We've launched the new forums! Read more here

Early morning golf, do you expect to play faster?

jdtox

jdtox

Lord Tox
Albatross 2024 Club
Staff member
Joined
May 20, 2011
Messages
59,049
Reaction score
71,190
Location
Michigan
Handicap
5
I've been playing early golf this year a lot this year. Courses are busier than normal thanks to Covid but even at 7am we have been put behind people that I wouldn't expect to be out there that early. They cause slower pace of play which can be frustrating. I realized I expect to play much faster on an early tee time than I would if it was later in the day for some reason, what say you?
 
I prefer early morning tee times for this exact reason, I expect to play quicker in the morning than later in the day rounds.

The course can get stacked up with just a few groups out there unless they are being pushed along, which is a rarity at my club. We have a starter, but the ranger doest do sh!t.
 
jdtox said:
I've been playing early golf this year a lot this year. Courses are busier than normal thanks to Covid but even at 7am we have been put behind people that I wouldn't expect to be out there that early. They cause slower pace of play which can be frustrating. I realized I expect to play much faster on an early tee time than I would if it was later in the day for some reason, what say you?
Click to expand...
Oh boy could I have a field day in here. I’ve been red hot on this topic for a few days. In pre-9am golf, I expect you to be at pace or under (per the course timing). I cannot expect you to go faster than pace but I can expect you to not exceed pace.
 
Definitely. We usually call in and ask for the earliest time. If we are behind someone it's the regular group that we see on the first hole, then never again. I'm hoping for a round around 3 to 3 1/2 hours if I tee off at 7 or before.
 
short answer, yes. but i've made it out early a few times only to be stuck behind slow groups...i'm working on my reaction to that stuff but it's really aggravating, to say the least.
 
I definitely expect to play faster early. I would also expect the ranger to be on people to play quickly. If the early groups out play in 4.5 hours it will be a long day on the course.
 
  • Thread starter
  • Admin
  • #7
Molten said:
Oh boy could I have a field day in here. I’ve been red hot on this topic for a few days. In pre-9am golf, I expect you to be at pace or under (per the course timing). I cannot expect you to go faster than pace but I can expect you to not exceed pace.
Click to expand...
Going back a few years there was a course that we played Regional Rivalry at in OH. It had right on their website that in order to play before 8:30 you had to be a certain hdcp. While on the surface it seems ridiculous, maybe they were on to something.
 
jdtox said:
Going back a few years there was a course that we played Regional Rivalry at in OH. It had right on their website that in order to play before 8:30 you had to be a certain hdcp. While on the surface it seems ridiculous, maybe they were on to something.
Click to expand...

That's interesting because I know a good number of low handicap players who are extremely deliberate. Handicap has nothing to do with how fast you play.
 
In PHX after it warms up, the slow player seem to tee off early and if you can tolerate the heat, a lot of times you can fly in the afternoon. Weekends are slower sun up to sun down.
 
Bernoulli said:
That's interesting because I know a good number of low handicap players who are extremely deliberate. Handicap has nothing to do with how fast you play.
Click to expand...
Also a very good point, I have played with plenty of higher handicaps that are not slow at all.
 
I don't play early, but I would expect it to be slower, knowing that many people like those early times, just poll this place and I bet most prefer to play very early.
 
I always try to get the first tee time. That being said, it has become increasingly difficult to get it as the courses have been busy here in Utah.
 
Only two reasons I wake up early on occasion for an early morning round: 1) beat the heat, 2) faster pace of play
 
Not sure I expect to play faster, but I enjoy the early morning rounds just because I have plenty of day left to do other things after golf.
 
Snickerdog said:
Not sure I expect to play faster, but I enjoy the early morning rounds just because I have plenty of day left to do other things after golf.
Click to expand...

truth
 
100% yes. I feel it is the responsibility of the early groups to set the pace! My group generally won't even play unless we are first off.... MAYBE second off if we really have to. There have been plenty of times (in the past, lesson learned!) where as first off at 6am we finished by 9-915 but as third off at 9:27 we end up finishing at 10:45. Starting 27 minutes later turns in to finishing up to one hour and 45 minutes later. Totally absurd. And I fully agree with the poster above that handicap plays almost no role in this. EXPERIENCE plays a role, but not handicap. Hitting shots is not where time is wasted in this game (again for experienced players).
 
jdtox said:
Also a very good point, I have played with plenty of higher handicaps that are not slow at all.
Click to expand...

I think that what you may run into is a situation where the better players are afforded the better tee times, in part, due to the fact that they are better players.
 
Typically yes, especially on the weekends. The reason my alarm is set earlier on Saturday and Sunday than it is during the rest of the week.
 
jdtox said:
I've been playing early golf this year a lot this year. Courses are busier than normal thanks to Covid but even at 7am we have been put behind people that I wouldn't expect to be out there that early. They cause slower pace of play which can be frustrating. I realized I expect to play much faster on an early tee time than I would if it was later in the day for some reason, what say you?
Click to expand...

Due to fewer people on the golf course, earlier times usually result in a significantly faster pace of play.
 
The early tee times, most definitely, I expect to play fast or at least at or below pace. When I was growing up playing with my father, this was his preferred method of playing on the weekend. We had the very first tee time & sometimes even before the first "official" time on the sheet because he knew the starter. We would sometimes go out as soon as it became light enough to see the ball. That would be 5:30 or so sometimes. We would finish walking 18 holes on a Sunday morning & be home before my mom was up.
 
If I am in the first 3-4 tee times I expect to play fast. If I am a tee time an hour after open then I expect to play in just under normal pace for the course.
 
This time of year, I do not. I think there's a misconception that mostly good/experienced golfers play early. I haven't found that to be the case. You can be a slow player and just want to start/be done early or beat the heat, same as anyone else. If I'm outside the first few tee times my experience overwhelmingly favors waiting until just after 9 when all the early birds are out of the way.
 
I struggle with how to equitably police this preference to play faster in the morning. For example, If the group in front of me isn’t playing as fast as mine is, it isn’t actually slow play until they are over pace (or prorated over pace) - marrying those two is difficult in my mind.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top