Playing with Slower Golfers

[JB]

Yesterday a friend called me after he went to the course as a single and got paired with a twosome. They teed off and the two he was paired with were quite good. He plays to about a 9 and they were a bit better than him. By the 5th hole they were a full hole behind the group in front of them. By the turn, they were 2 full holes behind and groups stacked up waiting on them.

Now my friend is fast, but not racing fast. The story was that these guys were painfully slow at being ready to play at their ball, ready to tee off and reading greens (like most slow players). They preferred the social side and stood around talking most of the time. Rangers warned them on the 6th green. They again told them to speed up on the 9th tee box. On the 14th green, the ranger told them they needed to skip the 15th hole.

They did so reluctantly and the whole time were complaining about "I paid my money" and "how rude".

So my friend asks me what I would have done? He said he told them on 5 separate occasions not in conjunction with the course that they had to speed up. Course has GPS on it that times you and they finished well behind and they skipped a hole. That means the rest of the course (every single golfer out there) is now off pace due to two players.

So the question is, what would you have done in this situation? How would you handle it? I asked why he didn't just leave them, and his response was they would have gotten even slower. The crazy part is, they said "We are not slow golfers and are good enough to keep pace". (Im of the belief that skill and speed are not mutually exclusive)

Another question is, do you think anybody really ever believes they are slow? Or is their usually a reason they are being held up, because it's not them? So would you have handled the situation the same way as my friend? Would you have left them? When they finished there was nobody in sight in front of them, but there were multiple groups waiting all around the course.

 

[tequila4kapp]

He did everything he could do, but for leaving them. I think that's all he had left to do. I've left groups many times in situations like this.

 

[tbanks5]

This is a shame, but very common.

I probably would have left them behind, especially after the turn. I don't like anyone telling me that I'm slow on the course. Without being rude to my playing partners I always try to be a few steps ahead. Meaning once I'm done putting, I head back to the cart or walk my way towards the next green. I will stop and show respect while they putt. But I try to let my actions keep moving me to the next shot. That way if they decide to get chatty, we are chatting on the move.

 

[CBaker]

I've been in the same situation before. Not with the better golfers part, but the slow golfers part. It's a hard situation to be in for me and I don't like causing a problem, so I usually keep my mouth shut about it unfortunately and deal with it.

As for the slow golfers in general part, no, I don't think anyone thinks they are slow. Especially if they are better golfers.

 

[Scrap Iron]

If they are that slow maybe tell the pro shop they need off the course or jump a hole as a single. Every slow player either has an accuse or they never think it's then. It's a tough spot to be in.

 

[JB]

If they are that slow maybe tell the pro shop they need off the course or jump a hole as a single. Every slow player either has an accuse or they never think it's then. It's a tough spot to be in.

They did that Scrap. See the part where they had to skip 14.

 

[UVaWahoo]

At the turn, I would have thanked them for letting me join them, but would have told them that my health status requires that I must stop awhile before playing the back nine, so they should continue without me. I would then wait for another twosome or threesome with whom to finish. I applaud your friend for doing the best he could, but it was not his responsibility, if was that of the course personnel. The course needs to be a bit more proactive in its efforts to prohibit excessive slow play.

 

[jspangs]

I would drop the hints by saying lets play ready golf, putt out of turn if it speeds it up l, maybe just go ahead of them once they were a full hole behind, and if nothing else I have left a course because of slow play and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Slow golf is not enjoyable, so if I'm not having fun there's no point in staying.


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[Mulligan9111]

I'm not big into confrontation as I don't want to ruin people having fun on the golf course. So I probably would have just nicely mentioned I was going to go on ahead of them and then head to the next hole and then thank them for letting me play with them.

 

[JB]

The course needs to be a bit more proactive in its efforts to prohibit excessive slow play.

What could they have done here?
They gave a warning almost every 3-4 holes and made the group skill a hole on 14 to try anything to get caught up. What could they have done differently?

 

[#Cookie]

I would have left them. I'm not the quickest player but am aware of where my group is on the course and would not knowingly stay in a group that far behind.

 

[amsmith61]

After the first warning, I would have still played with them, but after the second warning I think I would have moved on... I know I would have found myself doing things quicker after the first warning to help the group speed up and a second warning would probably really throw me off. So as I am typing this, I am questioning whether I would stick around for the second warning. I don't consider myself a fast player, but I don't think I am slow player either.

