Monthly Medal Stroke round - 4 hours!? Opinions?

[nadg63]

For our Sunday Comp it was the Monthly Medal hence it was Stroke.

We had our regular 4-some, third group off, the two groups in front of us being a 2 and a 3.

Anyway, we played our round, took 4 hours, which I thought was pretty good for a stroke round, (couple of 'lost' balls in there), but obviously the course 'marshall' didn't as after the 18th he came over and busted us for 'slow play' - and this with the group following us over a hole behind! :evil: We had checked cards, put in scores, ordered and received drinks and sat down drinking them by the time they'd putted out at the last - a whole 10+ minutes after we had finished, yet WE got busted for slow play ............................. not happy! (and the four of us let the marshall know our feelings on the matter so we are likely to cop crap again next week! :( )

So what are your thoughts out there, is 4 hours to play stroke slow .............. !?

:evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

[BenM]

Not if you are keeping up with the group in front. Though that's more difficult if the group in front is only 3.

[mrbluu]

The marshall sounds like a toss bag....

[highballin]

We had a slow round yesterday MM. Group in front had problems with lost ball called us through. Then we had problems called them through. In the end no dramas. Few beers some tall stories and all was well.

Nadg you better come to Fleurieu more relaxed 8)

[PeteyD]

The marshall has a shitty job to do.

[nadg63]

We had a slow round yesterday MM. Group in front had problems with lost ball called us through. Then we had problems called them through. In the end no dramas. Few beers some tall stories and all was well. Nadg you better come to Fleurieu more relaxed 8) Have been thinking about it for a while HB ..............

[highballin]

Have been thinking about it for a while HB ..............

Let me know if you want to have a change of scenery and come and play as a guest. Usually hit off around 9 on Saturdays.

[Coldtopper]

I would let Mr Marshall's boss know that he should work in the kitchen sink area. Get it fired?? Is fighting only banned at Bushwood? I would not accept that crap . Did it give you examples? Give a warning? Write to the Captian and tell them that you are intending to leave and then do it plenty of great tracks in SA?

[Buzz]

I've been on the opposite side of this recently ... have played in groups that are really slow and the other people playing in them really don't care. I find that puts a lot of pressure on my game as I constantly feel the need to rush.

[Ferrins]

For our Sunday Comp it was the Monthly Medal hence it was Stroke.

We had our regular 4-some, third group off, the two groups in front of us being a 2 and a 3.

Anyway, we played our round, took 4 hours, which I thought was pretty good for a stroke round, (couple of 'lost' balls in there), but obviously the course 'marshall' didn't as after the 18th he came over and busted us for 'slow play' - and this with the group following us over a hole behind! :evil: We had checked cards, put in scores, ordered and received drinks and sat down drinking them by the time they'd putted out at the last - a whole 10+ minutes after we had finished, yet WE got busted for slow play ............................. not happy! (and the four of us let the marshall know our feelings on the matter so we are likely to cop crap again next week! :( )

So what are your thoughts out there, is 4 hours to play stroke slow .............. !?

:evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

There has to be more to the story.

[nadg63]

There has to be more to the story. Wish there was Ferrins but there isn't, that is it in it's entirety! Our group has never been pulled for slow play in 4+ years and as mentioned the group following was over 10mins behind us! Another member on here is also part of our group and I'm sure he is as perplexed by this as me.

[Ferrins]

Would just let it slide then as there must be something going on from their end.

[nadg63]

I do have a theory, but that is all it is ................................

Just recently the club has introduced an 'online' booking system to make things 'fairer'. Anyway, some of the groups that somehow always managed to be at the front of the field are suddenly finding themselves a few groups further back, and aren't happy about it! I think there may possibly be some stirring/whinging going on due to a case of sour grapes!? Just a theory ............. ;)

[3oneday]

The marshall has a shitty job to do.thanks splinters.

4 hours is excellent for medal, but at the end of the day there's no penalty unless you get a warning as far as I knew, so he's just being a toss (an unpaid toss at that i expect)

[Daves]

Does the club have a Pace of Play policy?

This is ours;

http://www.redlandbaygolf.com.au/cms/wp-content/uploads/2013/Docs_/Keep_Pace_Brochure_REDLAND_BAY_GOLF_CLUB.pdf

[Hux]

4 hours is good for any stroke round IMHO.

[sms316]

4 hours is good for any stroke round IMHO. It's not super when essentially the first group o the day, but pretty difficult to penalise.

[nadg63]

Does the club have a Pace of Play policy?

This is ours;

http://www.redlandbaygolf.com.au/cms/wp-content/uploads/2013/Docs_/Keep_Pace_Brochure_REDLAND_BAY_GOLF_CLUB.pdf

Ours is similar, as in "your place is keeping up with the group in front, not ahead of the group behind" - but when that group is only a 3-some that is not going to happen in a stroke round! (Par/Stableford very likely, but not stroke)


4 hours is good for any stroke round IMHO.

I thought so too, have played stroke rounds elsewhere where it has been 4.5 hours plus.

