Slow Play on Tour

[Kmac]

I predict that it gets talked about and (once again) nothing happens.

Im thinking the this same thing as Razr here. Lots of talk about it and nothing changes. But I think something needs to be done though. But what?

 

[arydolphin]

It would not be fair but penalize all players in a group that has fallen behind; $5000 each and catch up. Second offense, 2 strokes each.

Peer pressure will take care of the rest.

Monetary fine is not going to change the players' habits at all. Getting fined 5k, 10k, whatever isn't going to matter when they can win over a million dollars for winning the tournament. The only way things are going to change is if the guys are penalized strokes for slow play, because that will directly impact their performance in a tournament. I know that the LPGA has had some penalty strokes applied in the past few years for slow play, but the PGA Tour hasn't had it happen since 1992 or something ridiculous like that.

 

[Golf 'N Gator]

I hate the slow play on tour and the PGA really needs to do something about it. I have said before I think the pros should be able to use GPS's for their yardages instead of pacing everything off, and make a penalty for multiple slow play warnings in a round. If you fall behind half a hole, you get a warning and must catch up to the group ahead. Do it again and the group gets a one stroke penalty and so on.

I agree on the GPS's. Way past time to advance that part of their game. It would help with the speed of every group.

 

[Tmex]

I like this thought. Because for the most part, don't they use it for practice rounds anyway? I know it's not traditional in a sense but I wouldn't mind seeing this. Test it on a few tournaments to see if it helps.

I agree on the GPS's. Way past time to advance that part of their game. It would help with the speed of every group.

 

[Bogey317]

The guys on GC Morning Drive were just talking about this and I agree with what they were saying. It would help immensely if they just started enforcing the "shot clock" that to my understanding already exists in the rules. E.g. you have 50 seconds to make your shot if you're first to play in the group and 40 seconds for the remaining players.

I agree with AHA on this....If slow play is happening, isn't there a rule where they will be put on a clock?

 

[Golf 'N Gator]

I like this thought. Because for the most part, don't they use it for practice rounds anyway? I know it's not traditional in a sense but I wouldn't mind seeing this. Test it on a few tournaments to see if it helps.

This is one area where the tour needs to embrace technology and forget tradition. I think this will happen sooner or later.

 

[thedue]

It's definitely a problem and certainly needs to be addressed. I suggest they give two warnings per round with a penalty stroke for continued slow play. It seems to me that in almost every case of problems on the course, whether its penalty mistakes such as Villegas/D. Johnson made or slow play, we come back to a need for more officials on the course and the PGA won't budge

 

[bogey_russ]

they really need to do something about it cuz slow play on tour carries over to slow play not on tour
ive played with single digit hcp's that take forever and theyre knocking down birdies
while ive played with guys that cant break 100 and theyre taking 5 shots into greens but they play faster than most

 

[CharlieMoy]

I, for one, HATE the fact that people are thinking about moving to GPS. I may be a traditionalist in this but I think golf is more of a 2 man game than a 1 man game. Some caddies have talked guys into winning tournaments, and some caddies have talked guys right out of winning tournaments. The GPS to me will make things too robotic.

 

[Hanks]

but a caddy and player could still discuss wind, etc when looking at the numbers....

I, for one, HATE the fact that people are thinking about moving to GPS. I may be a traditionalist in this but I think golf is more of a 2 man game than a 1 man game. Some caddies have talked guys into winning tournaments, and some caddies have talked guys right out of winning tournaments. The GPS to me will make things too robotic.

 

[CharlieMoy]

Ya but then were back to square one. The caddy can rhyme off the distance to the pin just as fast as a gps in most cases. Maybe not when a guy hits it out into the boonies. Whats the point of GPS if theyre still going to talk everything over?

but a caddy and player could still discuss wind, etc when looking at the numbers....

 

[JNRadio]

hmm. To each his own.

Here is an even better idea. Make a set time limit for length of time between shots. 7 minutes or 8 minutes or whatever. Excluding a ruling from an official or looking for a ball in a hazard. If a player goes beyond that period of time, enforce a 2 stroke penalty. Turn a birdie into a bogey just because a player couldn't decide between a faded 8 iron or a knock down 6.

have to be a little quicker than that 8 minutes x ~70 shots would be 560 minutes or ~9.5 hours if my math is correct...

 

[IceyShanks]

Seemed like Kevin Na was really playing slow on Sunday. I understand that everyone has the right to their own routine, but man a live it just seemed like he was way to jittery!

