We’re All Slow Golfers
Hey you! Yes you! You’re slowing up play.
Much like the philosophy of a 12-step program, perhaps the first step to curing slow play is for languid golfers to self-acknowledge the problem.
But getting that to happen can be a herculean task, for how many golfers will stand up and proclaim, “Yes! I am slower than a line at the DMV! Ben Crane is my favorite PGA Tour player and six-hour rounds are my birthright!” Yes, maybe the first step to helping pace of play might just be for all of us to admit we’re slow.
Here’s a test. Go out late or early, when your home course is almost empty. In a cart, playing by yourself, see if you can finish nine holes in less than 45 minutes. Walking, can you finish in around an hour? If not, there might be some things you can do to speed up your personal pace from shortening the pre-shot routine (or doing away with it all together), to having an extra ball in your pocket to taking multiple clubs with you to every shot.
Taking steps to improve pace will have an overwhelmingly positive impact on many facets of the game. And it can be easy to do with a little conscious effort.
The NCGA aggressively monitors pace in all its events.
The NCGA has aggressively monitored pace in its championships for several years, establishing checkpoints that must be met at the 9th and finishing holes. Failure to meet the established times, which varies from course to course and depends on the size of the group, results in a one-stroke penalty after nine holes and a two-stroke penalty (for a total of three) after 18. As soon as the policy was implemented, nearly an hour was cut off tournament times as players worked to meet time goals. The NCGA was amongst the first golf associations to utilize this policy, and it has been so successful that other tournament organizations have adopted it, including the USGA who will use the policy in all its amateur events in 2009.
NCGA Pace of Play Policy
Golfers can play faster if it’s part of their consciousness every time they tee off.
Tips to speed up play:
1) Hit when you are ready. Sometimes the gap between shots is glacial. It’s like golfers are afraid of appearing impolite if they jump in and hit. If you are ready, get in there and go.
2) After playing a shot, jump in the cart and move on. Switch clubs after you stop. And please, fill in your scorecard AFTER moving forward. Don’t make the group behind you watch your shots AND then fill in your scorecard.
3) Play a set of tees that fits your game. Many golfers have an inflated view of their distance, playing too long of yardage for their ability. Even if the length seems fine, often playing the back tees will still introduce forced carries that you might not be able to handle. These yardage guidelines might help you choose a tee:
| Handicap Index | Men | Women |
| 2.4 or better | No limit | up to 6,600 yards |
| 3.4 – 9.9 | up to 7,000 yards | up to 6,200 yards |
| 10.0 – 14.9 | up to 6,600 yards | up to 5,600 yards |
| 14.9 – 19.9 | up to 6,200 yards | up to 5,200 yards |
| 20.9 – 29.9 | up to 5,800 yards | up to 4,800 yards |
| 30.0 and up | less than 5,800 | less than 4,800 |
Some like to finish 18 holes in less than 3 ½ hours. There are some who have no issues with a more leisurely pace. What do you think and what steps would you advise?
Great article!!! Long rounds kill scores. The steps I would advise are:
-Go to YOUR ball and get ready to hit. Helping someone find their ball is fine (5 min only), but play ready golf.
-If you’re riding and you can’t drive on the course, take more than one club!!! Take 2, 3, 5 clubs if you have to. There’s absolutely no reason to come back to your cart.
-If you’re buying something from the beer cart, have one person do it while the others continue playing. There is no need for everyone to huddle around the cart…even if she’s hot.
Playing at a faster pace will help you stay in rhythm, which will help you play better, which will help you enjoy this beautiful game more.
May 13th, 2009 at 8:52 amChad – Good tip on the drink cart, that is always a potential bottleneck. Another thing I’ve noticed is that some players are content when they are not delaying the group behind them. Instead, if they focused on keeping up with the group in front of them, the course would play faster.
May 13th, 2009 at 4:25 pmGreat article, one of the major factors that prevent me from getting on the course. There is a huge difference between the pace of a 4 half hour round vs. a 6 hour round. I think the main problem at muni’s is people playing the wrong tees. I see so many horrible golfers hitting from the blue’s and black’s. If you haven’t broken 80 you shouldn’t be hitting from these. Also, when I bring beginners on the course and see we are affecting someone else’s speed of play, I implement a double par rule to get my newbies moving. I wish more muni’s had marshalls that sped up play better.
May 13th, 2009 at 5:28 pmthis is a great concern of many golfers. unfortunately, my last two rounds i witnessed a 15 handicap playing the tips and a two in front of us playing the tips at two different golf courses. at this time nobody said anything to them.. not to be cranky, but we need to put our egos on hold and play the approriate tees…just makes for an enjoyable day
May 13th, 2009 at 5:51 pmThanks for this article and all the NCGA is doing to promote golf. The pace of play policy sounds fabulous, I wish more courses would adopt it. I would love to see marshalls actually police slow play on the weekend instead of endlessly jabbering at golfers on the first tee telling them where all the bathrooms are located and how to use a gps system.
May 13th, 2009 at 7:00 pmGreat article. Most golfers nowadays believe that a round of golf, either riding or walking, takes 4.5 hours, and 5+ hours rounds are the norm. Please continue to educate and keep reminding us that 4.5 hours is the absolute upper limit and not the norm. Until this ‘normal’ pace is readjusted, I am afraid that the pace will not improve.
May 13th, 2009 at 7:03 pmThis article should be published in the newsletter of my friends’ club. The entire club seems to think it’s normal to play 5 hour + rounds. Another thing to add would be the type of betting game you choose to play with your group. Certain games like “wolf” or “captain” just tend to slow the pace from my experience. Keep at it NCGA, it’s a worthy cause.
May 13th, 2009 at 8:34 pmIn the spirit of the article (self-acknowledgement) I will drive to the next tee before recording the scores, I have definitely been guilty of delaying the group behind me by hanging back and writing down the scores. Incidentally, notice how almost always those cart path pull-outs are all the way around the green nearer to the next hole? There’s a reason.
May 14th, 2009 at 11:08 amGreat article! Another thing that slows foursomes down is players on the green waiting until everyone is on the green before anyone putts. If your pitch just flew over the green, tell others to putt while you walk over to line up your next shot. “Ready golf” isn’t just for fairways.
May 14th, 2009 at 1:54 pmthe article should be emailed to all members… push technology!!
May 14th, 2009 at 10:45 pmGreat article. Couldn’t agree more with folks thinking they are not holding anyone up so they’re fine to play at a leisurely pace. AAAARRRRGGGGGHHH you need to keep up with the group in front of you! My club had a shot gun charity event on Mother’s day and we had 15 foursomes on the course, which was wide open. Turns out that the team that won came in a full hour and a half before the last team arrived. The auction was held up and the reason for the shotgun was completely gone…. Also, I’m a big fan of only one (if any) practice swings. And please, don’t get wasted out there. Marshall’s/Players assistants whatever your title, keep the boozers moving along!
