Where did we go wrong??

[drdel]

Quit right at these inconsiderate buggers getting round in under 3 hours are spoiling for the slow coaches who just want to take their time, not let anyone through, hold up the course and take 5 hours

I'm with you on this. I'd suggest that many golfers play to enjoy a round with their mates and play at a pace that suits their expertise, age etc. etc. I'd also suggest that the vast majority of golfers show consideration to others and let faster groups play through. Recently one of our group was back playing after injury so our walking was a little slow, we knew it and we let groups through but one group moaned: there can be a simple reason that one group temporarily holds up play: a bit of respect for other players can help a lack it of will quickly turn off potential members from the game and/or club.

We need to take care to avoid kneejerk reactions - sure it can be frustrating to be held up but first and foremost its a game! - if we start to have heavy handed people bossing newcomers or other golfers this will impact the sport's popularity far more.

There is also a danger that we listen to those who are more vocal and moan as it can easily appear to suggest the problem is bigger than in reality.

If we could all show consideration for others then golf would be enjoyable and then this would attract players for the best reasons.

 

[Nickrat]

My issue isn't with people playing slow, my issue is with people playing slow and NOT letting people through.

Sounds like you guys did nothing wrong, I was playing in our fiddle other week (4 balls) and a one ball caught us up. I said let's let him through. One guy say f him and rest of group didn't seem too bothered.

Attitudes like that are what do my head in.

 

[Orikoru]

Hang on a mo. This forum constantly spouts slow play as the main issue killing the game. Someone then tells us a story where they are clearly playing at a snail’s pace and posts are supportive? 🤷🏻‍♂️

Personally I think you're fine if you let people through quickly, as the OP claims to have done. I'm not sure why they were still yelling at him if it went down as he describes.

 

[jim8flog]

One of the things I often find that makes players letting others through more slower than necessary is the method of calling through.

If you are on a tee make sure you have driven off before waiting for the players behind to tee off , then walk with them to your balls and let them continue. If you are down the fairway and call through do not wait for them to get up and past, hit your next shots whilst they are walking towards you. then walk to the next position with them.

One of the easiest places to let payers through is when you are on the green on a par 3. Mark your balls and let them play their shots in to the green. putt out whilst they are walking to the green or if they reach the green before you have finished putting let them putt out first.

 

[pokerjoke]

Quit right at these inconsiderate buggers getting round in under 3 hours are spoiling for the slow coaches who just want to take their time, not let anyone through, hold up the course and take 5 hours

 

[HankMarvin]

S

Personally I think you're fine if you let people through quickly, as the OP claims to have done. I'm not sure why they were still yelling at him if it went down as he describes.

Seems like they might have been holding the full flow of the course up, to let one group through is bad enough but to let multiple groups/players through then there is a problem for sure.

 

[Grant85]

Waiting to let 2 groups play through by the 4th hole will definitely have slowed things up.

I’d tend to try and play quicker rather than just automatically let folk through.

Doesn’t sound like the others on the course have handled it well, but people just see slow play as slow play without knowing if you are regular players or not.

Playing regularly will def speed things up.

 

[Grant85]

Also, when letting people play through - probably leave it until they have definitely caught you and there is definitely space in front of you.

I would then to signal to the guys behind you are going to let them through as you finish the hole. Then hit your tee shots, wait for the group behind. Let them tee off and just wander up behind them. Then be ready to hit as soon as they have left the green.

 

[Swinglowandslow]

It seems it's about money and business nowadays. If a club allows four ball players or beginners, of high handicap, i.e. People trying their incompetent best, then there is bound to be slow play.
I am not defending the play where there is inconsiderate dawdling etc, but those attacking slow play should acknowledge that there are two types of slow play. The former one described here is not culpable, it is a fact of modern day golfing on most courses. Better management by the Clubs would , and should ,help. Other than that, patience!

 

[Daib]

Thanks for all the answesr and encouragement . In future we will split into 2x2 or 4x1 but then there are less tee slots for others which seems unfair.
I know we are beginners and of course taking more strokes takes extra time but we were not deliberately going slow and were well aware of those following. What was slowing us down? well being not very good was the main cause, we were walking at a reasonable pace considering our oldest player is 77, only one ball was lost in the lake so we weren't constantly trying to find the ball. So no I didn't think we were playing slow its just our ability that was slowing us down, and of course sitting it out whilst we let groups through. We were out for 3 hours.
Finally if anyone reading this was held up by our group last Friday then please accept my apologies.

