Slow Play

[Dotty]

45 mins = 2 beers
@ $5 each = $2,000 for a Saturday field of 200 players.

To re-coup this, the club either has to give less prizes each week or bump up annual subs.

[benno_r]

Anything over 4.15 is just completely unacceptable. There's no reason for it.

End of story.

Amen Lefty!

[Bigbad]

I mean at the end of the day, I don't care how long I'm there for really. It's my leisure time on a Saturday and I enjoy the company that I keep when I'm on the golf course. I'll stay and have a beer or two afterwards, have a chat, then take off. Saying anything over 4:15 is unacceptable is a little bit much, sure it might be your idea of long, but it might not be someone else's. Slow play is overblown in my mind, especially when talking about a weekend comp. Midweek if you're playing and a group is holding you up by not letting you through when there is space, sure, that sucks.

[Ferrins]

Anything over 4.15 is just completely unacceptable. There's no reason for it.

End of story.

Some Nudgee GC serenity.

[Ferrins]

I just leave during the round at the 4hrs 15 min mark. Did that six in a row before quitting Nudgee membership last time. Nothing has changed.

[markTHEblake]

Should move to US. my mates over there say 4hrs is tooo long. Mind you thats golf in carts, pickup after bogey, and swanky country clubs with no groups in front.

All yours for USD 10k a year. And the tennis courts are free!

[hippo10]

Anything over 4.15 is just completely unacceptable. There's no reason for it.

End of story.

100% correct.
Maybe clubs should start offering free beer based on achieving an appropriate round time, might be the only way to motivate some.

[wazamac]

My last club did that. The president offered a beer voucher to all that finished under 4 hours.
Problem was that anybody that was behind his group was never going to achieve that. Luckily he was about the 5th group off every Saturday

[PerryGroves]

100% correct.
Maybe clubs should start offering free beer based on achieving an appropriate round time, might be the only way to motivate some.

I won't ever get a beer as I tee off at the end of the field. My group and many in front of me go as quick as what we are led out.

If 4:15 is the answer and it was only my suggestion, how are you guys going to solve in a 200 person field when punters near the back of the field come home in 4:45

[WBennett]

Anything over 4.15 is just completely unacceptable. There's no reason for it.End of story.

4.35 Warrnambool.4.14 Portland4.25 Port FairyI didn't get stats for Heywood.

[Johnny Canuck]

4.35 Warrnambool.4.14 Portland4.25 Port FairyI didn't get stats for Heywood.

They were similar to Jablowme

[hippo10]

I won't ever get a beer as I tee off at the end of the field. My group and many in front of me go as quick as what we are led out. If 4:15 is the answer and it was only my suggestion, how are you guys going to solve in a 200 person field when punters near the back of the field come home in 4:45

If 4:15 is the max then the average needs to be 4 or a bit under. I don't see a reason why most groups couldn't go sub four and everyone could get home in under 4:15.

[Dotty]

If 4:15 is the max then the average needs to be 4 or a bit under. I don't see a reason why most groups couldn't go sub four and everyone could get home in under 4:15.

The same people drive on the freeways thinking it's fine to be in the right lane at 8kph below the limit to overtake trucks doing 10kph below the limit in the left lane.

They live life in their own little bubble.

[Daves]

The same people drive on the freeways thinking it's fine to be in the right lane at 8kph below the limit to overtake trucks doing 10kph below the limit in the left lane.

They live life in their own little bubble.

This!

I had a discussion with another member recently about pace of play during a round. He said he was just glad to be out there and didn't care how long it took. I pointed out that 1/2 hour extra on the average round means that about a dozen people don't get to play on our current settings with full tee sheets and long wait lists. He was sort of taken back by that. Seems some don't give a lot of thought to others. A common theme these days.

I have had rounds under our current tee booking arrangements of between 3.10 and 4.10. The average was 3.30 early, but is now creeping out towards 4 hrs. Not being ready to play and too much time searching for lost balls seems to me to be the main time wasters. On Saturday I played with an member with poor eye sight. He wasn't slow, but if I had not been with him to find his ball he would have been struggling to keep up. That is a common problem at our club and I often joke I am the Seeing Eye Dog in the group.

Yesterday I watched one group let 4 groups through as they spent ages looking for lost balls. Once we got past them the field was much faster. As it was when we played through the two ladies in front that went for a break at the half way point. We never saw them after that. But I still have the memory of one spending ages fishing a ball out of the pond on our 8th. Then dropping it and taking ages to hit a shot onto the green, only to walk to it and pick it up. By my observations that was her 4th pick up in as many holes. I am guessing she was on the Max. 45 Hcp. The first nine took us 2 hrs flat, the 2nd was at least 10 minutes faster.

