Slow Play?

GreeBo

Hey all,
how long is it taking your clubs to play a competitive strokes singles round?
We are up at 4:15 if you start before 11, closer to 5 the later you start in the day.

What anti-slow play measures does your club have?

Please only pick one from each "section" of the poll....

shawpower

Other

When you say in your poll options 4 hours, 4.5 hours, 5 hours what is the breakdown on them? Is the 4 hours meant to cover between 4-4.5 hours? As in you said you now take 4.15 so where did you vote?

soundsham

4.75

time scales too far apart in my opinion,
i agree where does 4-15 fit in ??
(4hrs is not too bad 4-30 is hopelessly slow to me)

3.5 hrs and additions an 15 min spells to 5hrs would be better,3-30 to 5hrs will cover 90% and its in 3 segments
might be better at
less than 3-30,
3-30 to 3-45,
3-45 to 4,
4 to 4-15......etc

a better poll may be how long do you think a 3 ball should take to play 18 holes strokeplay

GreeBo

5+

shawpower wrote: »

When you say in your poll options 4 hours, 4.5 hours, 5 hours what is the breakdown on them? Is the 4 hours meant to cover between 4-4.5 hours? As in you said you now take 4.15 so where did you vote?

Good question!
4.5 hours in the poll would mean that you round takes "up to" 4.5 hours.

GreeBo

5+

soundsham wrote: »

a better poll may be how long do you think a 3 ball should take to play 18 holes strokeplay

I considered that, but I want to find out how long it actually takes...

shawpower

Other

I've voted for 4.25 hours. It can be quicker, and we're trying to bring in a rule where groups can only go out in threeballs in majors to try to speed it up. As mentioned in another thread elsewhere, we allow groups to go out in 4 balls for a singles comp which does slow it down a bit.

curly from cork

4.25 hours

stroke generally takes 4 hrs in a 3 ball. s /f about 3.45.
we are timed periodically. starting time and finshing time marked on the card. times for the rounds printed on the notice board.:eek:

irish_man

4.5 hours

at my club 4 balls aren't allowed on Sundays

Tom Ghostwood

4.75

Sundays round took my group nearly 5 hours. Ugh. We were a 4 ball out at 10.50 or something. The extra long round owed a lot to searching for balls in the long stuff but a lot more to do with us having to let three 2 balls play through over the course of the round. That totally killed any momentum we had going.

Usual time for a sunday singles (yes 4 ball) is just over 4 hours. I cant remember the last time i had a 3 & half hour round with a group.

conno16

Marshall/Ranger

get a good ranger out there thats not afraid to tell some auld fart to speed up or head back to the club house
its a simple solution and part of their job description as far as i know
players should never need to have words with the group ahead

generally if i'm being held up i just unload when i get to the tee, sometimes taking two drives if necessary
the group ahead normally get the message
if that doesn't work i call the pro shop and tell them to get the finger out
simple

Spot_the_Dog

conno16 wrote: »

generally if i'm being held up i just unload when i get to the tee, sometimes taking two drives if necessary

So reckless, dangerous and breaching the rules of competition.....am i missing anything here? :P

I know how annoying slow play is but would it not be safer just to let a roar out rather than firing balls at them?

conno16

Marshall/Ranger

tbh i'd rarely if ever hit anyone
but it gets the message across that one needs to speed up
c'mon we all places to be and things to do
as much as i love my golf i hate having to hang around and watch some hackers tear up the course in front of me

Spot_the_Dog

conno16 wrote: »

tbh i'd rarely if ever hit anyone
but it gets the message across that one needs to speed up
c'mon we all places to be and things to do
as much as i love my golf i hate having to hang around and watch some hackers tear up the course in front of me

Yeah but surely thats not the point. What about the one person that you may hit in the future that could suffer a serious head injury (i know there's a lot of conjecture there but the point is it could conceivably happen). I mean, you'd feel bad enough if it was a complete accident but i dont know if i could live with myself if i was impatient enough to lash a ball down the fairway and caused injury - maybe you're different.

Just chill, chat to your partners and enjoy the round.....

conno16

Marshall/Ranger

i'm sure this is the same for a lot of players but i tend to lose interest / focus if i have to hang around the tee for more than 10 mins every time i get round to it
theres no need for these constant delays

mike12

4.5 hours

Last year medals were taking around the 5 hour mark this year around the 4.25 for a 4 ball not sure what sped it up maybe a lot of complaining about it on the fourm and maybe a couple of members that caused it have left.
Mike

Speak Now

4 hours

About 3h 45m at my club but we still have people complaining about slow play :rolleyes:

Jasonw

None

Well done Conno - it's been a while since you hooked one. Spot, there's something you should know about our Conno........

Speak Now

4 hours

Jasonw wrote: »

Well done Conno - it's been a while since you hooked one. Spot, there's something you should know about our Conno........

Unless it's on his beloved manure thread :rolleyes:

charlieIRL

Two of us played an open singles there last night and there was a 3 ball in front of us and a 3 ball in front of them - ohhh holy fook if they went any slower we'd be going back in time. Totally lost my rythm playing from the stop starting and this coupled with rain and increasing wind just added to my frustration. it was not at my club and i know these in front of us are long time members so i wasn't going to ask them to move aside - i thought they would out of courtesy but no. One of the worst, most frustrating rounds in a long time and yet another 0.1 for me.:mad::mad:

GreeBo

5+

charlieIRL wrote: »

- i thought they would out of courtesy but no.

They are actually obligated to call you through, if they have lost ground. With them both being 3 balls this might not have happened.
Its a tough one to call, if the group ahead of you has no where to let you through to...what are they to do?

