Is pace of play *actually* hurting the game?

I'm very lucky to be in the situation I'm in. My membership is ridiculously cheap, there is an abundance of other courses to choose as alternates, and while I still work full time, the kids are out of the house and there is plenty of free time to get out a couple times per week.

So I have the luxury of choosing not to play during crowded conditions. If I do get stuck behind slow groups, I can call it a day after 9 and it's no big deal. If my home course is having an outing, there's almost always another course that's open.

I'm as passionate about this game as anyone, but If I didn't have those choices, I'd quit. I don't mind 4 1/2 hour rounds. I don't mind waiting because someone is new to the game, or because someone isn't very skilled, or because some folks are physically unable move fast. I'm 100% fine waiting for those types of things because in my mind, they are reasonable causes. I understand a round of golf should be enjoyable and relaxing. I can always slow down by playing two balls, or ball hawking, or joining up with the group behind.

But being on a course for 5 hours or longer is terrible when it's completely due to those not even trying to keep pace. Maybe if I had a group of playing partners who were really enjoyable to hang out with it might be different. But I go to the course to play golf, not watch others stand around BS'ing, replaying the putts they just missed, and spending all day looking for errant shots.

I read about areas where the courses are packed all the time and I don't think I could do it. Life is too short. If that were my world, I think I'd be ok hitting into the field a couple of times a week and calling it good.
 
So I have the luxury of choosing not to play during crowded conditions.

Having my own business allows me this, too. If it didn't, my attitude about pace might be quite different. I mostly play mid morning or early afternoon during the week when I can get away from the jobsite and meet my retired golf buddies while everyone else is working or done already. I've almost never play a round in my home town during prime hours, and I'm really grateful for that.
 
Having my own business allows me this, too. If it didn't, my attitude about pace might be quite different. I mostly play mid morning or early afternoon during the week when I can get away from the jobsite and meet my retired golf buddies while everyone else is working or done already. I've almost never play a round in my home town during prime hours, and I'm really grateful for that.
I'm with you here. I try to avoid prime time like the plague.
 
I really don't think it's any worse than say 10 years ago. I just see more people with less patience.
 
Last Monday's round was difficult. Bright lower angle fall Sun, leaves on the ground, using white balls, my partner and I were having a very difficult time finding our golf balls. White balls got in the glare off the grass and you couldn't see them. You'd think you see it and get part way there and then realize it was a leaf. We were moving fairly well but not racing. At the 5th hole a group came up behind us and we made them wait for 5 mins while we did green shots/putts and so we let them through. Then we had to wait 10 mins before we could tee off. Later in the round, we briefly talked with the group behind us as we were going opposite hole directions side by side and they said they were having a really hard time finding their balls too. On that hole, I hit my drive on the left side of the fairway but straight, it went over a small hill in the fairway and from the tee, we lost sight of it. We get down there and can't find it. It was ridiculous. It took way longer then it should have to find it, it was only 3' off the fairway even though it hit the fairway but further down because we couldn't see it roll out. I waved the group through we had just talked to and then we waited 20 minutes for them to clear the green. And because we were over the hill, the next group bombed us with their tee shots, because they couldn't see us. Lesson learned! Don't assume letting a group through, means they know how to clear out quickly, when let through!

That first group we let through at the 5th, as we were waiting to tee off, we found my partners tee shot on the 4th hole we had just finished. From a different Sun angle looking back, we could see it in the fairway, through the dog leg, down the slope from the initial part of the fairway. You could not see it from the initial direction coming from the tee. Amazing how bad this Sun glare condition is for pace of play.

These days, I am not going to kill myself trying to race around the golf course like a 20 or 30 yr old. I'm going to move at a comfortable pace for me, playing ready golf but enjoying my round of golf and be more prudent on who I let through. If I see that the group behind are good ball strikers, accurate and long, I'll let them through. Otherwise, we'll just keep moving and evaluating the situation, hole by hole. When I was playing at my peak 25 yrs ago, when we were let through, we BLAZED through. We were out of the way in 5 mins. What I saw Monday was anything but that. Passing through groups, need to know how to pass through quickly, when let through.
 
Set a new personal best time for 18 with a cart. Was raining and I had the course to myself.

Finished in 1 hour 4 minutes
 
Yes. There are far too many slow players who do not know, or else ignore, the etiquette of calling through. They are usually seniors (as am I). My golf partners and I have suffered badly from this in recent months. We have more than once been stuck behind several groups of part-time golfers on corporate days, or from golf societies, and it has been purgatory. The problem is that golf clubs can’t afford to turn away block bookings from large groups, but the result is often 10 four balls teeing off in a row, with many of the players having little or no golf experience. We have walked off twice recently ... the last time when it took 2 hours 15 minutes to do the first five holes.

Rant over.
 
