Start off by saying "What the F*** are they doing?", then I usually get over it pretty quickly. If I'm playing with someone, it's a chance for conversation. If I'm playing alone, which is usually 9 holes, I listen to music.
How Do You Handle Slow Play?
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I dream of the days my playing partners are finally ready to go private.
If there is a noticeable gap between the group in front and the preceding group then it is easy to determine who is slow. I just call the pro shop who will send message directly to the carts in front telling them to pick up the pace. That usually gets them moving.
I have only had one instance where I called a second time and then they sent a Marshall out. That fixed it up. I find most slow play is by golfers riding in carts as they are usually socializing a lot on course as foresome either ignoring or too daft to be concerned about slow play.
I have only had one instance where I called a second time and then they sent a Marshall out. That fixed it up. I find most slow play is by golfers riding in carts as they are usually socializing a lot on course as foresome either ignoring or too daft to be concerned about slow play.
Like the OP, I used to be affected by slow play to my own detriment.
Combination of aging and improved playing ability has allowed me the ability to tolerate it much better.
I have some good blues music playing, light a cigar, think about how many worse things I could be doing and enjoy the day.
I greatly prefer sub 4 hour rounds, but you "Can't Always Get What You Want" (apologies to The Rolling Stones!).
Combination of aging and improved playing ability has allowed me the ability to tolerate it much better.
I have some good blues music playing, light a cigar, think about how many worse things I could be doing and enjoy the day.
I greatly prefer sub 4 hour rounds, but you "Can't Always Get What You Want" (apologies to The Rolling Stones!).
I’ve always been a fast play junkie and 75% of my golf is at private clubs so I’m fortunate that I don’t have any slow play(Over 4 hours for a foursome). The one charity scramble I played in last summer only took 4:05 which was a nice surprise especially with 32 foursomes on the course.
Most of my public golf is at the resort courses near our MN lake place and if you tee off before 8:00am, the rounds rarely take more than 3:45 and as a twosome my son and I often finish in about 2.5 hours. We ran into a big slowdown on the back nine twice last summer on afternoon rounds and both times we skipped the last 6-7 holes and went and played their beautiful par 3 course that was empty.
Last month as a twosome we had a relatively slow group in front of us with a few holes open in front of them. It was at our home club and we knew they guys were not likely to let us play through because they were playing at a 3:45 pace so we skipped the 4th hole, dropped balls in the fairway of the par 5 5th hole, and finished in 2:40 which is normal when we play a twosome. I would up playing 36 that day which happens about 15 times each summer when I finish my first round by noonish. Fast play is on of the biggest advantages of a private course and I would guess a big factor for the majority of our members.
I have a guys golf trip to Desert Mountain in AZ June 1st and the courses will be empty. We are playing 36 holes for 4 consecutive days and I’m sure all of the rounds will be 3 hours or less.
Most of my public golf is at the resort courses near our MN lake place and if you tee off before 8:00am, the rounds rarely take more than 3:45 and as a twosome my son and I often finish in about 2.5 hours. We ran into a big slowdown on the back nine twice last summer on afternoon rounds and both times we skipped the last 6-7 holes and went and played their beautiful par 3 course that was empty.
Last month as a twosome we had a relatively slow group in front of us with a few holes open in front of them. It was at our home club and we knew they guys were not likely to let us play through because they were playing at a 3:45 pace so we skipped the 4th hole, dropped balls in the fairway of the par 5 5th hole, and finished in 2:40 which is normal when we play a twosome. I would up playing 36 that day which happens about 15 times each summer when I finish my first round by noonish. Fast play is on of the biggest advantages of a private course and I would guess a big factor for the majority of our members.
I have a guys golf trip to Desert Mountain in AZ June 1st and the courses will be empty. We are playing 36 holes for 4 consecutive days and I’m sure all of the rounds will be 3 hours or less.
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- #32
Lack of etiquette.
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- #33
Yeah, but sometimes you get what you need, i.e., a sub four hour round.
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- #34
I am a fast player, but it's not something I focus on or do intentionally. I hit my shot, find the ball and hit the next shot. It's not all that complicated.
On our private courses, I do zip since its rare, but public courses, getting heated with the slow group ahead or even a group pushing from behind usually isn't productive. In most cases we ask the group in front can we play through, we have never had a group say no, we thank them and move on. A call to the club house, does zip as they don't have the manpower to enforce play, and if they do they in most cases it usually slows the field down even more as the arguments ensue .
I've learned to cope pretty well if we're absolutely stuck behind groups stacked up but I'll sometimes still let it affect me if a group ahead is cluelessly backing things up. Worst is if someone in my own 4some is contributing.
It’s hard to understand why a riding foursome can’t finish in 3 1/2 hours. My normal Wednesday men’s league group consists of me and three guys over the age of 70 walking and we typically finish between three hours and three hours 15 minutes. None of us are rushing and two of the guys are shooting in the 90s so score has very little to do with pace.
I try not to put myself in that position. If I choose to go when I'm not the first out, that's on me. The only time I get really frustrated is when I get out early and burn around the front 9 only to get stuck behind a slow group the course started out on the back 9. And even that falls into the category of what happens to me is not as important as how I react to it.
Slow play is the norm whether we like it or not. Get pissed off by it, try to change it, or just accept it - the choice is mine. Fast golfers are the minority in this area.
Slow play is the norm whether we like it or not. Get pissed off by it, try to change it, or just accept it - the choice is mine. Fast golfers are the minority in this area.
I just accept it now. 100’s of courses here and they are all still booked solid.
That's funny.
Most of our courses don't have marshalls, and if they do, they're reluctant to enforce pace of play.
Unless I'm playing one of the higher end courses around here, nobody's doing anything about pace.
Bold type is why people think they're entitled to do all the other things you mentioned. They paid their money.
As for how I deal with it, I don't handle it well most of the time. Now if the day starts slow, I can adapt a bit, but if we're moving along at a decent pace and hit the wall, my game will likely go to crap.
Disclaimer - I never played tournament golf as a kid, HS or college. So slow play wasn't forced upon me.
Teed off at 0730 today, done at 1103. This was at The Orchards, which is a really nice course......Yeah, but sometimes you get what you need, i.e., a sub four hour round.
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- #43
That's really good time, especially for a weekend. Though maybe because of Mother's Day the course was less busy?
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- #44
If there is no one in front of us it takes us about 3.5 hours to play 18. I'm the youngest at 69...for a few more days anyway, and the oldest is 84 years old.
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- #45
I find that beyond annoying. You're moving along at a nice pace, make the turn, and come to a screeching halt.
They are usually pretty quick there. The carts track groups and they do not put up with slow play. But yes, Mother's day probably had things moving along well.
If you use a push cart, chances are there is a seat made for it. I have seats for my Bag Boy and Caddytek push carts, and they are pretty nice to have on a slow day.
There are. I have this idea that’s been bouncing around my head to take a camp chair and cut the legs off. Only keeping the legs that hold up the back of the chair. The seat would sit on the ground with those legs at kind of an angle so they would sit on the ground holding up the back. Then the chair would roll up and go in the umbrella holder when not in use.
My last round notwithstanding, I try to make the best of it. If I can't I will walk away. If there is an opportunity to play through or skip a hole - and this is key to the whole of it - and I can do so without making things worse and not holding up those who let me through, I will play on.
So, all that said, I usually just try to deal with it, rest, chat, take a few swings, surf on the phone.
So, all that said, I usually just try to deal with it, rest, chat, take a few swings, surf on the phone.
I kick my feet up and sit back judging every little thing they do