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Playing with Slower Golfers

Last year i played a lot as a single paired with all sorts of interesting groups. I have played with groups where I felt rushed and others where the pace and/or interaction was painful. I am a direct person and have no problem giving feedback, but that doesn't mean anything will change. I try to play my game and not let those things bother me. I will never be as frustrated on a course as I can be when I want to play and can't.
 
Simple fix for the course: tell people right as they check in that slow play is not acceptable, and they will be warned one time, then asked to leave. If someone gets a wild hair up their bottom about it, then they don't have to play there. I can guarantee that once a course sets it's policy and enforces it, and gets the reputation as a faster track with no monkey business, it will be booked all the time.
 
I deal with this with some of my regular playing partners and it's exceptionally frustrating.. Mostly because I try to be a 'pace' ambassador especially as a walker. The biggest issue is that most don't acknowledge their slow pace, and most are grown men who aren't in a hurry to be told what to do.

If I was your friend, I'd probably let it ride for 9 holes and then play ahead. If it was my home course, I'd probably suggest I was only playing 9 and hit up the range for a while. I cannot stand being behind pace and practice would probably be a better use of my time at that point anyways.
 
JB said:
So your thoughts are, a course has no reason to remove someone from the course. Whether that be ruining the grounds, slow play or anything else? They all have similar results to the groups in front of them.
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never said this. if people are being belligerent jackasses, hassling the cart girl, damaging the course or the carts, yes they should be removed.

JB said:
I strongly disagree with this. I think if more courses were pro-active, remove someone give them a refund or partial refund, they make out way ahead.
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i guess this would be the closest thing to acceptable that i could be on board with.

let's take your friend's situation. what if the ranger kicked the whole threesome off the course, and your friend had to cut his round short because those guys were so slow? he had no control over their pace. the best he could have done was leave them and go play on his own, but he chose not to do that presumably because it would be rude (and i agree). let's say the ranger comes to kick them off the course, and they insist that your buddy is the problem. he won't get off his cell phone. he spends 10 minutes looking for lost balls. we're not slow, he's the slow one. how do you police that?
 
Many people say "I just would have moved on ahead".

Is there a rule that states the group you are with has to allow you to do so? In most cases, that single is going to catch the rest of the pack and then wind up waiting anyways as he / she will be playing much faster than the foursomes ahead.

On a side note, I wonder how many people touting their disdain for slow player are actually slow players themselves. As is mentioned several times in this thread, most slow players don't even notice that they are slow.
 
If I had seen the backup I would just pushed the pace and let then we were playing a bit slow. If it persisted I would have waved a group through and kept playing. I also would have told the ranger.
 
if my group fell behind 2 holes I would have individually jumped ahead and told the marshal i was keeping pace :banana:
 
A friend and I got paired up with I guy that held things up. His issue wasn't that he was a slow player, but he was a ball hawk like no one I've ever seen. Every hole he's looking for balls. Any hole with trees, he was in them.
I finally said something to him, actually yelled. I'm not afraid to say speak my mind. What are the chances of ever getting paired up with him again anyways.
Funny thing was when the round was over he was fine and even said he hoped we played together again some time.
 
c.a.eleric said:
never said this. if people are being belligerent jackasses, hassling the cart girl, damaging the course or the carts, yes they should be removed.



i guess this would be the closest thing to acceptable that i could be on board with.

let's take your friend's situation. what if the ranger kicked the whole threesome off the course, and your friend had to cut his round short because those guys were so slow? he had no control over their pace. the best he could have done was leave them and go play on his own, but he chose not to do that presumably because it would be rude (and i agree). let's say the ranger comes to kick them off the course, and they insist that your buddy is the problem. he won't get off his cell phone. he spends 10 minutes looking for lost balls. we're not slow, he's the slow one. how do you police that?
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Because on the tee sheet they would have seen he was paired with them. Then after the slow play warnings, seen what was transpiring.
I dont think anybody is saying kick someone off immediately, but after a ranger says something 3-4 times, they should/would have a pretty good handle on what was the slow down and who.

I still dont know how damage to a course is far worse than slow play. Both are ruining the course for those behind them. Both heal the next time (barring major destruction) play resumes. Damage might take a few days, where slow play takes just a full day.

So my question still remains. If slow players are not going to fix themselves, and continue making golfers and courses suffer, what can be done. This instance the course did everything right, and some are just fine with it being slow, despite being against course rules.
 
I can't stand slow play. I am a high HCP and I can always play under pace significantly. I would have gone ahead of the group if they weren't going to pick it up.
 
A buddy and I were paired with a single and the starter said our forth would be along shortly. We were to tee off and he would catch up with us. We watched as this guy played really fast and was able to tee up on second tee. As soon as he joined us though it was like he hit the brakes. Looking for balls, talking on the tee box, and some wicked slices. By the seventh we had lost sight of the group that had been ahead of us for some time now. Normally I just try to enjoy the time away from work, but it was getting to be twilight and I was trying to get in 18. I told the gentleman I was playing ahead to see if we could finish before dark. This was on the 8th hole. I felt really bad and the two other players thanked me for stepping up. As soon as we left him though, a fire was lit under him and he played the next two hole in our hind pockets.

So maybe if your friend would have left, maybe the other two would have taken it personal and sped up.
 
I would have politely told them that I had an appointment and wanted to play on alone due to the pace.
 
