We Need To Talk About Slow Play

FixdePitchmark

alxmorgan wrote: »

3 ball tonight in a comp - 3:30.
Waiting on at least half of the holes for a short period for group ahead.
No rush on us, steady pace. Did all the simple things to keep things moving that everyone knows about.

Not always going to be like this but puts a 2:30 front 9 in perspective for me.

I'm on a course where above is a target for a 3 ball - a good 4 ball can do it in that.
Yes it is easy - tight in places.

But - for me this is a big factor why I joined. Enables me to play double the amount of golf. Bascially, on your own you can get around in 3 hours - a little less. Such a difference in enjoyment and removing the panic of trying to pick up kids - getting to work - having lunch in club house.

As in - If I'm on an evening shift - I can play golf , do stuff with kids , get home.

I always planed on joining a big links course - but you know what - I'm getting very accustomed and comfortable with quick golf , with no pressure. Makes such a difference in , a) your enjoyment and b) getting out more.

6 holes just now - less than 1 hour. Playing 2 balls.

Montgolfier

Whats interesting is there is a rule against slow play yet, you can spend 5 minutes looking for your ball.
Lets say one person loses a ball on each whole thats 5 minutes times 18 holes equals 90 minutes during a round looking for golf balls potentially.
What would happen if the course was full and bad rough typical this time of year.
Balls being sprayed all over the course, I'm sure this is a big factor in slow play, maybe more so that faffing around the green or the extra practice swing.

GreeBo

That 90 minutes isn't a real number though, the course doesn't care that 90 mins was spent looking for balls.

It doesn't mean the course is 90 mins behind either, IF you let people play through.
Looking for balls is fine, you just have to look behind you while you do it.

Norfolk Enchants_

Montgolfier wrote: »

Whats interesting is there is a rule against slow play yet, you can spend 5 minutes looking for your ball.
Lets say one person loses a ball on each whole thats 5 minutes times 18 holes equals 90 minutes during a round looking for golf balls potentially.
What would happen if the course was full and bad rough typical this time of year.
Balls being sprayed all over the course, I'm sure this is a big factor in slow play, maybe more so that faffing around the green or the extra practice swing.

You're not meant to look for 5 minutes without calling the crowd behind through, once it becomes immediatley apparent you won't find your ball quickly (typically you'll know within 15-20 seconds of arriving where your ball is likely to be) you are then suppose to call the crowd behind through. Not calling them through when you're suppose to, leads to slow play, playing badly (or just been a bad player fullstop) doesn't necessarily mean you will be slow, although usually beginners are slow because they are unaware of the correct use of etiquette and guidelines to play at a reasonable pace.

the greatest game

Well said..

- That would drive me mental.. I have played with guys like that, nothing worse.

- I just noticed on our notice board at the club, a poster regarding slow play, at a recent medal, it took some members 4 Hours 45 Minutes to complete their rounds,
Now , I can well believe it, as I am coming down the 18th at 10am , I can see it blocked up - lads with their three practice swings... I say poor b*stards stuck in that, Anyway the committeeeee are going to be keeping an eye on it ! im sure they are .. better chance of finding shergar!

Ben1977 wrote: »

Some good replies.
Let me write between the lines for you all.
The lads I played with I've had a couple of drinks with and played with them on some inter club teams. Sound blokes I'd play with them again no problem.

I was out of comp in my head after the 3rd, never stops me from enjoying my golf and the company. One of the other lads was out on the next hole.

In around the 5th hole I was ready to go. I said " lads we are a bit slow, I know it's not my honor, I'm ready to go is it ok to hit away". Reply "sure bang away". This happened on a couple of holes, just to speed things up.

I'm not running up the fairway to get away and being a moody teen, I'm just picking up the pace. The lads were still with the heads in bag on some occasions or reading a text off the phone.

During the front 9 on 5 occasions I said "we are slow lads let's pick up the pace". At the 10th tee I said "2.5 hours for the front". One lad said "s****".