May 14th, 2009 at 11:09 pmI could not agree more with the Article and the posts. (I have passed this on to our League) One thing not mentioned in the article or posts, is the design of some of the courses we play. There are a great many courses in the greater Sacramento ara that have a bottle-neck on certain holes regardless of the day or time. The courses that get it right are the ones that have Marshalls that actually MARSHALL the course!! along with a good pace of play, a good Marshall or two goes a long ways in ensuring that everyone enjoys their round of golf.
May 15th, 2009 at 8:03 amARM THE MARSHALLS ;<) Seriously though, how about NCGA developing an on-line certification test with a card we could print out to show we are aware of things like this article discusses, and will do our best to eliminate slow play in our foursomes. Then our local courses could come up with programs to fight slow play (like a preferred rate or discount for card holders, starters on the first tee to check handicaps and require play be conducted from the proper tee for the players abilities..or lack thereof). Continue calling tees by color and not by gender or age…. many men can not bring themselves to play from “the women’s or the senior’s tees”, but will play from the reds or yellows. Keep up the NCGA efforts to speed up play. It is a huge factor in all our enjoyment of the game.
May 15th, 2009 at 8:04 amOK lets start with this magical number of 4-1/2 hours. Where is this from? Did someone just make it up and now everyone espouses it like it is one of the ten commandments? Why one set pace of play? Every course is not the same they couldn’t possibly all play to the same pace of play! You get out on a tough course that you have never played and the reality is that you are probably going to take 5 to 5-1/2 hours to play. (Oh my god that’s sacrilegious;-) But what it really comes down to is the golf courses want to make money and I can’t begrudge them that. I mean when my local muni is trying to send groups off at 6 min. intervals the course is going to be packed and slow! The best way to sped up play would be to change to threesomes instead of foursomes but the courses are never going to do that because they would lose tons of money! (Which by the way is exactly what one very large amateur tourney is doing). Lets just look at the numbers, if you assume 2 minutes per player for teeing off (which I think is pretty close if not on the low side) then that is 8 minutes per tee box which works out to 144 minutes per round. That is over 2-1/2 hours just on the tee box alone! But if it was a threesome that would be 6 minutes on each tee or 108 minutes, which cuts off over one half hour right there. But at a cost of around $500 an hour at my local muni, it ain’t going to happen!
May 15th, 2009 at 5:05 pmSo please lets stop this silly attachment to a 4-1/2 hour round for EVERY course. And please try and stay focused on your round. Stay up with the group in front of you, help your fellow player find their lost ball. Whatever it takes to keep things moving smoothly.
And on another note if the NCGA could please follow the lead of the Myrtle Beach Amateur tourney and go to threesomes instead of foursomes it might help the contestants to have more fun in a stressful enough situation. Also I applaud the NCGA member courses for having there tee time at ten minute intervals and sticking to it. Not trying to stuff more groups in.
Do your research first…..what planet are you from? Most private courses are at least 5600 for women and several are longer….I am a 14 index and to suggest I play only 5600 or lower is silly…My home course is 5900…We play in 4 hours…
May 15th, 2009 at 6:04 pmMary – Your statement can apply to any older course, not just private ones. But the yardage guidelines weren’t selected at random – these numbers were derived from looking at the USGA Course Rating System and the yardages bogey golfers can achieve. These figures have been researched at length. There’s no reason a golfer has to adhere to what is said here..obviously in your situation you have no choice and you are a fast player. We are just trying to encourage golfers to stay within their abilities when selecting which tee box to play from (if they have a choice) because this can have a huge effect on pace. Thanks for posting.
May 15th, 2009 at 6:48 pmStill waiting for someone else to acknowledge how THEY intend to speed up their own play. So far it’s a lot of “it’s those other guys”.
May 16th, 2009 at 8:55 amI agree with nearly all of the comments so far. The reality is that there are always going to be new golfers or poor golfers that don’t play at the pace many of us would like. For this reason I feel that all golfers should be reminded that their place on the course is in contact with the group in front of them not just ahead of the group following. If they cannot keep the pace they need to let following groups play through. Too often a slow group will rush off of a tee before the group behind can hit an approach shot and putt, and then slow down once they reach the fairway. I seldom find myself off of the pace, but when I do I am looking for an opportunity to let the group behind play through.
May 16th, 2009 at 11:44 pmHere is one of the worst evolutions I have seen that contribute to slow play: years ago, you didn’t mark your golf ball. If your ball was in the way of another golfer, he was stymied and had to play over it or around it on the greens. Now, it seems like there is a rule that says, “if you aren’t the one putting, your ball has to be marked. You wouldn’t want the poor guy putting to be distracted by seeing another golf ball anywhere on the green.” By not having the ball down and ready when another guy is putting, most golfers will not start going through ANY of their pre-putting routine until the other golfer is finished putting.
Unless your ball is in the other guys line, quit marking the ball except to clean it. Even then, clean it and get it back down on the green. You should be set to hit your putt when the previous putter’s ball stops rolling.
May 17th, 2009 at 6:11 amI’ve noticed lately that players are marking their ball with a line like a PRO would. Then they jack around with it trying to line it up perfectly before putting. Put the ball down and hit it.
May 17th, 2009 at 7:38 amI find lining up putts is what is slowing our group more than anything else. Your foursome is generally people you know, friends or assigned playing partners. You should not be hesitant to tell someone in your group that they are slowing the pace (for what ever reason) by reading too long. Our group, and others we play along with, have committed to each other that we could bring to each other’s attention something that they might not notice that is slowing play. Our low handicap in the group had a tendency to spend agonizingly long periods reading from both sides, slope and then pendulum his putter before all putts, regardless of length. We talked to him on a number of occasions and now he is much faster on the greens (it improved his putting).
May 17th, 2009 at 8:39 amDon’t be afraid to talk about it.
I’m a marshal at a public course and am 70 years old and have a 16 Index. Our yardages are 5732, 6436, 6734 which is red, white, blue respectively. I walk 9-holes in about 1 1/12 hours from either the red or the white and play 18-holes (with a cart) in about 3 hours, if there is no one ahead of me. What slows play is generally folks with an inflated idea of how long they can hit the ball, not playing ready golf, to much talking and not enough attention to the game. Even playing early there are folks that feel that they have paid their $$$ and can do anything they want and resent a marshal asking them to pick up the pace when they have fallen behind by a hole or more! If you can’t see the group ahead then you are behind. Less beer and talk and more attention to the task at hand will allow faster play. When I work the first tee I remind everyone to keep up with the group head of them, not ahead of the group behind them and ask them to play “ready” golf. I’ve even tried explaining exactly what “ready” golf is and get the players to agree. However, as soon as they tee off and get to the first ball it all goes out the window!! The players sit in the cart and wait to be driven 20 yards to THEIR ball rather than walking; they don’t hit first and then help someone find a missing ball, etc. Four and a half hours is plenty of time for anyone to play eighteen holes. Beginners should always play from the forward tees, and they don’t have to hit every shot. If the group starts to fall behind the beginner should pick up their ball and drop it where their playing partner’s ball lies. Hitting 10 – 15 strokes from tee to green is frustrating for the beginner and drastically slows play. It’s everyones responsibility to help solve the problem; not be part of the problem. If you are helping your wife, husband, child, friend, etc., then teach them the “etiquette” of golf. The “etiquette of golf” applies to EVERYONE, not just the other guy. By the way, great article!! Great effort to help but I’m not holding my breath on this one!! :) :)
May 17th, 2009 at 9:18 amGood comments. I played this morning with my wife and another older couple. We (and 3 other groups) played thru a group of younger guys who were playing from the long tees. We finished in under four hours, they might still be out there.
