Getting really frustrated by the length of rounds.

[third-times-a-charm]

Just had this experience last week on a Friday of all days, not even a weekend. The course let 12 drunk clowns play 36 holes and hold up the entire 36 hole track all day.

 

Of course the marshalls go home at 4:00 and the pro shop closes at 5 - so everyone playing gets left out to dry with idiots on the course. Pissed to say the least.

 

The solution, in FL, is to pay $10k a year to become a private course member, or 'deal' with 5+ hour rounds.

[mark174ace]

Ask "Red" to have a talk with management. :-)

 

He certainly does have a way with people doesn't he? I wouldn't mind having Dembe as a partner in a scramble. All he would need is his driver.

[mark174ace]

I'm convinced 99% pace of play issues have to do with tee times being too close together.

Did you have someplace you had to be?

 

Yeah, I had to make my tee time for the next morning...

 

To the OP, you need to write a letter to the General Manager. They need to be aware of the situation, and either fix it with their staff, or if they just don't care, then make it known you're done with their course, and will let all your friends know that they just don't care about pace of play.

 

Money wins in the end, use that to your advantage.

 

Already done and the GM will probably care less. They pissed off a newcomer like me that plays about 50-60 rounds per year and they pissed off the four regulars that were behind me that made a very ugly call the pro shop on the front nine. It doesn't matter as I am not going back regardless. I can overlook a lot, but when a course lets a fivesome go off they are basically giving everyone behind them a big middle finger. Very short sided thinking just to get an extra 60 bucks imo.

[TN22]

I would've jumped them and play the rest thru 18 and play the front nine again until you actually played 18 holes.

 

When I can see 2 or 3 groups holding the rest up and see no one in front, I do exactly that. I drive the cart through them and continue my round. Sucks missing some holes but its better than waiting 15-20 min between shots.

[lawst4days]

**Unpopular opinion time**

 

Its all those darn baby boomers!! My father just retired, my wife's mother just retired. Both have picked up golf, both are terrible. Dad used to play, used to play with some very good golfers. Used to be a member out at Champions in texas, we still go see Jackie Burke every now and then. Still my father is slow as molasses and it isn't talking junk because he would 100% agree with me.

 

Its that time, in most baby boomers lives when they have decided to retire. 76.8 million of them flooding the courses. No where better to be than staring at the grass grow around the golf ball while they line up their putts.

 

Now i am not saying all baby boomers are slow golfers, but lets face it, to your average joe baby boomer who plays one week a month, a 6 hour round wont matter as long as they make the 2 footer for bogey they slaved over for 25 minutes to achieve.

 

Was my guess that the golfers holding everyone up from the OP were older individuals correct? I know the 2 groups ahead of me today, with literally 3 holes between them and the next group, were all baby boomers.

 

Its great for the young workforce, terrible for the 6 hour rounds we will have to endure.

[tatertot]

The longer a group is on course, the more money the course makes. Green fees are only part of revenue. Easier to get current customers to spend more than to get new customers.

 

Edit: And I just had a 5.5 round teeing off at 12:30 pm ... On a Wednesday afternoon. As a twosome ... We were planning on getting in 36-54 before dark, struggled to finish 27.

[CommerceTiger]

I'm very fortunate it appears. I'm an assistant pro at a course and 4.5 hours is considered slow.

 

And we allow fivesomes

[Steele47]

I just wrote a pretty long rant and then deleted it for fear of offending anyone. So with tail between my legs I say uhhh Rah Rah... Grow the game.....

[MtlJeff]

**Unpopular opinion time**

 

Its all those darn baby boomers!! My father just retired, my wife's mother just retired. Both have picked up golf, both are terrible. Dad used to play, used to play with some very good golfers. Used to be a member out at Champions in texas, we still go see Jackie Burke every now and then. Still my father is slow as molasses and it isn't talking junk because he would 100% agree with me.

 

Its that time, in most baby boomers lives when they have decided to retire. 76.8 million of them flooding the courses. No where better to be than staring at the grass grow around the golf ball while they line up their putts.

 

Now i am not saying all baby boomers are slow golfers, but lets face it, to your average joe baby boomer who plays one week a month, a 6 hour round wont matter as long as they make the 2 footer for bogey they slaved over for 25 minutes to achieve.