[Hux]

It's not super when essentially the first group o the day, but pretty difficult to penalise.


No idea what the handicaps of the group are but some consideration can be made if there are mid and high caps involved. Each shot takes time, so the group of 4 low markers should take less than the group of folks off 12-27. ie 75shots each vs 85.

[sms316]

No idea what the handicaps of the group are but some consideration can be made if there are mid and high caps involved. Each shot takes time, so the group of 4 low markers should take less than the group of folks off 12-27. ie 75shots each vs 85. If it is a group that is completely incapable of playing quickly then they are pretty selfish playing first up. 4x85 shouldn't have tooany dramas doing that. 4x100 probably would.

[sms316]

I thought so too, have played stroke rounds elsewhere where it has been 4.5 hours plus. When essentially the first group you have a responsibility to be pretty quick. 4.5 hours first up is not acceptable at all. 4 hours is ok but really shouldn't be any worse than that.

[Hux]

When essentially the first group you have a responsibility to be pretty quick. 4.5 hours first up is not acceptable at all. 4 hours is ok but really shouldn't be any worse than that.

That's right they played it in 4 hours. So that is okay....who said you don't catching on quickly :smt080

[Kizza]

Group 4 away in our MM yesterday on a long walking course. 3:40 mins. Didn't feel rushed at all. Hcps in our group 5, 14,19, 23.

[sms316]

That's right they played it in 4 hours. So that is okay....who said you don't catching on quickly :smt080 Ok but not super. We on the same wavelength yet scoop?

[aussieashley]

Even though the group in front was a 3, how far in front of you were they?

[AlexMc]

4 hours 40 minutes for us yesterday. Ridiculously slow. Would be ecstatic with a 4 hour round on Medal day!

[timah!]

4 hours 40 minutes for us yesterday. Ridiculously slow. Would be ecstatic with a 4 hour round on Medal day!

5 hrs for us. Slowest in forever. Painfully painful.

[Yossarian]

4 hours yesterday with a 24 marker and two 18 markers. Average age 75.

[BenM]

Yep, we took 4 hours 20 minutes yesterday and it was slooooow. Took us an hour to play the first 3 holes due to chopping it and letting a group through on 3. Then got some pace up, then from 13 onwards we waited on every single tee due to a group a couple of groups ahead.

Me (11) and a 6 marker take our time (but walk quickly) plus 2 older fellas off 19 and 36 respectively in a cart. We usually get around pretty quick - certainly less than 4 hours if people aren't slowing us up.

What annoyed me the most was the group in front on 15, we're sitting on the tee, watching them look for a ball, bloke comes sauntering back to the tee at a snails pace, ignores us (didn't even say a word), hits his ball, wanders back to his buggy, wanders somewhere else, farts around, hits it, while we're standing there with our hands on hips getting more steamed up.

Honestly, how hard is it to walk quickly? And show a bit of etiquette?

I think I hit 4 provisionals yesterday. 2 of them ended up being used. If you think your ball might be lost, fricking hit another.

[nadg63]

Even though the group in front was a 3, how far in front of you were they?

Hole and a half!? (as the group following was the same at least behind us so who were we supposedly holding up - put it this way they never had to sit and wait on a tee for us OR for us to putt out!?)

We play a tree lined course, the couple of balls that were 'lost', (hard to find), hadn't strayed that far to be considered that difficult to find, it's just that when we got there, amongst all the gum bark etc on the ground, they proved harder to find than expected.

[Hatchman]

Your Marshall is a tosser and there must be more to it like your theory.
4hrs is more than acceptable. It's unreasonable to expect a four to keep pace with a three.

Was the group behind you treated the same?

[Daggs]

Unless the club has a strict policy , If your not holding anyone up and you finish before the comp closes who gives a s@&$ .
Its understood Nobody likes playing hit and wait .
But ive never seen it any where that golf is a race and never seen a trophy or prize for the quickest round ?
The game should be played at a suitable and comfortable pace for those playing, (under most circumstances).If clubs want to retain membership numbers that is?
And 4 -4 1/2 hrs is quite acceptable IMO

You havent been doing the Marshalls wife have you Nadg ? :wink:

[highballin]

Unless the club has a strict policy , If your not holding anyone up and you finish before the comp closes who gives a s@&$ .
Its understood Nobody likes playing hit and wait .
But ive never seen it any where that golf is a race and never seen a trophy or prize for the quickest round ?
The game should be played at a suitable and comfortable pace for those playing, (under most circumstances).If clubs want to retain membership numbers that is?
And 4 -4 1/2 hrs is quite acceptable IMO

You havent been doing the Marshalls wife have you Nadg ? :wink:

I knew he wasn't telling us the whole story Daggs :)

[goughy]

Maybe the marshalls wife hasn't been doing him, and he's a bit 'crotchety'......

