Maybe this has been covered but couldn't think of way to search for it. Wife and I played yesterday. We were paired with 2 brothers. Nice guys, not total newbies but soooo slooow. They would be on opposite sides of the fairway but would sit in the cart while one hit then would drive over to the other ball and start picking clubs, taking practice swings, etc. The ranger came at the 8th hole to urge us along. They just sped up their routine slightly but still it was painful. Thank goodness (?) we caught a threesome that was worse so I felt less guilty. Tried to suggest they alter their routine but they wouldn't follow through. We thought about leaving them and trying to play through the threesome but that felt awkward. For some reason the ranger came to me to complain (I guess because I was the one out side of the cart ready to hit). I wanted to tell him the starter paired us with these snails, its not our fault, etc. but what would that have accomplished? What else could have been done?
Random, slow playing partners. What to do?
Playing with slow people, sometimes all you can do is grin and bear it. One of the guys I play with every weekday has a very deliberate pre-shot routine. He takes a specific number of slow waggles behind the ball, then astride the ball, then over the ball before he hits. Drives me crazy as I step up to the ball, one practice swing and fire away. The other guy I play with regularly I don't think can see/follow the ball much more than 150 yards and the two others of us spend an inordinate amount of time helping him look for his ball in the event that we didn't pay particular attention to him when he hit it. He can be 20 yards from where the ball is looking for it.
Some days the patience is better than others.
Some days the patience is better than others.
emart2173
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Try to encourage them to play faster by mentioning we need to catch up with the group ahead of us. Let them know you play ready golf. The bad thing is many won't do anything because they don't think of themselves as slow and they think because the tour guys wait for each other that's how the game is played at all levels.
Great thread. I want to follow along because this happens to me very frequently and I'm not a fast player. There are steps that I take to speed up play, but am not overly fast by ANY means. A lot of times my playing partners are 98% interested in the social aspect (telling stories while it's their turn), and rounds can slow down unbearably. I had 2 rounds earlier in the year that we couldn't finish due to darkness and both times started before 1pm. Never know what to say to them.
myspinonit
Active member
I agree with the other poster is the way to encourage is to say that "we are behind need to keep up to the group in front". The other issue is if you were behind and holding folks up it is your group's responsibility to ask the group behind to play through (even if a twosome or single under current USGA guidelines). It is not the responsibility of those behind to ask to play through. That might have woken up the brothers.
You said they changed their routinely slightly after the ranger came out. Maybe the ranger spoke to you as he picked you with the female partner (badly stereotyping a female golfer) were the culprits. I would have said something like" I know we are behind....I've been trying to tell that to the two guys we got paired with. Maybe you should talk to them."
Maybe saying it would not have accomplished anything THAT round, but a least you got your oar in the water esp if you play that course regularly. Since you already had spoken to them, I wouldn't care less if you p***ed them off. That might also open the door to playing ahead of them and let them do their thing. Of course, splitting up into twosomes might annoy the ranger/ player assistant too.
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Being slow bugs me too much, if it is open in front of me, I would have told them I am moving on, and to have a great round.
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- #7
They didn't change their routine they just rushed their multiple practice swings and walked faster to the cart. We told them we needed to catch up with the group in front, which we did but any other foursome I have been a part of would have been playing through that threesome in front of us. They used the term ready golf but apparently did not know want that meant. It really puts my wife off her game to have a group behind us breathing down our necks. I asked the twosome behind us to play through (without consulting the brothers) but they saw the group in front of us and decided to stay put log jamming the whole course
Unfortunately, like others have said you jut need to grin and bear it. As the round progressed and I got more comfortable with them (i usually get to know the people i'm playing with) i'd throw some jokes (sarcasm) their way about taking so long hoping that they get the message. I'm not out there trying to rush anyone though but I agree that a little common golf courtesy might need explaining to them. I play with a guy that just has his heads in the clouds and doesn't realize that he is doing anything wrong as far as pace of play goes and needs reminding every time we play. I have to tell him the same things every time we play but by the look in his eyes when i tell him I can see that it's like the 1st time he has ever heard it.
TheHeez
Well-known member
Those are often the type of players that wait until the turn to order their hot dog and bag full of beer. When they head that way I usually just say "I've got an event to get to and need to get moving". Then you can kick it into high gear as a twosome and perhaps leapfrog a group or two. If its a peak time though, nothing you can really do.
myspinonit
Active member
Sounds like you did the best you could....stuck between a couple of rockheads and a hard place.
