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What Would You Change About Golf???

Pace of play for me. Don't care if you're scratch or a 32 handicap, just keep things moving.
 
i don't see pace of play as the issue, as in "everyone who plays golf other than me is just too slow." i see it as the average length of time it takes to play a full 18 holes is too long, which is different than a golf course full of ben cranes. i think we need more options for fewer holes, without disrupting those who enjoy the leisurely full 18.

second to the 18-or-gtfo problem is cost. it's just too expensive. and i'm not just talking about a round. there are shoes, clothes, balls, gloves, tees, towels, bags, etc that you need just to show up, oh yeah AND CLUBS!

the above two are, in my opinion, why most people walk away from the game. but the real reason i believe people don't stick with this game past a trip to the driving range or one corporate outing in a charity scramble is that the game is too hard. that's not an indictment on course design, it's just the fact of the design of the game. the learning curve is probably steeper than any other mainstream sport, so if you don't find something to enjoy really quickly, why would you come back?
 
ArmyGolf said:
Pace of play and cost. More courses need to offer incentives to play there regularly, or a rewards program or something. Around here there's not really any way for a weekend warrior to save any money.
Pace needs to be adjusted down to 3.5 hours as the "standard". And enforced with an iron thumb.
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These are some great points. I agree with you whole heartedly.


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Some of my choices have already been said. So I will add one that I don't believe has been said and may ruffle some feathers.

I would make golf not take itself so damn seriously. I don't know how I would do that. But man, people act like golf is their determining factor of self-worth. I understand the professional level is one thing, but there seems to be so much seriousness to the game.
 
I would change golf to 9 holes. That way I would be able to play many more rounds. I can squeeze more 2 hour rounds in one more days than I can 4 1/2 hour rounds.
 
Three things I'd do:
1. Add a second hole to each green that was 8" in diameter. Juniors and high handicappers could use that hole on the green.
I'd bet the number of one putts would vastly increase and thereby speed up pace of play.
2. Minimum 5 sets of tees none of which would be called "Blue", "White", "Red", "Ladies" or "Seniors". Get rid of the stigma associated with playing forward tees.
Instead identify appropriate tees based on handicap index. Again, I believe this would increase the pace of play.
3. Set up courses 3 six hole sets instead of 2 nines. Play 6, 12 or 18 holes.
 
Etiquette is a society issue, not golf. People don't respect anyone else much anymore, and it doesn't change on the golf course. If someone is polite and sincere, then them making a mistake doesn't hurt me or anyone else no matter what rule it is. Being blatantly rude and disrespectful is a character issue, and golf courses just point out pretty quickly who I will dislike or not.

So with that I say pace of play.
 
UVaWahoo said:
Perhaps, in stroke play, the USGA in its rules should actually state that, under certain circumstances, "ready golf" is the preferred format. Amateurs tend to copy what they see the pros doing. Yesterday, watching the pros I saw several occasions where a player would wait for another to determine how they were going to play around a tree, when they could have just hit their shots.

We need to end the concept that tee use is based on age and gender. Tee use should be strictly based on one's ability to play. There is way too much ego involved in the tee selection.
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Ready Golf FTW. I can't tell you how many times I set up to putt and some of my co-workers/people I don't know say, I'm away. Really?
blugold said:
Some of my choices have already been said. So I will add one that I don't believe has been said and may ruffle some feathers.

I would make golf not take itself so damn seriously. I don't know how I would do that. But man, people act like golf is their determining factor of self-worth. I understand the professional level is one thing, but there seems to be so much seriousness to the game.
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Probably one of the hardest things to do.
UncleDanger said:
Three things I'd do:
1. Add a second hole to each green that was 8" in diameter. Juniors and high handicappers could use that hole on the green.
I'd bet the number of one putts would vastly increase and thereby speed up pace of play.
2. Minimum 5 sets of tees none of which would be called "Blue", "White", "Red", "Ladies" or "Seniors". Get rid of the stigma associated with playing forward tees.
Instead identify appropriate tees based on handicap index. Again, I believe this would increase the pace of play.
3. Set up courses 3 six hole sets instead of 2 nines. Play 6, 12 or 18 holes.
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Great ideas.
 
I'd change fixed par. I'd also change stroke play being the dominant format played at public courses.
 