On the back 9 the other lad out of the comp, decided that every putt was for the green jacket even the 8 inch putt for a 4 putt. Next hole they were in the green, as I walked on I said" grab the pin I'm hitting this on the running".

At the end of the day, no matter who is on the course we should keep a good pace. If there were a couple of groups behind us, it's might have taken3hrs to complete the front 9. My point was that they didn't even have a clue how slow they were.

The reason why I'm running out of playing partners in the club is, I just can't spend 4+ hours on the course. It seems to be the norm and it has to change.

hades

What a day yesterday, i played the Gold Coast in Dungarvan for the first time. I was there with a buddy and we were playing the open singles as a two ball.

We walked over to the first tee, there was a four ball getting ready to play. They saw there was only 2 of us...... "hit away there lads, we wouldn't want to hold ye up." Very nice of the lads.

We were going around at a nice pace but not running as we knew our 2 ball was in the minority that day.

We got onto the par 3 8th (i think) and there was a four ball just finishing on the green. After they cleared we tee'd off and while we walked over to the green one of the lads ahead was walking the adjacent fairway and says "we'll leave ye thru on the next tee box". Wow, thats really considerate i thought, we literally just got behind them and they're letting us thru.

Once we got thru that 4 ball we tipped along at a leisurely pace, but we came up behind a 3 ball, once they say us they tried to wave us on. But i waved back saying it was grand we were in no rush. A few holes later one of those lads seemed to loose a ball, the second we got on the tee box behind them we were waved to play on.

That was 3 different instances of really nice behavior on the course, and while we all gladly complain about ignorant self important golfers, i think its important to point out the good ones aswell.

We finished our round in under 3 hours.

Wichita Lineman

Nice to see a good experience on any course but I had a horrendous time at Gold Coast last year being bombarded with balls from behind after a 9 hole Presidents BBQ outing cut in halfway through our round and the guys in the shop were extremely ignorant about it. My young teenage son and I were almost hit a few times and that is totally unacceptable. I holiday in the area every year and I have already taken every opportunity I can to dissuade people from playing there.

p_mac

"Slow play is a problem on the PGA Tour, and I think that's our biggest concern."

"We are worried about putters and golf balls and all these things, but I think we should be more concerned about slow play and speeding the game up, not just for pros but for amateur golfers, as well"

"Nobody wants to play a game that takes five and a half hours to play. We want everybody to be able to play and go a lot faster."

- Bubba Watson

Norfolk Enchants_

Andy Dunne11 wrote: »

Nice to see a good experience on any course but I had a horrendous time at Gold Coast last year being bombarded with balls from behind after a 9 hole Presidents BBQ outing cut in halfway through our round and the guys in the shop were extremely ignorant about it. My young teenage son and I were almost hit a few times and that is totally unacceptable. I holiday in the area every year and I have already taken every opportunity I can to dissuade people from playing there.

Yea that's nice Andy, don't hold a grudge or anything like that or tar them all with the same brush just because you had one bad experience.

Norfolk Enchants_

hades wrote: »

What a day yesterday, i played the Gold Coast in Dungarvan for the first time. I was there with a buddy and we were playing the open singles as a two ball.

We walked over to the first tee, there was a four ball getting ready to play. They saw there was only 2 of us...... "hit away there lads, we wouldn't want to hold ye up." Very nice of the lads.

We were going around at a nice pace but not running as we knew our 2 ball was in the minority that day.

We got onto the par 3 8th (i think) and there was a four ball just finishing on the green. After they cleared we tee'd off and while we walked over to the green one of the lads ahead was walking the adjacent fairway and says "we'll leave ye thru on the next tee box". Wow, thats really considerate i thought, we literally just got behind them and they're letting us thru.

Once we got thru that 4 ball we tipped along at a leisurely pace, but we came up behind a 3 ball, once they say us they tried to wave us on. But i waved back saying it was grand we were in no rush. A few holes later one of those lads seemed to loose a ball, the second we got on the tee box behind them we were waved to play on.

