Random Golf Thoughts

Watches would arguably speed up play vs not having one. You look at your watch, have your distance straight away and select your club. If you didn't have a watch you'd be trying to estimate how far from the nearest markers you are, and then humming and hawing about which club because not you're not fully sure of the distance

In my experience its not the technology that slows people down. Like Ivefoundgod said these people are slow regardless.

Even with a rangefinder you have the distance in 5 seconds max. The issue after is they pull out a club, set up to the ball, stop and change clubs, full routine again. I've played with someone a couple of times and they done this 2/3 times a round.

Now I do have an issue with higher handicaps using a rangefinder over a watch, 50% of the time they are mi****ting the ball and the other 50% of the time they are coming up short.

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm not being a snob, but my home course is a links. The more green fees the better. I don't mind people making a day out of it either. It's the really unnecessary delays that are so frustrating. Getting out the shotscope; selecting a club, going back to the bag to pick another club, the elaborate routines, back to the scope for another look - then landing it 10 metres short of the green anyway.



All this tech sh1t is starting to annoy me.

I actually find anyone that doesn't have at least a watch on slows the game up even more. I played golf with someone a few weeks back who would always take a wander to look for the fairway markers to check to see where he was was in relation to the green. Noting wrong with that because I suppose that's what they're there for. But some incidents he was 20 yards off line in the rough and he walks back into the fairway to check the marker, takes another few seconds to work out the potential difference from where his ball is lying compared to the nearest marker and then goes about picking the right club! All that sh**e could be cut out with a quick glance at a watch.

blue note wrote: »

Spot on. Saying that looking at your watch slows you down is the exact same as someone being beside the fairway marker and looking at it. And if you're off line it saves someone drawing an arc in their mind to try to work out how far they are from the green.

The lasers can add a little time alright.

What I do see more and more is fellas with preshot routines that take a little while. When I was growing up everyone basically took a couple of practice swings and then hit the ball. Now people are doing funny things before hitting. Like making a couple of half swings, or standing behind the ball and looking down the fairways for a few seconds before hitting or the like. I know we hear that having a process can help with consistency and all of that, but I wonder would we be better off having that process being two practice swings to familiarise yourself with the length / weight of the club and then hit the ball.

Standing behind the ball and picking the spot you're aiming for is pretty essential for most players I'd say.

I take a practice swing, walk back behind the ball, pick the spot I'm aiming for then set up to the ball and hit. I think that's pretty standard for 90% of club players, some might take a second practice swing

blue note wrote: »

Maybe I should put this in things that annoy me about golf - but people being late / not showing up can be very annoying!

On Sunday I was down for 8:20. I arrived at 8. At 8:10 no-one was going to the tee and the two guys I was down with hadn't shown. I got chatting to the lads at 8:10 and they were waiting on two as well. In fairness, they were young lads and the two fellas that hadn't arrived yet had scored the night before so I won't judge them for being late. But it meant that no-one went off at 8:10. Then my two guys never showed up at all, so no-one went off at 8:20 either.

I was able to join the 8:50 group and with the 8:10 group squeezing in it pushed us out a little, but it was an annoying start to the day! It easily added 45 minutes to the time I finished at. And it's extra annoying at that time of the day, because it pushes the whole timesheet back.

In that situation you should have joined up with the 8.10 group and went off at 8.20 as the 8.10 latecomers and your mates had missed their teetime. No point screwing up the timesheet completely. I wouldn't be hanging around for anyone in that situation

blue note wrote: »

Maybe I should put this in things that annoy me about golf - but people being late / not showing up can be very annoying!

On Sunday I was down for 8:20. I arrived at 8. At 8:10 no-one was going to the tee and the two guys I was down with hadn't shown. I got chatting to the lads at 8:10 and they were waiting on two as well. In fairness, they were young lads and the two fellas that hadn't arrived yet had scored the night before so I won't judge them for being late. But it meant that no-one went off at 8:10. Then my two guys never showed up at all, so no-one went off at 8:20 either.

I was able to join the 8:50 group and with the 8:10 group squeezing in it pushed us out a little, but it was an annoying start to the day! It easily added 45 minutes to the time I finished at. And it's extra annoying at that time of the day, because it pushes the whole timesheet back.