 

Was my guess that the golfers holding everyone up from the OP were older individuals correct? I know the 2 groups ahead of me today, with literally 3 holes between them and the next group, were all baby boomers.

 

Its great for the young workforce, terrible for the 6 hour rounds we will have to endure.

 

I think you can't discount miserable people of all ages though. There's a lot of miserable people out there, hate their wives, hate having to "do things" once they get home. Tell their wives golf takes 6 hours to "buy themselves some time" and then do whatever they can to milk every minute.

 

These guys too, are proud members of the "oh what do you have somewhere more important to be" mafia.

 

 

[Ferguson]

Slow play is not uncommon with golf.

 

It happens.

[deadsolid...shank]

It makes sense that the majority of the players would be baby boomers since they're the biggest generation. And now have the most free time. And many of them being retired don't have any sense of urgency to move quickly (or even average or normal pace).

 

I do on occasion wish some of them would choose more of the times to play when the 9-5 guys are at work. But they pay their money too.

[tatertot]

**Unpopular opinion time**

 

Its all those darn baby boomers!! My father just retired, my wife's mother just retired. Both have picked up golf, both are terrible. Dad used to play, used to play with some very good golfers. Used to be a member out at Champions in texas, we still go see Jackie Burke every now and then. Still my father is slow as molasses and it isn't talking junk because he would 100% agree with me.

 

Its that time, in most baby boomers lives when they have decided to retire. 76.8 million of them flooding the courses. No where better to be than staring at the grass grow around the golf ball while they line up their putts.

 

Now i am not saying all baby boomers are slow golfers, but lets face it, to your average joe baby boomer who plays one week a month, a 6 hour round wont matter as long as they make the 2 footer for bogey they slaved over for 25 minutes to achieve.

 

Was my guess that the golfers holding everyone up from the OP were older individuals correct? I know the 2 groups ahead of me today, with literally 3 holes between them and the next group, were all baby boomers.

 

Its great for the young workforce, terrible for the 6 hour rounds we will have to endure.

 

I think you can't discount miserable people of all ages though. There's a lot of miserable people out there, hate their wives, hate having to "do things" once they get home. Tell their wives golf takes 6 hours to "buy themselves some time" and then do whatever they can to milk every minute.

 

These guys too, are proud members of the "oh what do you have somewhere more important to be" mafia.

 

Code words to look for:

 

Enjoy the time outdoors ...

Take it easy ...

Enjoy every minute ...

Take time to smell the roses ...

Don't get in a hurry ...

I paid my money ...

[MrJones]

I stopped in yesterday and told our Pro we were coming up at 10:00. He went and looked at the computer and said you'd better make it a little before 10:00, the "Jones" (notoriously slow group, name changed to protect the guilty!) are going off at 10:00.

 

:stink:

 

The past Sunday my friend and I played a local RTJ course. Had an 8:30 tee time. We quit after 9 holes at 11:00 o'clock. It was cart path only and the group in front of us was AWFUL. They were playing off tees they didn't belong. One of them teed off on every hole with an iron, not because he was long, but because that was the only thing he could barely keep in play. To make matters worse THEY were having to wait all day for the group in front of them. They were bad but they tried to hurry and couldn't. The marshals kept telling us they were going to get it handled but it never happened.

[deadsolid...shank]

I stopped in yesterday and told our Pro we were coming up at 10:00. He went and looked at the computer and said you'd better make it a little before 10:00, the "Jones" (notoriously slow group, name changed to protect the guilty!) are going off at 10:00.

 

:stink:

 

The past Sunday my friend and I played a local RTJ course. Had an 8:30 tee time. We quit after 9 holes at 11:00 o'clock. It was cart path only and the group in front of us was AWFUL. They were playing off tees they didn't belong. One of them teed off on every hole with an iron, not because he was long, but because that was the only thing he could barely keep in play. To make matters worse THEY were having to wait all day for the group in front of them. They were bad but they tried to hurry and couldn't. The marshals kept telling us they were going to get it handled but it never happened.

 

Sorry about that choice of alias name Mr Jones! The real Jones I play with here might one of two or three fastest players I'ver played with.

 

I went back and name changed that post.

[Ping Player]

I experienced a 5+ hour round yesterday and we teed off at about 7am. I have been playing less and less because of this. Our group walks but we still waited on just about every shot. The Marshall came out a few times, but did nothing that increased the pace. I'm all for anyone coming out to play our great game, just keep up...!

