Getting really frustrated by the length of rounds.

[HatsForBats]

Please stop with the range finder.

 

I actually think range finders speed up play. No matter the skill level, people are going to want to know the yardage so it sure as heck beats walking off yards or fumbling with a cell phone for GPS info.

 

I would normally agree with you, but I saw a guy laser a point and then walk MAYBE 5-10 yards away and lasered again. That is excessive. You should be able to do that small of math in your head and be able to figure it out without having the use your range finder again.

I totally don't agree with that. I just played a course and we all suffered not having the distance because we all forgot our range finders. The course was not marked well at all, and we were just guessing, horrible.

 

Did you miss the part about him lasering a point and walking 5 yards to laser again? Unless you are a high level amateur or a professional, there is no need to laser twice within 5 yards. You didn't have your rangefinder, that's a completely different scenario....my issue wasn't that he used his rangefinder. I'm all for distance measuring devices and use one myself. My issue is that he used it twice in a span of 5ish yards where the math wouldn't be that difficult if you just counted your steps. And now that I think about it I think he walked directly right of his ball, didn't got forward or backward.

 

There can be a very good reason to measure twice within 5 yards. At some angles you may have trouble getting a ping off of the pin due to objects beyond the pin. Moving to a point where those objects no longer interfere can be helpful.

[mshills]

So many things cause slow play.

 

Lack of situational awareness

Ignorance of what constitutes Ready Golf

Golf courses designed to sell real estate rather than for golf

Alcohol

Alcohol

Alcohol

Ignorant greens crew setting pins in ridiculous spots

The beverage cart

Cart Path Only

Rangers unable to handle specific situations

Lack of judgement by the golf shop and/or starter

 

I've come to accept when slow play is likely to occur and I try to avoid those times. Since I get to play about 1% of the golf I would like to play, I'm not going allow myself to ruin my experience by getting upset about slow play. If it's slow, it's slow, and it's my damn fault for playing at a time and place where play is likely to be slow.

[OLD_BONES]

I play on a Muni course and fivesomes are the norm. Luckily I get to play during the week because I'm retired. I consider a 5 hour round fast these days. SAD!

[Sean2]

I play on a Muni course and fivesomes are the norm. Luckily I get to play during the week because I'm retired. I consider a 5 hour round fast these days. SAD!

 

I have never heard of a course allowing 5somes. That's pretty bad.

[jli2636]

I play on a Muni course and fivesomes are the norm. Luckily I get to play during the week because I'm retired. I consider a 5 hour round fast these days. SAD!

 

I have never heard of a course allowing 5somes. That's pretty bad.

 

I was playing with my dad last weekend and we saw a 7 some on one of the greens. It didnt appear that everyone had clubs, and couldnt tell if everyone was playing, but luckily we were on the 18th tee and they werent in front of us.

[jpdx]

I don't consider myself speedy Gonzales or slow as molasses. But how the heck do people play a round in 1.5-2hrs hrs walking?!? I've timed my rounds from my gps app and the absolute fastest I've walked is around 2.5hrs for 18. With a cart I can get around in about 1.5hr. These are 6000-6500yd courses. 1.5 walking? Do you even finish holes?!? Are you jogging between holes? How's it done?!? Lol.

 

Generally I end up with a 3.5-4.5hr round in a foursome depending on traffic ahead. Some days I just know will be slow, like the holiday weekends, first stretch of sun....etc.

[Sean2]

I play on a Muni course and fivesomes are the norm. Luckily I get to play during the week because I'm retired. I consider a 5 hour round fast these days. SAD!

 

I have never heard of a course allowing 5somes. That's pretty bad.

 

I was playing with my dad last weekend and we saw a 7 some on one of the greens. It didnt appear that everyone had clubs, and couldnt tell if everyone was playing, but luckily we were on the 18th tee and they werent in front of us.

 

That's crazy.

[FourTops]

I read somewhere a question: Why is golf the only recreational sport where everyone wants it to be over with quickly? Don't shoot the messenger!

