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Playing with Slower Golfers

wubears71 said:
As a single that happens every once in a while. I just say something like "it was good playing with you but I need to catch an appointment so I'm going to see if I can get around a group or two in front of us."

Slow players suck.


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I agree. I would have found a reason to skip ahead. I find that if I am waiting for every single shot and its that slow I don't play as well as it is. Can't get into a rythym and stay loose.


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What timing for this post. Yesterday we were sent out behind a 3-some. On the first tee they looked so professional prior to teeing off, they each had a pre-shot routine, and practice swings, etc... After their 3rd or 4th shots they were about 150 yards further than where they started. They never looked behind them. We skipped #2 and got in front of them. When we finally finished 18 they were coming up #12. Luckily the course was not crowded.

I've been in groups that were slow, and I've told them I was going to play on ahead due to time constraints.
 
I've adopted the habit of being blunt with slow golfers. "You guys are freaking slow, so I'm going to take off ahead". They usually argue a little while they are looking for their errant tee shot for 10 minutes instead of just throwing a ball down and go.

Cya slowpokes.
 
To answer the questions:

What would I have done? I would have played ahead of them after the 2nd warning, if there was an opening. Let them know I didn't want to be part of the reason the whole course was held up. That's one thing that can get into my head and just make the day not fun, if I'm in a group that is holding people up.

Do slow people know they are slow? In my experience, most of the time they don't realize it. There is one group in my league that is consistently slow, but they have no idea. When the commissioner sends out an email saying start picking up the pace next week, they are the first to chime in and agree with him that slow play will not be tolerated.

What can be done? I think it starts with having a clear cut policy in place, and making sure to iterate and enforce that policy. Both are important. If you say you're going to make a group skip a hole, then do it. If you say if they skip a hole and get warned again they will be removed from the course, do it. If it's not enforced it won't be respected. But, I think if its clearly laid out and enforced people will catch on. Slow players can choose to play somewhere else, and those wanting a "normal" speed round will appreciate it and continue to come to the course.
 
So I just got an interesting story with Pace on Wednesday morning... Now, my friends and I, we all suck. We know it. Our average scores are 100-120.
We duff it, we skull it, three-putt, 2nd tee shots (cause there ain't no way I'm finding that first one...). 2nd 2nd shots (cause that awesome [maybe 2nd] drive got followed by another goner). You name it. Yes, we try to search for our balls, because a losing a whole dozen a round sucks...
But we try to keep up. We have a double-par rule: "F#$k it, I'll just pick it up and take an 10." We play ready golf as best we can. It's hard sometimes, when two people in one cart are on opposite sides of the fairway, in the rough. Hell, we aren't even consistent enough to stick slicers with slicers...
Can anyone give us an idea with how we can try to play faster? I always feel like I'm slow, and that ends up causing me to rush through shots...and makes the hole play even longer. So mentally, I just need to convince myself I'm not slow. But hitting lots of crappy shots does nothing but enforce the idea that I'm taking too long...

We played a course that had the pace on the scorecard. 2:10 for the front 9 I think.
We had a tee time of 8:32, but one of four was late. I asked the pro shop, and the next time wasn't until 9:05.
He got there, paid, and we were teeing off by 8:45-8:50. There was a 2-some behind us. There wasn't a starter, so I didn't notice if they, and subsequent groups, waited until they're tee time or just went right as it cleared. Somehow, we finished the front 9 under the posted pace by about 10 minutes. We let a twosome play through us on the third hole. The threesome following them started pushing on us. Including a couple shots that weren't IN to us, but where only a few yards behind. As in, "Isn't that your ball?" "No...I hit mine already..."
So, we get to the turn, and we decide to let the threesome play through us. So we stop. Hit the bathroom. Buy some hotdogs and a few beers, a coffee, some candy... Eat our hot dogs. And a bag of M&Ms. By the time we were more than done, they had just reached the green. So we gave up, and went on ahead. After that, of course, they caught up and waited on us on the 10th tee. It was like they tried to play fast, and randomly took 20 minutes on two or three holes. It was weird and confusing. I honestly couldn't tell if we were slow.
In the end, we finished a few minutes under pace with the scorecard.
 
LoPan12 said:
So I just got an interesting story with Pace on Wednesday morning... Now, my friends and I, we all suck. We know it. Our average scores are 100-120.
We duff it, we skull it, three-putt, 2nd tee shots (cause there ain't no way I'm finding that first one...). 2nd 2nd shots (cause that awesome [maybe 2nd] drive got followed by another goner). You name it. Yes, we try to search for our balls, because a losing a whole dozen a round sucks...
But we try to keep up. We have a double-par rule: "F#$k it, I'll just pick it up and take an 10." We play ready golf as best we can. It's hard sometimes, when two people in one cart are on opposite sides of the fairway, in the rough. Hell, we aren't even consistent enough to stick slicers with slicers...
Can anyone give us an idea with how we can try to play faster? I always feel like I'm slow, and that ends up causing me to rush through shots...and makes the hole play even longer. So mentally, I just need to convince myself I'm not slow. But hitting lots of crappy shots does nothing but enforce the idea that I'm taking too long...

We played a course that had the pace on the scorecard. 2:10 for the front 9 I think.
We had a tee time of 8:32, but one of four was late. I asked the pro shop, and the next time wasn't until 9:05.
He got there, paid, and we were teeing off by 8:45-8:50. There was a 2-some behind us. There wasn't a starter, so I didn't notice if they, and subsequent groups, waited until they're tee time or just went right as it cleared. Somehow, we finished the front 9 under the posted pace by about 10 minutes. We let a twosome play through us on the third hole. The threesome following them started pushing on us. Including a couple shots that weren't IN to us, but where only a few yards behind. As in, "Isn't that your ball?" "No...I hit mine already..."
So, we get to the turn, and we decide to let the threesome play through us. So we stop. Hit the bathroom. Buy some hotdogs and a few beers, a coffee, some candy... Eat our hot dogs. And a bag of M&Ms. By the time we were more than done, they had just reached the green. So we gave up, and went on ahead. After that, of course, they caught up and waited on us on the 10th tee. It was like they tried to play fast, and randomly took 20 minutes on two or three holes. It was weird and confusing. I honestly couldn't tell if we were slow.
In the end, we finished a few minutes under pace with the scorecard.
Click to expand...

As much as we all hate slow play (well, most of us) I can also relate to having the unfortunate privilege of being in front of some speed golfers. If you're playing under the posted pace you aren't too far off and probably not a group that I would label as "SLOW", and if you guys know you are doing everything in your power to play ready golf and aren't messing around on the tees and greens you are doing your part.


As a separate thought - The biggest thing that I see slow down golfers of all levels is an absolute refusal to give up on a ball. If you block it, slice it, or hook it 100 yards off the planet just throw one down and take your penalty. If you lose a ball that everyone agrees should be "in play" due to leaves, mud, or bad luck just throw one down and play on. If you can't afford to lose a ball, you're playing the wrong balls. But I'm getting off topic here.
 
I've been in this position several times before and I've had to come up with an excuse to play ahead. When I find myself waiting to move on to the next hole because they want to discuss happenings outside of the round it begins to affect me.

I like lightening fast rounds.
 
I won't play a slow round of golf unless it's an unusual vacation round at a resort course. Normally when on vacation I will get the first tee time of the day to avoid playing a slow round. The longest round I tolerate is 4:10 and luckily that only happens a couple times a year. If I was grouped with a slow group I'd go ahead as a single or quit after 9 holes. Luckily almost all my golf is played at a pace of 3:30 or faster.
 
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