I think "talkers" get blamed to much for slow play. I am the ultimate talker i.e. I never shut up, but I have never been called slow, I am not a speed demon but I hit my ball when i get to it and look at a putt once.
Being a talker just means you have to know when to talk :p
 
TrueFX said:
Many people say "I just would have moved on ahead".

Is there a rule that states the group you are with has to allow you to do so? In most cases, that single is going to catch the rest of the pack and then wind up waiting anyways as he / she will be playing much faster than the foursomes ahead.

On a side note, I wonder how many people touting their disdain for slow player are actually slow players themselves. As is mentioned several times in this thread, most slow players don't even notice that they are slow.
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How are they going to stop me? They'd have to keep up with me, which they've shown already isn't within their realm of capabilities.

A bet a lot of slow play haters are slow themselves. I believe we all get wrapped up in our own routines from time to time... and we've all probably annoyed our playing partners when they feel we're being slow.

Thing is... in the instance JB posted, they were warned multiple times and elected not to heed those warnings. That, in my opinion, is selfish and what MOST people refer to when they say they hate slow play.

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c.a.eleric said:
i like to try to be the voice of the other side, the voice of the slow. i have tried to change some of my ways to speed up, but i probably still have a long ways to go.

what would i have done? beyond respectful reminders regarding the pace and maintaining good readiness etiquette, nothing. i would never just leave a group.

do i believe anyone believes they are slow? i had to be told i was slow, so no, i don't think anyone knows they are slow until it's pointed out to them.

but i will say this: i have done some experiments although on a relatively small sample, and many - maybe even most though can't say all - people who identify as fast are not any faster than those they accuse of being slow. i've timed them and compared their time to my time. the most i've seen is 3 seconds per shot. that includes the time from it being someone's turn to the time they are either back in their cart or stepped off the tee for the next person. if i shoot 90, that's 5 minutes over 18 holes.

the slow play i have seen is a mainly two reasons. the social aspect is probably the biggest. people telling stories on the tee boxes and greens, or sitting in their carts talking instead of getting out to hit a shot. the second biggest reason i see is looking for errant shots when there are a lot of errant shots. i don't believe that using a laser or taking a handful of practice swings is the biggest reason for slow play. those take a few seconds at most, and the math (as i understand it) just doesn't support this being the reason for a 3.5 hour round ballooning to a 5 hour round.
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We've only played together once, and I don't think you are the kind of "slow" that causes problems. Yes you will take a bit longer over shots. But as I recall ready golf was played that day, and it wasn't your turn to hit while you fiddled with your phone and talked about about that one time you hit a nice shot on this hole. I don't recall what our pace was that day, but I don't think it was slow.

I've been in that exact situation, and its hard to be very forceful about pace when you are the outsider in the group. It's definitely an uncomfortable position, and I have done just what your friend did. But I haven't gotten any better results than he did.
 
Wake said:
We've only played together once, and I don't think you are the kind of "slow" that causes problems. Yes you will take a bit longer over shots. But as I recall ready golf was played that day, and it wasn't your turn to hit while you fiddled with your phone and talked about about that one time you hit a nice shot on this hole. I don't recall what our pace was that day, but I don't think it was slow.

I've been in that exact situation, and its hard to be very forceful about pace when you are the outsider in the group. It's definitely an uncomfortable position, and I have done just what your friend did. But I haven't gotten any better results than he did.
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I appreciate the feedback. believe it or not you have played with the "I've been working on it" version of me! maybe it's why I like Kevin Na. he realized his issues were affecting others and has worked to make it better.

and I'll keep working on it too. though I'll never be as fast as you! you're one of the faster golfers I've ever played with.


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I think I'm getting to the point where I can consider myself a quick golfer. After the second warning, I would have left them at the turn. Would have said "Thanks guys, but I'm going to pick up the pace a bit, have a good day." and then gone ahead.

I have played with people with lower handicaps who use the "I paid good money to play here" to justify their speed, and then I've played with people who shoot a 120 and play ready golf. I'd rather play with the ready golfers.
 
c.a.eleric said:
I appreciate the feedback. believe it or not you have played with the "I've been working on it" version of me! maybe it's why I like Kevin Na. he realized his issues were affecting others and has worked to make it better.

and I'll keep working on it too. though I'll never be as fast as you! you're one of the faster golfers I've ever played with.


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I'm actually in the process of slowing down a bit, haha.
 
I think I would have played myself ahead. I'm not a part of their group, so I have no reason not to. I'd be pretty irritated if I were in his position and I was made to play a round of 17.
 
I would have made my excuses and went on ahead. I've done it before and I'll do it again. If we meet again on a back up on a later hole that's fine.
 
That's a tough situation to be in, I always try to get the group on pace but if it's futile I'll just excuse myself and play ahead.
 
If I was the single I would have left, skipping a hole is a huge huge huge problem.

People just aren't considerate of others anymore. Keep up with the group in front of you, golfers need to be aware of that.
 
If I were are single I would have moved on and left the slower guys behind.
 
I would have to leave them behind. Slow play kills me. Drives me nuts when someone stands over their shot but keeps talking instead of hitting their shot
 
c.a.eleric said:
I appreciate the feedback. believe it or not you have played with the "I've been working on it" version of me! maybe it's why I like Kevin Na. he realized his issues were affecting others and has worked to make it better.

and I'll keep working on it too. though I'll never be as fast as you! you're one of the faster golfers I've ever played with.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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You are not a slow golfer so why take their side?
 
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