That was 3 different instances of really nice behavior on the course, and while we all gladly complain about ignorant self important golfers, i think its important to point out the good ones aswell.

We finished our round in under 3 hours.

Hades that's a superb story, thanks for sharing, just one tiny point I would take a small issue with is when the threeball intially called you through and you declined, in my experience the correct and courteous thing to do when called through is to always accept the offer if for no other reason than to acknowledge the courtesy they have extended.

slingerz

Played captains prize as the 3rd group out sunday morning as a 2 ball. the group in front of us a 3ball lost 4 holes by the finish on the first group out without ever calling us through. and it wasnt looking for golf balls it was general slowness over their shots and lining up putts etc.

hades

Norfolk Enchants_ wrote: »

Hades that's a superb story, thanks for sharing, just one tiny point I would take a small issue with is when the threeball intially called you through and you declined, in my experience the correct and courteous thing to do when called through is to always accept the offer if for no other reason than to acknowledge the courtesy they have extended.

I think its as important to share the good stories as the bad experiences. We can all moan and complain about slow, myself included.

You have a fair point about us accepting the invite to be called thru when we were offered it originally. But i did acknowledge the call thru offer and said its grand we were in no rush. We in turn slow our pace down as a 2 ball, so they actually pulled away from us slightly and it wasn't until they lost a ball that we were behind them again.

Montgolfier

On a lighter note. Played Mount Juliet last week this was there attitude see photo.

D Hayes

Ben1977 wrote: »

In around the 5th hole I was ready to go. I said " lads we are a bit slow, I know it's not my honor, I'm ready to go is it ok to hit away". Reply "sure bang away". This happened on a couple of holes, just to speed things up.

I think you've hit the nail on the head with this one. It's all about "Ready Golf". I took this pic a couple of weeks ago in Ballybunion. If this became the norm over "honour" on the tee-box, it would cut down round times drastically.

GreeBo

^
tbh I've never really found the honour system to be the cause of slow play myself.

D Hayes

I do find it a cause of slow play. Slowness of getting from green to next tee-box. I've seen a lot of instances of guys taking ages to put their glove on, select club, check wind, get yardage etc. It all adds up.

If someone is ready, drive on.

JOSman

Ready golf is the way to go.

GreeBo

D Hayes wrote: »

I do find it a cause of slow play. Slowness of getting from green to next tee-box. I've seen a lot of instances of guys taking ages to put their glove on, select club, check wind, get yardage etc. It all adds up.

If someone is ready, drive on.

But if those guys are slow they will be slow whether or not its their turn or not.
I dont particularly play ready golf, will allow someone the honour if they have earned it, but if they are flapping about at their bag etc then I will hit away regardless.

alxmorgan

GreeBo wrote: »

But if those guys are slow they will be slow whether or not its their turn or not.
I dont particularly play ready golf, will allow someone the honour if they have earned it, but if they are flapping about at their bag etc then I will hit away regardless.

I'm not slow (well at least I hope not ) but the slowest part of my game is on the tee box as I take time to consider all my options before hitting.
A lot of guys know exactly what they are going to do on every tee box so ready golf makes sense to me as they can hit away.

I think the name of it - honour - is a bit mad too. Suggests it's way more important than it is (which is to say IMHO not important at all) . And perhaps because of that gets in the way of ready golf.

GreeBo

alxmorgan wrote: »

I'm not slow (well at least I hope not ) but the slowest part of my game is on the tee box as I take time to consider all my options before hitting.
A lot of guys know exactly what they are going to do on every tee box so ready golf makes sense to me as they can hit away.

I think the name of it - honour - is a bit mad too. Suggests it's way more important than it is (which is to say IMHO not important at all) . And perhaps because of that gets in the way of ready golf.

On a strange course thats understandable, but on your own course...dont you already have a plan(s) for the hole?!

alxmorgan

GreeBo wrote: »

On a strange course thats understandable, but on your own course...dont you already have a plan(s) for the hole?!

