What is the primary reason for slow play?

[McRock]

Was rolling solo in a cart today behind a kid getting an on-course lesson. He was hitting two and three shots from a spot en route to 9’s and 10’s on the hole. Playing from 6,000 yards. (Why?!) I caught them on #6 and they did not let me play through. I resisted the temptation to gouge my eyes out and passed them at the turn when they stopped for a $4 boiled hot dog.

Actually heard this the other day as one of the biggest causes of slower play.

"Faster players".........

Don't shoot the messenger.

So, yesterday I was out with my 9 year old playing our home course. He plays well enough. So I see a foursome behind us, and they are playing 4 person best shot. Plus they are all regulars. I know them all, and they are fast enough players. The 3rd hole is a 190 yard par 3. They are on the tee box as we exit off the 3rd green. I think to myself, 'hey, this is as good a spot as any to let them play through.' They spent an additional 5 minutes before they even bothered hitting their first shot on the 3rd hole.

So anyways, I was fuming. I thought of this thread. Sometimes people don't let others play through because those 'faster players' take their sweet time taking advantage of playing through.

It's such a culture change from when I was a kid (high school and younger). We always let faster groups play through. The groups playing through had the decency to play through like they had somewhere to be. Now, slow groups don't let anyone play through, and the fast groups screw around when given the rare opportunity to play through.

Rant over.

~Rock

 

[Gus R]

I expect he meant that without fast players there would be no slow players. In other words, faster players complaining about slower players is the issue.

So I guess that begs the question whicth came first the chicken or the egg?

 

[SunnyWalker]

So we're playing a local public course (Wyncote golf club Pa.) yesterday, nice course, great shape. Starts off kind of slow for the first 3 holes then the pace evens out. Course is more or less full but little to no waiting rest of the front nine. We get to the 10th tee and the group in front is still there. No big deal, surely it will pick up like it did on the front. Same deal on the 11th tee, but now we can see all the holes up to the 14th tee. Where did that twosome come from? Hey there's another twosome! WTH? So I call the proshop (there is no starter or ranger), Did they know twosome(s) are cutting in on the 10th tee? The proshop said they weren't cutting in, they had stopped for lunch and he was sending them back out to finish. We waited every shot on the back nine. It's bad enough that the proshop would allow that, but its even worse that people would want to cut in and think its OK.

 

[Rummpd]

They should just adapt this - 4 hours exactly after start you are kicked off. I walk and can do a round easily in 3 at 63. Shame on all slow players - ruin the game

 

[Bosco...]

It happens I reckon. I don’t mind slow play in front, but if I can’t go anywhere and you wanna try and push me from behind we’re gonna have problems.

 

[fuffle master]

Lots of reasons, but I think the three largest are:

1. Tee times scheduled too close together (you need much more then 8 mins apart or everyone is up on each other)
2. Everyone thinks they are playing the US Open (go up and hit the ball please)
3. Double in every cart (singles during Covid moved much faster)

 

[Greg Kulbick]

So we're playing a local public course (Wyncote golf club Pa.) yesterday, nice course, great shape. Starts off kind of slow for the first 3 holes then the pace evens out. Course is more or less full but little to no waiting rest of the front nine. We get to the 10th tee and the group in front is still there. No big deal, surely it will pick up like it did on the front. Same deal on the 11th tee, but now we can see all the holes up to the 14th tee. Where did that twosome come from? Hey there's another twosome! WTH? So I call the proshop (there is no starter or ranger), Did they know twosome(s) are cutting in on the 10th tee? The proshop said they weren't cutting in, they had stopped for lunch and he was sending them back out to finish. We waited every shot on the back nine. It's bad enough that the proshop would allow that, but its even worse that people would want to cut in and think its OK.

I absolutely hate that. Who are these people who stop for lunch and think its appropriate to just jump back onto the course whenever they feel like it?

 

[PKorf]

All of the above. But I personally think it’s none of those singularly.

the biggest problem? People just not paying enough attention to play ready golf. The hohum attitude.

 

[Ab Crevoiserat]

There are a lot of reasons, in my book the top three are 1- reading every putt for way to long even the 6" ones, 2- way to many practice swings on every shot, 3- taking way to long looking for a lost ball, 2 min. top and drop another and move on.

 

[NEhomer]

One thing I rarely see offered is for people to simply walk a litte faster. I watched a group from one of our area school teams recently...the pace these young cats walked off the greens at was ridiculous. If they had sped up they may have reached sauntering speed. Cripes, just move along folks.

 

[Elbow Jobertski]

Carts give the illusion of speed while making people lethargic in general. Walking pace, etc. Plus often the cart ends up being parked in a location that increases walking time around the greens.

