What is the primary reason for slow play?

[wristcock]

ignorance; lack of ability; lack of respect; stupid course designs; overcrowding...... don't get me started !!

 

[BigMac]

Is there a consensus on expected time to complete a round?

Speaking only for myself, it depends on the course. I know my home course well, know the pace of play well, and four hours is the outer limit of how long a round should take for a foursome - any slower than that and you're lagging. If nobody's in our way we routinely finish in no more than 3:00 - 3:15 as a foursome, and we don't treat it like a race - that's just a nice, leisurely but efficient pace. On some other courses, I know that 4:00 is a reasonable, acceptable pace - and during the winter when we're packed with snowbirds, I know to expect an absolute minimum of 5 hours on some courses (if we choose to play those courses during that time of year, which we usually don't).

 

[rollin]

ignorance; lack of ability; lack of respect; stupid course designs; overcrowding...... don't get me started !!

But I see very many players with very good ability too often be the ones who causing slow play issues. And actually too many times the good player is completely ignorant to the fact that he is actually among the slowest and very much part of if not causing an issue.

 

[goalie]

ignorance; lack of ability; lack of respect; stupid course designs; overcrowding...... don't get me started !!

I've seen plenty of good golfers play glacially slow, and hacks hack away at a good pace.

Enough that I think skill is waaaaay down on the list of reasons why.

 

[chile]

again, people that don't give a **** about others playing the game...saw it firsthand, again, today...even after the group was talked to by the marshal...

 

[rollin]

I've seen plenty of good golfers play glacially slow, and hacks hack away at a good pace.

Enough that I think skill is waaaaay down on the list of reasons why.

And often enough many those very same good but very slow players will be among the camp that blames the tee choice of the lessor ability but much faster players.

 

[fuffle master]

Today’s round was just over 5 hours. I will say having two to a cart can really slow the game down. The group in front of us constantly would drive to one person’s ball, look for the ball, then wait and hit it. Followed by driving to the other players ball to do the exact same. Common

 

[NEhomer]

I've been playing with a new group this past year and I really like these guys...we have a good thing going. There's one thing I'm having to get comfortable with though. They are so totally in on the whoever's ready, just go ahead and tee off thing to the extreme. I'm all for playing faster and we all play decently and do 3 1/2 hr rounds.

The honor thing is just so ingrained in me, I'm having to shake it off. For God's sake, you just birdied and I doubled; it feels weird to be teeing off ahead of you. Because you know that you birdied, you know that it's going to be your turn first so how about you being ready?

Lol! Totally my hang up and I'll get used to it.

 

[USAF Retired]

I've been playing with a new group this past year and I really like these guys...we have a good thing going. There's one thing I'm having to get comfortable with though. They are so totally in on the whoever's ready, just go ahead and tee off thing to the extreme. I'm all for playing faster and we all play decently and do 3 1/2 hr rounds.

The honor thing is just so ingrained in me, I'm having to shake it off. For God's sake, you just birdied and I doubled; it feels weird to be teeing off ahead of you. Because you know that you birdied, you know that it's going to be your turn first so how about you being ready?

Lol! Totally my hang up and I'll get used to it.

I have the same thing with a new group. One thing, I won't tee off in front of a birdie...that's bad juju!!!

 

[BigMac]

I've been playing with a new group this past year and I really like these guys...we have a good thing going. There's one thing I'm having to get comfortable with though. They are so totally in on the whoever's ready, just go ahead and tee off thing to the extreme. I'm all for playing faster and we all play decently and do 3 1/2 hr rounds.

The honor thing is just so ingrained in me, I'm having to shake it off. For God's sake, you just birdied and I doubled; it feels weird to be teeing off ahead of you. Because you know that you birdied, you know that it's going to be your turn first so how about you being ready?

Lol! Totally my hang up and I'll get used to it.

Birdies (or better) are our only exception to ready golf. Birdie has honors, and within our regular group we know that if you had one you'd better be ready to go when we get to the next tee box because you're up! Only exception is if birdie man is screwing around dragging their feet, then it's back to whoever's ready get up there and hit. You snooze, you lose.