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Much to my dismay they ordered by phone and the car girl delivered to them. Eating lunch while they were playing didn't seem to speed them up too much. Maybe they should have a rule you have to leave the course to pick up your food if you are behind the pace of play.
i play with rando's pretty often and this can happen. I usually try and be friendly to start off and get on a level with them where I have no issue just simply saying to the group "hey looks like we are falling behind lets try and catch up" and leave it at that. In turn I try to lead by example and move a little faster so they can see I am doing my part.
The answer really depends on how crowded the course is that day. If it is smooth sailing in front I will politely excuse myself, wish them well and be on my way. On a crowded course I'll exit at 9.
The dreaded stop at the turn. I loathe that stop!
JayB
Well-known member
I go out solo a fair amount and have been paired up with the whole gamut. There is nothing worse than when I get paired with a 2 or 3 that play at snail pace and the ranger comes to talk to me about our group...
And I hate the extended stop at the turn.....
And I hate the extended stop at the turn.....
I feel it is wrong to tell other people to alter their routines, etc. My job is to take care of myself and mention it to the rest of the group if we are falling behind / need to catch up. Anything more than that, I think it falls on the Ranger.
I tend to agree with you, the only reason I excuse myself dates back to two instances where I was with a slow group and ordered to pick up on the hole I was on an go to the 150 yard marker no the next hole. One thing I can say with certainty, I will never be the cause of the slow play.
If a group isn't responding to subtle hints that we are falling behind and holding up the course I just say
"Look guys, you are slow golfers. Let's pick it up."
Once they finish being indignant they pick it up 9x out of 10. Rude? Perhaps but someone needs to tell them or they'll just hold up another course next weekend and the one after that.
"Look guys, you are slow golfers. Let's pick it up."
Once they finish being indignant they pick it up 9x out of 10. Rude? Perhaps but someone needs to tell them or they'll just hold up another course next weekend and the one after that.
I have witnessed you do this first hand, and it is certainly effective.
mski
Active member
The guys I play with we play ready golf. If an outsider(s) joins us we tell them on the first tee we play ready golf and we play quick.
There have been plenty of times I have played with slower players that if they are on one side of the fairway going through their routine and Im elsewhere and I'm ready to go I hit.
They don't bother me and I don't bother them. Keeps things moving. Ready golf.
There have been plenty of times I have played with slower players that if they are on one side of the fairway going through their routine and Im elsewhere and I'm ready to go I hit.
They don't bother me and I don't bother them. Keeps things moving. Ready golf.
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- #22
When they were both on the right side of the fairway I would be 20 yards in front their other ball. I'd hit but then would have to wait for them to both come over and hit that ball behind me. Didn't feel safe being anywhere in their line of fire so would have to move off to the side and keep waiting. Couldn't help but bother me.
theoverswinger
New member
1. I'd say hey, we've got an open hole, let's pick things up.
2. I'd declare, ready golf, we're behind.
3. Then I'd go play my ball regardless of who's away for as long as the guy behind me isn't ready yet.
For the guys in my flight I can exert some control but for the flight ahead of me, well, all I can do is wait.
2. I'd declare, ready golf, we're behind.
3. Then I'd go play my ball regardless of who's away for as long as the guy behind me isn't ready yet.
For the guys in my flight I can exert some control but for the flight ahead of me, well, all I can do is wait.
Do you temporarily lose your Canadian card when you do that
I had a two playing partners invite me to leave them behind once because I mentioned we were slow and my normal pace of play was pushing them. It threw me.
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JMN57
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I think it is very smart to set expectations about how you like to play when playing with strangers. I do think how that's said matters (I'm not saying that you don't say it right - I am sure you do - but your post reminded me of a situation that happened earlier this year).
Situation: I was playing at Raven's Claw in the spring and was set to go out as a single first group. It was a twosome and the starter told me that he wanted me to go off with them. I went over to introduce myself and tell them the starter told me to join them. They both frowned and one of the guys says straight to my face "We play from the tips and play fast - you won't be able to keep up." I was stunned - the guy hadn't ever seen me play, he had no idea of how I played. I went back to the starter and told him what he said and he went over and talked to them and said go ahead and tee it up with them. At that point I asked whether the group behind was a foursome and he said yes. One of the guys in that group had overheard both conversations on the putting green and leaned in and said that their fourth wasn't going to make it and I could join them. Which I gladly did. Later the starter told me that the two were regulars and (regular) jerks.
To put things in perspective - if I am first off I can do 18 walking in 2:30 at most (if I am in a rush, I do 9 in ~ 1 hour) so I am pretty d**n sure that I could have kept up. Also, I eagled #1 (par 5) that day too - so ha!