 

[Just_Brad]

I honestly don't think slow players recognize they are slow. Or if they do, they don't actually know how they can speed up.

Bring a couple of clubs with you to your ball when distance is in question.
Be lined up and ready to go on the greens.
Ready golf on tee boxes.
Cut down on the amount of time spent searching for balls.

We play with a couple guys that are brutally slow. They would rather chat than be ready to play. I dread those 5-6 hour rounds. Granted the blame can't just be put on the people in your own group. Here, quite often, there is a backlog because marshalls (if there are any at all) do nothing to encourage keeping the pace. No warnings, and quite often you might see them once a round.

We played a tournament last year, during which we finished our round 2 hours before the last group off the course (shotgun start). I may have walked off the course if I were with that slow group.

 

[J4U]

Would have excused myself and moved on. I don't believe most people think they are slow. A paid fee some time's give them ownership of the course mindset. Very social people will often not be able to visualize their surroundings and get lost in the conversation or activity. Being a better player sometimes brings a sense of entitlement with their actions as well.

 

[Sanzabar]

I would have honestly just moved ahead of them when it first became brutally slow. Just thank them for letting you play and move along to the next hole while they are putting.

 

[Scrap Iron]

They did that Scrap. See the part where they had to skip 14.

I meant the single should have jumped on his own and left the slower guys. Finish 8 and jump to 10 finish alone.

 

[Russ_D]

Thats the one thing that really annoys me, slow play(ers). I often play as a single and the amount of times i catch up with a group and then get stuck behind them is just too many. if im in a group and there is a single or a faster group catching up I'll always tell them they can play through, its just good manners.
Thing is, not everyone does the same. I've very politley asked if they would mind if i played through and have been told to pretty much go take a long walk off a very short pier.

I dont think that many slow players belive they are actually playing slow or holding others up. Sure, have a chat with your playing partners, we all do that and it is part of the social side of the game, but do it when you are walking to your ball.

Only been a member for going on a week and aleady on my second rant! I like this place!

 

[Nate]

"Hey guys, I'm running short on time now so I'm just gonna jump ahead and play on to see if I can finish."

Bye-Bye Slowsome.

 

[McLovin]

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.

 

[UVaWahoo]

What could they have done here?
They gave a warning almost every 3-4 holes and made the group skill a hole on 14 to try anything to get caught up. What could they have done differently?

I'm not sure. I guess the only suggestion that I can think of at this point, is the ranger should have stayed with them as opposed to leaving them to continue unsupervised so to speak. The ranger could have insisted on "ready golf". I guessing the ranger would have often instructed them to shut up and hit the darn ball. Perhaps, the constant supervision would have pi$$ed them off so much, that they would not return to slow that course down again.

 

[mikeg_74]

I would have reiterated when the Marshall asked them to speed up. I would have been polite, yet stern that we are behind and need to pick it up. after that I would have given it nine holes, and at the turn I would have left them and played ahead on my own.

I agree that skill and speed are not mutually exclusive. In fact I've seen where better players for whatever reason are slower because they read the putt a little longer or analyze a shot a little longer.

 

[tequila4kapp]

Also wanted to add that most golfers I encounter don't understand the rule is to keep up with the group in front of you. I'm not sure if that applies here or not - sounds like they were just selfish. But sometimes the education part comes into play, not just the requests to play faster.

 

[Russ_D]

"Hey guys, I'm running short on time now so I'm just gonna jump ahead and play on to see if I can finish."

Bye-Bye Slowsome.

I was thinking more on the lines of "you guys bore me to death, so im going to leave you and enjoy the rest of my round before i die of old age". Is that a bit too straight to the point?

 

[Nate]

I was thinking more on the lines of "you guys bore me to death, so im going to leave you and enjoy the rest of my round before i die of old age". Is that a bit too straight to the point?

Very acceptable and very appropriate.

 

[Canio]

I HATE slow play. It's hard to say exactly what I would have done. But going ahead without them would have been a very real possibility. I am also a ranger at an upscale resort in Northern New Jersey. We time our golfers for a 4 1/2 round. We time them at the 4th hole, 7th, 11th, 14th and finishing hole. We help the golfers with fore-caddying to help keep the pace. It's rare that we have to have a group skip a hole, but it does happen from time to time. Playing ready golf is what I play, and also trying to watch where your playing partners balls land (if in the rough).