Slow Play again

FixdePitchmark

Is reporting people a bit childish ? Or school ground like ?

The best systems in the world are self - policing .

A culture of slow play is back in golf again after covid.

All golfers need to start talking again.."lads we are facing a 4hr30 min round here" ..can we keep things moving..be ready with your club at your go , or go when ready

Have a look at your routine and take something out of it .

Walk faster ..

Golf Ireland need to issue videos and an information campaign.

Pro.game needs to be seriously sorted out ..gone absolutely daft.

Scotland is great for golf ..over 4 hour rounds is simply not tolerated..

Culture in golf in Ireland gone a bit ,work from home...

Russman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122652341#Comment_122652341

Totally agree Fix,

The culture around slow play is bonkers at times. We've gone to now thinking 4:30/4:45 is grand, that a 4 hour round is "running", the whole "sure you're out for the day anyway" bla bla bla.

Not sure how to fix it though, because the real issue is that slow players don't think they're slow. Maybe Golf Ireland could do some work/presentations, even a bloody e-mail outlining what's acceptable.

BraveDonut

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122652341#Comment_122652341

I am not talking about reporting slow play. I am talking about reporting a group that has lost 4 holes and won't let you play through.
I would report this in my club and no, I don't think that this is childish.

coillcam

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122655406#Comment_122655406

Was kinda on the fence about this but on reflection you need to do something to incentivise people to cop on. I dunno if a few emails/videos from GI will help here.

If you were slowing things up on an expensive course you should meet a ranger querying the situation. Not that you'd be kicked off the course, but they'd bench you until a couple of groups passed through.

If you report the slow group what will actually happen to them beyond a friendly call that night from a committee member asking them to speed up?

It's not like they'll see any repercussions and if something warranted is another debate.

bustercherry

The rules allow for provisioning a max amount of time for a round and other stipulations in a comp e.g. You must either finish directly behind the group in front or be under 4.5 hours for the round, otherwise you are DQ (you get the idea). There is plenty ofd examples.

It's the same people in every club. You just start monitoring the persistent offenders and sanctioning them with DQs. Education and information campaigns are a waste of time unless you get to the people before they are allowed out in comps.

FixdePitchmark

An information campaign works in every other aspect of life.

Safety

workplace

smoking

cycling

Recycling

Health issues

Road safety

First Aid

Advertising / domestic life

Global warming

Political

Social issues

Security issues

Why is golf so different and it would make no differences - are golfers special types. A strange outlier of life.

bustercherry

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122657389#Comment_122657389

All those you could argue have pretty clear adverse consequences and information campaigns quite rightly trying to avoid those consequences.

There is no adverse consequences for slow play as far as I can see in most courses/clubs. The slow people have always been slow and no amount of education campaigns are going to change that unless they are also backed up by proper sanctions. It's a combination of carrot and stick that is required as we've had loads of education campaigns etc… and they don't work.

coillcam

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122658844#Comment_122658844

I agree entirely, there are signs (multiple even) on nearly every course indicating the appropriate pace at 1, 9 and in between. Posters in the locker room and pro shop. Plus occasional emails to members on etiquette and stepping aside.

There is an abundance of information that's being ignored and too much preciousness of "I'm not slow!" or "They can f'n wait, I'm not being raced around by xyz!".

Clearly, the info is inadequate and ineffective. It needs something else to supplement and make it more effective. I don't think we'll end up going as far as DQ'ing people in my club or having a way to "clock" them. The onus will be on players to call out the other groups respectfully and seek to play through.

I had an idea of suggesting a 2-3 strike policy. Eg if you get reported (with photos) that you're unreasonably holding up play. However, the reporter needs to have at least first spoken to group to move on or play through with nothing resulting afterwards. If you get reported 2-3 times, you lose access to booking tee times via app/web until you attend an etiquette meeting. The only issue with anything like this is it fosters animosity and takes a fair amount of admin effort with the balls to follow through on the committee side. I just foresee this being loads of photos, letters, moaning and phone calls without much improvement.

Maybe a mandatory etiquette refresher for everyone is required 1-2 times per year.

Russman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122660209#Comment_122660209

Exactly this. In reality, despite all our internet giving out, its a problem that won't ever be solved. One man's slow is another one's fast. You'll never get agreement on what slow is. Even setting time targets is a waste mostly. You can be well inside the time limit for say nine holes but still be slow and holding up the field, or you can keeping pace and well outside the time, depending on the conditions and time of day. I can think of one group in our place that would probably be regarded as fast if they played in the afternoon, but are deathly slow if you're caught behind them playing early. In a small club nobody is going to go the reporting route because of the bad feeling it would generate. I mean, its a club after all, we're all supposed to be on the same side.