[FourTops]

I don't consider myself speedy Gonzales or slow as molasses. But how the heck do people play a round in 1.5-2hrs hrs walking?!? I've timed my rounds from my gps app and the absolute fastest I've walked is around 2.5hrs for 18. With a cart I can get around in about 1.5hr. These are 6000-6500yd courses. 1.5 walking? Do you even finish holes?!? Are you jogging between holes? How's it done?!? Lol.

 

Generally I end up with a 3.5-4.5hr round in a foursome depending on traffic ahead. Some days I just know will be slow, like the holiday weekends, first stretch of sun....etc.

 

They aren't playing golf...they're exercising!

[Bigsetzee]

My biggest gripe with slow play as most of the time I'm finding it's guys that really should know better.

 

Play two rounds this week -

 

Saturday in a comp at the private course at which I'm a member = 5 hours, stuck behind a group with a boomer in it whom insisted on having practice swings after he had already played each shot.

Monday at a public course - dead quiet on getting a practice nine in stuck behind two players I knew whom didn't call me through yet held me up by about 30-45 mins.

[marmooskapaul]

I don't consider myself speedy Gonzales or slow as molasses. But how the heck do people play a round in 1.5-2hrs hrs walking?!? I've timed my rounds from my gps app and the absolute fastest I've walked is around 2.5hrs for 18. With a cart I can get around in about 1.5hr. These are 6000-6500yd courses. 1.5 walking? Do you even finish holes?!? Are you jogging between holes? How's it done?!? Lol.

 

Generally I end up with a 3.5-4.5hr round in a foursome depending on traffic ahead. Some days I just know will be slow, like the holiday weekends, first stretch of sun....etc.

 

They aren't playing golf...they're exercising!

 

They have to hurry up and get done so they can go home and take a nap!! I've seen weekday morning groups..pick up after bogey..quit on multiple holes if someone in the group has better score...one par all par. That kind of golf is fine...but not for most people..who want to play out and keep their personal score.

[deadsolid...shank]

I don't consider myself speedy Gonzales or slow as molasses. But how the heck do people play a round in 1.5-2hrs hrs walking?!? I've timed my rounds from my gps app and the absolute fastest I've walked is around 2.5hrs for 18. With a cart I can get around in about 1.5hr. These are 6000-6500yd courses. 1.5 walking? Do you even finish holes?!? Are you jogging between holes? How's it done?!? Lol.

 

Generally I end up with a 3.5-4.5hr round in a foursome depending on traffic ahead. Some days I just know will be slow, like the holiday weekends, first stretch of sun....etc.

 

Mainly its course dependent. It's probably not even doable on some of these newer courses laid out through housing divisions where tee to green walks are lengthy. But it's possible on a lot of the old school parkland style layouts where the next tee may only be a few yards from the green.

 

But under two hours is still really stepping out. Playing legitimate golf, not running, but not wasting any time, maybe rolling an extra putt a few times, just a hair over an hour per nine for me.

 

 

 

And you have to play pretty efficiently. Cant hit it all over the place where it takes time to find.

[finleysg]

I play on a Muni course and fivesomes are the norm. Luckily I get to play during the week because I'm retired. I consider a 5 hour round fast these days. SAD!

 

I have never heard of a course allowing 5somes. That's pretty bad.

 

Heh - here's the signup results page from my club: https://bhmc.org/events/127/registered/1

 

Note that we have three nines, two groups of 5 on each nine, for a total of 270 possible spots. We have 5 open spots for tonight, which will fill with walk-ons.

 

Why would we be so crazy as to guarantee 2:30-2:45 times for every Wednesday night by packing the golf course like this? Because we have 380+ members who love this crazy game more than they worry about having a short wait on each shot. Once you get used to this pace, it's really no big deal, at least for one night a week. It helps to be playing with friends who like to bs.

[mshills]

I don't consider myself speedy Gonzales or slow as molasses. But how the heck do people play a round in 1.5-2hrs hrs walking?!? I've timed my rounds from my gps app and the absolute fastest I've walked is around 2.5hrs for 18. With a cart I can get around in about 1.5hr. These are 6000-6500yd courses. 1.5 walking? Do you even finish holes?!? Are you jogging between holes? How's it done?!? Lol.