 

[HamiltonGuy]

A lot of golfers and not enough tee times to realistically have a slow and steady social game.
That’s what went wrong with golf.

On top of that, I think some male golfers get beaten at home the way they rush off straight after, so probably in their best interest to be back home with pace.

Not hugely sure domestic abuse is really all that great a thing to be joking about. Poor taste

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Best thing I can suggest is perhaps play at a slightly later and less busy time. That was always my solution when starting out.

 

[Homer]

3 hours for 9 holes!!!!! 🤣

 

[Imurg]

3 hours for 9 holes!!!!! 🤣

With the best part of an hour of that standing around letting people through..
Which is the right thing to do.
The problem wasn't really with them, it lies more with the club having 3s and 2s following a 4

 

[Slab]

Thanks for all the answesr and encouragement . In future we will split into 2x2 or 4x1 but then there are less tee slots for others which seems unfair.
I know we are beginners and of course taking more strokes takes extra time but we were not deliberately going slow and were well aware of those following. What was slowing us down? well being not very good was the main cause, we were walking at a reasonable pace considering our oldest player is 77, only one ball was lost in the lake so we weren't constantly trying to find the ball. So no I didn't think we were playing slow its just our ability that was slowing us down, and of course sitting it out whilst we let groups through. We were out for 3 hours.
Finally if anyone reading this was held up by our group last Friday then please accept my apologies.

It seems that it kinda went wrong for your pace somewhere on the first hole (since you were already letting the following threeball through on the 2nd tee) and assuming they actually did start 8 minutes behind you (and realistically they couldn't even take their 2nd shots on the first hole until after your group cleared the 1st green) I don't see how you could possibly have been in a position to let them through at that juncture
You must have had to wait idle for several minutes on the 2nd tee in order to let them through, and once this happened you were always going to get caught by the two-ball groups in rapid order as you were already so out of position as well as the followers being in smaller groups
Instead your group should still have tee'd off on the 2nd while the 3-ball took their 2nd shots & walked to the 1st green and if 3-ball finished the 1st they can tee off on 2nd too and all walk together, if they weren't finished the first you can walk down the sides and still wave them through and both groups take their 2nd shots together, they then putt out before you and head to 3rd and you've lost the minimum amount of time

The 2-balls were always going to catch you but not until further into the round

As new players have you already used the par 3 course they also have to get used to shortgame shots and putting etc?

 

[Capella]

Most of it is the club's fault. If you want to send out a mix of fourballs, threeballs and twoballs, an 8 minute timeslot is never enough. Maybe you can do 8 minutes if you have all 4-balls (even though I would recommend minimum of 10 minutes), but even then, depending on the course layout, there will probably be waiting times at some holes. For example, our course starts with a par 5, followed by a difficult par 3, and it is very common to have to wait at the tee of the second. After that, there are two long par 4 holes and things normally even out then.

But since you normally cannot influence the club policy as a player, especially as a guest, there are a few things you can do:
- try to find a time of day when there hopefully won't be several groups directly behind you
- avoid going out as a fourball when you know you are inexperienced or expect to play slow for other reasons (like a physical limitation preventing you from walking briskly etc.)
- no small-talk on the course, you don't have to move along in silence, of course, but I so often see player amiably talking in the middle of the fairway while they wait for one of the player to play his shot instead of proceeding to or at least towards their own ball
- once you have hit your shot and seen it land (that bit is important, because it saves you search time), get a move on, nothing is more infuriating for someone waiting behind than a player who has hit his shot and still does not move forward ... what makes a round feel "slow" is not so much the overall time it takes you to complete the round, but the time you stand on the tee or the fairway, waiting for the group in front to get out of the way
- and as others have already said: sometimes it is better to let others play through during a hole than to wait on the next tee box (most of all when you are searching for a ball ... just take cover and wave the group behind through). Also, always at least hit your tee shots before you wait on a tee box for the group behind you

I really hope you are not too discouraged by the experience, though. When you start playing golf, there are so many things to learn; maneuvering through the course efficiently is one of those and it can feel very stressfull.

 

[Orikoru]

Perhaps another thing you can do (maybe you did this anyway) is when booking your tee time over the phone, tell them you are a four-ball of beginners, with an older gentleman or two as well, advising them that you'll be slow as a combination of those factors, and then they can and should make the decision to leave the slot after yours empty, or put you in at a time when it's not busy.

 

[jmf1488]

They had let 4 groups through in the space of 9 holes. Maybe a better idea to try some less demanding golf courses until you find your feet. Getting out on a par 3 course might not be a bad idea.