Slow Play

Eighteen holes of golf should be played in 4 Hrs or LESS. Five of us all in our 70's plus, including a lady play a 6000 yard course with the first tee time play in 3.5 hrs or less 4 days a week. I love it when a group of 3 or 4 guys complain to our Starter about the 5 of us teeing off first ahead of them. His reply.... hope you can stay up with then because you won't see them again after 5 - 6 holes.

We play ready golf including putting. Waiting for somebody to get to their ball because they are away is STUPID and wastes considerable time. Marking a 2 ft putt is equally STUPID!!! Tap in and get the heck out of the way. Last week I had the most miserable round of golf in my 45+ years of playing golf at an exclusive course in OKC. It took 5.5 hrs to play because the members in front of us from the Championship tees hit a second shot when they hit a bad shot and then had to go find 2 crappy shots to get one of the balls and play the other. Two of the players could not it far enough to reach a par 4 in 3 or 4 shots. They should have been told to allow us to play through or skip a hole. There was no Marshal. Unfortunately most courses don't want to confront slow playing members but why should others have their game destroyed because it takes forever to play a hole.

Rules for golf;
Play the tees you are able to reach Par 4's in 2 or 3 max.
Ignore HONORS!! All of you have to hit so who cares who hits first.
Play ready golf. Hit when ready if nobody is in your shot direction.
Putt out when with in 2 - 3 ft.
Let faster players go though on a Par 3 when you hold them up.
Unless playing for 1 Million dollars read the green as best you can without walking 360 degrees. Hit the putt.. your not not going to make 80% of them anyway!!!!
Keep your glove on or have it on before you get to the next tee box. You are generally in cart.... put your glove on!!!
Wipe your clubs when you get to the next box while waiting for others to hit or after you have hit.

I could go on forever about ways to play in under 4 hrs but I have committed enough. Get out of the way if you are holding up the group(s) behind you and then continue YOUR CRAPPY game of golf. Don't ruin it for others!!!

Hi
I played In a team 4 ] But one player was so bad I wanted to stop playing.

He goes up to the ball, has a look, then goes to get a club, has about 3 practise swings, then stands back to look again then decides to change club . then the routine again before hitting the ball..

I play with this guy and his wife about 4 times per month. Can't tell you how happy I am when I hear he can't make it. Sing the alphabet song. It takes him that long just to tee his ball. Sing it again. That's how long he takes to address his ball before he hits it. Then on the green. Sing it again. That's how long it takes him to line up his putt. Hey, if it takes you that long to putt, it should be a guaranteed one-putt! Come on, man..."WHILE WE'RE YOUNG!!"

Everybody should play “Ready Golf!” This can certainly be done without being rude or disrespectful. Every golfer should be preparing to hit their next shot as soon as possible.
Why is it that the worst golfers, ( lack of skills), takes 3 full practice swings before hitting every shot?
They are already sufficiently warmed up and loose from playing the first several holes. They would be better served by focusing on the shot immediately ahead of them and put their efforts on that instead of taking 3 mostly meaningless full practice swings.
While a member of the foursome is wandering off away from the hole to find their ball etc. The rest of the players should be hitting their shots to the green, lining up their putts and finishing the hole.
Same goes for putting. You simply don’t need 3 practice putts before putting your ball.
I agree with the suggestion that if the pros played more “Ready Golf” or some version of it, the public would emulate it.
Regardless of a person’s own rate and speed of play. There could be a consistent timing element that starts when you reach your ball and ends when you hit your shot.
If it’s 20 seconds from start to finish when you arrive at your ball. Instead of standing and watching other players hit their shots, thinking, preparing and practice swinging for another 40-60 seconds before you hit your shot!
You are taking far too long.
Multiplied with every tee, fairway, approach, chip and putt per hole etc. One player has just added about several extra minutes per hole. Multiplied by 18 holes.......you get the idea.
Then there is the added element of “Driving Carts!” A separate conversation but another huge time waster if you drive aimlessly without a concept of time effective cart placement and usage. Driving your cart partner to their ball and then driving to yours.
However, people watch and follow the “Pro’s” example on TV!
When they play faster and change the dynamics, speed and rate of play, the amateurs will follow!

I have sent in but no p[rnt as yet.

They watch to much TV golf and figure if the pros do it, it is ok.....say a great comment this morning regarding how to stop it on tour, but do they have the **** to enforce it.....There have been several pros who have spoken out against slow play and slow players, and some have offered ideas on how to get rid of the problem. But there’s one main fix that most keep coming back to, and it’s what Darren Clarke said needs to happen in a recent interview with Reuters.

“Just give them [penalty] shots,” said the 2016 Ryder Cup captain. “The guys that are slow, give them shots and then all of a sudden they will figure out a routine where they can hit it within the time limit. It will stop in one week if they start giving out penalty shots.”

Accountability and enforcement is the answer to slow play at all levels......it seems no one wants to offend anyone....think it is that political correctness thing.....it is in the hands of tournament officials and the courses....we need your help....just do what is right for the game

It’s the scourge of our great game. The remedy is education by firstly parents who introduce their children to the game and the professional authorities must start handing out “shot penalties” after a warning for “a bad time”. They would be quicker after that instead of paying small monetary fines.

Slow play ruined my relationship with my father after 40 years of playing golf together. During a round last year, I was taking a few practice swings (part of my normal routine) and he chastised me for taking too long and told me he needs me to play faster. Needless to say, this surprised me and knocked me out of my routine for the remainder of the round. But what really got under my skin was all of the mulligans he takes during almost every round—— and I’ve never said anything after all these years. I never take mulligans (I don’t believe in them) but they are a constant part of his game. Not only does he take mulligans, but think of all the time wasted to retrieve his wayward shot(s). Haven’t played with him since— such a shame.

