SLOW PLAY IN GOLF - LETS MAKE A CHANGE!

[chelsea]

Another way to speed up is to use a golf car, well, i never used one myself but it's also a good idea to try it. The only problem is to wait the other players and the fact that the caddie wont let you drive.

Johan, if you have never used one, how can you say it is faster to use a car than walking. Just a thought.

There are a lot of good courses in the UK and here in Australia that will not let you walk, only drive a cart. Reason is not that it is quicker to get round, but the fact that it saves spike damage to the course.

And it also guarantees them the financial return on their golf cars .....
... or am I just being cynical?

Barry, also the same courses here in Australia will not let you walk anywhere on the course in metal spikes. One of my 1st rounds in Melbourne many years ago I ended up having to buy a new pair of shoes before I was allowed on the course. I have seen it happen may times to different people.
Rubber spikes only allowed and no metal at all.

[hhfarang]

I guess I'm like the Japanese. I'm used to rounds lasting near 5 hours (sometimes 5+) where I lived in California and Florida and like E-Dork said, it doesn't bother me as it is a day out to me anyway. I enjoy the social aspect of the game even more if we can take our time and chat even if it is while we are waiting on the group in front of us. However, being polite, it does bother me if I feel like my group is behind and slowing play of the groups behind us and I am always in favor of letting them play through as it actually affects my game if I'm constantly worried about a group pushing from behind.

The problem usually is though (on a full course), if you let one through, there is another directly behind them, and them, and them.... where does it end. If your group is a little slow it would be easy to find yourself letting a group through on every hole and then you'll have an eight hour round of golf.

It really isn't a problem for me here though, as during the week (when I play) the courses are rarely packed, in fact, the courses I can afford are usually not busy at all. I guess most of you work and are relegated to play on the weekends when the courses are more crowded.

The thing that annoys me more than slow play is what has happened to me here on busy days, primarily at the new Sea Pines military course as it was very popular seven days a week for a while, is the group behind you playing into you because they are impatient with the pace of play while you are waiting on every shot for the group in front of you. I've had that happen to me several times here. Maybe that was some of you that are complaining about slow play. In those instances it was a bit like someone honking at the car in front of them in a traffic jam. Makes you want to carry a handgun on the course!

[JW]

Its not about rushing around the golf course and playing ability has little to do with the problem of slow play, its just about trying to getting a pace of play where you dont have to wait for every shot.
As everyone has pointed out applying normal etiquette and allowing faster players to go through lets all play at their own pace.
No one wants to run around a golf course, its just a case of some simple thins we can do on the course which dont take any effort and can turn a 5 hr round into a 4 and a half hour round,that mean we have an extra half hour in the 19th!

[charlesh]

If only they would make golf balls flash and vibrate when you call them after whacking the be Jesus out of them into the scrub!
Why not start at the 9th (as the starter) if your time is all that important?

[Rone]

Some of the rules make for a lot of wasted time.
Example: Hit your ball off the tee and goes into the woods, so you hit a provisional. Go look for your ball in the woods, find it, and it is unplayable. Deep in the woods no way out, no chance 2 club lengths and no where to go back in line with pin and ball. Now you have found your ball your provisional is null and void and you have to walk all the way back to the tee to put another ball into play.
CRAZY why not just play your provisional as 3 off the tee.

In fact in friendly games we now play our own rule where by if the original ball is unplayable and neither of the first 2 options are tenable then to save time the provisional ball can be played.

This would also encourage more use of the provisional ball which can save a lot of time on possible lost balls.

Just another worry with some of the more expensive GPS course planners now available showing yardages and maps from your ball to virtually anywhere on the course. How much longer will players spend studying that before choosing a club to play.

I moan and groan about slow play but I still love it.

[Huahinian]

The rules of golf and the etiquette of playing the game have been around for decades. It is not the rules or etiquette that causes slow play, it is the players.

Whilst I agree we need to speed up play, let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater!

[sjpthsuk]

Main problem is the people don't know all the rules - especially those for slow play...that said at Springfield they are prominently displayed prior to starting the round, and if your in a cart in English and thai.

I'm not a fast player, nor a slow player, but do observe that if i'm in a group holding people up behind us, and it's clear ahead then they can go through. This was drummed into us as juniors back in Scotland, and even now very conscious of not wanting to slow down other players.

Two weekends ago while playing at Springfield we were behind a group of 4 Thais - 3 adults and a kid (his mother was in the cart) - we spent about 15mins waiting to play our second shots because they took at least 10 mins on each green. Eventually they waved us through at the 1st Par 3 but at that stage it had taken us over 60 mins to play 3 holes. Biggest problem was the kid that was playing was hitting shots about 20/30yds at a time. I don't know if it's a Thai thing where it's not good to let people through but it was a reluctant wave through, but we opted to by-pass the hole just as they did it.

One thing that irks me though is when you are stuck behind another group, is the chasing group behind us trying to get through us when they are not going to get any further than we are getting...usually this is in the form of while we're putting on the green they are playing their approach shots near/on green while we're still there.

[Rone]

The rules of golf and the etiquette of playing the game have been around for decades

Well they used to burn witches until they decided that might not be the way for the future. Why do the rules for professionals who have crowds and marshalls to tell them exactly where there ball has landed (and in a lot of cases to accidently/or otherwise knock the ball back on the fairway) be the same for us mere mortals. Fewer and fewer youngsters are playing golf and this is evident with the lack of waiting lists in the UK where apart from a few top clubs you can now join without a joining fee. Cost is obviously a factor but the average membership is considerably less than a season ticket for a premier football club. The main reason is the 5 hour rounds and a lot of people just dont have that sort of time to spare.

[JW]

It drives me mad when people refuse to let a faster group play through, I have experienced the same problem with young children, well actually nothing to do with the children but the bloody parents. What chance do these youngsters have when they are not taught from the start of their golfing life about etiquette.
I know many people on the site know of John Withers, great teaching pro and player, he is one of the quickest players you could ever play with, I have encouraged so many people to have playing lessons with John so they can learn how to play at a good pace. His kids (all good players already) have learned how to play at a good speed, its just a shame that all dont have the same education.

BMG is currently building a par 3 course (looks like its gonna be a beauty) and it will e interesting to see how long a round takes there.

Here's to 4 hr rounds!

[Huahinian]

[quote="JW"]

BMG is currently building a par 3 course (looks like its gonna be a beauty) and it will e interesting to see how long a round takes there.

Here's to 4 hr rounds! [/quote

I believe the new par 3 course is to be floodlit.

[JW]

OOPPSS! would be nice it if were 2 hr round!

[cookmanchef]

Where is John teaching these days? Is he back at the Pa-la-u range or is it Tavimook?

[Dr Mike]

When I lived in the US I always played early--two reasons, my course would let groups that started before 9am walk, after 9 you had to havea cart. But this led to the second advantage. The guys who started in this time ALL wanted to play a three and half hour round and so they all moved at a good rate.
Golf is like traffic--you are condemed to play at the pace of the SLOWEST group.

[hhfarang]

Where is John teaching these days? Is he back at the Pa-la-u range or is it Tavimook?

If you are talking about John Withers, I believe he is back at the Palau range.

[JW]

HHF is correct, Johnny Withers is back at Mongkol.