You could have just gone out in a 3 ball with the two lads from 8.10. Go into the shop, tell them what happened and edit the names on the line. Simple as that.

blue note wrote: »

Spot on. Saying that looking at your watch slows you down is the exact same as someone being beside the fairway marker and looking at it. And if you're off line it saves someone drawing an arc in their mind to try to work out how far they are from the green.

The lasers can add a little time alright.

What I do see more and more is fellas with preshot routines that take a little while. When I was growing up everyone basically took a couple of practice swings and then hit the ball. Now people are doing funny things before hitting. Like making a couple of half swings, or standing behind the ball and looking down the fairways for a few seconds before hitting or the like. I know we hear that having a process can help with consistency and all of that, but I wonder would we be better off having that process being two practice swings to familiarise yourself with the length / weight of the club and then hit the ball.

On the latter, I still think its down to the individual how long they take to hit their shot. My routine is to pick a line by identifying something on the ground in front of the ball to aim at which is in line with my target so I'll stand behind the ball for a couple of seconds until I find that point, this can be done while waiting for someone else to hit though. Practice swing from behind the ball, then approach ball and hit. Where it gets slow is where people do the same thing but take 2 or 3 practice swings, then forget what they were meant to be aiming at so have to restart or change their mind. Thats down the player, not the pre shot routine. Theres another point though about low handicap players, I'm inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt in terms of routine because they're generally not losing balls or delaying the group so taking an extra 10 seconds to line up their shot is fine by me. When you've a beginner or higher handicap player mimicking the same routine and duffing the ball or whatever is where it gets frustrating.

The other side of this for me is I hate playing with players who constantly bemoan the pace of play or are rushing from hole to hole. For me, 18 holes is going to take 4 hours of a weekend in a competition. You might get lucky and be quicker but in general that's the minimum. Its been that way since I was a teenager and even with me giving up for over a decade and coming back it still takes the same amount of time. I don't think much has changed, that's just how long it takes to get a 3 or 4 ball around an 18 hole golf course. Playing with someone who moans at having to wait a minute or two for the group ahead to look for a ball or whatever is just annoying to me. I'm in a good mood playing golf (regardless of how well or not I'm playing), I don't want it soured by someone constantly moaning.

Miley Byrne wrote: »

Their mates had missed their teetime, tough luck where I'm concerned

Ah have a heart! These were lads in their early 20s! In these covid times I can't imagine they've had much opportunity for hook-ups. I was annoyed, but on balance I'd gladly give up part of my morning for those lads to have their fun!

Had I been the lucky man hooking up though I'd still have been on time for my tee time. 20 minutes? Lol, I wouldn't need that long!

blue note wrote: »

I think you're flat out wrong on giving the lower handicap guys the benefit of the doubt and not others. If it works, it works. And if it means the higher handicap golfer will take a couple shots fewer in the round, or even looks for fewer balls overall, then it's worth it.

But I don't think it is. I think it's usually a time wasting bad habit.

Thats a fair point too. When I say low handicap I mean < 3 or so not just single digits. I suppose the way I look at that level of player is they're playing a different game to me and 90% of club players. I've no issue with high handicap players having a routine, I think all players should have one if they want to improve but I suppose I'm less forgiving of a long routine in a high handicap player compared to a guy shooting in the low 70s most days out. That might be my own bias though to be fair.

Motivator wrote: »

There was wicked bother in our club a few weeks ago. A Sunday morning competition with a full time sheet, a young lad was up smoking joints in his car in the car park and was late to his tee time. The three he was playing with teed off without him so he ran down to the shop, signed in and paid his money. He walked on to the tee ahead of the next group and played the first hole on his own before joining his group on the second fairway. There was absolute murder over it.

That’s crazy carry on. He should have just smoked on the course so he wouldn’t delay anyone

The measure distance feature on a watch is great for this.

https://irishgolfer.ie/latest-golf-news/feature-interviews/2021/05/16/forever-knocking-on-the-door-caolan-rafferty/

Interesting piece on Irish amateur Caolan Rafferty who just got an invite to this week's Irish Open.

Mantis Toboggan wrote: »

https://youtu.be/QHJ-GDKxo7c

Anyone ever hear of Frisbee golf?

I do a bit of work in the states around oregon, the american lads took us out to play this.. me thinking it was one frisbee each like you take to the beach here...

Yer man pulls out a bag with 6 different ones in..all different weights and shapes (i couldnt tell) spent upwards of 300 lids on them... great game and they love it over there.