DaBuckBoys
Well-known member
So my home course is a near perfect storm for slow play on the weekends. Its located a few minutes off the interstate, Only course on the west half of the county, reasonably priced ($40 18+cart on weekend am, $30 at noon, $25 at 2pm), very playable (6500 yards from the tips), a variety of holes (links style & parkland), and tee times 8 minutes apart. They advertise during the local airtime commercials during PGA events.
The starter almost never asks singles to join 3somes or pairs up 2somes. They let you know where things are at but I have seen it get backed up 45 minutes just to get started. This is their first problem. As long as the tee sheet is full, there needs to be 4somes on the course, at least 3somes. There's no where to go so why send out singles & 2somes that are just going to sit and wait.
The first hole is a short par 4, straight forward, wide fairway a couple of bunkers but its easier than its #5 HC rating. The teeboxed for the 2nd hole are short ride down the cart part, across a bridge over a creek, then back over another bridge (same creek) and are not visible from the #1 green. You cross that first bridge and see the backup on the #2 teebox. The hole crosses the creek three times from the tips, twice from the other boxes. The approach to the green is guarded by trees on the right and while there's plenty of room the creek runs the length of the right side of the cart path down the final stretch of the hole. If they were ponds the balls would be lost and people would drop and move on. For some reason in a shallow creek people try to get to their ball or fish one out or simply spend too much time looking. The hole is the #1 HC but is really more like the 5th hardest hole on the course. There have been times due to the backup at the start and the 2nd hole, it has been well over an hour from a scheduled tee time until you are on the #3 tee box. I would say its rarely less than a half hour.
People hate it, the course hates it, yet there we are each weekend sipping on cold ones while we wait. One of my buddies has told singles that ask to play thru to chill out and find 3 friends next time. I usually followup with "there's no where to go" and offer a beer... One time a wise, older gentleman (I mean wise sarcastically) drove up to us as a player in our group is hitting our last approach shot to #2, if we would let the 2some behind his group play thru. Again we pointed out that we had waited on the tee box and to play our 2nd shots just like everyone else that afternoon and there really was no open spots for them to go. He didn't like that answer (guessing he didn't want two slickly dressed young guys bearing down on his group all day) and drove off cussing.
Generally after the 3rd hole things move along better and everyone settles down a bit. Pace of play is never fast but its about what you expect. The tee shot on #9 is blind so that slows things down a bit. The have a nice grill & bar at the turn and generally if you want to move up a slot you can ask and do so while some group reloads a cooler or downs some burgers & dogs. The back 9 moves along pretty well until #15. The hole is very narrow with a creek down one side & guarding the green, woods down both sides of a very narrow fairway(9 yards at one point) so many opportunities to lose balls. The green is guarded by giant sycamores so its almost always a 3 shot par 5. There's a single footbridge to cross to and from the green so you have to wait a little longer as the group ahead walks off to their carts and drives back at you before you can hit your approach. It's a beautiful hole but definitely backs up at times.
All these factors add up to 4.5 hours rounds being the norm. Occasionally pushing 5 hours. Makes it rough. Luckily its only 8 minutes from home and I pick up one buddy on the way. The other courses are more expensive/more difficult or boring/easy/still the same price and both farther from home. They can both be played under 4 hours on weekend afternoons but we choose to play closer to home spend a little more time out there, less money and enjoy the fresh air.
The starter almost never asks singles to join 3somes or pairs up 2somes. They let you know where things are at but I have seen it get backed up 45 minutes just to get started. This is their first problem. As long as the tee sheet is full, there needs to be 4somes on the course, at least 3somes. There's no where to go so why send out singles & 2somes that are just going to sit and wait.
The first hole is a short par 4, straight forward, wide fairway a couple of bunkers but its easier than its #5 HC rating. The teeboxed for the 2nd hole are short ride down the cart part, across a bridge over a creek, then back over another bridge (same creek) and are not visible from the #1 green. You cross that first bridge and see the backup on the #2 teebox. The hole crosses the creek three times from the tips, twice from the other boxes. The approach to the green is guarded by trees on the right and while there's plenty of room the creek runs the length of the right side of the cart path down the final stretch of the hole. If they were ponds the balls would be lost and people would drop and move on. For some reason in a shallow creek people try to get to their ball or fish one out or simply spend too much time looking. The hole is the #1 HC but is really more like the 5th hardest hole on the course. There have been times due to the backup at the start and the 2nd hole, it has been well over an hour from a scheduled tee time until you are on the #3 tee box. I would say its rarely less than a half hour.
People hate it, the course hates it, yet there we are each weekend sipping on cold ones while we wait. One of my buddies has told singles that ask to play thru to chill out and find 3 friends next time. I usually followup with "there's no where to go" and offer a beer... One time a wise, older gentleman (I mean wise sarcastically) drove up to us as a player in our group is hitting our last approach shot to #2, if we would let the 2some behind his group play thru. Again we pointed out that we had waited on the tee box and to play our 2nd shots just like everyone else that afternoon and there really was no open spots for them to go. He didn't like that answer (guessing he didn't want two slickly dressed young guys bearing down on his group all day) and drove off cussing.
Generally after the 3rd hole things move along better and everyone settles down a bit. Pace of play is never fast but its about what you expect. The tee shot on #9 is blind so that slows things down a bit. The have a nice grill & bar at the turn and generally if you want to move up a slot you can ask and do so while some group reloads a cooler or downs some burgers & dogs. The back 9 moves along pretty well until #15. The hole is very narrow with a creek down one side & guarding the green, woods down both sides of a very narrow fairway(9 yards at one point) so many opportunities to lose balls. The green is guarded by giant sycamores so its almost always a 3 shot par 5. There's a single footbridge to cross to and from the green so you have to wait a little longer as the group ahead walks off to their carts and drives back at you before you can hit your approach. It's a beautiful hole but definitely backs up at times.
All these factors add up to 4.5 hours rounds being the norm. Occasionally pushing 5 hours. Makes it rough. Luckily its only 8 minutes from home and I pick up one buddy on the way. The other courses are more expensive/more difficult or boring/easy/still the same price and both farther from home. They can both be played under 4 hours on weekend afternoons but we choose to play closer to home spend a little more time out there, less money and enjoy the fresh air.