What is the primary reason for slow play?

[The Milk Man]

No accountability or incentive to speed it up.

I truly don't believe they think they are slow it is not an accountability or incentive problem. There have been a large number of these threads in my time on THP. Not one time has a THPer ever said they were slow. Based on that you would expect that there not to be any issues with pace at THP events. But the fact is there have been countless stories on here about pace issues in THP events. Even outside of THP I have never heard any say I am a slow player. Yet everyone complains about slow play. Slow players don't realize they are slow.

 

[blugold]

There are 3 courses in my area that use 8 minute tee time intervals and I’ve never played a midday round at any of them in under 5 hours (small 6ish round sample size). I think it is a problem sometimes and some places, but I wish more people thought like you. My playing partners made it seem like spending 5 hours drinking beer and playing golf was an excruciating experience, although their game did admittedly suffer.

I golf with my wife and kids every weekend. We listen to music and my son eats pickles from the bar. Granted, we mostly play 9 hole rounds, but that is a just fine compromise. The people whose game goes to hell when it's slow are mentally weak when it comes to golf. They would be the easiest golfers to beat in a match.

 

[blugold]

I truly don't believe they think they are slow it is not an accountability or incentive problem. There have been a large number of these threads in my time on THP. Not one time has a THPer ever said they were slow. Based on that you would expect that there not to be any issues with pace at THP events. But the fact is there have been countless stories on here about pace issues in THP events. Even outside of THP I have never heard any say I am a slow player. Yet everyone complains about slow play. Slow players don't realize they are slow.

THP events are notoriously slow. First Morgan Cup, one of the competitors stood motionless over each shot so long people watching the livestream thought their feed kept freezing. When it was brought to his attention, he said that he didn't care and just kept playing his game.

 

[robrandalgz]

Slow players?

I know you say that in jest but there is a butterfly effect concerning slow players. I know that when I get behind a slow group, I essentially slow down my own play so that I'm not standing and waiting on every single shot. I'm certain that same flow travels downhill. All it takes is one or two groups on a course to slow the entire place to a crawl.

To be clear, I never slow down enough that there is actually open space between me and the group in front of me but I definitely slow down if Ive been constantly waiting for 3-4 holes.

 

[Scott F]

I truly don't believe they think they are slow it is not an accountability or incentive problem. There have been a large number of these threads in my time on THP. Not one time has a THPer ever said they were slow. Based on that you would expect that there not to be any issues with pace at THP events. But the fact is there have been countless stories on here about pace issues in THP events. Even outside of THP I have never heard any say I am a slow player. Yet everyone complains about slow play. Slow players don't realize they are slow.

Surveys have shown that the majority of drivers believe that they have above average driving skills. Only half of all drivers can be average or above. My guess is that people who say they like to play without being rushed or don’t want to have to run between shots are more than likely those who are on the slow side of average.

 

[blugold]

I know you say that in jest but there is a butterfly effect concerning slow players. I know that when I get behind a slow group, I essentially slow down my own play so that I'm not standing and waiting on every single shot. I'm certain that same flow travels downhill. All it takes is one or two groups on a course to slow the entire place to a crawl.

To be clear, I never slow down enough that there is actually open space between me and the group in front of me but I definitely slow down if Ive been constantly waiting for 3-4 holes.

Pace of play should not determined by the fastest group though. The course sets the pace of play expectation.

 

[DG_1234]

Pace of play should not determined by the fastest group though. The course sets the pace of play expectation.

Yes, pro shop staff and course marshalls are hanging their hats on 4:15 pace of play. It gives them a ready answer to any complaints about slow play. A better sense policy is to have any group which is a hole behind the group ahead of them stand aside and let subsequent groups play thru.

 

[blugold]

Yes, pro shop staff and course marshalls are hanging their hats on 4:15 pace of play. It gives them a ready answer to any complaints about slow play. A better sense policy is to have any group which is a hole behind the group ahead of them stand aside and let subsequent groups play thru.

Disagree. I can only imagine how slow all of that leapfrogging would make a round. Fast players belly ache too much. Enjoy the 4:15 rounds. Being outside is nice. Being on the golf course is one of the best places to be. Why be in such a hurry to leave?

 

[Rummpd]

There are two groups slow golfers - 1) and worst is slow on all shots and not ready to play;2) those mainly slow on greens.

Whatever group I despise this bane to game; and don’t fully understand- I have walked in a foursome early morning rounds in under 3 hours.

 

[Rummpd]

There are two groups slow golfers - 1) and worst is slow on all shots and not ready to play;2) those mainly slow on greens.

Whatever group I despise this bane to game; and don’t fully understand- I have walked in a foursome early morning rounds in under 3 hours.
No normal round should ever take more than 4 hours period.

 

[AndyL0711]

Disagree. I can only imagine how slow all of that leapfrogging would make a round. Fast players belly ache too much. Enjoy the 4:15 rounds. Being outside is nice. Being on the golf course is one of the best places to be. Why be in such a hurry to leave?

I know I am in no rush, when I get home its kids and house stuff....lol

 

[fuffle master]

I am more and more convinced that slow play is a boogeyman and not really a problem and even if it were, it's not that big of a deal and too many people are in a rush anyways. The outside is lovely and being on the course is a treat. Enjoy it.

As much as I would love to agree with this, I am not a fan of waiting on each hole. When I can play straight thru without long waits in between shots than I find I enjoy the outdoors and the game much more. When I wait at each hole 10 plus mins, I can get frustrated. It does affect my enjoyment for the day.

