We've launched the new forums! Read more here

What is the primary reason for slow play?

What is the primary reason for slow play?

  • Golfers who aren’t ready to play on the course

    Votes: 189 58.5%

  • Playing tees too long

    Votes: 105 32.5%

  • Golf technology - lasering the pin on every shot

    Votes: 28 8.7%

  • Personal technology - cell phones are the devil

    Votes: 38 11.8%

  • That 5th practice swing

    Votes: 143 44.3%

  • Reading putts from 360° and using a protractor

    Votes: 118 36.5%

  • Tee times only 8 minutes apart

    Votes: 148 45.8%

  • Alcohol

    Votes: 63 19.5%
  • Total voters
    323
leftshot said:
Really? Someone did a study measuring the amount of time lady's leagues took in and around the greens and did the same for men's leagues? I've never seen such a thing and would be interested if you could point me to such a study. Did they also compare their overall time for a round, or just that portion of each round? As for the second part, I have (sadly) seen a segment of male golfers that accuse women golfers of all kinds of things. So I don't put much stock in comments about women golfers sans evidence.

While not a controlled study, I play a lot of golf, including at times and places that have a lot of women golfers. Overall, I find them very aware of pace of play.
Click to expand...
I used to think the same thing about women's leagues until I started playing at my current club. They have several women's leagues and more women than I've ever seen playing golf anywhere. The vast majority of them are 55+ and a lot of them are walkers. With all that said, you'd better not dilly-dally in front of them because they don't mess around - they play fast, and they also won't hesitate to bend the marshal's ear (and the golf operations manager's ear after the round) if you were holding them up. If you're playing behind them, you better be moving if you want to keep up with them. I've played some slow rounds behind other groups, but the women's groups have never once been the problem.

n=1 and YMMV and all, but they're definitely not the problem at our club.
 
Taking forever to read a green only to 4 putt it regularly...
 
So many times when behind slow golfers it is our weekly Friday afternoon tee slot. What I notice more than anything is that players are in carts, oblivious to other golfers, play one ball at a time all together (very common) and the round is very social. Last few years it is a combination of both young and old so not an age thing. Just appears that the slow golfers just have no idea of golf etiquette.
 
Jimmy3864 said:
So many times when behind slow golfers it is our weekly Friday afternoon tee slot. What I notice more than anything is that players are in carts, oblivious to other golfers, play one ball at a time all together (very common) and the round is very social. Last few years it is a combination of both young and old so not an age thing. Just appears that the slow golfers just have no idea of golf etiquette.
Click to expand...
if it's not a tourney, isn't every round you play social? are you training for the us open or playing a round with friends and or family?
 
Sometimes just walking a tad faster can make a big difference. I see some folks sauntering off the green they just completed as though they were strolling through a flower garden.

For God's sake MOVE ALONG!
 
leftshot said:
Really? Someone did a study measuring the amount of time lady's leagues took in and around the greens and did the same for men's leagues? I've never seen such a thing and would be interested if you could point me to such a study. Did they also compare their overall time for a round, or just that portion of each round? As for the second part, I have (sadly) seen a segment of male golfers that accuse women golfers of all kinds of things. So I don't put much stock in comments about women golfers sans evidence.

While not a controlled study, I play a lot of golf, including at times and places that have a lot of women golfers. Overall, I find them very aware of pace of play.
Click to expand...

Clearly geographic based for you, but in our travels, there isnt a club that has not discussed with me going off with a ladies event on the course, including to those that were just at the Data Experience with Shot Scope at Hammock Beach so I am sure those participants could share as well.

As I said, I do NOT have full data, and its certainly not said with ill intent or sexism as both GG and I plan these together. But just about every club we visit (and that is well into the hundreds) for our THP Experiences, this is discussed this with us and the pace on those days.

yes rounds are timed for events and leagues at our club and many others around the country where we host our events.

None of this means men are faster than women by nature or care more or care less or anything of the sort. Just that it is fairly common that ladies league events push the pace of play limits at a number of courses. Based on THPer response, I would say they see it as well.
 
it seems, at least for us, that having people tee off on multiple tee boxes definitely slows us down. my 74 year old father plays the senior tees. so he has to wait for us to tee off then go down to his tee.
 
I play a lot as a single behind larger groups. The two primary causes of slow play are:

1) People doing things other than golf while they're supposed to be playing.
2) Two guys sharing a cart with each one acting like his backside is glued to the seat until the other guy is completely done with his shot.
 
AndyL0711 said:
if it's not a tourney, isn't every round you play social? are you training for the us open or playing a round with friends and or family?
Click to expand...

Yes my rounds are for fun, what I don’t enjoy is watching each cart go to everyone’s ball in the foresome in front of me to watch that player hit the shot and then proceed to the next player and so on. That is what I meant by social which probably isn’t the correct word but either way it is not playing “ready” golf and leads to 5.5 hour rounds. I don’t enjoy waiting 5-10 minutes on every shot, it gets old very quick.
 
I have to double down on "not keeping the ball in play" slows down the pace of play. If you're hitting the ball into the woods off the tee with your driver, use the longest club you can keep in play off the tee, even if it's only your 7i. That will speed up your round, a lot because you're not taking time looking for balls, hitting recovery shots, and then getting your hole back on track. Sometimes the driver just isn't worth the trouble.
 
Et Tu Brute? said:
I play a lot as a single behind larger groups. The two primary causes of slow play are:

1) People doing things other than golf while they're supposed to be playing.
2) Two guys sharing a cart with each one acting like his backside is glued to the seat until the other guy is completely done with his shot.
Click to expand...
#2 for sure.

It's the "farthest from the hole plays first" rule...if they just said get to your ball play when it's "safe to swing" (aka ready golf) and then maybe take more time on the greens it would speed up play
 
Anyone who looks for a lost ball for more than 2 minutes. They should stay the hell off the course. Exception would be if there are only 3 or 4 groups playing on the entire course.
 
The root cause is people who think that their time, and their score, is more important than everyone else's.

Followed in a close second by people that are truly oblivious.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top