Speed Golf

[TheTrueReview]

There have been plenty of threads about slow play. Apparently, the guy in this clip is the world champion speed golfer.

Does anyone find playing with ridiculously quick golfers just as annoying as playing with a slow golfer?

[Jarro]

I hate playing with quick golfers...

... that's why I like playing with AndyP

[Dotty]

That bloke would annoy me. He wasted 30 seconds before he hit his ball.

I'm all in favour of playing at the same tempo as one drives a car.

[Webster]

There is no running in golf.

[Lagerlover]

Wow, of course you can play that quick when you don't pick up your tees or use headcovers!

[virge666]

Don't see the point. It is like going to the pub and drinking 6 schooners in half an hour and going home.

Where is the joy ?

[AndyP]

I found my that my game deteriorates when I run around the course, such that I didn't enjoy the running or the golf, so there was no point.

[Golfnut]

Played 18 with a mate a couple of years back, got through the front 9 and decided to play on despite fading light so we ended up running the back 9 and taking our shots quickly....was actually good fun and I don't think I would've gone any better or worse if we weren't running, only problem was you didn't really get a chance to enjoy the good shots. Flip side is you had no time to ponder the crap shots.

[IanO]

I used to play a game called the Chook Run in Wodonga back in the early 80's. It was played on a Wednesday evening during Daylight Savings only. You could take a maximum of 7 clubs and you played 9 holes as fast as you could but had to finish in less than 1 hour. The final result was a measure of your score and how long it took you to get around. As I was young and fit then I used to run it. I remember it being a lot of fun but not good golf.

[Ona]

On the flipside, playing last Sunday we took 5hrs for eighteen with not a soul in front of or behind us all day. It didn't feel that slow. Adding up my score at the end i did better than expected and I put that down to not being able to get on a role, either good or bad. Maybe being slow, stupid slow even like the pro's, helps you to play each shot in some sort of mental isolation.

I find it most annoying when a golfer attempts to play to a speed that makes no sense given their situation. Like the dick who's at the back end of a packed field and wants to hit up on everyone (where are you going hero?)

[AndyP]

I ran around the golf course yesterday arvo playing 14 holes in 80 minutes for 6 over par. I had trouble finding the ball a few times, especially after hitting into the sun. I also ran with a full set on my back and golf shoes.

I'm thinking of doing it on a regular basis to squeeze in 18 after work. I will put less clubs into another bag that is easy to carry and wear my runners. A speed golf score is calculated by adding the golf score to the time taken, so I will use that.

Has anyone else been running between golf shots? I know Westy does it a bit.

[Johnny Canuck]

I ran around the golf course yesterday arvo playing 14 holes in 80 minutes for 6 over par. I had trouble finding the ball a few times, especially after hitting into the sun. I also ran with a full set on my back and golf shoes.

I'm thinking of doing it on a regular basis to squeeze in 18 after work. I will put less clubs into another bag that is easy to carry and wear my runners. A speed golf score is calculated by adding the golf score to the time taken, so I will use that.

Has anyone else been running between golf shots? I know Westy does it a bit.

I used to do this at Kennedy Bat, but preferred doing it with a push buggy.

[BrisWesty]

Push buggy is much easier for me than a carry bag. My shoulders would cramp up doing that.
It's also much better to push the buggy than pull it along behind you. That'll do all sorts of bad stuff to your back too.

90 -100 minutes is fine for 18 holes. It's about 10km (including looking for balls).

[damoocow]

I ran around the golf course yesterday arvo playing 14 holes in 80 minutes for 6 over par. I had trouble finding the ball a few times, especially after hitting into the sun. I also ran with a full set on my back and golf shoes.

I'm thinking of doing it on a regular basis to squeeze in 18 after work. I will put less clubs into another bag that is easy to carry and wear my runners. A speed golf score is calculated by adding the golf score to the time taken, so I will use that.

Has anyone else been running between golf shots? I know Westy does it a bit.

I do it when magpies are swooping

[AndyP]

The last couple of times, I haven't really gone out with the intention of running lots, so didn't prepare for it. I've played pretty well regardless though, so I'll try the push buggy and carrying like the guy in the header post YouTube clip (if it is the one that I think it is).

[Mububban]

I jogged 9 holes recently to avoid some oncoming rain, without playing true Speed Golf I think I got around in 9 in an hour and shot a couple less than my average for that 9 as well. Two guys who started behind me in a cart ended up 1.5 holes behind me by the finish I would job after hitting, then walk the last 20m to the ball to calm down a bit. Good fun.

[3oneday]

I assume there is no one else on the golf course when you are doing this.

[AndyP]

Very few. I started at 4:20pm on Monday, which is a very quiet time on the course. My course also has several spots where there are multiple tees close by, where I can head off in different directions based on the traffic in front of me, so if there is someone on 3 as I'm finishing 2, I can play 6 or 9 instead.

[Mububban]

I assume there is no one else on the golf course when you are doing this.

I lucked into a clear run in front of myself when I had my jogging session I think the impending rain kept everyone away

[Waddzy]

I played 27 holes in 3 hours using the marshall cart in a 2 ball last sunday before the Grand final.. clean run no one on the course. pretty easy to do in a cart that quick but. Shot PB scores too.

[AndyP]

I gave this a go this afternoon after work.

I put some clubs (Dr, 2H, 4I, 6I, 8I, PW, 50º & PT), my rangefinder, a few balls and some tees into a carry bag and took the shoulder straps off to make it easier to carry. I wore my runners this time too. The going was tough early with both the running (hillier part of the course) and my golf struggling. I was 4 over through 3 holes and in the kack after a couple of bad shots on the 4th. The speed golf experiment was looking shortlived at that stage.

Things got better though. I didn't play that well, but I generally kept it in play and had a good stretch through the middle of the round. Surprisingly, the driver performed well. The part of the game that struggled was the chipping or anything else that was a little tricky or needed finesse. It was too hard to think those things through. A good part of it was that you never had time to focus on a bad shot, you just chase after the ball and hit the next one.

As for the speed, I got held up a couple of times by other players, and one guy wasn't overly impressed with me asking to play through him ("What's the hurry?" he says after his 8th shot on a par 4). You really do come up on other people quickly when you are running the course. If the greens were in better nick, I would consider spending a little more time studying the line, since a minute in time is the same as one stroke in your score.

I ran the course, which is par 67 ACR 65 4885m course, in 82 minutes 10 seconds. I ran 7.65k overall.
I scored a 12 over, 79.
Which means my score is 82:10 + 79 = 161:10.

Here's my garmin mapping from the run: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/393959466

The World Championships are on this weekend, but I think I might be a little late for that (and a little lacking in talent). Here's the official speed golf website.
http://speedgolfinternational.com/
I haven't seen anything about it in Australia though.

[AndyP]

Here's two good clips for it. I had seen the second one before.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGz-uzGaJgA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ43miMu0lw

[Mububban]

I played 27 holes in 3 hours using the marshall cart in a 2 ball last sunday before the Grand final.. clean run no one on the course. pretty easy to do in a cart that quick but. Shot PB scores too.

I'm definitely booking a round next grand final day, I popped out to my usually packed local course to find about 8 cars in the carpark, and of those, 5 guys were on the driving range. Should be able to play 18 in the time it takes to play 9!

[Ferrins]

Just play tennis instead. I'll make you run 7 klm's in one hour no probs, Andy.

[AndyP]

I plan on running 15k within one hour on Sunday. This is just a way of getting an extra run in while still practicing my golf.