Their big problem was on the green. They Read every putt and over read and miss and then do it again. Why? Because they have $$s on every putt. Eliminate the bets and play speeds up by 30%.
May 17th, 2009 at 1:43 pmNCGA events with a 4:48 time limit seem to foster slow play.
May 17th, 2009 at 3:49 pmCouldn’t agree more, but I played a round at Poppy Hills,home of the NCGA, on Sunday, May 17, teeing off at 10:10AM (on time) and finishing at 3:10PM. 5 hours. We waited on every shot and every tee. We were 20+ minutes “behind pace” from the 3rd hole on. We never saw a marshall once the whole day, despite calling the pro shop and alerting them to the situation when we were on the 11th tee and 3 hours into our round. Education is not what’s needed, enforcement is. Unless the NCGA cleans up its own act on its own home course, I don’t think they can expect much response from the players. I won’t play Poppy again until I’m convinced play will be under 4:30 — and preferably 4:15.
May 17th, 2009 at 9:05 pmMr. Miller,
We ask that each group to play in 4 ½ hours. However, on the weekends groups can be closer to 5 hours. Many factors contribute to this: groups playing from the wrong tees, marking every putt instead of putting out, etc. We try to educate golfers on playing in a reasonable pace, but it is an uphill battle and we refuse to give up on this ongoing problem.
We had two player assistants on staff Sunday, and when you called in from 11 tee we sent one of our golf professionals out to assist as well.
Now let’s look at the positives. You are an NCGA member, and were able to play 36 holes for a total of $135. The mission statement of the NCGA and Poppy Hills is to provide championship golf, and a top quality product, for a good value. I would say we did that for you on Sunday.
We have some plans to implement the NCGA tournament pace of play policy on a daily basis at Poppy Hills. Unlike the tournament policy of penalizing with strokes, our only option would be to have a slow group skip a hole. I would be interested to hear back from you, or any other NCGA member about this option. We think it could drastically improve day-to-day pace of play and make for a more enjoyable round for weekend golfers.
Thanks for your feedback, and for being an NCGA member.
Justin Williams, Poppy Hills head professional
May 17th, 2009 at 9:10 pmLet me start by saying I believe a round of golf should take 4 hours like it did back in the 60′s. Some of the things I have seen change I think have slowed the game down. First on my list is electric carts. True, many “modern” courses are designed with electric carts in mind and are unwalkable, but if a couse can be walked it should. Four people all walking to their ball and being ready to hit at once will spped up play.
May 18th, 2009 at 8:56 amSecond, whatever happened top “waving up” on par 3′s? Did this prove too litigious or did a study show it actually slowed play down.
Lastly, play a ball you can afford to lose. Yes I love my ProV1′s but usually play with a $20 dozen ball. At a 12 GHIN I am not going to get much more game imnprovement with a 4 dollar ball than a $1.25 ball. If I hit into trouble I play a 2nd tee shot, give the original shot a cursory look for and go back to playing. If I have a lost ball that I figured would be found I drop a ball, take a penalty and move on. Yes I know it is technically a rule violation, but happens so seldom it is not worth the return to the tee in a casual round.
I think the easiest way to speed up play is to charge by the hour. The longer you take, the more you pay.
May 18th, 2009 at 9:22 amA month ago we had a senior and super senior ncga event here at Granite Bay, These guys (who preach at there courses to play in 4 and a half hours) took 5 and a half hours to play a golf course right in front of THEM. No tricky dog legs, very little water, etc. Yes it’s not a easy course but 5 plus. I saw one pro plumb bob-step off 40 footer- looked at it in a big circle covering every angle- AND IT WAS A FLAT PUTT. Gimme a break
May 18th, 2009 at 10:40 amSimple.
Here’s a few simple tips:
May 18th, 2009 at 2:31 pm1. Get rid of all golf carts. (or give everybody their OWN cart) Too much time spent driving to one ball watching your partner hit and then driving over to your ball then figuring out distance, what club to hit, 4 practice swings etc…
Also if you walk the course you can usually walk in a straight line towards your ball. Much easier to find than driving in a cart, left, right, up, down, left, right “gotta be around here somehwere, now how far did I hit it again?”
2. If walking, head straight for your ball, figure your distance out, club , take your practice swings while the other members of your group are preparing to hit their shots.
3. putting green – place your bag down on the side of the green closest to where the next tee box is. Thats the side you will exit the green after putting out. Mark your ball and take a quick look at the green to see speed, and how the putt will break while the others in your group are putting. If you leave a short putt, finish it, or at least quickly mark it and be READY to putt out once the others are done.
While others are putting, fix a couple of ball marks…
4. Let quicker players play through. They will push the group in front of you and the group behind wont get irritated waiting for them, who are in turn waiting for you! I’ve noticed that if we “push” the group in front then we are doing our job to help everyone on the course…
5. Don’t ever tee off at ANY course in the Bay Area after 9:00am on the weekend – there’s just too many numpties out there!!!
One of the biggest issues is people playing the wrong tees. During a trip to Scotland I was amazed how quickly the game is played there, everyone just moves along with no delay, no BS. Older folks seem to play the fastest, 3.5hr rounds are the norm.
May 18th, 2009 at 2:55 pmAs a long-time golfer, I have found the single most important thing to help me in keeping a brisk pace is to have a cart with a GPS system giving me yardage. It is frustrating for me to play a course with only at 100, 150, 200 yards (and sometimes these are only painted stripes on the cart path). Having numerous sprinklers with yardages to front, middle & back are fine, but I still find myself hunting for a marked sprinkler, then need to step off to get a good yardage. I play pretty well and if I can get a good yardage, I will play darn fast. Make me hunt around all day to figure out a yardage and I will be easily frustrated and it will add time.
May 18th, 2009 at 3:16 pmI agree with much of what is said here. Particularly JP Miller’s comments on enforcement. Groups SHOULD be asked to close gaps or pick up if they are slowing the pace too much. Isn’t that part of the reason marshalls are on the course? I’ve rarely seen it happen.