[om18v]

I play on drunken tourist fivesome courses that can go on forever. Sometimes it gets a little old but I'm one of the fortunate retired golfers that it really doesn't affect my day much. Serious question. Does a fivesome in itself really slow down your 18 holes more than a theesome plus twosome? I mean if that is all that is in front of you. We were stuck behind the drunken fivesome last Thursday. Turns out it wasn't 5 as much as the two foursomes in front of them.

[jusme]

As bad as it is I have never seen an answer that appears enforceable. We teed of Sunday 90 minutes behind a society of 16 golfers. We caught them on the 11th hole (no one on the course between us) and it was miserable from then. A ladies match teed of another 30 minutes behind us and caught us on the 15th. We had to let the match through and they were then waiting on the society on the 17th. We walked at that point as the other ladies matches were coming through and there was no where for us to slot in again.

 

ladies matches caught that society after teeing of just over 2 hours behind them. Beyond belief

[MrJones]

I stopped in yesterday and told our Pro we were coming up at 10:00. He went and looked at the computer and said you'd better make it a little before 10:00, the "Jones" (notoriously slow group, name changed to protect the guilty!) are going off at 10:00.

 

:stink:

 

The past Sunday my friend and I played a local RTJ course. Had an 8:30 tee time. We quit after 9 holes at 11:00 o'clock. It was cart path only and the group in front of us was AWFUL. They were playing off tees they didn't belong. One of them teed off on every hole with an iron, not because he was long, but because that was the only thing he could barely keep in play. To make matters worse THEY were having to wait all day for the group in front of them. They were bad but they tried to hurry and couldn't. The marshals kept telling us they were going to get it handled but it never happened.

 

Sorry about that choice of alias name Mr Jones! The real Jones I play with here might one of two or three fastest players I'ver played with.

 

I went back and name changed that post.

 

Hey no big deal! I was just playing around :)

[Mdemuth]

Once the spring fever wears off, I don't find it that bad. Right now, in the northeast, it's like the gym after new years. Every hack is out there, but by the end of may It's not too bad, in my opinion. by the end of summer and fall it gets pretty consistent, I find.

 

I don't mind the long rounds, I only mind when I have to wait 5-10 minutes for every freakin shot, like I did last weekend.

[Sean2]

**Unpopular opinion time**

 

Its all those darn baby boomers!! My father just retired, my wife's mother just retired. Both have picked up golf, both are terrible. Dad used to play, used to play with some very good golfers. Used to be a member out at Champions in texas, we still go see Jackie Burke every now and then. Still my father is slow as molasses and it isn't talking junk because he would 100% agree with me.

 

Its that time, in most baby boomers lives when they have decided to retire. 76.8 million of them flooding the courses. No where better to be than staring at the grass grow around the golf ball while they line up their putts.

 

Now i am not saying all baby boomers are slow golfers, but lets face it, to your average joe baby boomer who plays one week a month, a 6 hour round wont matter as long as they make the 2 footer for bogey they slaved over for 25 minutes to achieve.

 

Was my guess that the golfers holding everyone up from the OP were older individuals correct? I know the 2 groups ahead of me today, with literally 3 holes between them and the next group, were all baby boomers.

 

Its great for the young workforce, terrible for the 6 hour rounds we will have to endure.

 

Yeah, that's a generalization. I am a "baby boomer" and can make my way around the course expeditiously. I hit the ball, I find the ball, I hit it again. Not much to it. The other "boomers" I play golf with move quickly as well. Yes, there are "boomers" that play slowly, just as there are millennials who play slowly, high handicappers and low handicappers as well.

 

There is no one "group" that is the cause of slow play.

[marmooskapaul]

Really get pretty lucky around me...seldom takes longer than 3 hours to play in the afternoon. If two of us...it's 2-2 1/2 hours most times. Played Fri, Sat and Sun last weekend as a foursome and twosome and 3ish hours for the foursome was the longest round. There are no marshals on most courses I play. Also play after work or after 2:00 most times...never early morning.

I find many of the "part time " golfers stop after 9...I'm also inclined to skip a couple holes if there is a "slow" problem that doesn't get corrected. Better to skip a couple holes or play front nine again than be waiting every shot??

