Sub 3 hour rounds

[Fader]

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.

This is a really good point, for example at my place the first 4 holes can back up slightly as 2 holes are dog legs and the dog legs can be driven through so you need to wait for them to be well out of range. but once you get to the par 5, 5th hole it opens out and so does the distance between the groups

 

[scratch]

The issue for me is not so much flat out speed but being able to play without interruptions. I think a reasonable pace for a typical club (6,500 yards, sensible rough etc) in a 3ball medal is 3h30. It's all the waiting around that really ruins a round for me and so much of it is totally avoidable.

It doesn't need to be a race, just be sensible and play in the appropriate manner.....ie 'ready' golf. When it's your turn, be ready to play straight away.

Basic and simple :thup:

 

[thecraw]

The issue for me is not so much flat out speed but being able to play without interruptions. I think a reasonable pace for a typical club (6,500 yards, sensible rough etc) in a 3ball medal is 3h30. It's all the waiting around that really ruins a round for me and so much of it is totally avoidable.

It doesn't need to be a race, just be sensible and play in the appropriate manner.....ie 'ready' golf. When it's your turn, be ready to play straight away.

Basic and simple :thup:

It is totally basic and simple. Just a shame so many people including loads who have replied here can't see or accept that.

 

[Fish]

Can it not be the case that you have nobody near or pressing you so in your own mind set, your all in no hurry to play "ready golf" in your group but then suddenly one of you goes wide and it takes time to find the ball, chip it out and all of a sudden the group behind are up on you. Then knowing you need to press on you start making silly errors because your now rushing because your concious of them, which can lead to more blows and slower play! OK you can let them through buts its totally unintentional but.....

 

[thecraw]

Can it not be the case that you have nobody near or pressing you so in your own mind set, your all in no hurry to play "ready golf" in your group but then suddenly one of you goes wide and it takes time to find the ball, chip it out and all of a sudden the group behind are up on you. Then knowing you need to press on you start making silly errors because your now rushing because your concious of them, which can lead to more blows and slower play! OK you can let them through buts its totally unintentional but.....

How much time are we talking here? That's why you should err on the side of caution and play a provisional.

Always be aware of what's going on around about including groups behind and in front.

 

[Fish]

How much time are we talking here? That's why you should err on the side of caution and play a provisional.

Always be aware of what's going on around about including groups behind and in front.

Obviously within the rules, being 5 minutes. OK you may have still taken a provisional but that shouldn't mean you give up looking if your having a good medal round. You then need to chip out, no doubt sideways if its trees/parkland and then your taking "another" shot so, could be around 8-10 minutes in total before you've actually moved forward from that area so, in essence, the tee-time interval is now exhausted!

You could let the group through that have inadvertently caught up for the first time but you know that their not going to be any quicker so.......what do you do, I think you just press-on.

Your erring on the side of caution comes across as if you should abandon the first ball if another group is close and just play your provisional without looking, surely not?

 

[upsidedown]

Haven't bothered to read the whole thread but if playing in a 2 ball early morning ( and for our club read 9 am ) expect to be round in just under 3 hours, 65 for mate 53 for me.

Bounce game is normally around 4 hours, 4 BBB and medals are 3 balls and around in 3.40 to 3.50.

Just back from Carden Park, teed off at 10.10 and in by 2.10 thanks to the 4 ball in front calling us through on the 9th who were then a hole behind us after 4 holes .

Playing ready golf is not hard !!

 

[Coatsy79]

Struggling the some of the comments on here, we all have to start somewhere, not everyone has been a 5 handicap since day one

I will assume when I get a handicap I'll most likely be a 28, if I'm lucky 27, hope to break 20 at some point and get as low as I can, until then I'm still learning the game I lose the odd ball never spend much time searching for it, but I keep up with the 10,12 and 14 handicappers I go out with from time to time and seem to keep pace with the course's going rate

Where I play is over 7000 yards that over 1000 yards more than some of the course some of you play, that's gotta make a difference

Btw 9 holes takes me 1.45-2hrs and 18 takes 4 hrs or so

 

[Foxholer]

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.
.
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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.

Generally golf for me is a pleasure however long it takes. I don't get obsessed with getting round in a specific time, as long as we are keeping up with the group in front and are not delaying any faster group behind.