[PerryGroves]

4.35 Warrnambool.4.14 Portland4.25 Port FairyI didn't get stats for Heywood.

No wonder Lefty doesn't let you lead the field out

[Bigbad]

So playing devils advocate here, if 4 hours is the average or whatever it may be. That would assume that everyone in the field would play the same every week. Now the beauty of golf is that you can be of any skill level and play on the same course that a +2 handicap plays every week. Those who have a handicap of say 27 aren't going to play as quickly as someone with a handicap of 3, simply because they can't hit the ball as well. There will be people of certain ages and physical condition that can't walk to their ball as quickly as the younger/fitter crowd. That's going to create gaps in the field, longer wait times, and any other number of hold ups. In a perfect world, you'd be able to play a golf course without having to wait to hit your shot and have everything flow, but this isn't a perfect world, and there will always be hold ups. Unless they change the way time sheets can be booked (unlikely given that everyone pays the same subs fee for the most part) then I don't really see it changing too much. I can go and play 9 holes of an afternoon and get around in 1:15 by myself, but if it's a weekend comp, I don't ever assume that i'll be done in 4 hours or less.

[SundayHack]

No wonder Lefty doesn't let you lead the field out

He normally does on Vic champs Sunday’s

[thecollective]

So playing devils advocate here, if 4 hours is the average or whatever it may be. That would assume that everyone in the field would play the same every week. Now the beauty of golf is that you can be of any skill level and play on the same course that a +2 handicap plays every week. Those who have a handicap of say 27 aren't going to play as quickly as someone with a handicap of 3, simply because they can't hit the ball as well. There will be people of certain ages and physical condition that can't walk to their ball as quickly as the younger/fitter crowd. That's going to create gaps in the field, longer wait times, and any other number of hold ups. In a perfect world, you'd be able to play a golf course without having to wait to hit your shot and have everything flow, but this isn't a perfect world, and there will always be hold ups. Unless they change the way time sheets can be booked (unlikely given that everyone pays the same subs fee for the most part) then I don't really see it changing too much. I can go and play 9 holes of an afternoon and get around in 1:15 by myself, but if it's a weekend comp, I don't ever assume that i'll be done in 4 hours or less.

Quite simple, if you're off 27 and your playing partners are at the green while you have 100 metres to get it up and down, pickup. The chances of you achieving that (for a prizely sum of 1 point) are about 50:1.

If you watch the Dunhill Masters you will notice the ams pickup even if they are still in the hole to keep up with the group. We need to stop being so precious about score, particularly if our handicap is granting us 18+ shots a round

[Bigbad]

Quite simple, if you're off 27 and your playing partners are at the green while you have 100 metres to get it up and down, pickup. The chances of you achieving that (for a prizely sum of 1 point) are about 50:1.

If you watch the Dunhill Masters you will notice the ams pickup even if they are still in the hole to keep up with the group. We need to stop being so precious about score, particularly if our handicap is granting us 18+ shots a round

Comparing a local Saturday comp to the Dunhill Masters is a little drastic.

I agree you should be picking up when out of the hole, but as it stands that's not the rule in a stroke round.

If you're 100m out, and need to get it up and down for your point, do you still play the shot? Or do you pick up? I'll take the shot everytime.

[thecollective]

I'll take the shot everytime.

Sure, that's ok. Just don't get out your range finder and take 10 practice swings. rip it and move on

[Johnny Canuck]

Comparing a local Saturday comp to the Dunhill Masters is a little drastic.

I agree you should be picking up when out of the hole, but as it stands that's not the rule in a stroke round.

If you're 100m out, and need to get it up and down for your point, do you still play the shot? Or do you pick up? I'll take the shot everytime.

100%.

You have a right to play the shot, just make sure you do it in a timely manner and all is well.

Someone shouldn't pick up their ball and move on because "it's unlikely" they'll make the up and down.

[LeftyHoges]

He normally does on Vic champs Sunday’s

There it is.

[markTHEblake]

Those who have a handicap of say 27 aren't going to play as quickly as someone with a handicap of 3

Fallacy. A golfers skill level has nothing to do with it. Slow players are slow, fast players are fast, and thats all there is too it. Combined with our large fields on saturdays its the ripple effect that causes the time blowouts.

[Bigbad]

Fallacy. A golfers skill level has nothing to do with it. Slow players are slow, fast players are fast, and thats all there is too it. Combined with our large fields on saturdays its the ripple effect that causes the time blowouts.

Sorry, it probably wasn't put how I meant it to come out. There will always be fast players and slow players, and even the low markers will be slow (look at Bryson). My point was that better players are generally getting to the green quicker (shot quality wise) than the higher handicap players. I mentioned earlier that a full Saturday comp is going to be the biggest influence on how fast the round goes, no one plays the same golf every week, so pace will change based on how you're hitting it on the day. It is what it is.

[thecollective]

Sorry, it probably wasn't put how I meant it to come out. There will always be fast players and slow players, and even the low markers will be slow (look at Bryson). My point was that better players are generally getting to the green quicker (shot quality wise) than the higher handicap players. I mentioned earlier that a full Saturday comp is going to be the biggest influence on how fast the round goes, no one plays the same golf every week, so pace will change based on how you're hitting it on the day. It is what it is.

Not always BB, a lady at my old club plays off 27 and was faster than any other player at the club. I used to wear sneakers when I played in her group. She demanded everyone keep up. To be honest it was awesome and a much better workout, 3.25-3.5 was the norm