 

Generally I end up with a 3.5-4.5hr round in a foursome depending on traffic ahead. Some days I just know will be slow, like the holiday weekends, first stretch of sun....etc.

 

I'm sure there are courses somewhere where this can be done, but nowhere I have lived! The topography (up and down hill) alone would prevent such a rapid pace, let alone the newer courses built with maximizing real estate sales in mind.

 

Walking solo, typically I finish in about 2.5 hours. I'm not rushing nor am I wasting any time.

[North Butte]

I read somewhere a question: Why is golf the only recreational sport where everyone wants it to be over with quickly? Don't shoot the messenger!

 

Why is golf the only recreational activity where people sit on their backside in a cart for five hours while calling it a sport?

 

Fifty minutes of golf spread over five hours is not a sport. It’s a waste of a nice day.

[jimb6golf]

It's unfortunate that many public courses not only push out groups every 8 minutes (should be more like 12 or more) to maximize the number of rounds played but also allow 5-somes. Then making matters worse are poorly placed par 3 holes that slow down play and then the worst is the poor play. And by poor play I mean players that have no clue about picking up after double par or taking forever over a shot only to skull it a few yards or lining up a 2 foot putt endlessly. And the worst of it is most of the slow players can look back and see lots of golfers waiting to play and do nothing to speed up their play. Everyone has an occasional bad hole but not everyone needs to play golf at a glacial pace. Start firing drives into the fairway as soon as the group in front hits their second shots (don't hurt anyone) and hopefully they'll get the message.

[heavy_hitter]

Sat and Sunday golf means either first off or darn close. Sadly after a long week of work thats a 4:30-5:30am reality check. Only way I would ever tee off at 10am would be at a club, period. Those mid morning times are PRIME trolling hours...BB

 

yup first off or I'm not heading over till 3-4ish to get in nine and some practice work

 

You are in Florida. You can get over to almost any course at 3 and play 36 holes by dark with no problem this time of year.

[needfasp3ed]

I could shoot 115 and be done in 3 hours; never understood how it can take someone more than four hours to play 18, even if walking.

[Ironmaster Oddities]

It is amazing how many courses there are that have signs posted touting how proud the are to call themselves a 4 hour course, or something to that effect.

In Scotland, if you took 4 hours to play a round of golf, the committee would ask you to play somewhere else. 3 hours or so is pretty common and most players walk.

We should probably be able to play in under 3-1/2 hours.

Play ready golf

Play the tees that most closely match your skill level.move to your ball while your fellow golfers are preparing to play their shots and be ready when it is your turn to play.

How long does it take to read a putt anyway?

Just sayin'

Uncle Bob

[Sean2]

I play on a Muni course and fivesomes are the norm. Luckily I get to play during the week because I'm retired. I consider a 5 hour round fast these days. SAD!

 

I have never heard of a course allowing 5somes. That's pretty bad.

 

Heh - here's the signup results page from my club: https://bhmc.org/eve...27/registered/1

 

Note that we have three nines, two groups of 5 on each nine, for a total of 270 possible spots. We have 5 open spots for tonight, which will fill with walk-ons.

 

Why would we be so crazy as to guarantee 2:30-2:45 times for every Wednesday night by packing the golf course like this? Because we have 380+ members who love this crazy game more than they worry about having a short wait on each shot. Once you get used to this pace, it's really no big deal, at least for one night a week. It helps to be playing with friends who like to bs.

 

Yikes! Even with the social component that is still a long time.

[billh17]

It's unfortunate that many public courses not only push out groups every 8 minutes (should be more like 12 or more) to maximize the number of rounds played but also allow 5-somes. Then making matters worse are poorly placed par 3 holes that slow down play and then the worst is the poor play. And by poor play I mean players that have no clue about picking up after double par or taking forever over a shot only to skull it a few yards or lining up a 2 foot putt endlessly. And the worst of it is most of the slow players can look back and see lots of golfers waiting to play and do nothing to speed up their play. Everyone has an occasional bad hole but not everyone needs to play golf at a glacial pace. Start firing drives into the fairway as soon as the group in front hits their second shots (don't hurt anyone) and hopefully they'll get the message.

 

I understand your frustration...but, no ...I will never hit into someone and I do not think you really mean that.

