5 hour rounds - what can you do?

[WBennett]

I've played the last two Wednesday comps at my home track - 6100m, a couple of longer walks between holes, lots of water.

The last two Wednesday stableford comps have had full fields, and I have teed off about 9:15ish. Both rounds have ended up being 5 hour slogs.

5 frikkin hours!

I understand 5 hours for stroke - be necessity it is slower. But how can you speed up play and get rounds down closer to 4:30, or preferably 4 hours?

What do other clubs do to speed up play?

[henno]

Compulsory call up holes, and an emphasis on always "being in position" in the field.

[BrisVegas]

We clock out & in with the pro shop. It has improved things a bit for member comps.

Can't do much about the social/corporate crowd though, as they all want to savour their "day out".

[3oneday]

Holler for a marshall.

[Hamo84]

we use a 2 tee system. Both 1 and 10 tees are next to eachother so the proshop will direct the groups as to which one to use, The tees are open from 7-9 and 11 till 1 which allows for the morning groups to complete thier second 9. It does work well, very rarely is there ever a bank up or long waits, and rounds are normally done a bit over 4 hours

The Pat needs to implement soemthing like that desperately, both at the Exec 60 course and the full course, waits of 5 -6 groups at first tee are not uncommon and even rounds on the small 60 course can take nearly 4 hours... its a joke!!!

[WBennett]

I played Gold Creek the other day in an easy 4 hour walk. Leeton was 3 hours 50 including time looking for balls. Both have three or more long holes to start which spaces out the field pretty quickly, and the time sheets were fairly empty in comparison.

GLGC has an unfortunate situation where the longest hole in the first 5 is about 350m - its 350m 4, 300m 4, 200m 3, 330m 4, 170m 3 - so the first five holes can take an hour and a half.

A bundy clock was tried for weekends, but I don't think it is implemented for Wednesdays. Maybe I should just have sympathy for the old codgers who just can't walk/ride their carts/bikes/scooters any faster...

[Iain]

Tee off first...

[WBennett]

Iain

I'm not special enough to get in the first group (ie, on the Committee...)

[just]

Get a Dsi or PSP to pass the time.

[Eag's]

Give golf a miss and head to the pub

[sms316]

Overthrow the Committee.

[WBennett]

SMS

If I didn't run a footy club, I'd put my hand up to be on the golf club committee.

There would be a bundy clock on the first/18th tees - and if your group was the first one that came in over 4:30 for Stableford and 4:45 for stroke it would be an instant 2 shot penalty added to the score for every player in the group.

Harsh yes - but fair - I think so

[Courty]

I'm watching this thread with interest, and will be forwarding the suggestions to my committee.

[Yossarian]

Vouchers or free drinks or something for quick rounds? Quicker rounds may equal more members equals profit.

[zigwah]

You can't do much about it, i played with a guy the other week and it pissed odwn rain and i could have kissed the groundskeeper when he blew the siren, i was out of there.

3 hours for nine holes, this guy was off about 15 got there late, and took so much time over his shots, it was as though we were playing on the tour, i was fooking wild, but being a gentlemans sport you can't say hurry the **** up dicked the whole field is up our arse.

[Dotty]

Benno, it must be your group. Parlyboy finishes in three hours.

Snapping 2 into the houses off the tee in a stroke round, then cracking the shits and take an NCR then realise you have a bout a 3 km walk back to the clubhouse and then you have to explain yourself to everyone why it is your walking back......

Nothing constructive to add, other than keep moving and the powers-that-be needs to turn a deaf ear to the never-ending excuses. (e.g. A is over 70, B has had both knees replaced, C is a big hitting 24 marker and has to wait for the green to clear, D works a stressful job and golf is his relaxation, E says we're not playing for sheep stations, etc. etc. etc.)

[adlo]

Was comp golf always this slow?

In my experience, some tracks and members are very particular about 4 hour rounds. Bunbury GC, my "home" track, 2 hours south of Perth doesn't need someone on the clock. The members ensure rounds are fast.

In Perth, 4.5 hours seems to be the norm.

However, if you believe everything you read, golf is becoming far too easy with modern technology and courses have to be made longer, tighter with more hazards and faster greens. I call "bullshit" on this one. It is slowing down the game. More lost golf balls, more time in hazards, more people chipping onto the green only to watch their ball roll back off the other side..... Sure, some people take too long on the green, but I do not think that is the main cause of slow play. It is all the other crap I mentioned.

[Webster]

join a better club

[WBennett]

Always so helpful Jack

[Webster]

thanks.

[Bruce]

You can't do much about it, i played with a guy the other week and it pissed odwn rain and i could have kissed the groundskeeper when he blew the siren, i was out of there.

3 hours for nine holes, this guy was off about 15 got there late, and took so much time over his shots, it was as though we were playing on the tour, i was fooking wild, but being a gentlemans sport you can't say hurry the **** up dicked the whole field is up our arse.

Yes you can. And should.

You don't have to go straight to calling him a dickhead though - leave that for the second time.

[BrisVegas]

Exactly Bruce.

[WBennett]

We have a 'ready golf' policy in action at the club. I don't know if it helps, as the quicker players still move faster to the ball, play their shots quicker, then wait for the normal slowpoke in each group to move on and catch up.

I've told players in my group to hurry up before, as its the low markers responsibility to ensure you don't drop behind. Most of them take it well and do play quicker until you catch up, but a couple cracked the shits big time and sooked the rest of the way around.

[sms316]

Benno - do you think all of those silly bunkers that have been put in at GL could be contributing to the rounds getting slower?

[Daves]

We have a 'ready golf' policy in action at the club. I don't know if it helps, as the quicker players still move faster to the ball, play their shots quicker, then wait for the normal slowpoke in each group to move on and catch up.

I've told players in my group to hurry up before, as its the low markers responsibility to ensure you don't drop behind. Most of them take it well and do play quicker until you catch up, but a couple cracked the shits big time and sooked the rest of the way around.

This approach is stated explicitly in our yearly club fixtures handbook. The lowest marker is the group Captain and responsible for group etiquette and speed of play.