Today’s round was just over 5 hours. I will say having two to a cart can really slow the game down. The group in front of us constantly would drive to one person’s ball, look for the ball, then wait and hit it. Followed by driving to the other players ball to do the exact same. Common

I see people do that also, and it does drag the pace down. In one of the leagues that often plays our course, all four of them (both carts) will drive to one person's ball, wait for them to hit, go to the next ball and repeat, and so on. It's ridiculous to watch and they're painfully slow.

If we're two to a cart, we drop the furthest away at his ball and go to our ball. By the time he's hit, I'm at my ball with club in hand and ready to hit, and he walks back to the cart while I'm hitting. Or I'll leave the cart with him and walk forward to my ball, and he can come pick me up after he's hit. When we get close to the green, the furthest player away grabs his wedge(s) and putter and walks to his ball, closer guy goes up and parks the cart at the green. It's stupid to leave the cart out in the fairway, both of us walk to our shots, then one of us has to go get back in the cart to take it up to the green.

 

[OldandStiff]

again, people that don't give a **** about others playing the game...saw it firsthand, again, today...even after the group was talked to by the marshal...

^ Saw it today too, and it went way beyond pace. Disrespect for the course, the others playing, all of it.

 

[JayB]

As was said a bit earlier, slow play is not a function of skill. Slow play comes from people wasting time. If you’re not hitting your ball, you should be moving towards your ball.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SunnyGolfDaysAhead]

When the playing is bad, they don't try to play fast. Every stroke takes time. Taking the game way too seriously takes time.
Playing bad needs a sense of humor and an "it is what it is" mindset to move on.
Ready golf mindset versus competitive (or money game) mindset has a huge time discrepancy.
Searching for balls take time. High rough means more time searching for balls.

 

[JPR1959]

again, people that don't give a **** about others playing the game...saw it firsthand, again, today...even after the group was talked to by the marshal...

The marshal should have held them up at the next tee and let a group or two behind play through. Then tell them to pick up the pace or get off the course.

 

[rollin]

Some talk here about tee honors. For me I could care less and honestly if one birds I really think if you get insulted as for honors you should just get over yourself.
I mean I will give way to the bird via asking first if im the first one ready to hit. And some people have a thing about it. I will respect your wishes but I think its just silly. I mean big deal you got a bird. Im mean heck i recently the other day got my first HIO and honestly I could care less if I were the last one to tee off the Next hole. Wouldnt bother me one bit and means nothing to me where i tee off within the group. Your ready? just go ahead and tee off. I am very often one the first ones ready at the next tee especially as I walks and others have a cart. But even among walkers I just get myself there and ready ahead of majority of folks majority of the time. Im not rushing at all in any way but simply just ready. Imo if your ready just go and hit....who cares what you scored last. You want to have a thing in your own head about it then so be it I will concede. But I do feel its ridiculous and imo just get over yourself. The last hole is history. But if you want your so called honors than you should also be ready to be the first.
I dont get the whole thing but thats just me

 

[chile]

^ Saw it today too, and it went way beyond pace. Disrespect for the course, the others playing, all of it.

watched the group in front of me ******* around and running in front of each other while in their backswings...hacking at the sand...just general phuckery. bypassed that ****...

 

[leftshot]

Basically, it's slow, inconsiderate players. In other words, it's an attitude. If they truly just were unaware of what is expected, that would be corrected in short order. People with significant disabilities (i.e.; those with a valid excuse) generally keep pace really well, even if they have to work at it much more than the rest of us.

Yep, it's attitude. A character flaw.

After reading all the posts, I still think this is the root cause.

 

[rollin]

During last year's covid shutdowns, when golf first returned my county went to 16 min tee times. Same courses, same players, same tees, same everything. There was not one single round i played during that entire run (which existed for months) went past 4hrs and most were done before that. And since back to the 9 min intervals the round times also went back to the same 415 to 430 (on average).
Same players on same courses and same tees. Ya think tee time intervals is not a huge cause?