I know that’s on me, but it does get frustrating.

 

[jvbart]

It’s all about ready golf, especially on the green. Many of the other options play a small part but I think you can still play in under 3 hours if you play ready and have all of those other factors in your group.

 

[DG_1234]

. Enjoy the 4:15 rounds. Being outside is nice. Being on the golf course is one of the best places to be. Why be in such a hurry to leave?

My regular group of 12 to 24 players plays at a 3:15 to 3:30 pace, and some players are shooting under par rounds of golf. 4:15 is a an absurdly slow pace of play and there is no good sense reason for a golf course to set that as a standard.. Again, for decades "hole open in front let the group behind play thru' worked just fine and should be the policy for all golf courses.

 

[blugold]

My regular group of 12 to 24 players plays at a 3:15 to 3:30 pace, and some players are shooting under par rounds of golf. 4:15 is a an absurdly slow pace of play and there is no good sense reason for a golf course to set that as a standard.. Again, for decades "hole open in front let the group behind play thru' worked just fine and should be the policy for all golf courses.

Your group sounds like good golfers. Fast too. But the fastest golfers don't get to set the pace.

Playing through is a just fine policy.

 

[Stemmy66]

Issue is multifactorial and not just one reason applies in my mind.

 

[AndyL0711]

My regular group of 12 to 24 players plays at a 3:15 to 3:30 pace, and some players are shooting under par rounds of golf. 4:15 is a an absurdly slow pace of play and there is no good sense reason for a golf course to set that as a standard.. Again, for decades "hole open in front let the group behind play thru' worked just fine and should be the policy for all golf courses.

I'm guessing you don't play a lot of public courses on the weekends. Around us 4.5+ is the norm. Of course a sub 4 round is great

 

[Scott F]

I’m sure that those who enjoy not rushing and enjoying the day also like it when they don’t have to wait on the group ahead. Playing slow and falling behind the group ahead means they never have to wait for the green or fairway to clear ahead of them. Everybody likes it when there is little to no waiting for you to hit. That’s all anyone wants. The guys I play with, with no one in front, gets done in 3 and a half to 4 hours and nobody rushes. If no one is behind us, we’ll spend a few extra minutes looking for balls than we have to, or put a ball down and try that putt again all the while having fun and enjoying the friends and the game. You can play fast without running or rushing your shots if you just play efficiently. Like someone else said. If everyone else is driving 60, and you are going 40, be considerate. You can still enjoy the round without holding up the entire course behind you.

 

[Canadan]

I voted for the closest thing resembling ready golf.

Watching someone have a conversation instead of being prepared for a golf shot on a busy course is a HUGE pet peeve of mine, to the point where I openly tell friends to hit their damn shot hahaha

I just don't understand not being ready to play.

 

[TCB2010]

You missed a big one. 8 minute tee times are nothing more than a bean counter’s idea to generate more revenue. The problem is, the more golfers you try to cram onto the course in a given period of time, the more congestion you end up with. That means more backups at certain choke points (i.e., drivable par 4’s, short par fives), and that means more slow play. Where I play, I’ve seen as many as four foursomes waiting on tee boxes because of these factors.

More recently, we’ve gone to 9 minute tee times, and while that may not sound like much the effect has been amazing. On any given day, we see the same number of golfers that we’d seen with 8 minute times (actually more in these covid times), but that extra minute basically accordions out and relieves pressure everywhere. And in the end, you end up with more revenue because people aren’t getting pissed off after a bad experience and finding other courses to play at.

My courses aren’t congested that’s why the tee times don’t apply to me, when I am slowed up it’s to one of the reasons selected. Not every course in America is LA traffic.

 

[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.

 

[TCB2010]

Well according to my poll threads a fair majority here clean their grooves well after shots, and their ball when you get to the green, and have pre-shot routines, and look at putts from both directions, so ..

.. I've been meaning to combine those thread into a 'Are you SURE you're not a slow player?' thread and poll.

I do all those things and use iron covers and carry that stand up pole that @JB uses to hold up his putter around the greens and carry on a golf conversation while smoking a cigarette and drinking a beer with a laser scope in my back pocket all in under 3 for 18 holes. I’m what you call a multitasker.

 

[DataDude]

I know you say that in jest but there is a butterfly effect concerning slow players. I know that when I get behind a slow group, I essentially slow down my own play so that I'm not standing and waiting on every single shot. I'm certain that same flow travels downhill. All it takes is one or two groups on a course to slow the entire place to a crawl.

To be clear, I never slow down enough that there is actually open space between me and the group in front of me but I definitely slow down if Ive been constantly waiting for 3-4 holes.

I actually don't say it in jest. I think slow players are slow for a variety of reasons. Some of them are listed in the poll. In the end they're just slow and they slow everyone else down.

 

[NeverWiff]

• That 5th practice swing
• Reading putts from 360° and using a protractor
  I chose these two and think there is also a component of some golfers just being inconsiderate. They’ll watch the guys on TV and think that 15-20 minutes to play a hole is ok. (Spoiler alert; It’s not.... We are not playing for a 1.6 million dollar first place payoff when we get out there)

 

[Sean]

Tee times too close together. When our state permitted golf again, one of the provisos was 15 minute tee times. Playing during that time we never really saw the groups in front of us, or the groups behind us.