I have also experienced the guys who,when asked how their round went, based their reply on how quickly they got round! Not my idea of how to enjoy golf!

So I agree!

I can, however, understand the frustration of anyone being delayed unreasonably.

 

[MadAdey]

What's a weekend warrior?

A weekend warrior to me is a derogatory term being used by some forum members to describe people that only get to play at weekends and apparently, even though paying full membership, do not have the right to be out on the course when more hardened golfers are wanting to play.

 

[markgs]

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.

i had a day off today so i decided to play in morning course was quiet tee off at 8.30am was back in the house at 11.15am i did not rush at all played x2 balls. i then went out for a second 18 holes this afternoon with 2 other friends, tee off at 2.30 got home at 7pm it depends who you are with.

 

[SGC001]

You've only got to look at some of the initiatives / suggestions to golf to see that slow play seems to be considered a problem in golf: Powerplay, 12 holes constituting a round, bigger holes, 9 hole competitions / handicaps. Time is precious for most of us.

I've had discussions with many people about course setup, pin positions, routing all with the aim of keeping play moving and this is something I feel clubs should be considering and maybe prioritising a bit more if rounds are taking to long.

I was chatting to one of the older golfers at a club I used to play at about the course as it had been and how it had changed and we got onto slow play. In his opinion the course used to be longer, more penal, had more rough and lost balls 40-50 years ago but rounds were likely to be sub 3 hour not sub 5 hour. He felt slow play was down to the people on the end of the clubs and their attitudes. He's probably no that far wrong, though clubs can do their bit in set up, design and enforcing of rules, marshaling and etiquette.

I don't think it helps that T.V show long rounds with people rarely let through, but we have to understand that is a viewing spectacle and crowds and cameras need to be able to find a particular group (far easier if groups don't get let through).

When I played I had to find ways of wasting time between shots as rounds were taking 4 1/2 hours to play. Golf shouldn't take that long whether you're shooting 60 something or 160 something. When people are paying good money and walking off because of the pace of play then we have a problem.

Sub 3 hours is not quick, it doesn't require any rushing. If you want to take longer fine, but be aware of others and let them through. I've spoken and had the misfortune of playing with golfers who've had the attitude that 4 1/2 hours is fine, that if you let someone through it costs you 15 minutes, that you've got 5 minutes to look for your ball (oblivious that they should be letting the group behind through as soon as it's obvious they are not going to find their ball easily) and that it's better just to try and rush to keep up, except they can't rush they're slow. No problem with that, just let the group behind through. Etiquette is simple it's just consideration for others.

It's an issue and it's a difficult one, if attitudes to pace of play don't change as all it takes is 2 slow groups in succession (up with play, but not enough to get let through) and the whole course is struggling.

Maybe all players should have to play around on their own, first thing and get a time. Then we each may learn if we are part of the problem and think how we may play quicker.

I once saw a sign which was along the lines of if you have lost a hole, you must stop and let the group behind you through. I'd like clubs to take more action in publishing acceptable times and penalising groups or players for slow play. This may require more work on their part, but how else can we change attitudes of acceptable times for a round.

 

[FairwayDodger]

I played in a comp this week where they were monitoring the position of groups on the course relative to a schedule and potentially putting players on the clock if their group was out of position.

We were each given a sheet which showed pin positions on each hole and also the time relative to our start when we should have completed the hole.

On Tuesday I played in the middle of the field and wasn't really aware of the time factor; we were being held up so just kept position relative to the group in front. On Wednesday I was in the second group out and was very much aware that the time taken by the leading groups was closely monitored. At one point an official informed us that the group in front had been warned and told to speed up. They did just that and where we had been held up for much of the round we suddenly had to also speed up to remain in position with them.

I won't give the hole by hole breakdown but, in total, they allowed us 3 hours 51 mins to complete the round.

 

[thecraw]

You've only got to look at some of the initiatives / suggestions to golf to see that slow play seems to be considered a problem in golf: Powerplay, 12 holes constituting a round, bigger holes, 9 hole competitions / handicaps. Time is precious for most of us.

I've had discussions with many people about course setup, pin positions, routing all with the aim of keeping play moving and this is something I feel clubs should be considering and maybe prioritising a bit more if rounds are taking to long.