Too much chance of someone getting seriously injured. Talk to them or go around them,but please,don't advocate hitting

into people.

[Hilltopper413]

Here's another unpopular opinion...

 

Pushy fast players are just as annoying as the slow ones. Background: I detest waiting on every shot and any round over 4.5 hours. However, if my foursome is playing at our pace, waiting occasionally, a 4 to 4.5 hour round doesn't bother me in the least.

 

What really burns me up is the twosome or "fast foursome" that thinks the rest of the golf course should bow down to them and their 3 hour round. They pick up six footers, barely stop walking to hit the ball, and act like everyone else is inconsiderate butt holes for not playing in 3 hours. I like to focus and actually enjoy my round, not have a speed race to see who finishes first.

 

I play in a money game with some pretty good players so we don't look for golf balls very much but do take our time around the greens (that's where you win or lose the money). We are never slow, but nobody will accuse us of playing fast either. It gets old having a group right on your butt all day, sighing, or standing hands on hips making it known that they are inconvenienced when we are right behind the group in front of us and there's nowhere to go.

 

Sounds like you'd be a nightmare to play behind. 4.5 hour round?!! Your group is the entire problem. Face it, you're a slow player...

 

I believe you misunderstood my statement. I don’t have a problem with 4.5 hour rounds if my group is moving along fairly steadily with a little WAITING. Meaning we are behind other groups. If we are the lead group with no one in front we’ll finish in 3:45, 4 at the absolute slowest. I think thats an acceptable pace for a foursome. If you disagree so vehemently then maybe you are one of the people that develops a rage if they can’t play every round in 3 hours.

[trumb1mj1]

Here's another unpopular opinion...

 

Pushy fast players are just as annoying as the slow ones. Background: I detest waiting on every shot and any round over 4.5 hours. However, if my foursome is playing at our pace, waiting occasionally, a 4 to 4.5 hour round doesn't bother me in the least.

 

What really burns me up is the twosome or "fast foursome" that thinks the rest of the golf course should bow down to them and their 3 hour round. They pick up six footers, barely stop walking to hit the ball, and act like everyone else is inconsiderate butt holes for not playing in 3 hours. I like to focus and actually enjoy my round, not have a speed race to see who finishes first.

 

I play in a money game with some pretty good players so we don't look for golf balls very much but do take our time around the greens (that's where you win or lose the money). We are never slow, but nobody will accuse us of playing fast either. It gets old having a group right on your butt all day, sighing, or standing hands on hips making it known that they are inconvenienced when we are right behind the group in front of us and there's nowhere to go.

 

Sounds like you'd be a nightmare to play behind. 4.5 hour round?!! Your group is the entire problem. Face it, you're a slow player...

 

I believe you misunderstood my statement. I don't have a problem with 4.5 hour rounds if my group is moving along fairly steadily with a little WAITING. Meaning we are behind other groups. If we are the lead group with no one in front we'll finish in 3:45, 4 at the absolute slowest. I think thats an acceptable pace for a foursome. If you disagree so vehemently then maybe you are one of the people that develops a rage if they can't play every round in 3 hours.

 

I honestly don't know why we can't expect a 3 hour pace--10 minutes per hole. That said, if the new norm was 3:30 I'd be pretty happy. 12 minutes per hole is plenty.

[TollBros]

It is amazing how many courses there are that have signs posted touting how proud the are to call themselves a 4 hour course, or something to that effect.

In Scotland, if you took 4 hours to play a round of golf, the committee would ask you to play somewhere else. 3 hours or so is pretty common and most players walk.

We should probably be able to play in under 3-1/2 hours.

Play ready golf

Play the tees that most closely match your skill level.move to your ball while your fellow golfers are preparing to play their shots and be ready when it is your turn to play.

How long does it take to read a putt anyway?

Just sayin'

Uncle Bob

 

If only the states had the same rules!

 

 

[bmurph]

Here's another unpopular opinion...

 

Pushy fast players are just as annoying as the slow ones. Background: I detest waiting on every shot and any round over 4.5 hours. However, if my foursome is playing at our pace, waiting occasionally, a 4 to 4.5 hour round doesn't bother me in the least.