Also, having two people in a cart is logistically awkward to the point that most people would play faster walking. And that assumes no path or rough only cart rules.

 

[echico]

So for people who stop for lunch what are they supposed to do? I personally don't stop at the turn but I don't know what the right answer is.

I have seen snack shacks that are behind and that causes issues but I haven't seen anyone stop go inside to sit down and have lunch in a long time. Definitely not since I moved to AZ 13 yrs ago.

 

[SunnyWalker]

So for people who stop for lunch what are they supposed to do? I personally don't stop at the turn but I don't know what the right answer is.

I have seen snack shacks that are behind and that causes issues but I haven't seen anyone stop go inside to sit down and have lunch in a long time. Definitely not since I moved to AZ 13 yrs ago.

Well it use to be if you stopped playing and the group(s) behind you went past, you lost your place(standing) on the golf course. So you would either go back to the 1st hole if there was an open tee time, or wait for the pro shop to let you out on the 10th if there was a big enough gap. The big enough gap used to be, if players were at least hitting their 2nd shots on 10, and nobody was on the 9th hole.

 

[DaBuckBoys]

So for people who stop for lunch what are they supposed to do? I personally don't stop at the turn but I don't know what the right answer is.

I have seen snack shacks that are behind and that causes issues but I haven't seen anyone stop go inside to sit down and have lunch in a long time. Definitely not since I moved to AZ 13 yrs ago.

I remember a round a few years ago, these guys were pretty slow ahead of us. We get to the clubhouse to use restrooms & grab a hot dog & they are throwing a game of darts!!!

My buddy's wife decided to get something different than a dog & they were able to slip out back ahead of us. We sure as hell were gonna jump ahead, they were playing a game of 301!!! and had food and filled a cooler with beer...

 

[Mattattack]

I think people looking for lost balls/errant shots is the single thing that slows down a round the most. I dont think anyone WANTS to play slow. If courses marked drop zones in areas that they KNOW people lose a lot of balls, I think that would speed up play significantly. The competitive golfers can still look for their balls, but the casual guy would rather drop in a good spot in the fairway than hit one out of the muck. Put is as a local rule.

 

[Greg Kulbick]

So for people who stop for lunch what are they supposed to do? I personally don't stop at the turn but I don't know what the right answer is.

I have seen snack shacks that are behind and that causes issues but I haven't seen anyone stop go inside to sit down and have lunch in a long time. Definitely not since I moved to AZ 13 yrs ago.

Call ahead and get their food to go, get something they don't have to wait for, or wait until there's a gap and the starter lets them back out. Do you think they should be able to just head to the tenth tee whenever they feel like it and barge their way in?

 

[echico]

Call ahead and get their food to go, get something they don't have to wait for, or wait until there's a gap and the starter lets them back out. Do you think they should be able to just head to the tenth tee whenever they feel like it and barge their way in?

I don't stop, I don't see others that stop. If somebody did stop and went inside I am not waiting for them. I just don't know what the etiquette is in that situation. Of course now with courses so backed up if you stop there may never be an opportunity to jump back in

 

[Greg Kulbick]

I don't stop, I don't see others that stop. If somebody did stop and went inside I am not waiting for them. I just don't know what the etiquette is in that situation. Of course now with courses so backed up if you stop there may never be an opportunity to jump back in

The etiquette is to keep going and let them worry about their lack of etiquette wanting to force their way in out of order.

 

[NEhomer]

Who can't go 3hrs without eating?

 

[RealPretendPsychic]

Who can't go 3hrs without eating?

I’m trying to make it a point to eat more during my rounds to enhance my performance.

 

[Mattattack]

Who can't go 3hrs without eating?

who cant go 5.5 hours without eating? - 2021 Slow player edition

 

[NEhomer]

I’m trying to make it a point to eat more during my rounds to enhance my performance.

So eat breakfast, pack a bagel and a PB& J, and sit down to a relaxed lunch after your round.

 

[stryper]

Who can't go 3hrs without eating?

Every player on every professional tour...but at least they take their snacks and sandwiches with them.

 

[BigMac]

After my rounds lately, I'll throw another angle in the discussion - the course itself (specifically the greenskeepers) can influence pace of play. Don't grow your rough up so high that people are constantly losing balls in it when they're three feet off the fairway or a few feet off the green. The pros have galleries and forecaddies to help locate their balls, all of us hacks don't. I get the idea that missing the fairway/green is supposed to be punitive, but when everybody on the course is hunting around in the rough looking for buried balls, it can bring the pace of play to a crawl. We're not on the Tour here, keep it so people can find their balls.

 

[RealPretendPsychic]

So eat breakfast, pack a bagel and a PB& J, and sit down to a relaxed lunch after your round.

Whoa whoa wait what about the hot dog(s) at the turn?!