What Pace Are You?

[McLovin]

i'm somewhere between on pace and deliberate, which means i'm probably more deliberate! i make a conscious effort to play faster for the sake of those around me, but if i had my druthers i'd take several practice swings, and play slower. i love being out on a golf course, so why rush? the only time i play true to the pace i want to is when i'm by myself. when i'm with a group, i don't take practice swings, i don't take long lining up putts, or walking around the hole.

 

[IceyShanks]

I like to play quick, also allows me less time away from home!

 

[Tadashi70]

I do not think I am a fast player, and I can be a tad slow maybe.

But I pay attention behind me on a course, and rarely do I ever have people waiting on me, usually it's me waiting on them.

I do not really see the point of all the pace talk either. As long as you keep your place on the course it shouldn't matter.
I'm out there to try to enjoy myself, not see how fast I can get back to the parking lot.

I don't think its a race to parking but playing at a pace that benefits you and doesn't slow down the pace of play.

If people are playing in over 420 then their pace is slow. Its like Shane said, in carts it shouldn't take more than 4 hours to play 18.

 

[fupresti]

My favorite rounds are my 2 hour solo 18 hole ones in the Summers. Out first at 6:00 and at work by 9:00.

 

[Michigan Slice]

Unfortunately not true, I've been thr first group off multiple times and had to wait for maintenance crews.

Yeah, I have also and I think it was worse than waiting on a slow group.

 

[McLovin]

Because pace of play has slow down statistically over the last 10 years by a wide margin.

we hear that guys on tour are the cause of this, because we all want to take 16 practice swings like kevin na, or address and back off the ball like jim furyk, but i honestly wonder how much of this is due to course difficulty. water hazards and bunkers seem to me to be far more prevalent in today's modern design than they used to be. maybe that's just my perception.

 

[ddec]

Also, to me (but I'm an idiot)
Playing faster may be how you play, but if the pace of play is a huge concern maybe those faster players should play first tee times of the day.
Everyone hates waiting, and I think fast players find themselves waiting on the group ahead.

Early bird gets the worm, and you can't wait if you're the first group off!

that's why I tee off either at 6 or 610 on the weekends.

 

[lightningbolt44]

Because pace of play has slow down statistically over the last 10 years by a wide margin.

I get why pace of play is important but I think at a certain point it works the opposite way. Hammer on it to much and you scare the newer guys away. Everyone thinks they have to rush around and makes the nerves of playing golf with others even that much more intense.

You should be able to stick to the pace of play set by the course +/- 10 minutes asking anymore than that from everyone is unfair imo. Many of us can get around much faster than that however many cant and the respect for pace of play needs to go both ways to the faster players and the more deliberate players as well (again as long as they don't go over the course pace of play)

 

[JB]

we hear that guys on tour are the cause of this, because we all want to take 16 practice swings like kevin na, or address and back off the ball like jim furyk, but i honestly wonder how much of this is due to course difficulty. water hazards and bunkers seem to me to be far more prevalent in today's modern design than they used to be. maybe that's just my perception.

Considering the slowdown is widely believed to be taking place on the greens, none of it.

 

[sposey013168]

Also, to me (but I'm an idiot)
Playing faster may be how you play, but if the pace of play is a huge concern maybe those faster players should play first tee times of the day.
Everyone hates waiting, and I think fast players find themselves waiting on the group ahead.

Early bird gets the worm, and you can't wait if you're the first group off!

CJ you are not slow, you were right on pace this weekend.

As to this whole topic, when you have 40 guys from the Internet get together for an event there are going to be some slow players.

 

[Tadashi70]

Why should fast players have to be relegated to early time. Its like me saying, slow players should play after 1pm. I promise you most don't like to play 430 to 5 hour tounds but are forced to because slow player feel its their right to take their time.

Also, to me (but I'm an idiot)
Playing faster may be how you play, but if the pace of play is a huge concern maybe those faster players should play first tee times of the day.
Everyone hates waiting, and I think fast players find themselves waiting on the group ahead.

Early bird gets the worm, and you can't wait if you're the first group off!

 

[Wake]

we hear that guys on tour are the cause of this, because we all want to take 16 practice swings like kevin na, or address and back off the ball like jim furyk, but i honestly wonder how much of this is due to course difficulty. water hazards and bunkers seem to me to be far more prevalent in today's modern design than they used to be. maybe that's just my perception.

I think it can definitely factor in, but I have played slow rounds at original Ross courses on many occasions.

 

[moosejaa]

that's why I tee off either at 6 or 610 on the weekends.

I love being the first off the tee with no one in front to slow you down, earlier the better.

 

[Paladin]

Walking a rangy course, left to my own devices, in about 3:30. Cart pace for the course is 4:15. So I guess I'm not slow.

 

[sposey013168]

Why should fast players have to be relegated to early time. Its like me saying, slow players should play after 1pm. I promise you most don't like to play 430 to 5 hour tounds but are forced to because slow player feel its their right to take their time.

There is an easy solution. Marshals give one warning, then they make the slow group pick up and go to the next tee. I think courses are afraid to that very often now days.

 

[JB]

I get why pace of play is important but I think at a certain point it works the opposite way. Hammer on it to much and you scare the newer guys away. Everyone thinks they have to rush around and makes the nerves of playing golf with others even that much more intense.