[Big Ben]

We skipped a single and a twosome today at the turn only to find a 1.5 hole gap in front of them. While we drove by the 2some both guys on there cell phones on the tee honestly not sure they even saw us. We jumping ahead and never looked back. Went back and played the holes we missed and saved ourselves at least 1-1.5hrs easy. BB

[darredondo09]

I had a frustrating experience this weekend. First off, there are only 2 public courses in my city, and one is in such bad shape that they've been cutting pins on the fairways because the greens are shot. So I call and set up the first Sunday tee time they have at the decent course. I show up and start at 7 on Sunday, first group off for the day. We get around 9 in and hour and thirty as a threesome. At this point the marshal approaches us and suggests we SLOW DOWN because they've set up a 24 man mini-tourney going off 10-13 at 8:30 on Sunday. Ended up having to skip to 14 and play out from there. Tried to circle back around to 10 once we finished but the last tourney groups had only reached 14 and blocked up everyone coming off the front 9. Terrible management.

[wobgon]

**Unpopular opinion time**

 

Its all those darn baby boomers!! My father just retired, my wife's mother just retired. Both have picked up golf, both are terrible. Dad used to play, used to play with some very good golfers. Used to be a member out at Champions in texas, we still go see Jackie Burke every now and then. Still my father is slow as molasses and it isn't talking junk because he would 100% agree with me.

 

Its that time, in most baby boomers lives when they have decided to retire. 76.8 million of them flooding the courses. No where better to be than staring at the grass grow around the golf ball while they line up their putts.

 

Now i am not saying all baby boomers are slow golfers, but lets face it, to your average joe baby boomer who plays one week a month, a 6 hour round wont matter as long as they make the 2 footer for bogey they slaved over for 25 minutes to achieve.

 

Was my guess that the golfers holding everyone up from the OP were older individuals correct? I know the 2 groups ahead of me today, with literally 3 holes between them and the next group, were all baby boomers.

 

Its great for the young workforce, terrible for the 6 hour rounds we will have to endure.

 

Yeah, that's a generalization. I am a "baby boomer" and can make my way around the course expeditiously. I hit the ball, I find the ball, I hit it again. Not much to it. The other "boomers" I play golf with move quickly as well. Yes, there are "boomers" that play slowly, just as there are millennials who play slowly, high handicappers and low handicappers as well.

 

There is no one "group" that is the cause of slow play.

With out a doubt, in my area, young people are the absolute slowest players on the course.....it's almost as though they are being trained to have three pre shot routines on every shot.....That combined with watching too much golf on TV makes most of them almost unbearable to watch.

[gatorpedsMD]

Racism or the right thing to do:

 

http://www.golf.com/tour-news/2018/04/24/black-women-allege-discrimination-police-called-slow-play

[radiman]

I tend to see the traffic jams being caused by the groups that just don't play enough to know how to navigate a course effectively. They may play once or twice every couple of months. They drive a cart towards the green, then drive back to the 2nd guys drive right as you are about to tee off. They duff a shot, drop another ball, duff it again, drop another ball... They don't know what ready golf is. They are out to enjoy their bi-monthly round in nice weather and are oblivious to the fact that there are 2-3 holes open ahead of them and a traffic jam behind them.

 

As mentioned, not generational. All ages can be slow golfers. While, I will still maintain that the slightly more advanced in age group can be slow moving just due to their age and health. I am not trying to insult anyone. If those guys are playing heads up and let the quicker groups play through, there's no issue. Although, there are a couple of groups at my course that are notorious for being slow, and not letting anyone through. Almost like when you are passing someone on the highway just to have them speed up as you are trying to get by. They see you coming to the tee while they are still chatting. They hurry up and get off the tee box just to get to their drives and continue to play slowly.

 

But, I think it is also due in part to the tee sheet being absolutely packed. Every 7 minutes. You get a few groups that don't get off the 1st tee when they are supposed to, even by a couple of minutes, and it can jam things up even more. I can't count how many times where we are on deck and the group ahead of us is still waiting for their 4th to get his clubs out of his car.

[2putttom]

I have been playing golf for almost 30 years and I am without question currently playing the best golf of my life at 45 years old. I usually break 80 and absolutely love the game like I did 30 years ago, but I am so frustrated by how long these rounds are becoming simply due to course mismanagement / disinterest.