I do but depending on tee position, wind, and how I feel about a club (sometimes I just don't feel confident hitting my normal club for that hole) I change all the time so I would still be slowest on the tee box even at home.

PARlance

Don't know if it has been mentioned already but that BallyB note reminded me of a another form of ready golf. An extreme one some may say.

A mate joined BallyB this year.
At his first club comp, he was with informed on the first tee that his particular group had its own little variation (not sure if it's common amongst most members)
Their variation is "you lose it, you find it".

He was a bit taken aback by it at first but a few holes in (and having showered and sipping a pint at the 4hour mark) he was a convert.
Provisionals were always hit.
The guy with the wayward strike would take it upon himself to increase his pace from tee to the ball giving him extra searching time.
By the time the other 2 had got to theirs and hit them, then the 5 mins was nearly, if not, expired. Time to move on.
He said it also increased his awareness when he had a poor strike.
And why wouldn't it, you're on your own buddy

Not one "maybe lost ball" in the group went unfound (they're all low so that helped)
3 ball came in well under 3.5 hours. I think he said it was just over 3hrs 15min and it didn't seem like a rushed round.
Maybe an unrealistic benchmark as they were one of the first out and all well above average golfers. That said, they didn't have to be let through by any of the groups ahead either so others could do it too.

Personally I think a "you lose it, you find it" approach would bring a major change to the pace of play.
It struck me as being a bit severe or rude when he first told me the story but golf is a game were you are generally on your own:
It's your responsibility to call rules etc, you can't get assistance (non team obv) with clubbing etc, so for a club comp / casual round, why not have it that it's completely up to the player to find their own ball.
(Let the bigger AM events and Pro Tours have finders / spectators assisting etc. that's not going to change)

GreeBo

PARlance wrote: »

Don't know if it has been mentioned already but that BallyB note reminded me of a another form of ready golf. An extreme one some may say.

A mate joined BallyB this year.
At his first club comp, he was with informed on the first tee that his particular group had its own little variation (not sure if it's common amongst most members)
Their variation is "you lose it, you find it".

He was a bit taken aback by it at first but a few holes in (and having showered and sipping a pint at the 4hour mark) he was a convert.
Provisionals were always hit.
The guy with the wayward strike would take it upon himself to increase his pace from tee to the ball giving him extra searching time.
By the time the other 2 had got to theirs and hit them, then the 5 mins was nearly, if not, expired. Time to move on.
He said it also increased his awareness when he had a poor strike.
And why wouldn't it, you're on your own buddy

Not one "maybe lost ball" in the group went unfound (they're all low so that helped)
3 ball came in well under 3.5 hours. I think he said it was just over 3hrs 15min and it didn't seem like a rushed round.
Maybe an unrealistic benchmark as they were one of the first out and all well above average golfers. That said, they didn't have to be let through by any of the groups ahead either so others could do it too.

Personally I think a "you lose it, you find it" approach would bring a major change to the pace of play.
It struck me as being a bit severe or rude when he first told me the story but golf is a game were you are generally on your own:
It's your responsibility to call rules etc, you can't get assistance (non team obv) with clubbing etc, so for a club comp / casual round, why not have it that it's completely up to the player to find their own ball.
(Let the bigger AM events and Pro Tours have finders / spectators assisting etc. that's not going to change)

If someone in the group loses their ball, one guy should still play his shot while the other look, once he hits, someone else hits and the first guy helps to look.
That way, once the 5 mins are up you all just walk on.
Not like I see every week, the guy gives up when the people behind arrive on the tee, and then the rest of the group still need to hit... Grrr

spacecoyote

GreeBo wrote: »

If someone in the group loses their ball, one guy should still play his shot while the other look, once he hits, someone else hits and the first guy helps to look.
That way, once the 5 mins are up you all just walk on.
Not like I see every week, the guy gives up when the people behind arrive on the tee, and then the rest of the group still need to hit... Grrr

+1, I always try to do this & encourage my playing partners to do the same if it's my ball that's lost. It just makes sense, not sure why so many don't do it

bustercherry

GreeBo wrote: »

If someone in the group loses their ball, one guy should still play his shot while the other look, once he hits, someone else hits and the first guy helps to look.
That way, once the 5 mins are up you all just walk on.
Not like I see every week, the guy gives up when the people behind arrive on the tee, and then the rest of the group still need to hit... Grrr

Agreed, if you hit first you don't just stand there not helping someone for 4 minutes being an unmannerly cnut.