You should be able to stick to the pace of play set by the course +/- 10 minutes asking anymore than that from everyone is unfair imo. Many of us can get around much faster than that however many cant and the respect for pace of play needs to go both ways to the faster players and the more deliberate players as well (again as long as they don't go over the course pace of play)

Pace has very little to do with skill level. Going the + or - rule is what took it from 4 hours in the 80s to 4:30 in the 90s. I will never understand the idea that the person that is faster is the issue. From now on, I am going to pull in front of CJ's van on the highway in the left lane and go 55 mph. Because after all, what's the rush when some people are just trying to enjoy a leisurely drive right?

Pace of play is one of the largest reasons people are leaving as shown in just about every single survey and study down in the last decade.

And then saying fast players should play first off or "deal with it". How about slower players tee off after lunch time only? See the issue with both scenarios?

 

[rbarthle17]

What are the top 5 things a "slow golfer" does to kill the pace? Serious question.

I also think a poll here on this is not targeting the right people. This forum is full of people that, quite frankly, give a **** when it comes to golf. I don't think any regular THP member here would be the slow player we are talking about.

I've openly admitted that I think I am one of the slower THPers here. But I would not call myself the "slow golfer" that we are talking about killing a round for everyone. When I walk, I walk at a normal walking pace for me. When I ride I drop off, or will be dropped off, as much as possible. I will range myself to the green from 200 and in once I am at my ball, but prior to that I am thinking about my shot in at least a preliminary sense. I have a preshot aiming and setup routine, but I have clocked it (did so last week) and from start to swing it's around 30 seconds max. On the green I mark my ball, I do take a look at my putt from a couple of angles, and I do aim the alignment marker on my ball to the line. Over the ball I only take a couple of strokes for tempo, then hit.

None of this seems extraordinary to me. I am deliberate. I also don't see myself as being out of line. So what is it that the slow golfer we all rail against is doing to make things worse?

 

[^dub^]

I like to play at what I refer to as an Enjoyable Pace. This means that I enjoy it fast or slow. I'm not going to be the one slowing a group down, and I'm not going to be the guy all bent out of shape that it's going slow. I'll keep up if it's fast, if it's slow I will take the time to notice the small things on a course that, if you are burning through, you might not notice. Society is in too big a G#@da#% hurry. Ready golf, normal round, waiting on every shot for the group in front.....whatever. I'm in.

It seems to be the consensus that golf would be infinitely more popular with the masses if it didn't take so long. I don't totally agree. It's an intricate game with so many variables. Maybe the focus should be more on making it easier and cheaper to learn the game, and the etiquette, that might prevent some of the slow play.
So much of learning the game is on a driving range, video, magazine article, and TV. Very little teaching during an actual round of golf. It's usually up to a parent, sibling, coach, or friend to teach you the proper course etiquette....and that's a lot of the problem.

 

[ddec]

There is an easy solution. Marshals give one warning, then they make the slow group pick up and go to the next tee. I think courses are afraid to that very often now days.

yup, the marshalls at my course are awful. They don't do anything about slow play. They will come up to me and say, it's slow out there. That's about it. Kind of sad. They are all nice guys(except 1), but outside of manning the first tee, they are kind of useless.

 

[Fourputt]

While I don't play "speed golf", I do play fast. I'm ready when it's my turn, and my routine doesn't contain any fiddling around. I'm the one usually waiting for everyone else. On a busy course I never fall behind the group in front, and on an open course, I'm always ahead of the recommended pace if the rest of the group doesn't slow me down. My brother and I playing as a twosome can play 18 holes easily in 2½ hours on most courses. We often take more like 3 hours because we are usually playing during the week on open courses and not worrying about pace.

Those who are "deliberate" or slower and honest enough to admit it, need to change their workflow.

 

[Plin]

There is an easy solution. Marshals give one warning, then they make the slow group pick up and go to the next tee. I think courses are afraid to that very often now days.

You're not kidding. We were easily 40 minutes behind pace behind the tail end of a large group, the marshal not only did not warm the group of girls to move on and stopping hitting 3 tee shots each, he was helping them find the balls.

 

[jhoefer99]

I stand over the ball too long, and I know it. But I also know I'm probably never going to play as fast and JB and Hawk, I just can't get comfortable over the ball that fast. I'm rarely ever behind the group in front, so I'd vote for "on course pace" although I usually get very frustrated if I have to wait on every shot. I've played by myself in about 1:40 just hitting shots and talking to my wife/letting her putt for fun if we're alone

 

[Tadashi70]

Marshalls are usually retired guys that want free golf. They don't enforce the rules let alone talk to people.

I can count on one hand how many marshals I have seen in 2015. The easy fix is people need to be aware of their pace and stop getting butt hurt when they are called on it.

If a course has GPS they can see the pace of play in the shop. They are able to send out messages to speed up play. If that doesn't work they could get in a cart and go take take care of it. Or people could just pick up the pace picante.

The issue is tight shirts!

There is an easy solution. Marshals give one warning, then they make the slow group pick up and go to the next tee. I think courses are afraid to that very often now days.

 

[lmh3]

I am a fast paced player, I am trying to make myself slow down a little from time to time.

 

[Golf 'N Gator]

No one is ever going to openly say they are slow, yet with the size of this forum, there are slow players here.

Where I'm at, we play ready golf. No waiting and pissing around. If you're slow, you're on your own.