I also try to teach Phil M’s ‘bag management’ point to new golfers I play with – be ready to move onto the next hole as soon as you are done. Also if you are the first one in the hole, pick up the stick and be ready to put it in the hole. The last guy to putt shouldn’t be hunting around for the flagpole after he’s done.
May 18th, 2009 at 3:27 pmMarking balls on the green! “You’re away. OK, now you’re away. Ok, now you. Then you.” Guys are hitting 10′ putts to 2′ and marking — that’s 8 marks, replacements and putts! They see this on TV and think they need to do it on the course. I play most of my rounds as a single joining a group of strangers. I always, always putt out and I never mark my ball unless it’s in somebody’s way.
Why are people so afraid to just putt out?
That, and the wrong tees, as many have said. The tees should be marked by handicap range, not colors or gender names. When you check in, the pro shop should tell you what tees to play and see to it that you do.
I was at Poppy Hills once and saw a marshal drive out and kick a foursome of young guys out of their golf carts and force them to walk. They immediately played faster and stopped holding us up.
May 18th, 2009 at 3:27 pmI can put up with some slow play, but when the course management takes on a “who cares” attitude, is what infuriates me. One weekend I took my 90 year old father to the coast to ride along in the cart while my wife and played an intended 18 at Cypress Ridge near SLO, (no pun). 4 hours later while standing on the 11th tee box waiting for two other groups on the hole, and two of us waiting to tee off, and my dad dying to eat we decided to leave. I asked at the desk if I could have a rain check for playing the last 9 holes on another date. I was politely informed absolutely “no” and informed that I was off my rocker to expect to play in under 6 hours at a course similar in a coastal location. Of coarse, we have never returned.
May 18th, 2009 at 3:39 pmI have another angle to add – inordinately long stance over a ball before hitting, both on the fairway and greens. Boy, does that add up to the foursome’s time especially if after all that time taken, the shot wasn’t good. (Oh (groan) not again – do we need a shot clock?) Yes, it was a tournament but how long is long??? Over 5-1/2 hrs killed me & even the rules official noted it. Is there a rule for that???
May 18th, 2009 at 3:41 pmTotally agree, a foursome should not take more than 4 hours for 18 holes. I am always amazed that, when I play in Europe, people are walking ant it rarely takes more than 4 hours.
May 18th, 2009 at 5:51 pmOne extra comment: the marshalls on the course should be tougher on slow players. They don’t want to bother “customers”, but in fact, slow pace infuriates many others that won’t be returning customers.
How many times do you get to your favorite muny to hear at the pro-shop:”it is slow today” as if nothing can be done….
I agree with a lot of the comments written here. I always look at the putt and what the line is going to be while others are putting. This way I am ready when it is my turn to putt and I don’t slow up the pace of play. If you don’t already do this try it and see if you play faster doing it. Also, suggest it to everyone else in your foursome. I also do the same thing on the tee and the fairways. This way I am always ready when it is my turn. One of the biggest problems I have come across in more than 30 yrs of playing the game is that both people in a cart will go to one ball and he will hit and then the other and he will hit. This slows play down. Go to one ball have that person select the clubs they will need so the other person then can drive to their ball so both will be ready when it is their turn. I once was let off by myself at a local muni in the late morning with a power cart and I played the first 6 holes in 40 minutes before I caught up with the group in front of me. I joined them and I finished the round between 3 1/4 and 3 1/2 hours.
May 18th, 2009 at 6:21 pmThis is like when people right about the need to drive better, and then explain how everyone else is a bad driver and they are in the 90th percentile of drivers. Everybody has opinion how everyone else can speed up, but fail to look at them selves.
May 18th, 2009 at 7:38 pmNow in my case, I play somewhere between John Huston and John Daly in my pace. I easily play in those times-walking. I however am a below average driver (car), so my honesty is in tack.
One thing I notice that slows up play is stacking groups, and not enough time between T-times. Rounds go a lot smoother when there is enough of a gap between starting times, rather than having groups tee off as soon as the first fairway is clear. What happens is a traffic jam, and people don’t move as fast because they are going to be waiting on the next tee anyway.
Now, even though I tend to play golf like a waitress during the lunch rush, I’m not a fan of people complaining about the pace of play. I go out on a weekend and inevitable somebody complains that it is slow. I might as well complain about the heat in the Central Valley- it is the same thing, and about as productive.
Mark your comments if they are directed at me are way off. I have through the years learned how to play faster from better players. I was not a faster player years ago but I am now. I was just throwing out a few suggestions that maybe others had not thought about doing. If you already do these and are a faster player, great I applaud you. I usually am the one player in the group who notices we are behind and says so and announces ready golf in any tournament I am in. I also mention to the players who are slowing the group up and delaying everyone behind us to pick it up so we are keeping up with the group in front of us. I often walk courses that don’t need a power cart. If anyone asks me a question about how things can be sped up I offer up ways they can play faster. I am in a golf club and most of our tournaments do not take more than 4 hours 45 minutes. Sometimes they take less. If we do take longer it is for one of two reasons–slow play in front of us or a longer course than everyone is used to. So, Mark think before you speak or write about someone you don’t know.
May 18th, 2009 at 8:36 pmClubs should have an incentive at the 19th hole for groups to finish in under 4 hours. This would boost revenues and lower scores. Don’t know about the rest of you but I can’t make my HC when it takes 5 hours to play a round.
May 18th, 2009 at 9:53 pmOur club has a pace of play policy at the first tee that everyone in the group has to adhere to for tournament play.
May 18th, 2009 at 11:46 pm1. Have a designated timekeeper to monitor the 5 min. search rule.
2. Agree to play ready golf.
3. Drive to the shortest hitters ball, drop him off and go to your ball.
4. After hitting walk to the cart and exchange your clubs at the next destination.
5. Putt out on the green.
We have these rules for everyone playing and still do not finish less than 5 hours very often. We have repeat offenders who are always behind and don’t seem to mind, I agree enforcement has to be implemented. I like the incentive plan and charge by the hour, that would cause people to police themselves and pick up the pace. NCGA tournaments allows a group to single out a slow player and have them watched as long as the rest of the group would keep pace.
I’ve noticed the better player is more intolerant to slow play than the rest of us. I for one mess up more when someone is yelling from the fairway at my group to pick it up only to get to the next tee and wait. I enjoy the game and personally enjoy being out there. When it is slow I find ways to keep myself occupied because I have allotted enough time so I won’t be late if I am stuck behind a group at a five hour pace. Especially tournaments. If it is bothering me that much and I can’t skip any holes or go play the front nine again, I will just go home. The marshals are volunteers and are there to help, a respectful approach will always work better than a aggressive one. Sorry for carrying on so long. Enjoy this wonderful game.