Definitely pace of play

one of the things they have started doing at some of the RTJ Trail courses is have several different color flags on the driving range matching tee color, whichever flag you are closest to with a 7 iron is the tee box you play. It has really helped on some of the busier courses allowing them to go to 8 min gapping on tee times.
 
Definitely the pace of play.
 
Pace of Play obviously:

I see lots of courses that have nice GPS units in their carts, that do track if your on time or not. well quite simply have the GPS make audible announcement to pick up the pace every minute the cart is in motion until your back on pace. And only if your the lead group that is causing the slow up.
 
Slow play. And more gimme circles.
 
I would have to say some of the attitudes of golfers, the ones that act "holier than thou" and look down on the ones just trying to get into the game. I have already seen it way to much from one of the leagues I was in last year. The people that act like that unless you have the newest, latest, greatest, and best name brand equipment you shouldn't be playing, they have also tended to be the ones who get irritated when some one asks them a question regarding the game.
 
Get rid of the people who wear pants in the middle of summer in South Carolina.
 
fupresti said:
Get rid of the people who wear pants in the middle of summer in South Carolina.
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Can we also eliminate mindless fist pumping on mediocre shots in South Carolina.
 
Pace of play is #1 by miles but cost is #2.

1) Only red stakes.
2) 1st person to start putting putts out and is only allowed to pick up and mark his ball once.
3) Price for a round is determined by how long you're on the course. Base the cost on a 3.5hr round (wont kill us faster players but long enough for slow players to adjust). Someone much smarter than me will have to make this work but I think once it is figured out it would be a game changer.
 
Enforcing Tee box play according to your playing ability. Enough said!
 
Popeye said:
Enforcing Tee box play according to your playing ability. Enough said!
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Amen to this. You nailed it. This is my number 1 pet peeve . Seems like most golfers I see want to play from the Blue tees and they suck and can't drive it 150 yards! I have no shame playing my appropriate tees. I don't see how these guys can enjoy the game like that. Hitting hybrids and woods into all the Par 3 and Par 4s. Backs up the whole course.
 
Some great ideas in this thread. Pace of play seems to ring out loudest, and some of the ideas support pace of play such as:

1. red stakes only - stroke only, not distance
2. minimize lift and mark on the green - ready golf should be ready golf
3. if you are riding, be ready and at your ball to hit when so that your partner doesn't need to hit, then replace the club in the bag, then drive to the ball, then measure the distance, then pick the club, then swing, then hit.....when we walk courses, we're pretty much in position and hitting in parallel and are not the reason for slow play

A couple of others:
1. 6" cup size - 4.5" was arbitrary back in the day, why not a slightly larger arbitrary number?
2. 10 clubs in the bag - less vacillating between what club to hit, just hit the closest one and go
3. slow down some of the greens or put the holes in places that aren't impossible - want to see a round speed up and use less time putting, have the greens at 10 or less than 12 or greater
 
Simplify the rules. When people have been playing for 20 plus years and the rules are still confusing there is an issue.
 
Uzumati said:
Definitely pace of play

one of the things they have started doing at some of the RTJ Trail courses is have several different color flags on the driving range matching tee color, whichever flag you are closest to with a 7 iron is the tee box you play. It has really helped on some of the busier courses allowing them to go to 8 min gapping on tee times.
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I really like this idea but what happens when you have golfers of varying abilities in the same group? What stops people from changing tees after the first hole?

Does anyone think a change to one person golf carts would make any difference? The weekend warriors are well known for driving to one ball playing then driving over to find the other persons balls and then they play. I know it would hamper the social aspect of riding in a cart with your buddy but I think it could make a difference.
 
Tadashi70 said:
I would require all players to take lessons and a course on golf. I would have them learn to play before heading to the course. I'm not talking scratch but th ability to keep the ball in front of them, keep up pace and use proper edict on the course. These three factors to me will speed up play and aid in EVERYONES enjoyment of the game.
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I second this!
 
Pace of play and etiquette resonate with me, but if I could change one thing about golf, I would make it a walk only sport. I know that can exclude people -- most sports have physical ability requirements -- but I think interacting with the landscape, each step of the way, is a fundamental challenge and component of golf. And I think golf as walk only would have a positive impact on pace of play and etiquette. One has to commit to play. I don't expect others to agree with me.
 
Trout Bum said:
Etiquette, it's horrible.
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I agree followed by pace of play, the cancer of golf. People simply need to get their **** together, plain and simple.
 
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