GreeBo

bustercherry wrote: »

Agreed, if you hit first you don't just stand there not helping someone for 4 minutes being an unmannerly cnut.

Unless of course its a match, in which case you look aimlessly in the wrong place, and if you do happen to find the ball, stand on it.

PARlance

I hit away myself and then search but to have a real effect I think it'd be far better to leave they guy searching by himself.

I've hit away, hit a poor one and then taken more time that I would have to find it due to losing my line whilst assisting the other player.

Typing that, it does still have a hint of selfishness about it.... but on the other hand, I don't know too many other rules that allow a player to be assisted by another during a round.

It'd certainly speed things up considerably and it may just improve people's ability to find their own ball. Some people are just lazy and rely on others far too much imo.

PARlance

bustercherry wrote: »

Agreed, if you hit first you don't just stand there not helping someone for 4 minutes being an unmannerly cnut.

A lot of the current rules make you an unmannerly cnut :
What club did you hit there? Unmannerly cnut remains silent.
What way does that putt break? Unmannerly cnut remains silent.
I've broken my driver can I use yours? Unmannerly cnut doesn't allow

In relation to slow play, I would welcome people having another reason to become one.

bustercherry

PARlance wrote: »

A lot of the current rules make you an unmannerly cnut :
What club did you hit there? Unmannerly cnut remains silent.
What way does that putt break? Unmannerly cnut remains silent.
I've broken my driver can I use yours? Unmannerly cnut doesn't allow

In relation to slow play, I would welcome people having another reason to become one.

There is no rule to say your not allowed to help a person look for their ball. Greebo already pointed it's not slowing anyone if they follow etiquette - hit then search. So whats your point?

Also when you play in the winter and the sun is very low in the sky; it's hard to get a mark on a ball. It's good manners to keep an eye on your playing partners shots and I would expect them the same extended to myself.

PARlance

bustercherry wrote: »

There is no rule to say your not allowed to help a person look for their ball. Greebo already pointed it's not slowing anyone if they follow etiquette - hit then search. So whats your point?

Also when you play in the winter and the sun is very low in the sky; it's hard to get a mark on a ball. It's good manners to keep an eye on your playing partners shots and I would expect them the same extended to myself.

Aye, I'm aware that there is no rule.
We're not discussing the rules of golf here. We're talking about slow play and OP has invited our views on improving it. I think it's a given to assume that some suggestions would result in rule or etiquette changes.

Re winter sun:
In my suggestion to address slow play, it was solely based on "the search".
Helping someone by giving them a mark or line doesn't slow up play imo and I wouldn't suggest that anything change re that.

Barnaboy

I have to say nothing annoys me more in golf than when your playing partners either don't watch your shot or help you search, particularly when you are not playing that well- sure it doesn't matter :rolleyes: What they forget is that you may be fighting to get into the buffer to avoid a 0.1....

I think it's great when I find a partner's ball and vice versa. You really feel like you have done them a favour.

Don't forget when a pro hits a dodgy one, he has dozens of people helping to find it, why shouldn't we get some help?

In fairness, lost balls are a major cause of slow play on courses, but much of it is related to others not playing their own before searching and/or people taking far more than the 5 minutes allowed. How that is judged is beyond me, don't ever recall seeing anyone note the time before starting to search for a ball!

WHIP IT!

In my mind, the greatest cause of slow play is simply not being ready to play when it's your turn. Even in the pro game, how many times have you seen a pro take his approach shot and then his playing partner, with caddie close by, gets the yardage book out and starts planning his shot?!