Yes. There are far too many slow players who do not know, or else ignore, the etiquette of calling through. They are usually seniors (as am I). My golf partners and I have suffered badly from this in recent months. We have more than once been stuck behind several groups of part-time golfers on corporate days, or from golf societies, and it has been purgatory. The problem is that golf clubs can’t afford to turn away block bookings from large groups, but the result is often 10 four balls teeing off in a row, with many of the players having little or no golf experience. We have walked off twice recently ... the last time when it took 2 hours 15 minutes to do the first five holes.

Rant over.

That's quite rough. Are all of the clubs in your area the same in terms of this issue?
 
Most of them are potentially ... many clubs in the UK will take bookings from companies for staff golf days or from golf societies. Certainly mine does, as does the club where two of my regular PPs are members. However, when booking, we now always check to ensure that we do not have any large block booked groups before us ... it doesn’t guarantee that there won’t be slow groups in front, but it reduces the likelihood.
 
I usually don’t run into some of these issues, and perhaps run into a couple others due to playing during the week 99% of the time. I have run into a husband teaching his wife on the course. That didn’t really bother me. Her dropping 5 balls in the fairway and then playing them did. On the bright side she left 5 chrome soft balls behind by not keeping track of where she hit them. The other is guys that will look for a ball for 10 minutes while there is a group waiting.
 
Part of the problem is that starters need to do their job. In my area, the starter will let guys tee off early trying to jam more tee times in for the day. It gets backed up and players start hitting into other groups. It gets bad
 
Part of the problem is that starters need to do their job. In my area, the starter will let guys tee off early trying to jam more tee times in for the day. It gets backed up and players start hitting into other groups. It gets bad
I agree here. I also think clubs need to have marshals. Especially on busier days. Not "Course Assistants," who spend time chatting with players. Marshals. People who go around and enforce the pace of play.
 
I agree here. I also think clubs need to have marshals. Especially on busier days. Not "Course Assistants," who spend time chatting with players. Marshals. People who go around and enforce the pace of play.

Let’s say a course gave Marshall’s power and let’s say your group was slow. Marshall forces you to skip a hole to get back on pace, do you return to that course?

I am all for courses giving Marshall’s power but it is risky for a course


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Let’s say a course gave Marshall’s power and let’s say your group was slow. Marshall forces you to skip a hole to get back on pace, do you return to that course?

I am all for courses giving Marshall’s power but it is risky for a course


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I agree completely. But maybe a system of warnings or points instead. Perhaps if you rack up too many points, you aren't allowed to play at certain times :ROFLMAO: That would be awesome.
 
I agree completely. But maybe a system of warnings or points instead. Perhaps if you rack up too many points, you aren't allowed to play at certain times :ROFLMAO: That would be awesome.

I say go harder than that. If my group is way behind I wish a marshal would make us skip a hole, that would keep me from having to be an azzhole to the guys I am playing with


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Part of the problem is that starters need to do their job. In my area, the starter will let guys tee off early trying to jam more tee times in for the day. It gets backed up and players start hitting into other groups. It gets bad
problem is also players hitting into other groups are still idiots and responsible for their own actions regardless the pace problem. I mean what is that? They squeeze groups in creating a pace problem and the solution is for players to hit into groups ahead? That part is not a pace problem but is a moron problem.
 
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Let’s say a course gave Marshall’s power and let’s say your group was slow. Marshall forces you to skip a hole to get back on pace, do you return to that course?

I am all for courses giving Marshall’s power but it is risky for a course


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It is a bit tricky at public courses. Easiest way is 1st, catch up with group in front please advice. Second is please catch up and proceed to fore caddie for group and get them caught up, rake bunkers for them and have 1st person to hole out go straight to tee until caught up. IF they still can't then let them tee off and take their balls straight to front of green to finish hole till caught up or give them rain check. For some reason people feel less ripped off if you move them to green instead of force them to skip hole but at some courses that needs to be an option.
 
Let’s say a course gave Marshall’s power and let’s say your group was slow. Marshall forces you to skip a hole to get back on pace, do you return to that course?

I am all for courses giving Marshall’s power but it is risky for a course

Here's another scenario... you live in an area where pace of play is a prominent issue. You and your partners play at a reasonable pace and wish you could find a course full of like-minded golfers.

You hear of a course in your area that has decided to be reasonably proactive by forcing slow players to skip a hole whenever they fall far behind pace. The results are rounds that never exceed 4.5 hours.

Do you and your partners give that course a try?
 
Here's another scenario... you live in an area where pace of play is a prominent issue. You and your partners play at a reasonable pace and wish you could find a course full of like-minded golfers.

You hear of a course in your area that has decided to be reasonably proactive by forcing slow players to skip a hole whenever they fall far behind pace. The results are rounds that never exceed 4.5 hours.

Do you and your partners give that course a try?

That’s a half hour to long


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You're preaching to the choir. I normally walk 3 hour rounds. Just trying to be "real-world" in that scenario.

Pace of play is one of the major reasons why I belong to a private club.


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