whats the rush?

[GB72]

Me thinks you need to have a bit of re-education. The pace of the group you are in is your collective responsibility. If you are holding people up you should let themv through. It then becomes the responsibility of the group originally in front of you to determine if they are then holding up the group you've just let through.

Sounds like you're one of the increasing number of players who use the excuse of the group behind have no where to go if we let them through so stuff them...

Nothing more frustrating than someone in the group in front saying 'looks like we are in for a slow round today' especially if I am in a smaller and quicker group. If his group ahead is happy to follow at that pace then all well and good but if I am waiting on every shot, give me the chance to play through and perhaps get in front of the slower groups rather than point out the bleeding obvious and effectively tell me that you are not going to offer to step aside at any stage.

 

[Snelly]

DAve Couldn't agree more, I just play at my normal pace but when you got nowhere to go in front but the group behind are pushing right up yer rear there is nothing worse, you end up looking over your shoulder all the time, rushing shots, even go to them and explain there is no where to go. Total off put, probably more so than a slow group in front. At least you can see them and slow you pace slightly to prevent waiting times.

I have got news for you. It isn't up to you to decide if anyone behind has nowhere to go. It is up to you to offer to let them through if you are holding them up.

As for slowing your pace to compensate for the people in front? You must be joking!

 

[griffgolf]

Snelly,

Original statement matey.

Like I say never ever had a problem in 38 years playing golf and must add this is in comps,society golf,roll ups or social knocks etc

 

[palindromicbob]

I don't rush around, if I do I end up taking twice as many shots and end up at the same pace as I would have if I just took a little time anyway! I will always let a group behind through if they are going faster because I hate the thought of having them biting at my heels and rushing my game.

At my home track when alone I usually expect a 3 hour round. I do hate hearing about the comps where peoples rounds are timed and risk disqualification. If my group were to be happy taking 6 hours and always let the group behind through when they catch up surely that is my prerogative.

 

[USER1999]

I am not necessarily in favour of playing faster groups through if the course is chokker. If you choose to play at peak times, you know you will be in for a longer round. No one is getting round in 3 hours, teeing off at 9.00 on a Saturday morning. Playing people through will just make the average time for every body even slower.

However, on a less busy day, where there will be gaps in the field, faster groups should be played through.

One of my pet hates is foursome matches teeing off at 9.00 at the weekend. That to me is just selfish if they expect to play through the whole field. Go out at 11.30, and the course will be pretty much empty.

 

[rosecott]

I see the guys who say that there is nothing wrong with their pace of play as analogous to the guy who sticks in the fast lane doing exactly 70 with the attitude that that's the speed we should all be doing.

 

[StrangelyBrown]

One of my pet hates is foursome matches teeing off at 9.00 at the weekend. That to me is just selfish if they expect to play through the whole field. Go out at 11.30, and the course will be pretty much empty.

At the same time, one could say that it's selfish for a single or pair to take up a tee time at what it probably the most popular time of the whole week.

/Devil's Advocate.

 

[Jonny]

Griff... Whilst it may not have been a problem to you it doesn't mean that you haven't disrupted the games of others at some point as you believe you haven't been losing time or a hole. Everyone plays at a different pace. Just because you haven't lost a hole is no reason to continue holding them up. Incidentally I think it's hard to argue with that since the R&A have put it in print... saying that you don't do so is basically saying you don't behave in accordance with the etiquette of the game. Care to admit to that?

That said I don't think that players are the main cause of slow play. It's usually tee times booked too close together or an inappropriate course setup that causes it.

 

[DaveM]

I see the guys who say that there is nothing wrong with their pace of play as analogous to the guy who sticks in the fast lane doing exactly 70 with the attitude that that's the speed we should all be doing.

Think that one is just a tad silly. Dont you let the conditions dictate the speed you drive? Both on the road and the course.

But just to remind everyone. You are supposed to enjoy playing golf. Seems to me some take it far to serious. For gods sake it only a game after all.

 

[User20205]

I really don't understand the attitude of 'I'm not waving through as we are up with the group in front'

The faster group should be let through, especially if this is a 2 ball following a number of 4 balls for example.

One of the most frustrating rounds I've had was at Trevose as a 3 ball following 2 balls. They refused to let us through as 'we had nowhere to go'. It wasn't their call. We waited 10 mins on every tee and took 5 1/2 hours to get around.

I fail to understand why people jealously protect their position on the course when it would take about 5 mins to wave a quicker group through. Par 3's are a perfect opportunity for this.

 

[Snelly]

Think that one is just a tad silly. Dont you let the conditions dictate the speed you drive? Both on the road and the course.

But just to remind everyone. You are supposed to enjoy playing golf. Seems to me some take it far to serious. For gods sake it only a game after all.

I find it harder to enjoy a game of golf if I have to wait to play every shot. And I certainly don't take golf seriously, far from it.

 

[BTatHome]

I fail to understand why people jealously protect their position on the course when it would take about 5 mins to wave a quicker group through.

Probably because the ONLY group to gain anything is the ones being let through ... everyone behind that group is then forced to wait even longer. If they get let through again then the delay is compounded again to everyone behind them.