Ready golf - keep 'er lit, Lads...

ib_sanf

+1 for this on top of Parlances original suggestion.
Would also make players think about shot/club selection when playing a difficult course.
i.e not continually take on shots that are beyond their ability.

Ultimately when you hit a stray shot it's your responsibility.
Playing partners spot your shot. Play a Provo if you're in any doubt and still in the hole.

GreeBo wrote: »

If someone in the group loses their ball, one guy should still play his shot while the other look, once he hits, someone else hits and the first guy helps to look.
That way, once the 5 mins are up you all just walk on.
Not like I see every week, the guy gives up when the people behind arrive on the tee, and then the rest of the group still need to hit... Grrr

geeksauce

WHIP IT! wrote: »

In my mind, the greatest cause of slow play is simply not being ready to play when it's your turn. Even in the pro game, how many times have you seen a pro take his approach shot and then his playing partner, with caddie close by, gets the yardage book out and starts planning his shot?!

Ready golf - keep 'er lit, Lads...

I agree its very annoying when stood on a tee with say a 3 ball ahead on the fairway, one lad is hitting his shot and the other two are just standing there watching him then the 2nd fella goes to take his shot and stands there deciding what club to hit etc. when he should have had all that ready by then.

bustercherry

Standing around watching someone look for a ball for 3 or 4 minutes "when it's possible" you could help is not going to speed up play; for example waiting for a green to clear. Ultimately that player could exhaust their 5 minutes and all you do is look like a dick for not helping.

If your group is looking for a ball and a group behind is waiting; you let them through not don't hold up the pace of play on the course. It's the responsibility of the group to play at an adequate pace (largely dictated by the 1st few groups out) and not hold up the course; not the individual as they all must finish together anyway.

This sort of behaviour described by Parlance would be better of in the "Aggressive behaviour on the course" thread. It's bullying plain and simple by the rest of the players in the group; as they are trying to make the other player uncomfortable about looking for lost balls, in the hope the player will simply move on.

Looking for a ball, either as an individual or group, while holding up the course is slow play. Looking for a lost ball (within the rules) is not slow play. Holding up your group while looking for your ball is not slow play; you are perfectly entitled to do so and the rest of the group should accept this.

GreeBo

bustercherry wrote: »

Looking for a ball, either as an individual or group, while holding up the course is slow play. Looking for a lost ball (within the rules) is not slow play. Holding up your group while looking for your ball is not slow play; you are perfectly entitled to do so and the rest of the group should accept this.

Thats why one person plays while the other looks, far less impact to everyone.

bustercherry

GreeBo wrote: »

Thats why one person plays while the other looks, far less impact to everyone.

Yep but thats plain common sense. The point I was making whether the other 1/2/3 people in the group help or not will make no impact to groups pace. Everyone will potentially still be waiting/helping for 5 minutes until the player looking has to move on/play the provisional. They will have impact on the group behind, hence call the group through if you are looking.

Making it a rule other players in a group cannot help look for a ball will not increase the pace of play as a player is allowed 5 minutes to search. The other players in the group will have to afford them the courtesy to look anyway.

geeksauce

bustercherry wrote: »

Yep but thats plain common sense. The point I was making whether the other 1/2/3 people in the group help or not will make no impact to groups pace. Everyone will potentially still be waiting/helping for 5 minutes until the player looking has to move on/play the provisional. They will have impact on the group behind, hence call the group through if you are looking.

Making it a rule other players in a group cannot help look for a ball will not increase the pace of play as a player is allowed 5 minutes to search. The other players in the group will have to afford them the courtesy to look anyway.

And chances are it will be found quicker than the 5 minutes if three people are looking instead of one.

PARlance

GreeBo wrote: »

Thats why one person plays while the other looks, far less impact to everyone.