There is a group at my club that plays every Mon.-Wed.-Fri. which is also my play days. I make sure that I get the tee time right behind them. They have 4 to 8 groups depending on the time of the year and they never play in more than 4 hours. 3 1/2 or so is normal for them. They police themselves and if you play slow they don't want you. Also, it's the biggest money game at the club and it doesn't slow them up on the greens. They are all business on the course and save the stories and jokes for the 19th Hole. In case you're wondering, I've been asked a couple of times to join them by the guy who runs the group, but declined. I like my group and we keep it light and easy.

Slow play ruined my relationship with my father after 40 years of playing golf together. During a round last year, I was taking a few practice swings (part of my normal routine) and he chastised me for taking too long and told me he needs me to play faster. Needless to say, this surprised me and knocked me out of my routine for the remainder of the round. But what really got under my skin was all of the mulligans he takes during almost every round—— and I’ve never said anything after all these years. I never take mulligans (I don’t believe in them) but they are a constant part of his game. Not only does he take mulligans, but think of all the time wasted to retrieve his wayward shot(s). Haven’t played with him since— such a shame.

I don't post as much as I would like, but this has struck a nerve. I'm a starter/players asst. When our Marshalls drive the golf course, we have a chart that corresponds to your starting time and what time you should of finished the hole I observed you on. I can tell you whether you are on Pace to the minute.

The problem is that we have as much authority as a WWE referee. Most people will pick up the pace of they are behind. But others will either argue with you, or ignore you.

The worst are the "buddy" trips. The combination of the guys that plays once a year, and the consumption of how much alcohol one can put down doesn't help matters. Kicking them off the course is not an option.

I love what I do. The majority of people are great. We do the best we can to move people around, but sometimes it's not easy.

Having worked as a starter and a ranger, tough position. When most public and semi private are in it to make a profit, most will ask staff to use soft approach with golfers on the course to avoid confrontation regarding slow play and actions on the course short of riding on the greens. Not longer do that, because of lack of support. Free golf not worth it. Buddy trips and wedding parties were the worst, oblivious to golfing etiquette. Would drive all over the course and give rangers hard time. Some even drove into lake at the course. Yes they did have to pay for the carts. Have even heard regulars say, what else do we have to do today, so what is the big deal. It is a disease and an attitude. =(

Another big problem, and one that is not addressed nearly enough, is people playing from tees that our outside their ability. I see groups that can't hit the ball 200 yds. off the tee playing the course at 6400 yds. There are many reasons for this and those of us who have been around the game a good while can name them, but the USGA and PGA of America have come up with a formula for course length vs average length off the tee. Players must be honest with themselves about their abilities. Not only would it help with speed of play but people would enjoy the game more if they could hit an iron on their second shot on a par 4 vs a 3 wood.

A lot of courses even post recommended tees, based on handicap or how far you hit your drive. But peer pressure and that drive for show thing takes over versus manage the game, versus have fun and move around the course in a timely manner is never taken into consideration. And let's throw in a little alcohol to the formula, plus not need to warm up. Have a 10:10 tee time and show up at the starter at 10:09. We can go on and on and on with reasons, but as long as it is allowed on the courses, it will never stop. Accountability and money is the bottom line. Just sayin'.... We want more folks to play golf, but we need to teach them the game first.......

when I play if I end up in the trees on my drive and I am having problems getting out and back on the fairway I will pick my ball up and move on to the next hole if my group is on the green waiting for me..I always aware of pace of play..

Some of the biggest slow play complainers are the ones taking the most time.

Slow play is the worst. It starts in high school and gets worse in college. It needs to be corrected there, IMO. Changes do need to be made and as long as everyone plays under the same rules and adheres to them then it’s fair. We always say to new comers playing golf with us... nobody cares what you shoot just keep up.

Slow play is bad, funny when someone is new but annoying when you try to play through and they say there is a group ahead when they are actually 2 holes ahead. I totally agree it is a learned behavior!

Im willing to bet that more than half of people dont start playing golf in HS, and even less in college. Thats a small group of people to place the blame. Everyone wants to blame HS kids immediately. Ive coached for 10 years, we've had fast players, we've had slow players. Kids are kids. It all starts with awareness of your surroundings, keep up with who is ahead of you. Don't hold up those behind you. Don't leave your bag 40 yards away in the wrong direction... etc. etc. But be aware.

I'm not a fan of slow play but, sometimes there is just nothing you can do about whether your playing for Big Bucks or $20 member event. You have to get your mind right when you know that your going to be paired with someone that is a little slower and not let it get you down. It should be fun!!!!

I dont function well behind slow players. Last nigt I caught a 4some on 7 green and it took them 40 minutes to play 8 and 9. I almost lost my cool but maintained and enjoyed the fall colors while the sun was falling...just breathe.

I agree that slow play is a pain in the golf bag. I had shoulder surgery a couple of years ago and since then I have played a shorter set of tees than in the past (5400ish yds vs 6200ish). At first it seemed like a blow to my ego but I have come to like pinpoint short iron/wedge shots better than hoping my 7 iron shot holds the green. Just remember that the game is supposed to be fun. My other remedy to slow play is skipping holes. I usually play by myself and sometimes catch up to a slower group. I will sit in the middle of the fairway making sure that the group sees that I am there and if they don't allow me to play through I just go around them and skip the hole giving myself a par or whatever I normally score on that hole (if I play the course a lot). Life is too short and did I mention that the game is supposed to be fun.

Mark F