcical

 

[clayton6]

Well I've learnt 1 thing from browsing this forum....would hate to have a round of golf with a few on here. Can hear the tutting and under the breath comments from here! None of us are professionals, I thought we all played it as a hobby for something to enjoy.

How some people can possibly enjoy a round is beyond me from reading some posts on here....at my track its about 3 1/2 - 4 hours on average. Obviously as summer and better days are approaching it will gradually increase but it won't bother me in the slightest. I won't be running home anytime soon to post about it.

If I was new to golf and read through half of this forum, it would without a doubt put me off the game of golf....I would be in fear of doing wrong everytime I turned up somewhere. Golf has got to be one of the most 'intimidating' sports for new comers....and people wonder why lol

Just relax and enjoy your round

 

[cookelad]

There's a definite difference between playing quickly and rushing!

I play quickly - I'm ready to play when it's my turn (including using a Bushnell, stalking my putts and a few other things that can make people slow players if done incorrectly), I always leave my bag on the route to the next tee, mark the card while travelling to the next tee (it's only numbers not an essay if you can't scribble 4-3-3 while walking there's deeper lying problems) and I'd rather play a provisional if in doubt than walk back it doesn't hurt your score to pick up a provisional ball. I judge my round by the numbers on my scorecard not the minutes on my stopwatch.

If the course is slow I'll take a little extra time over an approach shot or a putt rather than stand around getting 'cold' on the next tee! It'd be great if everyone played at my pace but I accept that there's always someone quicker and there's always someone slower!