I was chatting to one of the older golfers at a club I used to play at about the course as it had been and how it had changed and we got onto slow play. In his opinion the course used to be longer, more penal, had more rough and lost balls 40-50 years ago but rounds were likely to be sub 3 hour not sub 5 hour. He felt slow play was down to the people on the end of the clubs and their attitudes. He's probably no that far wrong, though clubs can do their bit in set up, design and enforcing of rules, marshaling and etiquette.

I don't think it helps that T.V show long rounds with people rarely let through, but we have to understand that is a viewing spectacle and crowds and cameras need to be able to find a particular group (far easier if groups don't get let through).

When I played I had to find ways of wasting time between shots as rounds were taking 4 1/2 hours to play. Golf shouldn't take that long whether you're shooting 60 something or 160 something. When people are paying good money and walking off because of the pace of play then we have a problem.

Sub 3 hours is not quick, it doesn't require any rushing. If you want to take longer fine, but be aware of others and let them through. I've spoken and had the misfortune of playing with golfers who've had the attitude that 4 1/2 hours is fine, that if you let someone through it costs you 15 minutes, that you've got 5 minutes to look for your ball (oblivious that they should be letting the group behind through as soon as it's obvious they are not going to find their ball easily) and that it's better just to try and rush to keep up, except they can't rush they're slow. No problem with that, just let the group behind through. Etiquette is simple it's just consideration for others.

It's an issue and it's a difficult one, if attitudes to pace of play don't change as all it takes is 2 slow groups in succession (up with play, but not enough to get let through) and the whole course is struggling.

Maybe all players should have to play around on their own, first thing and get a time. Then we each may learn if we are part of the problem and think how we may play quicker.

I once saw a sign which was along the lines of if you have lost a hole, you must stop and let the group behind you through. I'd like clubs to take more action in publishing acceptable times and penalising groups or players for slow play. This may require more work on their part, but how else can we change attitudes of acceptable times for a round.

thecraw likes!



:thup::thup:

 

[richart]

Rounds of golf have got a lot slower since I started playing in the mid 70's. Two balls would take 2.5 hours ,three balls 3 hours. We didn't rush round, we just knew how to play at a decent pace. Ready to play your shots, chat whilst walking between shots, and not when you get on the tee. Mark cards when your partners are playing their tee shots on the next hole, and not before your own shot. Playing provisionals. Simple things that a lot of golfers these days seem ignorant of. I also can't remember all the pre shot routines when i first started playing either. One half swing to get the feel of the club, and give it a smack.

I personally think Pro's have a lot to answer for regarding speed of play. Someone mentioned that a round of 72 takes less time than a round of 102. Not true, A Pro would take five hours plus to shoot 72, I could take considerably less to hit a ball 102 times. Everyone seems to watch the Pro's and think that is the pace the game should be played at. I have played in competitions with a lot of juniors and they all take for ever to hit the ball. I wonder who they are imitating ?

 

[MadAdey]

I think my original point has been misunderstood. I do agree that a 2-ball on a clear course should be round in under 3 hours, I was back in the clubhouse within 3 hours ordering some lunch today. But tomorrow in the competition I do not expect to get back in much under 4 1/2.

I just still do not understand the obsession regarding how long it takes to get round. I go out play my game have a laugh and what will be will be. 3 hours 4 or 5, I am always out with my mates so we just have a good laugh and do not let it get to us.

I do not condone slow play and people not letting groups through. As Craw has already said, people who take 500 practice swings before topping it 20 yards are very annoying. Also the ones that look at a putt from all 4 sides during a knock round with mates, before having a 3-putt are very annoying also. I just accept that it is part of the modern day game and will not let it start to bother me.

 

[G1BB0]

thecraw likes!



:thup::thup:

you would do!

its all poppycock, at the end of the day as long as you keep up with the group in front then the group behind can foxtrot oscar, they aint gaining nowt.

now, can we change the record for a nice smoochy number please

 

[MadAdey]

you would do!

its all poppycock, at the end of the day as long as you keep up with the group in front then the group behind can foxtrot oscar, they aint gaining nowt.

now, can we change the record for a nice smoochy number please

How about I will always love you (sung to my new putter not you GIBBO xxx)

 

[G1BB0]

its like meeting a new gf... the novelty soon wears off

 

[markgs]

slow groups of golfers should be reported, warned then suspended if they do not speed up. 5 mins is the ball search time. no need for it