I think in this instance you might just need to suck it up, unless they are horribly slow (slower than a 3 ball should be)? But even then, its the group in fronts fault.

charlieIRL

GreeBo wrote: »

They are actually obligated to call you through, if they have lost ground. With them both being 3 balls this might not have happened.
Its a tough one to call, if the group ahead of you has no where to let you through to...what are they to do?

I think in this instance you might just need to suck it up, unless they are horribly slow (slower than a 3 ball should be)? But even then, its the group in fronts fault.

True, group in front of us should have been let thru themselves. All we could do was wait alright. Maybe i just need to slow myself down as well!!

upthe19th

4.5 hours

Slow play is a killer. always seems to happen when you're going well. We would usually see between 4 and 4.5 hours. Took 5 hours once and i lost me mind. some people think its there god given right to plod along 'cos they are members and they are paid up.

soundsham

4.75

what a brainfart that is !!!
you think members want to spend 5hrs out there.......give over

G1032

4.25 hours

Senior Cup 2008 in Strandhill.........
Was all matchplay then (no strokeplay qualifier).........
4 out of our 5 team members were waiting on the 5th tee, with the fifth player just finished the 4th while 1st team member was teeing off on fifth. Mental. I decided to lose early to get in out of it!!!! :D

Years ago in Junior Cup our entire team was gathered on the 6th tee in Ballinasloe (think it was ballinasloe anyway). 6 hour round.

GreeBo

5+

soundsham wrote: »

what a brainfart that is !!!
you think members want to spend 5hrs out there.......give over

There are lots of people who are happy to spend 5 hours out there as they are either slow walkers, not very good, enjoy the walk/chat or a combination of the above.

Hardly a "brainfart"...

scrubber72

walked off today after 2 and half hours for 9 holes. massive row with partners who were woeful slow. Told them they had to speed up cause the 3 ball in front went 3 holes ahead, group behind started 3 holes after us and caught up with us.

Solution left was to walk away and not play with them again.

ernieprice

Clubs need to enforce penalities for slow play. I played in a 4ball in my club on Wednesday and we went around in 3 1/2 hours. We had a 43pts 2 x 38pts and a 36 pts. Slow play ruins golf and rarely contributes to a low score.

dnjoyce

4.75

ernieprice wrote: »

Slow play ruins golf and rarely contributes to a low score.

I agree that slow play is evil and should be stamped out of the game and it drives me crackers - however it's clear from this thread that people are letting it affect them far too much. It's a bit like rain or wind etc - it's the same for everyone, so it can't/shouldn't be used as an excuse for bad play. The pro's generally play in 2-balls and are still sometimes approaching 5 hours for a round, yet are expected to perform to the best of their abilities. I'm not saying it would be easy (or indeed that I can do it myself) but if people learned to accept slow play and not get down about it or blame some of their bad shots on it, then they will be half a shot up on the field before they even start.

...now where's that Dr. Bob book...

Russman

The thing is, the pros shouldn't be taking 5 hours for a round, especially as they play so few shots compared to the rest of us, as then club players follow their example and think its ok. You only have to look at a Senior Cup or Junior Cup match to see the sh1te some players go on with and get away with, practically taking out a theodolite to look at a green.

Slow play definitely reduces your enjoyment of a round and therefore will probably effect your play, indirectly.

As for how long a round should take, IMO anything over 4 hours 15 mins is getting into the realm of ridiculous - unless its a massive course and/or really bad conditions. In most clubs the early morning players are generally around in between 3 & 3.5 hours. Obviously they have the benefit of being first out with a free run at the course, but mostly because its a point of pride that they can get round in a respectable time.

Even if you take plenty of time over a shot and just be ready to play when its your turn, that will make a massive difference to the length of a round, plus things like leaving your bag at the correct side of the green will also help. Nobody suggests running around but simple things can really help with pace of play.

I played in a two ball a few weeks ago and was amazed that we were around in 2:45 - we both played fairly well and didn't have to look for many balls, but genuinely felt we were only sauntering around between shots, it was only when we finished we realised the time.

Clubs need to enforce penalties and guidelines with persistant offenders, but the problem there is that oftentimes the enforcers are the culprits

golfwallah

Pace of Play (extracts from R&A site):
Clubs, public courses, resorts and competition organisers have differing views on what constitutes acceptable and unacceptable pace of play, but the fact is that slow play detracts from the enjoyment of the game for many players. Few golfers are heard to complain about play being too quick!

As a general rule, try to keep up with the group in front.

How players can minimise round times:

•Be aware of your position with regard to the group in front and keep up with that group.
•If you feel that your group is losing ground, tell the other players in your group.
•If your group is behind, try to catch up.
•If you lose a clear hole and are delaying the group behind, or if there is no group in front of you and you are delaying the group behind, invite the group behind to play through.
•Be ready to play your shot. While exercising due consideration for other players in your group, put your glove on, check your yardage, pick your club and line up your putt while others are playing.
•At the green, speed up your exit by positioning your bags on the way to the next tee.
•Move off the green as soon as all players in your group have holed out and mark score cards at or on the way to the next tee.
•Play a provisional ball if your ball may be lost outside a hazard or out of bounds.

thewobbler

Unfortunately golf is a bit like motorway driving. It only takes 1 person to slow the whole thing down and when you get 2 of them together, the knock on effect can last for hours.

The solution isn't that difficult. Each group is handed a timer before they start their round, and hands in a deposit. They get the deposit back with their timer.

Throw the times into a computer and just have a look out for when the spikes happen; things like which group caused the early morning 4 hour pace to become a 4.30 pace.

Keep an eye on this for a few weeks and you won't be long identifying who are the time eaters on a course. Even a pigheaded fool couldn't make a case for himself if it's pointed out that his group have caused the backlog 3 weeks in a row.