I do this myself but the more I'm thinking about it, the less I'm convinced that it's a time saver.
I don't know about you, but I find that while it does promote the second guy to do the same, I generally find it is done in a "tag team" scenario.
If I'm hitting first then it's generally only when I approach the rough that the second will tag out. Given the nature of a ball in trouble, there is generally a bit of a walk to/from.
I would say that at least 2-3 mins is taken from when the first guy gets to the search area, then another 2 mins at least before the second guy gets over to his ball, gets ready, hits and generally returns to the scene of the crime.
In my experience, his return generally brings on the "sure I'll give it another couple of minutes".


Just a thought but maybe the staggered nature and the fact that it is "refreshed" at least a couple of times (possibly 3*) can lead to a long 5 minutes.
*Quite often, the first guy to hit will walk to the search area first and then decide/remember to play away

bustercherry

geeksauce wrote: »

And chances are it will be found quicker than the 5 minutes if three people are looking instead of one.

Yep and it doesn't take an expert in Bayesian search theory to draw that conclusion either

PARlance

geeksauce wrote: »

And chances are it will be found quicker than the 5 minutes if three people are looking instead of one.

bustercherry wrote: »

Yep and it doesn't take an expert in Bayesian search theory to draw that conclusion either

Of course a ball will be found quicker if a group are searching for it, it doesn't mean the round will be quicker and that is the discussion, my bayesian logic suggests that it slows down play

spacecoyote

bustercherry wrote: »

Yep and it doesn't take an expert in Bayesian search theory to draw that conclusion either

God that brings back some awful college nightmares

harpsman

GreeBo wrote: »

But if those guys are slow they will be slow whether or not its their turn or not.
I dont particularly play ready golf, will allow someone the honour if they have earned it, but if they are flapping about at their bag etc then I will hit away regardless.

Sounds like ready golf to me!
Ive seen slow players walk past their own ball 30 yards,spend 5 mins lookin for someone elses,then traipse the 30 yards back to their own ball.

ronnie3585

Just watching the Open on Sky Sports and one of the commentators said that the three balls are taking an average of 5 hours and 15 mins!

Definitely no ready golf on tour!

alxmorgan

Played Captains Prize yesterday. Had to tee off at 11 instead of my usual pre-8am spot due to home circumstances. So we were a 2 ball, behind a 2 ball and most of course was 3 balls ahead.

4.5 hours. Waiting on pretty much every shot. Painfully slow. I can safely say based on just the two of us we would have been around in 3 hours handy taking our time.

Best advertisement ever for playing early. :rolleyes:

Felexicon

Playing Corballis last Saturday in a 3 ball. We were stuck behind a 4 ball the whole way round. They were at pretty much everything listed previously but I had to laugh while we watched as they put sun cream on each other in the middle of the 15th/16th fairway. Held us and the group playing 15 up for about 5 minutes.

Madness

Rikand

Played in a singles stroke competition last week, we were out in fourballs. My dad was in the group behind us.

our group got around the 18 holes in 4 hours. When i was driving out the gate, i saw my dads group on the 16th tee, it took them almost 5 hours to get around.....

...... And all because of one player ( not my dad ) but in his group. Slow as bejimbo!

ssbob

Rikand wrote: »

Played in a singles stroke competition last week, we were out in fourballs. My dad was in the group behind us.

our group got around the 18 holes in 4 hours. When i was driving out the gate, i saw my dads group on the 16th tee, it took them almost 5 hours to get around.....

...... And all because of one player ( not my dad ) but in his group. Slow as bejimbo!

Unfortunately this is a ranger issue. Would your dads group not encourage this guy to speed up?

Benny Cake

6 hours ten minutes to play 18 at Palmerstown House yesterday. Out behind the slowest society in the history of the universe. On one particular tee box the four guys ahead of us took a collective 38 practise swings between them. One of my most frustrating days on a golf course and further cementing in my mind why I play 99% of my golf at 7 o'clock in the morning...

BoardsMember

Madness. I would have walked off. I gave up for a month as was only able to get out mid afternoon Saturday and ended up playing muck at slow place. No fun in that.