 

What really burns me up is the twosome or "fast foursome" that thinks the rest of the golf course should bow down to them and their 3 hour round. They pick up six footers, barely stop walking to hit the ball, and act like everyone else is inconsiderate butt holes for not playing in 3 hours. I like to focus and actually enjoy my round, not have a speed race to see who finishes first.

 

I play in a money game with some pretty good players so we don't look for golf balls very much but do take our time around the greens (that's where you win or lose the money). We are never slow, but nobody will accuse us of playing fast either. It gets old having a group right on your butt all day, sighing, or standing hands on hips making it known that they are inconvenienced when we are right behind the group in front of us and there's nowhere to go.

 

Sounds like you'd be a nightmare to play behind. 4.5 hour round?!! Your group is the entire problem. Face it, you're a slow player...

 

I believe you misunderstood my statement. I don't have a problem with 4.5 hour rounds if my group is moving along fairly steadily with a little WAITING. Meaning we are behind other groups. If we are the lead group with no one in front we'll finish in 3:45, 4 at the absolute slowest. I think thats an acceptable pace for a foursome. If you disagree so vehemently then maybe you are one of the people that develops a rage if they can't play every round in 3 hours.

 

I honestly don't know why we can't expect a 3 hour pace--10 minutes per hole. That said, if the new norm was 3:30 I'd be pretty happy. 12 minutes per hole is plenty.

 

Are you being serious right now?

[trumb1mj1]

Here's another unpopular opinion...

 

Pushy fast players are just as annoying as the slow ones. Background: I detest waiting on every shot and any round over 4.5 hours. However, if my foursome is playing at our pace, waiting occasionally, a 4 to 4.5 hour round doesn't bother me in the least.

 

What really burns me up is the twosome or "fast foursome" that thinks the rest of the golf course should bow down to them and their 3 hour round. They pick up six footers, barely stop walking to hit the ball, and act like everyone else is inconsiderate butt holes for not playing in 3 hours. I like to focus and actually enjoy my round, not have a speed race to see who finishes first.

 

I play in a money game with some pretty good players so we don't look for golf balls very much but do take our time around the greens (that's where you win or lose the money). We are never slow, but nobody will accuse us of playing fast either. It gets old having a group right on your butt all day, sighing, or standing hands on hips making it known that they are inconvenienced when we are right behind the group in front of us and there's nowhere to go.

 

Sounds like you'd be a nightmare to play behind. 4.5 hour round?!! Your group is the entire problem. Face it, you're a slow player...

 

I believe you misunderstood my statement. I don't have a problem with 4.5 hour rounds if my group is moving along fairly steadily with a little WAITING. Meaning we are behind other groups. If we are the lead group with no one in front we'll finish in 3:45, 4 at the absolute slowest. I think thats an acceptable pace for a foursome. If you disagree so vehemently then maybe you are one of the people that develops a rage if they can't play every round in 3 hours.

 

I honestly don't know why we can't expect a 3 hour pace--10 minutes per hole. That said, if the new norm was 3:30 I'd be pretty happy. 12 minutes per hole is plenty.

 

Are you being serious right now?

 

Yes. I can easily play first off with a foursome in 3 hours. 10 minutes per hole is plenty.

[bmurph]

You can, therefore everyone else should be able to as well. Got it.

[trumb1mj1]

You can, therefore everyone else should be able to as well. Got it.

 

My group plays fast and we can finish in 3:00. We have guys shooting low/mid 70s and 90 shooters. Why shouldn't the expectation be that everyone else should be playing no slower than 30 minutes slower than us?

[trumb1mj1]

I'll put it this way: Why are people playing "as fast as they want" vs. "as fast as they can"? Does your game suffer when you play ready golf? Or do you just not care about other people's time?

[North Butte]

On a busy golf course, if there 100 people who want to play ready golf and keep moving briskly from shot to shot along with 10 people who want to dilly-dally around for 5 hours then the pace EVERYONE plays at will be...

 

...about 5 hours.

 

Therein lies the crux of the issue. Unless someone forces the few slowpokes to play faster, then the few slowpokes will force the other 90% of golfers play slower.