Philly Golf Guy
#PGG
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2012
- Messages
- 9,103
- Reaction score
- 7
- Handicap
- USGA 14
Always a hot button issue. Through the years, I've seen many friends drop the game because they just don't have the time. Factoring in time driving to the course, warming up, maybe a beer afterwards and driving home, 18 holes during the weekend can easily and often turn into a full day, when the round itself is 5+ hours. No doubt the game is losing players and not attracting others when presented with the sheer amount of time involved with a simple round.
But we're all familiar with the issues of slow play. Really, what can public courses do about it other than have pushy rangers patrolling the course, respond to complaints of players that have had enough, or post suggestions for ready golf on their score card? There seem to be a few basic ways to limit slow play by laying out some guidelines at the beginning of the round and maybe all that would help, but I've tried thinking of a few other, different ideas and always wondered if one of them had any potential.
One of the reasons golf may be waning in popularity, at least in the U.S., is the obsession with stroke play. You go out, hit your ball a bunch of times, then add up your score. Most of the time for most of us, that score is not as good as we wanted or expected. So we go to the range, take a lesson, etc., go back out, and measure ourselves with that score again and again. Yet golf has so much more to offer. There are so many different scoring and playing formats that are more fun if you're out there, and allow a lot more enjoyment. Some of these formats let you enjoy yourself because you're focusing on shots and individual holes, not an end score.
SO, my suggestion is that during peak times when a course faces the biggest crowds, insist on Foursomes as the playing format. Foursomes is a format where four golfers play with two balls only, alternate shot. First of all, the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, at Muirfield (ranked 9th on Golf Magazine's best courses in the world, was as high as 3rd at one point - the Open will be hosted there this year) ONLY uses this format. They do so because it's efficient, but also because of tradition. You can actually get through a round of 18 in under 3 hours. There are a number of other reasons why this is a good idea. You compete against the other two some and obviously there are handicap allowances to even the playing field. So you have the entire group engaging each other, creating a healthy sense of competition and turning the round into more than each golfer worried about his final score than each shot and each hole. Would you have a better time if that shot you stuck from 160 out won your team that hole, or the match, instead of being indifferent to that shot because that snowman you got on the 3rd hole already ruined your score for the round? Match play also gets you thinking a lot more about the course, how to manage it and how to get the ball where you want, as opposed to your swing mechanics. And you'll become a better player, hitting shots from places you otherwise wouldn't encounter. And who cares if you're out there as a single? You meet some new people, spend a couple hours with them and have a blast. It's the same thing as going to the local basketball court for a pick up game. I'm telling you, this would work. Players having more fun and speeding up play, all by looking to how it's done in old Scotland. If it's good enough for them, then you bet it's good enough for us. And if you're hell bent on getting that stroke round in, show up when the course is open and you can focus on your score instead of the crowds.
How could this not catch on? You're telling me there aren't courses that wouldn't see an INCREASE in play and a DECREASE in time per round if they did this during the weekends? Let's see some course shake things up and try this. As the number of courses have been dwindling for years and the Tiger boom is receding, isn't it about time some of these courses did something different? OR if a foursome is slowing up play, give them a warning and if still nothing, MAKE them go to foursome. You'd never get so many slow players thanking the course for making them change things up.
Anyways, I like the idea. I know there would be a big problem with folks not being able to go out and post a score, but I tend to think it would be better for the game long term if there was more of an emphasis on team competition. If I had to choose between foursomes golf in the morning or 5+ hours for a round so I get to post a score I'll probably wish was lower, I'd take foursomes every time.
I'm interested in hearing anyone's thoughts on this.
But we're all familiar with the issues of slow play. Really, what can public courses do about it other than have pushy rangers patrolling the course, respond to complaints of players that have had enough, or post suggestions for ready golf on their score card? There seem to be a few basic ways to limit slow play by laying out some guidelines at the beginning of the round and maybe all that would help, but I've tried thinking of a few other, different ideas and always wondered if one of them had any potential.
One of the reasons golf may be waning in popularity, at least in the U.S., is the obsession with stroke play. You go out, hit your ball a bunch of times, then add up your score. Most of the time for most of us, that score is not as good as we wanted or expected. So we go to the range, take a lesson, etc., go back out, and measure ourselves with that score again and again. Yet golf has so much more to offer. There are so many different scoring and playing formats that are more fun if you're out there, and allow a lot more enjoyment. Some of these formats let you enjoy yourself because you're focusing on shots and individual holes, not an end score.
SO, my suggestion is that during peak times when a course faces the biggest crowds, insist on Foursomes as the playing format. Foursomes is a format where four golfers play with two balls only, alternate shot. First of all, the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, at Muirfield (ranked 9th on Golf Magazine's best courses in the world, was as high as 3rd at one point - the Open will be hosted there this year) ONLY uses this format. They do so because it's efficient, but also because of tradition. You can actually get through a round of 18 in under 3 hours. There are a number of other reasons why this is a good idea. You compete against the other two some and obviously there are handicap allowances to even the playing field. So you have the entire group engaging each other, creating a healthy sense of competition and turning the round into more than each golfer worried about his final score than each shot and each hole. Would you have a better time if that shot you stuck from 160 out won your team that hole, or the match, instead of being indifferent to that shot because that snowman you got on the 3rd hole already ruined your score for the round? Match play also gets you thinking a lot more about the course, how to manage it and how to get the ball where you want, as opposed to your swing mechanics. And you'll become a better player, hitting shots from places you otherwise wouldn't encounter. And who cares if you're out there as a single? You meet some new people, spend a couple hours with them and have a blast. It's the same thing as going to the local basketball court for a pick up game. I'm telling you, this would work. Players having more fun and speeding up play, all by looking to how it's done in old Scotland. If it's good enough for them, then you bet it's good enough for us. And if you're hell bent on getting that stroke round in, show up when the course is open and you can focus on your score instead of the crowds.
How could this not catch on? You're telling me there aren't courses that wouldn't see an INCREASE in play and a DECREASE in time per round if they did this during the weekends? Let's see some course shake things up and try this. As the number of courses have been dwindling for years and the Tiger boom is receding, isn't it about time some of these courses did something different? OR if a foursome is slowing up play, give them a warning and if still nothing, MAKE them go to foursome. You'd never get so many slow players thanking the course for making them change things up.
Anyways, I like the idea. I know there would be a big problem with folks not being able to go out and post a score, but I tend to think it would be better for the game long term if there was more of an emphasis on team competition. If I had to choose between foursomes golf in the morning or 5+ hours for a round so I get to post a score I'll probably wish was lower, I'd take foursomes every time.
I'm interested in hearing anyone's thoughts on this.
