Slow play...is it a THP pet peeve?

[Michigan Slice]

Let me preface this in saying no one likes to wait on tee boxes or having to wait to take every shot.
That’s not the point of this thread.

A lot of courses around here have suggested pace of play from 4-4.5 hours.
That is keeping pace.

Seems like many here think all rounds should be played in 2 hours,19minutes, and 46 seconds or it is a painfully slow round.

I play golf to enjoy my time on the course, to enjoy time spent with whomever is in my party, and use it as a means to relax and get away from other stresses in my life.

It seems like the countdown goes off in many peoples heads and the race is on to get the clubs put away, golf shoes cleaned up, and get out of there...

I have played 2.5 hour rounds, and played 5 hour rounds. Some enjoyable, some not.
I don’t like to wait on others to have tee or green complexes clear, but I don’t like players who are racing against what seems to be trying to get the hell off the course either...

Where’s the fine line?
I play golf with a wide variety of people, and I bring this up both when we are waiting and when the course is open.
Seems like the consensus is that rounds of golf in the 3.5-4 hour timeframe is the norm.

Doesn’t seem so in many cases here.

The last round I played in a foursome in 3:45.
What are some times for your rounds, and would you consider it slow, fast or average?

Times tickin’ folks!


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[c0ncept]

As long as it is under 6 I can survive. I love to play fast but that is not always up to me. I have played 18 in just over an hour by myself when the course was empty but I don't have to play that fast.

 

[PhillyV]

4 hours is always the goal. 4:30 is acceptable on a busy day but anything over that seems unnecessary. You dont have to rush to play at a good pace. Just have to remember that there arent cameras there so its ok to hit your shot while others are getting ready, regardless of whos away. Ready golf is often discussed but not really understood. And you can play ready golf and have plenty of asstime with buddies

 

[JMB3]

I don't usually pay attention to the time while the round is underway. I prefer to not wait too long, but I love just being on the course. I don't have kids either, so that helps. But when the course is wide open, it's fun to get in 36 in the time it'd normally take 18.

That said, what can get under my skin is poor habits/actions that cause unnecessary backups.

 

[mikeg_74]

As long as I’m not waiting to hit shots I’m ok with whatever that time is. I’m golfing to have fun and enjoy the company in with. If I have prior commitments and golfing under a certain “time” is needed, I won’t golf because I can’t control the course, pace of play and I hate being rushed.

That said I play ready golf and encourage that with my playing partners.

 

[mancest]

I am like most, I just don't like waiting to hit shots. Have played 4:15 rounds where we had to wait that seemed like torture and have played 4:50 rounds that seemed like we were right on pace. If we are keeping pace with the group in front and behind I am fine.

 

[mytime]

As long as group ahead of me isn’t having a picnic lunch in the fairway I’m fine. I swear though there are few I’ve run into where all they needed was a fire and a tent to set up camp.

 

[ken_h]

4-4.5 is a good time for me, beyond that I start getting frustrated.

 

[jlew]

I enjoy my time on the course, and time spent with the folks I'm on the course with. I couldn't tell you the last time I actually timed a round, or commented about how long the round was taking. If we are behind some folks who are slower, I'll putt a couple extra on the green, or hit a couple balls out of the sand assuming I'm not slowing down any groups behind us.

Do I like waiting on folks, no not really but I also understand I'm playing public courses where folks may be out for the first time ever, or just bad. Control what I can control.

 

[ntanygd760]

I think a 4 ball should play in 3.5 - 4 hours walking depending on the course. Honestly if it is under 4.5 hours on a weekend I don't get too bent out of shape about it.

My pet peeve is being stuck behind a walking group who only go as far forward as the shortest shot, then they all go up to next one ect. Go to your damn ball or close so you have the club and yardage ready to go as soon as it is your turn. Especially if you are not 100% sure where the ball is, go find the damn thing while others are hitting.

 

[Snickerdog]

Depends on walking vs carting. I can walk my home course in about 3:30 cart just a bit less if not waiting on people. Course I travel to to play with other THPers the pace of play is 4:25 in a cart, but you cross the street on the back nine 5 times the way it winds thru the houses. I am comfy with that pace. I don't want to drive 1 1/2 hours and then rush thru a round just to get home.

 

[DataDude]

I don't mind slow play. The only time it bothers me is when someone in my group is getting bent out of shape about it (I have some friends like that). I don't think that many people are deliberately playing really slow, I think a lot of the problem is 4-somes who all aren't very good or just a lot of golfers on the course. I would call that congestion more than slow play though. It just gets backed up on Par 3's when a course is congested. The tee players are waiting on the green players which is the slowest part of the hole. The good news is when this is going on, you usually get a hole or two at a good pace once you finish the par 3's.

