Pace of play and scores

Tbone01

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Feb 25, 2012
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Estero Fla/Chagrin Falls OH
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12 GHIN
Recently I've noticed that the quicker I play the better my score. I get into a rhythm and when it's broke (waiting for slow players) all goes down hill. This will be put to the test Sunday when I play with a buddy(fast player) and my FIL and BIL(both slow players). Wish me luck:banghead:
i did pick a course that's wide open allowing for my FIL's hook and BIL's slice in hopes to keep things moving along. I need to come up with a routine that will kill time between their shots which are often and many at times.
 
I can go either way. Too slow and I'm screwed. Too fast and I get too tired and lose concentration, especially when it's hot outside. I do walk 99% of the time though.

I have a playing partner that speed walks it seems, and when I play with him I shoot pretty badly. I even tell him that I can't walk that fast, but somehow I end up finishing 18 in under 3 hours anyway and my scores show it and my body feels it afterwards.

There's a perfect pace for me. A nice steady walk with little or no waiting to take the next shot and I'm happy.
 
I prefer to play quickly but as far as scoring I haven't really noticed a corelation.
 
This is the case for many, the thing I try and do is disconnect from the next shot until it is my turn to play. Anything works, talking to your cart mate, thinking about how terrible your favorite sports team drafted last night, anything to keep your mind occupied until it is your turn.
 
There is no doubt my game suffers when I have to stand around and wait. I have broken 80 5 times, and 3 of the happened in 2:10 or less, once was right around 230 and the other was about 3 hours.

I doubt I've ever broke 84 in a round over 4 hours. Its something I definitely need to work on.
 
This is the case for many, the thing I try and do is disconnect from the next shot until it is my turn to play. Anything works, talking to your cart mate, thinking about how terrible your favorite sports team drafted last night, anything to keep your mind occupied until it is your turn.

I try to do the same, but I often end up getting too disconnected.
 
I try to do the same, but I often end up getting too disconnected.

It is not foolproof that is for sure, I am usually alright if the round is slow from the beginning and I can do this but going from a decent pace to stopped in your tracks is never easy.
 
You might have to work on your mental game a bit to overcome this. Now that you've convinced yourself that you'll play worse if you wait a lot, you probably will. I hope you find a solution.
 
Give me a nice steady speed and I'm good, but I'm not going to run and play well or sit around and still have any kind of game.
 
I can play well in a slow round if I expect it from the beginning. If I start off playing at a 1:20-1:30 per nine pace and suddenly there is a foursome waiting to tee off in front of me with another group in the fairway, that can really muck up my scorecard. I can usually adjust after a couple of holes, but the score is already in trouble at that point.
 
I like to play reasonably fast. However we all get caught up in a slow pace at some point. I play in a league that has a few notoriously slow players. One guy was slow to begin with but recently has incorporated a pre-shot routine to slow him down even more! Another hits the ball a mile but never knows where it is going, which slows everyone down. Spending time EVERY hole searching for his golf balls does affect my game.
 
I definitely notice a difference. For example, the other day I was behind a group of league guys for the front 9, shot a 42. Back 9 they were not there and I had a green light, shot a 35. I like getting into grooves, especially when it's a good ball striking groove. To kill time for slower play, I'll either hit 2 balls or putt around.
 
For me, as long long as the pace stays the same throughout the round, I'll still play fine. If it starts out slow, I would prefer it to stay that way for the entire round. It's usually when the pace changes mid round that I lose my concentration and start sucking. That being said, I can't play speed golf either. I've played with some guys that want to finish a full 18 holes in 2-2.5 hours and that's just not for me. I can't ever get focused playing that fast.
 
Got paired with a couple of slow golfers (painfully slow pre-shot routines and not playing ready golf) yesterday at a course where the Rangers really monitor and push the pace of play. Per the Rangers we managed to stay within 5-minutes of the expected pace all day long but mostly because my partner and I pushed our pace to compensate.

The hurry up & wait within our own group took a big toll on my round. Easily my worst score of the year. To be totally fair my swing rythym was in a precarious position after league on Monday night and this probably just pushed it over the edge. Still sucks to pay big $$ to play a nice course and then come away with a less than ideal experience.

To top the day off the group behind hit into us twice on the front nine. They apologized the first time and explained the second time as a blind shot that got away from them. At the time I gave them the benefit of the doubt as the ebb and flow of the round had them falling behind us and then catching up all day long. They showed their true colors on the 18th hole by hitting into us a third time less than 30-seconds after I stuck the flag in the hole and just as I was picking up my wedge on the back fringe. Total Horsebleep! As good as the Rangers had been to us all day with the pace issue they brushed it off as "these guys play here all the time and would never do that on purpose".
 
I just go with the flow. I refuse to let slow play have any negative effect on me or my game.
 
Slow play will take me out of my rhythm and I can lose focus but if I'm out and it feels like a race track my swing gets way to quick.
 
I just wait for my turn, get into my routine and swing. There is nothing I can do about other groups, so I don't let it bother me, wasted mental fuel. I time my routine to be under 10 seconds, that is from the time I put the peg into the ground until I pull the trigger. If I am playing a iron shot from the fairway (if I hit it) I have my yardage, my club and I am standing behind my ball when my turn comes. My biggest struggle is having a short memory when I hit a bad shot, this is when I find my routine helps me get back into the next shot.
 
I think anyone that lets the pace of play impact their score, will more than likely not play well in events, leagues etc. If speed golf is your thing and you play well playing fast, how do you adjust when playing in events that can be slow at times? I play the same at any pace.
 
I honestly don't know. Where I usually play I have put in 3 sub 4 hour rounds, all walking so far this year. (on a muni)
 
If I play too fast I get burned out. If it's a slow round (over 4 hours), it becomes a mental game. I think it's especially worse when your group is the reason it's slow. Playing with really slow players has more of an effect on my game, probably because I'm witnessing everything close up. I'd rather be following the slow group.
 
I play my best golf by myself!
 
yesterday I played 18 in 2 hours and had the best round of my year.
 
I don't think there's any correlation for me. I'm not good enough to get in a rhythm or anything, so I can play badly slow or fast.
 
I played nine holes in 55 minutes and shot 5 over. And that included two doubles.
 
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