My index is around 15 and I’m guilty of playing the tees around 6500 yards, depending on the slope and design of the course. The reason is that my drives carry about 230. If I play the short tees, I lose the intended challenge of the hole — e.g., fairway traps and doglegs. To make up for the time required to shoot a high score, I do lots of little things (including many things mentioned by other posters). First, of course, I play ready golf. I take a cart on unfamiliar courses. I keep an extra ball in my pocket for OBs and provisionals. If I’m playing out of trouble along the fairway — not a rare occurrence, as you might have guessed — I play quickly and conservatively back into the fairway. If I’m the first to putt, I take less time to read the line. I remind fellow players of their pace. Recently, I’ve even started taking lessons. :)
May 19th, 2009 at 7:20 amGood article…I try to adhere to the adage: The correct position on the course is directly behind the group in front, not directly in front of the group behind.
May 19th, 2009 at 11:34 amWhile I agree that pace of play is a major issue, I disagree with several comments. Here’s my list of faster play:
1) Golf courses are too crowded. You cannot play any faster if you are waiting 5 minutes to hit each shot.
2) Golfers definitely can get more efficient on the course with respect to not wasting time.
I disagree that all courses and all foursomes should play in 4 hours period. It’s unreasonable to expect all players to play at the exact same pace and all courses to play the same under all weather conditions. Golfer’s should be allowed to play the game. While a player should play without delay, they should be allowed to play by the rules and putt out. I played with groups that pickup 3 footers and groups that putt out and it usually takes about 10 minutes more per round to putt out for a foursome. Depending on the course, the group and the weather, a very nice pace of play is between just under 4 hours to 4 1/2 hours for a foursome. Most people are not out there to play speed golf. If it takes 4 1/4 hours to play golf, so be it as long as there is very little delay and everyone is not just standing around waiting.
May 19th, 2009 at 12:01 pmA lot of time can be saved on the putting green if each player reads his put while others are putting. When it is your turn to putt, putt. There is no reason to read it from both sides when it is your turn (unless you are first).
May 19th, 2009 at 1:03 pm-golf carts slow down play.
May 19th, 2009 at 1:19 pm-always be aware of your position on the course in relation to both the group in front of you and the group behind you. this is important. just because you paid your fee doesn’t mean you can ignore the rest of the players on the course. don’t be a jerk.
-five minutes is far too long to look for a lost ball unless you are playing in a tournament.
-five minutes is far too long to look for a lost ball unless you playing in a tournament. it’s gone. get over it.
-NEVER walk back to the tee after spending five minutes looking for a ball. you had your chance.
-don’t mark a two or 3 footer unless you are going to be standing in someones line. finish out. write down scores on the way to the next tee. honor birdies. otherwise just hit the ball.
-pull a club and hit it. you aren’t good enough to need to know exact yardages. and if you are, understand that we aren’t impressed with your skills if it means waiting on you all day. slow is slow whether you are single digit or a beginner.
-don’t walk all the way back to your cart to get another club. you had your chance. choke up or swing harder.
-if you are 60 yards away from the green and already have a triple than spare us please. it’s over. pick up.
-do everything you can to help others: help look for balls, sprinkler heads for yardages etc. be a good and helpful member of your group. give free drops when they are deserved. understand that the rules of golf on a saturday morning with your buddies are often absurd.
-if you play in one the first times of the day try to set a good pace. don’t rush, but be efficient and think about the rest of us. one slow group at 6 in the morning can ruin the pace for the rest of the day.
I’m with a few other folks here, it’s the golf courses that are just as much to blame as the player. I play weekdays, no later than 10AM tee times. It takes me regularly 4 1/2 hours to finish, with the regular foursome that I play with. Now, I can say we are guilty of marking our balls on the putting green but we also fix ball marks and replace divots. How many others do you see doing their OWN repairs, let alone someone else’s? One “problem” I see is that there are those out there looking to set record times for finishing a round. Fine. You want to hack your way in less than 3 hours, go for it. But don’t expect the majority of the people to do the same. I’d say 4 to 4 1/2 hours is good enough pace. I do agree with golf carts ruining the experience. Too often people abuse their use by thinking they actually speed up play – people then think “Hey, I’m in a cart, playing quicker than the walkers, so I will drive around in circles and watch my buddy hit his shot while my ball is 5 yards to the right of his.”
May 19th, 2009 at 4:35 pmThe problem is we are preaching to the choir. The slow players don’t care and won’t read articles about slow play. The only solution is marshals with the power to have slow groups pick up and move to the next tee. Stan H
May 19th, 2009 at 4:53 pmEnough’s been said on the subject, but I’ll add my $00.02.
May 19th, 2009 at 6:28 pmFrom what I’ve seen, slow players come in 2 groups: the grip it
and rip it dingbats who’re more interested in drinking and farting
around than playing the game and those that watch too much TV and
think that standing over a 5 ft. putt for 2 minutes will bring that
20 handicap under control. All in all it boils down to ignorance..
ignorance of the game and ignorance of etiquette. Sadly, the average
slow player is unlikely to care, so well-intentioned articles like
this really won’t make much of a difference. What will make a
difference is the hiring of well-mannered but forceful marshalls
who will vigorously enforce time limits, and for golf courses to
get serious about kicking egregiously slow players off the course.
My $00.02.
When I lived in the Denver area they had a unique method. You had your card stamped by a time clock on the tee. You had to have it re stamped at the turn. If you were over 2 hours; you couldn’t go out on the back nine. There was a fudge factor if you came in right behind the group in front of you. Anytime you measure something, it will improve… I say buy some timeclocks and have stern faces monitor them..
May 19th, 2009 at 9:00 pmGolf carts do not inherently slow pace of play. If at least the 90° rule is in effect on all par 4′s and 5′s, carts definitely do not slow play. “Cart path only” however, does slow play tremendously. Of course if the players themselves don’t know how to play quickly, or simply choose not too, it doesn’t matter if they are walking or riding.
I play pretty quickly, though I know I’m not perfect. But I also realize it’s just not going to play that quickly most of the time. Tee times are too close together, many courses are not designed for quick play, and many players just don’t know how to play quickly or don’t care.
I do what I can to keep things moving, but at the end of the day it’s a round of golf not an oil change, and if it takes a little longer so be it. Yes, many need to play quicker, but at least as many others need to lighten up. Like those who hit into the group in front of them while that group is waiting for a group in front of them. I’ve seen this happen twice in just the last couple of weeks.
May 20th, 2009 at 1:39 amCell Phones and Text Messaging
I find it interesting that out of many great suggestions and comments here no one has mentioned cell phone and Blackberry use (and abuse). It used to be that doctors were the only golfers with mobile communication devices. Now everyone has one, and I can’t remember the last round I played that didn’t involve an inconsiderate golfer “taking the day off” who “had to take this call” or stop and fire out a text message every other hole. Guys in sales are particularly egregious offenders.