 

[Hanks]

saves the caddy time from having to walk the entire course beforehand?

Ya but then were back to square one. The caddy can rhyme off the distance to the pin just as fast as a gps in most cases. Maybe not when a guy hits it out into the boonies. Whats the point of GPS if theyre still going to talk everything over?

 

[golf4life]

Seemed like Kevin Na was really playing slow on Sunday. I understand that everyone has the right to their own routine, but man a live it just seemed like he was way to jittery!

Unfortunately, Kevin Na is always this slow. Thankfully, he isn't at the top of the leaderboard that often so we don't have to suffer.

 

[blugold]

makes perfect sense. Golf is trying to become more fan friendly so let's eliminate the fans altogether. brilliant thought.

I can't logically have a debate with someone who swears that 2+2=5, are you the Slazenger guy who enjoys hitting onto the green with others on it? Sounds like it. Stay long my friend....

Is it bad that I laughed at this?

 

[golf4life]

One thing that bothers me about the tour too is that anytime the players hit a ball in any type of slightly atypical situation, they feel they need to get help from a rules official. And often that official has to be found and make his way over taking several extra minutes. I see this all the time even when its a pretty simple "unplayable lie" situation where the rules are very clear on what actions can be taken.

The players should know these rules like the back of their hand, and be able to follow them without having their hands held. This would save a good chunk of time each round.

 

[Golf 'N Gator]

Two stroke penalty for tour players for slow play. And play through (with their permission) slow players on your home course.

99.9% of the slow players have NO idea of how slow they really are and because of that, it is becoming a rare thing now days to have a slow group wave you thru. The courses are loaded with people that have no idea.

 

[Spank818]

I predict that it gets talked about and (once again) nothing happens.

+1 and it's always the usual suspects. If I saw Kevin Na and his caddy plumb bob another putt from a 5th angle...

Just throwing this out there but it seems no one is bringing up El Tigre in this convo. He is also one that is on the slow side. Maybe b/c he hasn't been on US broadcasts too much and if he was he wasn't on TV at the final grouping so the actions are minimized.

 

[ogiebogie]

Seemed like Kevin Na was really playing slow on Sunday. I understand that everyone has the right to their own routine, but man a live it just seemed like he was way to jittery!

As I am a very fast pace player , playing with Kevin Na my game would suffer drastically plus all my hair would be out

 

[Golf Chick]

Sunday's final round was brutal. We were waiting at the 18th and it took them forever to get there...

 

[Fairway2Green]

I'm definitely on-board for stopping slow play. It clearly translates to amateurs. I live right by the beach, so there are only a handful of courses 5-10 minutes away and every single one of them now has 5-5.5 hour rounds. It's ridiculous sitting and waiting 10-20 minutes to hit a shot. I drive 1-2 hours away just to find a course that's not packed. This weekend I was stuck behind a twosome and they were horrible, which isn't the problem. The problem is them hitting their best tee shots 175 yds and then waiting for the green to clear on a par 5 when they have 370 yds to the front of the green. I think fining does get to these guys. No matter how much money you have you still don't like having to pay fines. Make the fines harsher and enforce the shot clock already in place.

 

[JNRadio]

As I am a very fast pace player , playing with Kevin Na my game would suffer drastically plus all my hair would be out

I don't think it did Freddie's back any favors either, to me he (Freddie) looked visibly disgusted several times

 

[All4's]

I like what many of you have said. Use strokes, not fines for penalties. I don't like the idea of using GPS or fining an entire group though. It isn't their problem they got grouped with the slow player. i disagree with groups being put on the clock at all. instead I think the rules official should approach the specific person and tell them they are on the clock and have 2-3 holes to get back under the pace of play. If they don't they get DQ'd.

The best thing ever installed on a golf cart besides a cooler is the GPS systems that warn you of pace fo play and allow message to be sent from the golf shop to offending parties.

In regards to amateurs it is amazing how hard it is to get someone to wave you through these days. I think the golf boom brought lots of new players on board and lots of them don't know or understand expectations or etiquette. We have had to ASK groups to let us play through when there are holes (plural!!!) open in front of them. It sucks.

I think everyone is right though that the PGA Tour will not address this. They only make changes at the point of a bayonet.

 

[cg13]

not a big fan of slow play either - but they are on tour - messing with their game by telling them they need to speed up, idk seems like it would be unfair to the faster players. Its just a style of play right? i do think 5.5 hours is getting pretty ridiculous though.

JB in your first post you mentioned one of the best in the world is a slow player. to whom were you referring out of curiousity?