Course design causing slow play?

[Ndfan301]

Interesting article on how course design is affecting slower play. Although it's not necessarily how the course is designed lay-out wise, however in types of bunkers/rough. Also among other things as well.

http://www.golfdigest.com/blogs/the-loop/2014/11/the-real-cause-of-slow-play-is.html

Seems as if it would work, but also comes back to ready golf as well. Something this article never mentions.

 

[Scrap Iron]

I always thought 8m was way to fast I like the idea of 11. The starters would have to enforce it strictly so many people just hit when someone is out of range rather than wait for the starter to give them the go ahead or the starter just hit when your ready.

 

[Tedfroop]

Start times under 11 minutes guarantee slow play ahead. Anyone who golfs can pretty much tell you that. Golfers wil space themselves out around the golf course and then it works back to late tee times.

The place I play usually has 371 yard first hole and a sign at the first tee that says "Please wait to tee off until the group in front of you is on the green." It works out about perfect as the slowest round this year was 4:20 and that was behind the Wednesday morning senior men's league.

 

[Ndfan301]

The place I play usually has 371 yard first hole and a sign at the first tee that says "Please wait to tee off until the group in front of you is on the green." It works out about perfect as the slowest round this year was 4:20 and that was behind the Wednesday morning senior men's league.

On course that I play without a starter/marshall, this is my general rule of thumb for the same reason. If I happen to be walking, I will wait until they are out of driving range because walking up to my ball will take longer.

 

[rollin]

I thought the other thread about fast greens sort of fell over into this same topic so I will just copy my (feelings on it) post from that thread as it does fit this one too.

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Fast greens, far too undulating greens, hard pin placements, too much rough, to thick rough, too many bunkers, too long, too narrow.

While all these things will certainly work against a better played round and I suppose could be tamed a bit in some places. Why is the pace problem still very much evident and every bit the same problem on a ton of course where all these things are not too hard and even in places where they are not much trouble at all? because more than anything its a people problem more than anything else.

Sure they will cause one to finish the round with some more strokes but that's all they will do. But that doesn't at all mean you need to take far too much time to do it. I've been playing my home courses for last 12yrs or so. I have a current cap of 16.2. My scores bounce all over the place and no matter I shoot a PB of 82 or a years worst of 104 I still do it as quick as the pace ahead allows. My home course usually averages about 4:15 to 4:25 on weekend mid mornings. Now that is not a pace problem at all imo but if pace is moving better I will shoot my 102 in 3:50 if it allows and I have done that many times through the years. Point is that taking more strokes doesn't have to add an hour to your round. Whether extra strokes are due to poor golf or hard courses you can still move along if you make the darn effort to do so. The next time your on a course that is (for whatever the reason) too hard, instead of complaining how hard it is, ask yourself what are you doing to keep moving.

When I am having a blowup day it means the golf is hard that day. Its the same logic imo as being on a harder course. But because of golf being hard that day I still mange to play with respectable pace and still finish and even wait on people. Why? because I do the things necessary to help. I put some effort into helping myself move along. I move quicker, I think quicker, I work efficiently with myself and the others. It is not the easiest thing sometimes for me to do when golf is not good. But I do it because I feel I have to do it.

I'm not for golf courses being very difficult. but I also am not for courses being very easy. If I want that i'll just go to the range or an open field and hit balls. And I do understand difcult things make it harder and can take some more time. But in the end it comes down to people problems more than anything else for reasons for poor pace. Ask yourself - how long till you finally decide to stop searching for a ball?, Do you offer help to others in the group? How long do you take to putt? Do you have to pick up your ball on every putt? Do you ever putt out of turn?, do you finish off quickly after lag putting or do your whole routine over again? do you walk with any sense of urgency at all to your ball? are you thinking about the next shot on your way over there? Do you ever pick up the ball after so many strokes that's only going to be an ESC hole anyway? When is the last time you varied from your normal routines after realizing you and your group have started to fall behind? Do you know your starting to fall behind and just continue to do things exactly the same? You see, in the end pace is a people problem more than anything. I will give one big exception and that is when tee times are too close together. But even that is a person that decides to do that and again is actually falls under people problems.