Getting really frustrated by the length of rounds.

[HatsForBats]

Evidently our foresome plays at a quicker than average pace because we were dogging the foursome in front of us for 18 holes and the round finished in 4 hours and 5 minutes. There was a gap in front of them of two entire holes that they never closed. They seemed oblivious to pace of play and were in their own world so to speak. We were waiting on every shot and they never got the message nor offered to let us play through. What was aggravating was that they played from the back tees when they should have been playing from the front tees. I'm thinking if any of them broke 100 I would have been surprised. Our group could probably play those 18 holes in around 3 hours, as the course was about 5800 yards from the white tees we played.

 

Seems like they were pretty aware of pace of play if they were able to finish in about 4 hours and 5 minutes without any of them breaking 100. I can understand the frustration with them playing the wrong tees but at 4 hours and 5 minutes I don't see much room to complain. Why didn't you just skip a hole or slow down to a less abnormal pace? My home course is short and some of our players just lose their cool and game when the pace is anything above 3:30 (which it often is). They just can't get out of their own way and enjoy themselves even though in most cases they don't need to rush the round.

 

That being said I have 1 regular group that plays very quickly at a longer and tougher course. This weekend was one of our better scoring rounds with one low 80's, 2 low 90's and 1 low 100's. We finished in 3:15 with a very determined pace. They do one very important thing to insure they can play as quick as possible.... they book the first tee time of the day. Outside of that you are taking your chances. It's like a one lane road. If someone is doing the speed limit then anyone behind them shouldn't expect them to pull over and let them pass.

[BiggErn]

Instead of marshals courses should put people on every hole to watch tee shots. Imo that’s where most of the time goes, looking for balls. In many cases a ball will be a foot off the fairway but you can’t see it until you’re right over it.

[PappyVanWinkle53]

I'm not sure how much creative remembering hyperbole is being expressed here. In 35 yrs of playing I have never experienced the mythical 6+ hr round, and I used to live in the E bay area (SF). It's like when I used to work in DC people would seem to one-up each other with how long it took them to commute a certain distance - "It took me 70 minutes to go 10 miles", "Oh yeah, yesterday it took me 90 minutes to go from arlington to the airport". Or, it is more likely that these rare occurrences are being over-represented due to the theme of the thread.

 

Been the victim of a 6 hour round....but only once, mercifully. It was actually in MD just outside DC when I used to live there.....with a newborn at home, I had this clever plan I sold to my wife that I’d be done in 4 hrs tops because I had a 6:25 am tee time and would blast thru....unfortunately the first group went off around 5:40 and the groups in front of us were brutally slow.....I mean, had they been any slower, we’d have gone back in time. My 11:00 phone call to my wife to give her a heads up went something like this, “Hey, babe......so, we just finished up 14.......yes I’m still playing 18 today.......hello.......hello?”

[PappyVanWinkle53]

Instead of marshals courses should put people on every hole to watch tee shots. Imo that’s where most of the time goes, looking for balls. In many cases a ball will be a foot off the fairway but you can’t see it until you’re right over it.

 

Even if what you believe is true, there are probably few courses that could afford this idea without passing the cost onto their customers.....I mean, ~14 additional people on the course each day from sunup to sundown, even at minimum wage, will add up quickly.

[BiggErn]

Instead of marshals courses should put people on every hole to watch tee shots. Imo that’s where most of the time goes, looking for balls. In many cases a ball will be a foot off the fairway but you can’t see it until you’re right over it.

 

Even if what you believe is true, there are probably few courses that could afford this idea without passing the cost onto their customers.....I mean, ~14 additional people on the course each day from sunup to sundown, even at minimum wage, will add up quickly.

 

 

Was a little hyperbole there. But on a serious note if pace of play is gonna be an issue then course maintenance should be something that is looked at. Is 2-3” inch rough really necessary? That’s all it takes to swallow up a ball just a couple inches off the fairway and have guys spend 10 minutes searching for it because they know it’s right there....And yes I know the 5 minute rule and that’s not exactly a bargain on a crowded course.