[sms316]

Unless the club has a strict policy , If your not holding anyone up and you finish before the comp closes who gives a s@&$ . Its understood Nobody likes playing hit and wait .But ive never seen it any where that golf is a race and never seen a trophy or prize for the quickest round ?The game should be played at a suitable and comfortable pace for those playing, (under most circumstances).If clubs want to retain membership numbers that is? And 4 -4 1/2 hrs is quite acceptable IMOYou havent been doing the Marshalls wife have you Nadg ? :wink: I hope you play at the end of the field if you think 4.5hrs is acceptable.

[goughy]

He's probably just used to it being the norm.

[PerryGroves]

As SMS said its OK but it aint moving.

Whilst the group behind was 10 mins back of you, was the field then right on their asre? If they lost a ball on 18, were they actally right behind you all day?

You asked is 4 hours OK, most times but not 3rd group out, I want you to go a little quicker.

On the marshall, I want him to check for "pfaffing about" regardless of position. Groups do this when they think they are ahead, two holes later they lose two balls and the field is on them. Its not the lost balls, that happens to everyone, its the pfaffing earlier that caused it.

[hocko]

I can not remember the last time I had a four hour round in any comp let alone a stroke round.
It took us just under five hours last week to play stableford in the middle of the field.
How long is your course and what is the par rating?

[Veefore]

Four hours for the first four-ball of the day is terrible. If that happened at my club the marshals would be all over it. It would pretty much guarantee that the afternoon field would be late teeing off.

[Daggs]

I hope you play at the end of the field if you think 4.5hrs is acceptable.

Not when there are heaps in a comp. we usually get round in 3 1/2 - 3 3/4 hrs but not every club has big numbers teeing off nor is everyone 30 ish and fit and shooting 70 .
Im just talking about the masses i guess?
If we expected all and sundry to finish in under 4 hours we would probably loose half the golfers in the country hence half the courses.
Out here we have to cater for lots of oldies so we do have to look at things a bit different i guess.

[Johnny Canuck]

Four hours for the first four-ball of the day is terrible. If that happened at my club the marshals would be all over it. It would pretty much guarantee that the afternoon field would be late teeing off.

I thought you were the only marshal?

[Slothman]

Wow.

4 Hours at my club, would make you seem like a God. Especially in the morning.

Afternoon seems to play faster but 4.5 hours is "average" for our course. Stableford/Par seem to be a TOUCH quicker. Stroke is not uncommon for 5 hour rounds.

On Saturday we where in a group of 3 stuck between 2 groups of 4. We waited at EVERY shot and so did the players behind us. It was the worst I have seen for a while, but with quite a few visitors it is bound to happen on a Stroke day. The course is tricky at best with thick scrub that eats golf balls not far off the rough. So people lose balls they normally think are safe.

However I have played other courses where we strolled around, no rush and where done within 4 hours due to wayward shots being easy to find.

Each course has its own "pace of play" but 4 hours without delaying anyone should not warrant anything but a wave and G'day.

[LeftyHoges]

4 hours for first group of the day is more than acceptable. If that holds up play at the end of the field / day it's not your group that has caused the trouble.

[bergsey]

Around 4:20 is becoming the norm at our club for stableford and par comps. not sure if it is the hills but certainly isnt a lot of trouble around. not a lot of waiting between shots, everyone keeps up but just seems to take that long. perhaps it is the guys at the front of the field slowing everyone down? playing in the afternoon quite often have also caught the tail end of the morning comp at the turn.

For whatever reason stroke rounds are the same or if anything a bit quicker - perhaps more provisionals are hit as people are worried about losing balls.

[WBennett]

We did sub 4 in a 4 yesterday as the second afternoon group. The group behind us were over 20 minutes behind....

[nadg63]

For those that asked, the course is a Par 72 @ just over 6100 metres, ANY shot that misses the fairway is tree trouble normally meaning chipping sideways rather than forwards, (and at this time of year being mainly gum trees there is bark etc laying everywhere amongst them), and even when on the greens some of them have huge breaks to make life hard - but who wants it easy.

[Hatchman]

4hrs around around the Vines would be the par mark I would think.
You were the victims of a power crazed knob.

[Daggs]

Wow.

Each course has its own "pace of play" but 4 hours without delaying anyone should not warrant anything but a wave and G'day.

Well said Slothman could not agree more !!
Id just ask the prick next time i went if he had good reason or if he just had a bad day and then tell him to go F*&% him self anyway, doesnt sound like there was any real reason for it.

[Daves]

Does the club have a Pace of Play policy?

This is ours;

http://www.redlandbaygolf.com.au/cms/wp-content/uploads/2013/Docs_/Keep_Pace_Brochure_REDLAND_BAY_GOLF_CLUB.pdf


Ours is similar, as in "your place is keeping up with the group in front, not ahead of the group behind" - but when that group is only a 3-some that is not going to happen in a stroke round! (Par/Stableford very likely, but not stroke)

So under what section of your club's policy did he penalise your group? and did he follow the procedures set out in the policy? I would presume there would be the provision for a warning, that you don't seem to have got. The time you took is somewhat irrelevant to the penalty issue. If you didn't breach any of the pace of play policy, and the proper procedures were not followed, then the penalty should be easily challenged and overturned.