G1BB0
Money List Winner
I agree with the routine etc thing, I played a few weeks back with a bloke who thought every putt was to win the masters, even a 6 inch tap in he done the same routine!!! I actually wanted to punch him after a few holes.
Sub 3 hour rounds
- Thread starter MadAdey
- Start date
I agree with the routine etc thing, I played a few weeks back with a bloke who thought every putt was to win the masters, even a 6 inch tap in he done the same routine!!! I actually wanted to punch him after a few holes.
Fader
Tour Winner
Lot of handbags at ten paces on this thread as there always is when slow play is mentioned at any time.
If I manage to play a round and its 3 hours then great, but likewise if I play a round that takes 4.5 hours but haven't held anybody up but its duration is simply down to volume of people on the course then again great I don't mind this happens and will always happen.
Likewise I know in a bounce game even as a fourball I'm going to be round in about 4 hours tops because I tend to play at a time its busiest. Comps will always take slightly longer as people do take more care of how they are knocking it round and look for a ball and within the rules are allowed their 5mins. I'm not going to have a go at them as long as they keep up with the group in front of them.
As long as people are playing when they are ready and if they are slow allowing others through then I have no real issues with other people taking their time. I want to enjoy my golf not worry about having a coronary because I want to get round sub 3 hours because I have somewhere to be. I arrange things around my golf and leave plenty of time for both.
That said I did have a 6 hour round once and I was close then at that time to needing a shave by the time I'd finished!
If I manage to play a round and its 3 hours then great, but likewise if I play a round that takes 4.5 hours but haven't held anybody up but its duration is simply down to volume of people on the course then again great I don't mind this happens and will always happen.
Likewise I know in a bounce game even as a fourball I'm going to be round in about 4 hours tops because I tend to play at a time its busiest. Comps will always take slightly longer as people do take more care of how they are knocking it round and look for a ball and within the rules are allowed their 5mins. I'm not going to have a go at them as long as they keep up with the group in front of them.
As long as people are playing when they are ready and if they are slow allowing others through then I have no real issues with other people taking their time. I want to enjoy my golf not worry about having a coronary because I want to get round sub 3 hours because I have somewhere to be. I arrange things around my golf and leave plenty of time for both.
That said I did have a 6 hour round once and I was close then at that time to needing a shave by the time I'd finished!
Lump
Tour Winner
I have never played a 4 ball round in under 3 1/2 hours. NEVER.
I would not consider myself a slow player, there is very little 'dead' time to my game. (I'm usually the last to hit my ball being the longest hitter in my group).
I think the biggest consideration that people are not including is the course. The general set up of Par3,4's and 5's plays a big role in how well a course moves. Also add to that if your course has decent walks between greens and tee boxes.
The quickest our course moves is during shotgun starts, even then it'll be a 4 hour round.
The biggest thing for me is if your waiting to hit shots on tee boxes and fairways, that kills rounds and makes then feel much longer. If I'm not waiting or holding up groups behind us I'm in no rush.
I would not consider myself a slow player, there is very little 'dead' time to my game. (I'm usually the last to hit my ball being the longest hitter in my group).
I think the biggest consideration that people are not including is the course. The general set up of Par3,4's and 5's plays a big role in how well a course moves. Also add to that if your course has decent walks between greens and tee boxes.
The quickest our course moves is during shotgun starts, even then it'll be a 4 hour round.
The biggest thing for me is if your waiting to hit shots on tee boxes and fairways, that kills rounds and makes then feel much longer. If I'm not waiting or holding up groups behind us I'm in no rush.
It's a term the Bomber has come up with for all the unfortunate people that have to work all week, and can only play weekends.
StrangelyBrown
Tour Winner
Or 90% of club golfers, as most folk would call them.
jimbob.someroo
Journeyman Pro
The layout of our course is partly responsible for some of the slow play we experience. Our second is a shortish par 4, followed by a par 3, then another shorter par 4 and then another par 3. This means you can often be waiting on the 2-5th tees, even with a longish gap between groups.
After the 6th the course opens up and traffic moves a bit more freely, but it can sometimes take a good hour to get through the first 5.
I play pretty quick and am usually one of the ones complaining about slow play and not being waved through. However, in order to keep my sanity, I have just had to re-adjust to expect to be out there for 4 hours.
Last night I went and played 8 holes. I was probably hitting 5 or 6 balls at points, trying different things. I went down to one of the rivers to fish about 10 Pro V's out as we'd had a big society in the day time - was still round in about 80 minutes. Could easily blast round our place on my own (or in a decent 2 ball) in less than 3 hours, but unfortunately, at the weekend and especially in a competition, I know I'm gonna be out there for longer than that.
Interesting comment about north vs south on this - I can't remember any 4 and a half hour rounds when I was back home in Blackpool but can think of 4 or 5 in the last month down here.
Also, I know clubs are all pretty strapped for cash at the moment, but whilst clubs have nobody either on the course or at half way, timing people and pushing them along if they're falling behind - the problem looks to continue. As golfer's we very rarely take the blame for something ourselves (I always do all of my divots and pitchmarks and bunkers etc ...) and so unfortunately, until people start to get warnings and timings from clubs, it's too easy to say "well I play quick so it's not me holding people up", just as I have done at the start of this comment.
After the 6th the course opens up and traffic moves a bit more freely, but it can sometimes take a good hour to get through the first 5.
I play pretty quick and am usually one of the ones complaining about slow play and not being waved through. However, in order to keep my sanity, I have just had to re-adjust to expect to be out there for 4 hours.