Sure there are also slow players and much of the slowness happens around and on the greens. But if tee time intervals were separated respectfully it does repair alot of the pace issues.
Though that still dosnt make the slowest players somehow exempt from being a slow problem.

Imo its TT intervals #1,
then slowest players #2 who just seem to not be able to get out of their own way and are oblivious to pace or dont care.
Then #3 imo is greens. Around and on is where the slow players are often slowest and also where very many others become a slow issue.
The antics by many on the greens is often incredible.

 

[donny475]

IMHO, and many years of dropping playing partners or just switching groups, I find that slow play stems from one reason. Not being ready when its your turn. Reading the group and knowing when its your turn to play and doing most of your prep work BEFORE its your turn. You can line up your putt to at least pick up your ball clean it on the green and be ready to set it down and go, when its your turn. If you stand in the fairway and play with your phone until its your turn, then you take out your laser, shot it 3 times, then put it away, then take out your fancy GPS and move the pin to the approximate position on the green to see how far away it is, when you just shot it with a laser. Then take you obligatory 3 practice swings, change clubs and start over.....and then you drop it 20 yards short


sorry if i just venting

 

[Hamfist]

Humans doing human things.

 

[Bernoulli]

It's a combination of lack of ability to play ready golf and being oblivious to the fact that you are holding up others. Yesterday I was playing in a group that got stuck behind a foursome that was extremely deliberate, but several things kept occurring over and over.

Two man cart: drive to ball, one player gets out, selects club, hits ball and then drive to other ball and repeat sequence for other player. And they were hitting the ball often.

Leave cart on wrong side of green while putting. The next tee is in the other direction. And when they got in the cart, they took time before they drove to next tee.

I'm at a club so we're talking about members.

 

[will]

This is a really interesting thread. Doesn’t seem to be a consensus on what causes slow play, or even what constitutes slow play. So many different opinions would make it tough to find a one size fits all solution. Though, I do personally think playing ready golf would help. A lot. Not mimicking tour pro routines for every shot would also keep things moving. I think I've seen everything on the list at one time or another. I've always played ready golf because I'm always excited about the next shot.

 

[Raiderboost]

I have the same thing with a new group. One thing, I won't tee off in front of a birdie...that's bad juju!!!

Yeah I like to honor birdies as well. I make a fair amount and usually take my honors but we do have a few drivable par 4's and I will let others hit since I will be waiting.

 

[Raiderboost]

I think a couple things that I have noticed that have slowed pace of play at my course is people not watching their ball and higher, thicker rough. The go hand in hand too because the higher the rough the more you all need to watch were it goes.

 

[leftshot]

During last year's covid shutdowns, when golf first returned my county went to 16 min tee times. Same courses, same players, same tees, same everything. There was not one single round i played during that entire run (which existed for months) went past 4hrs and most were done before that. And since back to the 9 min intervals the round times also went back to the same 415 to 430 (on average).
Same players on same courses and same tees. Ya think tee time intervals is not a huge cause?

Sure there are also slow players and much of the slowness happens around and on the greens. But if tee time intervals were separated respectfully it does repair alot of the pace issues.
Though that still dosnt make the slowest players somehow exempt from being a slow problem.

Imo its TT intervals #1,
then slowest players #2 who just seem to not be able to get out of their own way and are oblivious to pace or dont care.
Then #3 imo is greens. Around and on is where the slow players are often slowest and also where very many others become a slow issue.
The antics by many on the greens is often incredible.

Your post got me thinking Rollin. I suspect two things are going on here. First, there is a built in buffer where slow players aren't impacting other groups until the buffer is used up. In that sense, the more spread out tee times aren't actually fixing anything as much as it is covering it up. Second, is that early play tends to solidify a certain type of play. If everything is stacked up at the beginning, groups take additional time doing stuff and they will tend to continue to do so throughout the round. Thus the 16 minute tee times condition groups to move along as there is nothing stopping or slowing down play in front of them--at least for the first several holes. This sets a pattern for the day.