Cell phone use does a number of things, all of them bad. 1) It annoys the rest of us who are trying to relax, concentrate, and have a good time. 2) It slows play in the act of taking the call or text. 3) It slows play because inevitably the “golfer” who took the call is now distracted and out of rhythm and steps up to his ball and shanks it into the woods, thus causing another delay while everyone helps him look for his ball. He usually does this several times a round.
If you are not a doctor on call, please leave your cell phones and blackberries in the car. Your call/text is not important enough to ruin the round for everybody else. If you can’t take the day off without checking your phone every 10 minutes, then don’t take the day off: You should be working.
May 20th, 2009 at 10:58 amGreat article I hope you post it often so everyone at one time or another gets to read it. There is nothing worse than slow play. Be aware of whats going on around you, it doesn’t take the whole group to look for one players ball. Hit then go look while the next person hits then can come back to look….5 minutes. Don’t wait to hit if someone in the group isn’t ready…nothing worse than playing behind a group and watching them all stand in the same spot! Watch players in your group hit there shots so you know where there ball goes, how many times have you played with people and they don’t have a clue where there shot was hit too! We played recently with a fellow that hadn’t played in a long time…he wasn’t very good and my husband has always wanted to ask why a person would want to play this game once in a while or often and can’t hit the ball. The fellow responded to relax. Well glad he was relaxed because he stressed us out!
May 20th, 2009 at 5:24 pmWhat’s the problem? Tiger Woods. (Oh and Ben crane and every other pro). It’s all watching these slow pokes on TV and thinking that is the norm. But Tiger & Co back off tons of shots…he plays golf for a living and also when he backs off, he still takes less strokes than most amateurs who play 5 hour rounds.
May 20th, 2009 at 9:25 pmWhy do the marshall’s have to ask slow players to pick up and move to the next hole. The slow players should be asked to wait for the group behind to play through. I don’t think it would take many groups playing through for the slow people to learn to play faster. And if they want to play slow, let them play a 7 hour round.
May 21st, 2009 at 2:16 pmIf everyone who wanted to play golf had to learn golf etiquette first we would have no problems.
May 21st, 2009 at 8:32 pm1) Educate players. A golf course, like a movie theater, is a shared venue. Your greens fee does not entitle you to play a 5+ hour round any more than your movie ticket entitles you to talk during the film. Too many golfers say, “I paid a lot of money, I want to enjoy leisurely time talking and relaxing with my friends.” Do that at the 19th hole, *after* you’ve enjoyed a 3.5 hour round of golf. The whole experience will be better for everyone.
2) You are not a professional golfer. Let me repeat that: You are not a professional golfer. Notice your *actual* results: Your 30-second shot visualization routine (followed by your 30-second pre-shot multi-practice-swing routine), did not keep you from hitting the shot fat and 40 yards short, did it? *The lack of routine isn’t the problem; your basic swing and technique are the problem.* Spend those extra minutes on the range or in a lesson instead, and your scores will drop.
3) Sorry, NCGA, but your fixation on handicap index is a huge part of the problem. It encourages people to measure themselves by that number, ego gets involved, and slow play often results. In addition, if my buddies and I are playing stroke play, they’re not going to let me stop when I hit my ESC number on a hole. NCGA should encourage match play, the way recreational golf was played up until fairly recently. Match play is faster than stroke play because those out of the hole can (and do) choose to concede the hole and pick up.
4) When I first dabbled in golf in the 80s in North Carolina, the local marshals had absolute power, and used it absolutely. Get out of position, especially a second time, and you were told to pick up your balls and move to immediately behind the group in front. Get [badly] out of position again, and you were kicked off the course, no refund. The use of a golf course was a privilege for which one paid, and which could be revoked. Period. I know golf courses are in tough competition with each other for business, but I also know that many of us would gladly give more business to courses that were tough on slow players. Conversely, I largely quit playing courses like Santa Teresa years ago specifically because of slow play.
May 22nd, 2009 at 10:05 amThere are actually two subjects here. Slow play by a golfer(s) and over-booked courses that create slow play. The first I have more patience for, the second makes me feel like I am being taken advantage of. And in the first case, I can ask to play through, even if not offered, which I usually am. There is nothing I can do about over booking except to not play there. But I think I ought to be told that when I call for a tee time, so I have the option before I pay.
May 22nd, 2009 at 3:57 pmGreat comments and points being made here. However, a lot of the offenders are not members of any club or the ncga so getting this message to speed up play, they will never get. I too am guilty of having some slow play, but I can tell you I do the best I can to speed up. Maybe if when you check in or pay your green fees the persons taking your hard earned money make it a point to tell you that you need to keep pace, and speed of play will be enforced. Sometimes just a reminder is all some people need.
May 22nd, 2009 at 4:28 pmExcellent points and love the idea of educating folks on fast play. My dawn patrol rounds are much better than tournament simply because of a 3 hour commitment vs. 5 plus. Both rounds are played on the same course and under tournament rules ie. no mulligans, gimmies etc. However I do disagree strongly with your graph on the correct tees to play and I can only use myself as an example. I’m a course 9 and there is no way I belong playing a 7000 yard course even though my length off the tee is a strength of my game. Too much pressure on the hardest club to hit in the bag sends most players into a downward spiral that affects every part of the game and much slower play. Error on the short side as far a tee guidelines.
May 22nd, 2009 at 6:09 pmGood ideas and they should be implemented in the youth tournaments, too. Teach the right habits early. My daughter played a JGANC event last weekend that took 6 hours. They were laying down on the tee boxes taking a nap it took so long for the group(s) ahead. Impossible to keep your game in focus when the play is that slow.
May 22nd, 2009 at 7:42 pmRemember to never walk back towards to your golf bag or cart. For instance, around greens bring your cart to the back of the green or at least pin high. Golf bags should be left at least at pin high. This will improve the pace of play.
May 23rd, 2009 at 12:14 pmGreat article. Too many times players wait until it is their turn to size up their shots/putts. Some of that can be done before hand without impacting the other players in the group. Also new players don’t realize that they should park their carts/bags in the direction of the next tee. There have been times where I have hopped into the other cart (in my 4some) because it was 50 yards short of the green.
May 24th, 2009 at 7:07 amhave you ever thought that the reason you guys play so horrible is that your not taking your time out there. i cant stand when im playing an enjoyable round(under par) and some jerk behind me is rushing up on my ass. sorry bud not going to change my pace so that you can rush your way to a great score of 120. tailgating only leads to back ups and stress. enjoy the game and the day, plan your shot, and cruise
May 24th, 2009 at 10:27 amGood article. I find slow play very frustrating.