 

[m3golfjackson]

I'm not a big fan of slow play, but I never look at the amount of time I spend on the golf course. What gets to me the most is when the group in front of my is more than a hole behind. There's no excuse for that. People need to be more efficient on the golf course: hit when it's your turn, if you finish first on the green you put in the flag, don't chit chat on the tee box when it's clear and ready to go, and for heavens sake none of us are one tour there's not reason to take more than 20 seconds to hit your ball once you get to it.

 

[Doddly5687]

I think it's too hard to put a concrete baseline time on. It's clear no one wants to be waiting tee to green every shot, but I was taught that anything more than 30 seconds over the ball is about 20 seconds too long. I don't mind a pre-shot routine, but I've played competitive events with Sergio wagglers and there just is no need especially when playing casually.

 

[mikedean441]

I just hate waiting to hit shots, whether its tee balls or approaches so Im a big fan of whatever pace of play avoids that and Im not so sure its a certain time as its course/tees/people dependent.

 

[emart2173]

4-4.5 hour rounds especially on the weekends don’t bother me, if it goes faster the better then as long as I’m not feeling rushed, but I’m not out just to be leisurely and without a care for the concept of time.

I like to enjoy the round and as long as I’m not having to wait on every shot on every hole I’m usually not botheted

 

[tpluff]

If it is under 4 hours for 4 people to get around the course, I think that is pretty acceptable.

Anything over 4 1/2 hours and it is wearing me a bit thin, unless it is an outing or CPO.

 

[adwillingham]

I'm going to play as fast as the course around me will allow. I'm not going to get bent out of shape about it if the whole course is on 4 1/2 hour pace. Longer than that and it means I'm waiting minutes on every shot, and I don't find that enjoyable at all. Anything over five hours and I'm probably frustrated enough that I'd rather be elsewhere.

 

[joebute]

I think this is heavily course dependent... I play an old school course that is relatively short, easy to walk, and tee boxes are right next to the preceding green. 4 hours is not appropriate to play this course - should be more like 3:30 give/take a few. I've also played some modern courses with huge fairways and quarter mile drives to the next tee. No way you can play in less than 4:30. I haven't come across many foursomes playing in <3 hours. I think most people just want to play at a pace where they can get to their ball, take a practice swing, and hit. Waiting 5 minutes for every green to clear, or waiting on someone in your group who's never ready to play gets old.

 

[Drumdog]

Around my area a 4.25-4.5 hour round is the norm. I don't have any desire to speed golf as I really love the game and usually like the people I am playing with.
But, I don't like it when things get to be that 5-5.5 hour scenario. Then I start really rushing my game to try and move things along and it hurts my game and really ticks me off.

 

[KEV]

I am like most, I just don't like waiting to hit shots. Have played 4:15 rounds where we had to wait that seemed like torture and have played 4:50 rounds that seemed like we were right on pace. If we are keeping pace with the group in front and behind I am fine.

This right here. Waiting is the biggest issue and can make rounds seem longer than they are.

 

[MrDC]

I agree you can't put a hard time on it, but there is a perfect pace of play for me and it's not too fast, and certainly not slow, 4-4.5 hours sounds about right for a four-ball.

Some people love fast golf though, go-go-go, I don't get it either but to each their own. I think some of those people are trying to squeeze in a round when other things are pressing, like a wife who wants dad at home doing dad things instead of playing golf, glad I don't play with those guys too often, slow play is the ultimate annoyance but speed golfers are no fun either.

 

[Bullfrog]

I guess i'm going to answer this in a little different way.

I don't find a round to be slow based off of time. I find it slow if I'm waiting on every shot for 10 mins. For instance... If playing in a group and it takes 4.5 hours to play but every time you got to your ball, you could hit if it was your turn. I mean leave time for guys to walk off the green etc... But at the same time I've played rounds in 3 hours where I have waited on every shot. Yes I was done in a short amount of time. But seemed really slow because of the time between swings. Hope that makes sense.

 

[Boder]

I play most of my golf during the week to avoid the longer rounds the weekends traditionally bring. Weekdays are cheaper too so it’s a win win for me.

 

[thaar]

If it's 4hrs or under, I'm really happy. 4-4.5hrs is fine and doesn't bug me. Once it starts creeping over 4.5hrs, I may start to get frustrated. Over 5hrs is unacceptable IMO.

I think the thing that frustrates me are the people that have no regard for others behind them when they fall behind. I find it really disrespectful if the group we're behind is not trying to keep pace with the group in front of them if they're behind pace. I understand if you fall slightly behind due to a bad hole, but make an effort to pick it back up.