Last night I went and played 8 holes. I was probably hitting 5 or 6 balls at points, trying different things. I went down to one of the rivers to fish about 10 Pro V's out as we'd had a big society in the day time - was still round in about 80 minutes. Could easily blast round our place on my own (or in a decent 2 ball) in less than 3 hours, but unfortunately, at the weekend and especially in a competition, I know I'm gonna be out there for longer than that.
Interesting comment about north vs south on this - I can't remember any 4 and a half hour rounds when I was back home in Blackpool but can think of 4 or 5 in the last month down here.
Also, I know clubs are all pretty strapped for cash at the moment, but whilst clubs have nobody either on the course or at half way, timing people and pushing them along if they're falling behind - the problem looks to continue. As golfer's we very rarely take the blame for something ourselves (I always do all of my divots and pitchmarks and bunkers etc ...) and so unfortunately, until people start to get warnings and timings from clubs, it's too easy to say "well I play quick so it's not me holding people up", just as I have done at the start of this comment.
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londonlewis
Tour Rookie
I won't contradict myself or have fun on the course.
Out of interest. Do you talk in between shots or not?
I am fairly convinced that I have only managed one or two sub 3-hour rounds. As long as you don't have to wait around all the time to play your shot, get out there any enjoy it.
Otherwise take up squash, that's a much faster game.
Out of interest. Do you talk in between shots or not?
I am fairly convinced that I have only managed one or two sub 3-hour rounds. As long as you don't have to wait around all the time to play your shot, get out there any enjoy it.
Otherwise take up squash, that's a much faster game.
4.5 hours to play golf?
I'm not a fast player, but I don't fart about or bumble along like a dobber. I won't stand about chatting between shots, I won't pace off and measure for the sake of 5 yards, I won't stalk putts like a caged tiger, I won't walk back to the tee after searching for 10 minutes for a ball. I won't leave my bag in a stupid place.
I will pick a club and hit it, I will look at a putt and hit it, I will place my bag in a sensible position, I will hit a provisional if I'm in the cabbage, I will chat and look at the scenery in between shots.
I will usually be round in about 3 hours.
Its not difficult chaps to get round a golf course in smart time. I don't deliberately go out with the aim to be round in X time but I do know that 3 hours is perfect for a round of golf without rushing. 4.5 hours for a bounce game is nonsense, I hope you let several groups through and didn't hold up the course too much!
londonlewis
Tour Rookie
I don't know about that. Keegan Bradley takes forever to play his round (maybe not with his 60 yesterday). Guan Tian Lang was taking ages to go round Augusta. I'm pretty confident a hacker shooting 100 would finish out a round faster than them.
londonlewis
Tour Rookie
what club do you play at thecraw?
I think the rest of us are keen to steer clear in case we take 181 minutes to complete 18 holes...
londonlewis
Tour Rookie
Couldn't agree more. I'm almost too scared to type slowly in case I get accused of slow play...
sydney greenstreet
Journeyman Pro
What I have not seen mentioned about slow play is course design ! if you have 3 or 4 bad opening holes that can clog the course rapid.
Slab
Occasional Tour Caddy
It's a society meet this weekend, mixed men & ladies, all abilities represented and its never less than 4hrs and this is a course that perhaps only a couple of players in the field will finish with the ball they started with
Oh and its great fun too
TheJezster
Tour Rookie
Horses for courses and waaaay too much thinking going on about this.
Just turn up and play, every day is different and the number of people on the course will determine the speed of play.
I use the 4 hour mark myself. If its quicker than 4 hours, then wow, quick round today (regardless of how many in the group), if its longer than that, then it's a slow round.
Either way, it's life, I enjoy golf so not going to get all het up about it like many on here. Chill, learn to breath and enjoy the game you play. You'll find you will probably enjoy it more if you relax.
Just turn up and play, every day is different and the number of people on the course will determine the speed of play.
I use the 4 hour mark myself. If its quicker than 4 hours, then wow, quick round today (regardless of how many in the group), if its longer than that, then it's a slow round.
Either way, it's life, I enjoy golf so not going to get all het up about it like many on here. Chill, learn to breath and enjoy the game you play. You'll find you will probably enjoy it more if you relax.
londonlewis
Tour Rookie
I definitely agree that waiting for the group ahead on every teebox and fairway is frustrating and it can prevent us all from having a good time on the course but I think we also need to be very careful to not deter new golfers from taking up the sport.
The game of golf is changing, courses are getting longer, the average time to complete a round is going to get longer.
We all know people who are slow and I don't think it is necessarily a trait exclusive to the high handicapper (there are a couple of posts on here that suggest it is).
If you won't play golf unless you can get round in 3 hours, either don't play, or tee off first.
The game of golf is changing, courses are getting longer, the average time to complete a round is going to get longer.
We all know people who are slow and I don't think it is necessarily a trait exclusive to the high handicapper (there are a couple of posts on here that suggest it is).
If you won't play golf unless you can get round in 3 hours, either don't play, or tee off first.
white_feather
Club Champion
I agree Craw.
Every new member regardless of handicap should have to play 3 holes with either the Captain, President or Proffesional, just so they are aware of etiquette and what is expected of them at the new club.
Every new member regardless of handicap should have to play 3 holes with either the Captain, President or Proffesional, just so they are aware of etiquette and what is expected of them at the new club.
tallpaul
Head Pro
Can I have the title above my avatar changed to Weekend Warrior? I quite like it.
Val
Ryder Cup Winner
Your call but remember and step aside for quicker groups.
Val
Ryder Cup Winner
A medal round at my place will take on average 3.30 - 3.45hrs and occasionally 4 hrs when raining. Bounce games should not need any longer than 3 hours if the hole ahead is clear, everone can play a hole in 10 mins.