I disagree, however, with several of the comments about higher handicap players. It has been my experience that the lower handicapers are the slower players. They wait on the Par 5s, hoping to get on in 2. Then, they mark their 6 inch putts. Every watch a Nationwide Tour or LPGA event? These players are very slow. This weekend the LPGA players are playing 2 per group, and the rounds are 4+ hours.
Let’s all be aware of slow play, and monitor our game according so that everyone can enjoy the day!
May 24th, 2009 at 12:46 pmGreat artical. I hate slow play. While I tend to play quickly, I acknowledge that I probably occasionally contribute to it. One custom that I grew up with was calling the group behind you up on par 3′s when play was slow. This seemed to speed things up. Letting carts go 90 degrees in the fairway (with the understanable exception of winter) could be done at most courses and would help considerably. Finally I think much of this is about personal awareness as to when it’s time to hit. Line up your putt while others are putting. When you are teaching someone to play, emphsize pace of play and etiquette.
May 24th, 2009 at 8:20 pmWhen I have played golf in Europe I have noticed that they requst that you not tee off on Number 1 until the group ahead of you are walking off of the green. Now that may seem rediculous, BUT, you play 18 holes in 4 to 4 and a quarter hours, and, that gives you time to look for stray shots. You never are pushing the group ahead of you. Actually it is a very relaxing round and very enjoyable. Now in the good old USA – The biggest problem is GREED. Have you ever played at a course (maybe other than Private) where you have teed off when the group ahead is walking off the green – I SERIOUSLY DOUBT IT – Why because the golf course wants every nickel and dime that they can get out of you. So now they send you out 7 minutes after the group in front of you and the group behind you tees off 7 minutes after you and heaven forbid if there is ever a wait because then everybody is on your ass for slow playing. Maybe the US people ought to rethink their philosophy on slow play and extend tee times to 10 minutes,but then, revenues might drop. ISN’T THAT TOO BAD……………
May 25th, 2009 at 8:31 pmThis is a great article and well worth the effort. To reinforce what Bob F. said, our local Pleasanton course is a great example of the course being a big part of the problem. Callippe Preserve initially had 7 or 8 minute tee times, everyday. On the busy days, Friday, Saturday and Sunday a 5 1/2 hour or longer round was the norm. At a NCGA dinner I talked to numerous players that refused to go back to the course. Recently the course has changed the weekend times to 10 minute intervals. Oh my goodness! It now takes less time to get around the course. Whoda thunk? Granted there is slightly less income, but the customers are much happier. They will most likely return. American Golf has had this problem for years. I also believe firm, not rude, marshalls can make a big difference. Each one of us, no matter who you are, or what your handicap, could do something to speed up his or her own pace of play. We have instituted a “par plus” policy for our golf club if a group needs to skip a hole to move into the proper position.
May 26th, 2009 at 2:16 pmGreat article. My wife and I are 60. We walk and if we have no one in front of us we can finish is 3 hours and 40 minutes. A time saver I that I was taught by my father when I began; Hit your shot and THEN go help find your partner’s errant shot. There is nothing worse than watching a foursome look for a ball and then have everyone begin their pre shot routines. Pet peeve is; fellow golfers who when on a par 5 wait for the green to clear before hitting their second shots.
May 29th, 2009 at 9:58 amIt is truley slow when you get behind the first group of the day 6 am and they take 2 hours to finish the first 9 holes. alot of course do not have marshals and people are not real golfers and allow faster groups to go by. this is truly getting on my nerves almost tempeted to hit through at times they look at you as your driving up to the tee box and two fo them are still teeing off and there is no one in the fairway nor on the green.
I can’t remeber where I was they asked to see my NCGA card and marked the cart with the right tees we could play from and added the time on the glass. why can’t golf courses d that it helps. my playing partner and I if we walk can do a 6800yds course in less than 2:20 we dont sit and wait for the shot we go to our balla nd first to thier balls hits. if we think its out we reload and hit right then. dont give us a cart then we are out at 6 and done by 730. I actually make less mistakes when we play like that but when you sit behind a guy who gets over his ball ( we cout 5 diffrent times) and takes a 30 count to hit the ball something is really wrong. please allow courses to set some type of rules on slow play like play from your correct TEE BOX had to get that off my shoulders LOL
May 29th, 2009 at 9:50 pmFor those of you who want to play in less than three hours, I suggest you play Sunday afternoons as it is not going to happen on Saturday morning at the local muni. I can play 18 holes in less than 4 hours but have no expectations of doing so on Saturday mornings when the starter is putting foresomes and sometimes fivesomes out every 6-7 minutes. Space the groups out so that there is ample time to do your thing and the speed of play will improve – for proof this works join a private country club. Public courses need revenue to keep the courses in the condition we enjoy and to keep the rates reasonable. If you are one of the complainers, here is a question for you: Do you prefer the course you play have 15 minutes between tee times and double the daily fee? My advice everyone here is to be aware of your surroundings, pace yourself to the pace of play and enjoy the day. Most of all if there are three groups on each hole, do not think pushing my group or hitting in to us will help. We are not in a hurry to get in line behind the other three groups on the next tee box.
June 1st, 2009 at 10:48 amhttp://www.popeofslope.com/paceofplay/
June 1st, 2009 at 11:23 amPet Peeves:
* Golfers who insist on playing from the back tees, that won’t break ninety. Here’s a hint; if you can’t reach the par threes with your driver, you’re at the wrong set of tees.
* Golfers who walk from their carts (on cart-path only courses or holes) and then walk back to the cart to get a club. Bring your guestimate club, and the shorter and longer adjacent clubs.
* Foursomes that won’t let waiting threesomes or twosomes go by, when the course is clear ahead of them. Have a heart, you could be adding up to ninety minutes to the trailing group’s round.
* Courses that won’t enforce their own slow play rules. If a group is consistently behind, have them pick up their balls and catch up. It may or may not speed them up, but it sure eases the back up behind them.
* Golfers who wait until their turn to line up their putts. Another hint; the line isn’t going to change while you’re waiting.
* Fivesomes, a horrible idea. If you’re in a fivesome, and you are not keeping up, you should be required to let other groups go by.
Now I feel better… thanks
June 1st, 2009 at 11:41 amShame on you NCGA. Played “your course” Poppy Hills last Saturday and it took nearly 5 hours. One hole empty ahead of the group in front of us most of the front nine. Passed that group when they went in to get their lunch at the turn, caught the next group in about two holes and there was an empty hole in front of them most of the back nine. Never saw a marshall.
June 1st, 2009 at 1:15 pmPlayed Black Horse the next day in under 4 hours walking.
Dear BH,
June 2nd, 2009 at 8:51 amWe apologize for your experience on Saturday. Weekend days at Poppy Hills can be difficult for our staff to maintain a pace of play under 5 hours. In fact the NCGA pace of play at Poppy Hills for tournaments is 4:53. We do schedule marshalls on weekends. If you didn’t see one, it’s most likely because he was working with groups that were holding up play. Thank you for your feedback and we’ll continue to work diligently at keeping pace at an acceptable level for all players.