I'm not against let people through, just being prepared for your shot will keep the pace of play up.

 

[Snelly]

I am not necessarily in favour of playing faster groups through if the course is chokker. If you choose to play at peak times, you know you will be in for a longer round. No one is getting round in 3 hours, teeing off at 9.00 on a Saturday morning. Playing people through will just make the average time for every body even slower.

However, on a less busy day, where there will be gaps in the field, faster groups should be played through.

One of my pet hates is foursome matches teeing off at 9.00 at the weekend. That to me is just selfish if they expect to play through the whole field. Go out at 11.30, and the course will be pretty much empty.

Common sense should prevail Murph. i.e. the foursomes game should not go off at that time. I love foursomes but am of the view that the club should stipulate certain times when foursomes and two balls are given precedence.

 

[DaveM]

Dont you think that sometimes calling groups though, when there is nowhere to go. Slows everyone up in the end. One one course I use to play. The ninth was a par3. It was always a log jam even letting faster players though. you alway wound up with 3 or 4 groups waiting to tee off. It would take the next 4 holes or so to sort its self out. No matter how quick or slow you played.

Maybe the main problem is not enough time between tee times??

 

[chrisd]

I tend to find at our place on a Sunday morning that the pace of groups tends to find its own level. If there is nowhere to go and there are perfectly spaced groups out there, the faster groups just use there common sense and slow a little. Almost all the players are regular guys playing off handicaps and if there is nowhere to go then, unless you lose ground on the group in front, then there really is nowhere to go.

Just because some guys want to run round, it doesn't give them the right to harrass the group in front to let them through - that is just as bad as not calling the group behind whilst hunting for a lost ball. I will not let the group behind through if I'm keeping pace with the group behind unless

They have less players

We have lost a ball/s

We have lost ground

They are playing foursomes and us fourball

It is a final of a competition (or similar)

We have specifically requested to by the Pro (or similar)

Other reasons that don't come to mind

I you want to run round I suggest that you bag the tee 1st


Chris

 

[patricks148]

Hate having to wait on every shot and just don’t see how it can take some people 5 hours to get around a golf course.

I play with a few guys at 9 on a Saturday morning and it only ever takes 3 and half hours on a slow day. We usually get round in 3 hours and all have a bit of a laugh and a chat without slowing down the speed of play.

A lot of the time slow players a oblivious to what’s going on behind them, a do things like sticking their bag on the wrong side of the green, marking the score on the green and putting out for an 8 in a stableford comp and not playing a provisional ball when they have hit a wayward tee shot.

I love my golf as much as the next guy, but I can have a better time playing under 4 hours thank you.

 

[USER1999]

If the round is taking 5 hours plus, surley every body can play faster than this, so who should get played through? It would be chaos.

 

[richart]

I've played in a few games where I feel out of breath at points

I think that is just too many beers, and a general lack of fitness Steve.

I like to keep up a good pace, not running between shots, but by being ready to play when it is my turn. It is also possible to chat during a round, just not when it is your shot. Anything over 4 hours and I start to lose the will to live. Rounds in the 1970's when I first started playing were much quicker, 3 1/2 hours for a fourball was the norm, now it is nearer 4 1/2 hours at our club. An hour in the bar completely lost !

 

[Snelly]

If the round is taking 5 hours plus, surley every body can play faster than this, so who should get played through?

Anyone who wants to play through should be allowed.

This thread seems to pre-suppose that this is a daily occurence where groups are clamouring to be let through and this is not the case in my experience.

It is rare for me to either want to play through or be in a position where I feel compelled to offer to let the group behind through. However, when these occasions do arise, I expect to be let through or will as previously stated make the offer to those behind as soon as is possible.

Perhaps if some contributors are in a position where they are being "harassed" to be let through on a reasonably frequent basis then this would point to a problem with their slow play.

As I say though, this is not a regular issue for me.


I played on Friday in a 4 ball and we went round Worthing GC (a tough test off the whites!) in 3 hours 40. There was a 3 ball behind us and I felt that on occasion, we were delaying them albeit not for more than about a minute. There wasn't a problem with being let through though as at the 3rd green / 4th tee when we crossed (a point at which incidentally they were not being held up by us at all), I walked back and said that given they were are three, they should just shout fore as soon as they wanted to play through. They didn't as it happens but I did ask them twice more on the back 9 to make sure we weren't inconveniencing them at all.

This is how I would like to be treated by a group in front of me if the roles were reversed. It irks me when this is not the case too.

 

[User20205]

Probably because the ONLY group to gain anything is the ones being let through ... everyone behind that group is then forced to wait even longer. If they get let through again then the delay is compounded again to everyone behind them.

I'm not against let people through, just being prepared for your shot will keep the pace of play up.

I'm not really talking about extremes like a full course on a Sat am comp. Obviously any one playing in a social 2 ball then would have to take their medicine.

I'm realy talking about 2-3 groups of 4 balls together they seems sometimes to operate as one extended mass that can't be seperated.

Clubs also have to take some resposibility, there is no real sanction for extremely slow play. Just a lot of talk & a note on the scorecard.