 

I played golf yesterday and the round started off slow and got progressively worse. By the time we get to the 10th hole there is four groups on the hole (two on the tee box) and that continued on 11 & 12. At that point it took 3 hr 20 minutes to play 12 holes and judging by how it was becoming increasingly slower the final 6 holes would have certainly taken 2 hours no exaggeration.

 

When we were on 10 we realized that there was a fivesome three groups ahead. A couple of people called the clubhouse to complain and the marshall faked outrage about the whole thing when he knowingly let them go off that way. They did nothing about breaking it up even though they gave us the lip service that they were going to do something about it.

 

So I left after the 12th hole because the whole thing was ridiculous and I would have only been able to play 2-3 more holes anyways. I never would have imagined a 10am tee time would have been a 5 1/2 hour round.

 

Here is what pissed me off. When I left the 12th hole and headed back to the clubhouse it turns out that a really bad foursome and the fivesome behind them were holding up the whole golf course. There was only two groups on 16, a twosome on 17, and nobody on 18!!! So I played the 18th hole and left.

 

When are these golf courses going to get it in their heads that there is consistent money to be made on the weekend mornings if you run a tight ship? If word gets out that a quality gold course us having 4 1/2 hour rounds the tee sheet for Sat & Sun will be full by Monday evening and have plenty of repeat customers. I am really starting to believe that golf course mgmt are their own worst enemy in this matter.

 

I am seriously thinking about playing less golf because I am so tired of this crap. I love the game of golf. I love the decision making and creativity aspect of the game, but I am seriously getting turned off by this nonsense.

 

Am I wrong that golf courses are missing out on an opportunity to profit off the poor management of other golf courses? Hotels and restaurants that are well managed and offer quality service can stay in business for a long time. Have golf course mgmt just become indifferent to the whole thing, lazy, lack of true mgmt skills?

 

I have never worked in the golf industry in any capacity and do not care to because I just love playing. I may very well being missing something, or taking too simplistic of a look at the whole thing. Your thoughts? I am beyond frustrated.

Haggin Oaks?

[wkuo3]

Just had this experience last week on a Friday of all days, not even a weekend. The course let 12 drunk clowns play 36 holes and hold up the entire 36 hole track all day.

 

Of course the marshalls go home at 4:00 and the pro shop closes at 5 - so everyone playing gets left out to dry with idiots on the course. Pissed to say the least.

 

The solution, in FL, is to pay $10k a year to become a private course member, or 'deal' with 5+ hour rounds.

 

 

LOL ! you'd be really confused if you come to our town. Most the golf courses in or near the Metro area all charge weekend green fee for Friday.

If you follow the News, the bright leadership in our City is proposing "head tax" for large and medium business that have an address in the City. $500 per employee per year just to thank them for bringing their business to our City. What a mess !

funny thing is, the proposed head tax will not solve the homeless issue which had become prominent in recent years. They ought to rid of the drugs dealing in the City and these "homeless" will move away to where they could get good drugs as one being interviewed on television program stated. The young man moved here from out of State because we have cheap and good drugs in the street. He steals from retail stores to fund his habit. So like golfing, bad game, buy more equipment which promised better game instead of working on the golf swing.

Right solution for the right reason.

[Barfolomew]

Slow play is worst part of golf!! Yes I play quick lol...

 

Either you've played a lot seen it before and know what to do already so move your Word not allowed along OR you haven't played a lot so don't over think it and aim to obvious safer spots!!!!

 

 

Side note: Slow play is one thing that cant really be replicated on the range.....like pulling up to a tee where 2 groups are already camped kills any rhythm

[Z1ggy16]

Oddly enough I played a 4 hour round on Saturday this past weekend, starting at 10am. There were 4 somes all ahead of us and nobody looked to be a pro, but it seemed that everybody was conscious of keeping pace. My group even kept pace and we had a guy who drove the ball at most, 150 yards and usually due right, into the bush.

 

Even if guys are hacking the ball all over the place, if they accept that maybe they should look for about 1 minute, then drop and go... it shouldn't be too bad. It's when you get the guys everyyy sinnngggleee holeee who insist on the 5 minute search in the woods. I also would assume constantly being in a 5 some, or have a 5 some ahead of you (seems like this only happens in CA) would be a killer.