Thank you,
Tyler Jones
I belong to a tough course and get furious when I see members/guests play from the wrong tees based on their skill level. I’m a 2 handicap, but I don’t play the black tees because I don’t have the distance. This should apply to higher handicappers. If their handicap and driver carry doesn’t fit the longer tee boxes, they should play the forward tees. It would make the rounds much more pleasurable for all that play. I played at Industrial Hills in L.A. and the starter required us to show proof of handicap to play the back tees!
June 2nd, 2009 at 1:53 pmUntill golf courses take slow play seriously it will never change. Most players I am partnered with seem to be on a Sunday outing. The courses that do have marshalls are more player assistants than marshalls. They all seem to be afraid to police the players. I’ve heard them actually say that if they mention anything to the slow players they might lose business. If all players arrived at the course ready to play ready golf every one would have a better round.
June 4th, 2009 at 3:36 amOh come on now….it takes time to plumb-bob that 4th and 5th putt. Can’t rush those things.
The answer to faster play is a 12 or 18 inch rule. Pick it up if you aren’t playing the US Open.
June 7th, 2009 at 12:39 pmYes, but shabby golf courses need to be fixed. Thick rough means we are constantly looking for a ball.
At two courses, we now play trashed balls and our new rule: Do not search in the rough, place a ball and hit, no penalty.
June 8th, 2009 at 12:02 pmI played a round with some friends that took over 5 hours where it was all our own fault. I was thoroughly frustrated with my group as 2 of the guys spent most of the round on their cel phone, checking email, and sending text messages and were never ready to hit when it was their turn. These modern conveniences are also slowing up play. I told them I would never go out with them again if they were going to use their PDAs throughout the round. I told them my new rule . . . if you answer your phone on the course, you sit out the hole.
June 9th, 2009 at 9:42 pmPersonally, I prefer about a 4-hour round. My philosophy is to take as much time over a shot as necessary to feel comfortable (personally that’s one practice swing, a quick breath or two, and go, but for my father that might be 10 practice swings, then hack), but to get to your shot as quickly as possible. As such, I take off from the tee and start walking to my ball before my playing partners have teed off (walking in the rough/trees so as not to disturb them). Often I’ll even have a better line on their shots and can help them find errant sprays as well. I play ready golf, within reason, as long as another player is not nearby where my practice swing or swing might be a distraction. Yes, I do slow down on the green, mainly because I fear being a distraction when we’re all next to one another and “putting for dough.” With this philosophy then, you can see why I get incredibly annoyed by other golfers just casually strolling from shot to shot. It’s the traveling time in between strokes that really adds to the round’s length. I can only play ready golf one stroke at a time. I can hit a drive, approach, and start putting or chipping while my partners are still hitting to the green. So I have to wait anyway. One fast player might not speed up a slow group.
The other problem is, of course, the random golfer who only plays once in a great while. They don’t know the etiquette, talk to one another between and during shots, stroll casually so that they can carry a conversation, even as one hits his ball, and then they drive or walk to the other ball. I sometimes have mixed feelings on the matter. Who am I to begrudge this player wanting to just have a relaxing and entertaining time on the golf course? I don’t play golf to socialize, but many do. Is the course for them or me, or both?
And yes, I do agree that some of the best golfers are the worst culprits of slow play. I found this when playing junior tournaments (I normally played match-play games in foursomes with my dad and friends). Everyone had to mark, everyone had to read putts for hours, etc. It infuriated me.
However, when just playing friendly games, I don’t notice that good players play slowly. Usually it’s the opposite. Even if the good players are slow over the ball, they are very quick from place to place and generally save much more time in fewer strokes. The problem then is the playing partners not playing ready golf while the good player takes a longer time over the shot. It doesn’t matter how long a player looks at a shot if everybody keeps up their own pace of play.
My advice, after all that. Walk or ride quickly to your ball (and not your partner’s) and play when ready. Pick up completely lost holes (go ahead and drop to practice if you have to wait on others anyway, but otherwise just pick up), play appropriate tees.
For the courses, maintain strict clocks for early players and early rounds. As the afternoon comes in, though, maybe quicker players like myself should yield to the desires of the social golfers a little and allow for a slower pace. Advertise that early rounds require a quick pace, and that later rounds require a slower pace (still require a pace though). Perhaps that will fit players with more appropriate tee times that might speed play for all.
June 23rd, 2009 at 2:33 amThe NCGA Pace of Play Policy is a joke and defunct. The NCGA does not adhere to their own policy anymore and more players are starting to figure it out and take even more time on their shots. The NCGA, when it comes to pace of play during a qualifier or champinship, is a joke.
July 18th, 2009 at 4:49 pmJJ – What event did you have an issue with? Thanks for posting.
July 20th, 2009 at 8:19 am12 man match the first 4 played in 4 hrs
July 28th, 2009 at 11:09 amlast group played 5;45 SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT MATCH PLAY
Wow! what a bunch of babies. Are you the same guys that wanted to make the hole larger for amateurs to help speed play. Each game has it’s own flow, adjust. If golf were a 5 hour game would you still play? Some courses are fast playing low challenge venues, maybe you might want to play them more often.
If the Marshall told the group in front of you pick up and skip a hole would you follow suit to facilitate the golfers waiting many holes behind you? Why not? Oh that’s different, your an innocent bystander.
Putting is a very important part of the game, and where you score, yet most of the comments suggest you should just slap that putt around quickly as if you were wiping up spilled water on a table, that’s not golf.
The vast majority of suggestions here trample the rules and established etiquette. Lose a ball, just drop another, no penalty! Play ready golf through the green, really?
I guess there should be two types of courses, classical golf and neo-modern time management facilities.
Slow play is within the same parameters as any ‘rub of the green’ situation. There is no easy fix or rule bending compromise that’s going to shave 3.2 minutes per hole and thereby shortening your experience by 1 hour.
Baseball games and football games take more time than they used as well. So do professional tournaments, have you quit watching them?
Don’t try to project responsibility for your misery and frustration onto the group in front of you. Adapt and play your game.
Cell phones were mentioned. One team play meeting at Poppy we were told that if a cell phone went off during a round the player was to be given a warning. I asked what the consequences were if it rang again. I guess it was the wrong question because the answer was ‘None.’
Don’t rail at what you can’t fix, live with it or leave it. When it becomes a more serious issue it will either mend itself or the rules will interject new penalties to fix it. Until then complain all you want you poor innocent souls. And inform that member of your foursome that’s slow that he won’t be playing with you anymore until he learns to pick it up.
We’ve all been stuck with no Marshall’s in sight, stay calm, stay and play within yourself. There’s no easy or realistic solution.
July 31st, 2009 at 12:35 pm