How do you handle a slow player in your group?

[bluerrpilot]

Has the pace time of courses changed over time?? I seem to recall that most courses have not changed their pace time (aprox 4:15) yet they have more people playing and tee times are stacked closer together.

 

Hmmmm even the freeway slows down when there are more cars on the road

[ChipNRun]

I make sure I pick up his pitching wedge from greenside after he putts out so we don't have to go back and get it. I'm thinking of one particular person...

[cardoustie]

These slow play threads are wild. I've played with lord knows how many people in my life, all of them with varying degrees of pace, and I can't recall ever really caring about anyone's playing speed. I guess if someone was truly dragging down my regular group day after day it would become grating, but I usually have plenty to occupy me on the golf course that I don't notice.

 

You've never played with a snail then

 

We had a member and I couldn't play with him

 

One away round we are the only 6 players on the course. Two three for 1 net games back to back. We were almost 1 hr back after 18

 

Here's a scenario (it was cart paths only) that happened

 

Go walk from path to ball and laser the shot distance. Come back to cart for ONE club. Walk back to ball. Wrong club so back to cart. Lazer again from cart. Tell a joke and light a cigar. This took a good 4 minutes. I hit my shot within 20 seconds of my lasered yardage. I nearly lost my mind that day (he was a friend of a friend)

 

I called him on it a few times and he was "what's the hurry" blah blah blah. This guy is a funeral director ... not kidding

[caniac6]

We had a guy at our course that was so slow that guys used to yell at him in the grill room BEFORE MGA tournaments.

[LeftDaddy]

I have a really good friend who’s a really good golfer...close to scratch.

 

He plays at what I would say is a casual pace. His lack of speed has almost nothing to do with “golf speed”. He doesn’t really take practice swings and doesn’t deliberate over shots. He takes a quick look and pulls the trigger. And he shoots around 70-78 every time.

 

But he just enjoys being out there and wants to take it easy as he plays, so our rounds can get a little long when he’s feeling “casual “. He just walks to his ball af a leisurely pace, and likes to talk between shots. He can play faster but he doesn’t like to. I thoroughly enjoy playing with him, but the slower rounds do drive me a little crazy sometimes. I’m the one who makes sure to pull my next club while I put away my last club, etc, and he’s just chatting away and walking slowly to his ball. ? But this is nothing like the guy who shoots 95 and walks back and forth to his cart and takes 4 practice swings.

[CRAFTYLEFTY20]

I’d just sit in golf cart and take the opportunity to drink more beer but I’m pretty laid back and don’t let much bother me.

[ArtMBgolf]

When it's a 5 hour round because the course is jammed up way ahead, with some guys like your slow guy it's frustrating.

When the course isn't busy and you can play in 4 hours, but you have a 5 hour golfer with you, that is even more frustrating.

 

If you are walkers, walk ahead, not in his way but up the sides. If it's a stranger, we are stuck for the round. If he is a regular, he

has to improve or be dropped.

 

I don't get how most of these slow player topics say, but he is a really nice guy or a really good friend. If they are that, they should be

willing to take advice on where to save time. Mostly it's common sense.

[Swisstrader98]

The non self aware slow player is maddening ... self centred

 

You just perfectly described the guy in our foursome that’s slow as heck.

 

As many times as he’s been told by the pro, us, other golfers etc that he’s the slowest guy at the club and need to pick it up, he continues to move at a snails pace.

 

We’ve tried joking about it, getting angry about it and on and on and he could care less.

 

He’s a very good player and an even better friend but I’m done trying to push him and don’t want to spoil the friendship.

[Roadking2003]

I wouldn't play with that guy unless he picked it up.

 

It's not that simple. In my case, it's a good friend and I choose to keep a good friend rather than play fast.

[jmkenn0]

Yeah, same boat, one my friends is a great guy, but JFC he is the poster boy for being late to his own funeral. If you say let's play at 11:00, he might pull in the parking lot at 11:05. So we just started playing holes without him, saying he's the automatic loser on that hole, whatever we play for. He's got about 15 distractions at all times, setting up TV to watch some dog race he has money on, talking on the phone about god knows what, packing a bowl, always has 2 clubs, but its never the correct two clubs, etc.

 

I say all that to point out some people are just like that, its in their DNA. You can change them around the edges, you can do little things to speed up the process, but generally you are going to have to either make peace with it or kick him out of your group.

[SnapHooker_307]

The only people I play with that end up taking forever usually speed up with a Sergio Garcia reference. I also know them really well so not sure the best way to relay the message to somebody you don't know.

[crp709]

Definitely got some great advice from everyone. After talking to a few of the founding members of our group we are going to take the following steps:

 

1. In our next group email we are going to remind everyone about the pace of play.

2. We are going to mention some tips to speed up play to all players at our next outing along with a one on one with this individual.

 

 

And if that does not work we are going to put him in a cart by himself and play at our normal pace. If he does not keep up we will leave him behind.

 

Thanks everyone.

[Swisstrader98]

Definitely got some great advice from everyone. After talking to a few of the founding members of our group we are going to take the following steps:

 

1. In our next group email we are going to remind everyone about the pace of play.

2. We are going to mention some tips to speed up play to all players at our next outing along with a one on one with this individual.

 

 

And if that does not work we are going to put him in a cart by himself and play at our normal pace. If he does not keep up we will leave him behind.

 

Thanks everyone.

 

Sorry, but you are delaying the inevitable. If you don’t have a sit down face to face and be blunt as a bowling ball over the head, nothing will change. Even then it’s a crap shoot.

[Hawkeye77]

Tell them to meet Cliff Roberts down by the pond.

[The General]

you talk sh*t to the turtle till he speeds it up. If not, he can find another group. Slow play is rude and sans golf etiquette.

[Z1ggy16]

Play ready golf and basically ignore their existence until they can keep up. If it's somebody I'm riding with I just take my putter and 2 wedges with me to my approach shot and walk myself to the green.

[farmer]

The slowest good player I have ever seen had a pre-shot routine that seemed to be: stock 7, soft 6, chip 5, hard 8, or nuke 9 with appropriate practice swings. He was absolutely oblivious to the effect on other players, and got hostile when told he needed to speed up. He was a legit tournament scratch to + player, but could not play with anyone. Finally, he quit golf and took up jackpot roping, much to the relief of everyone who had ever endured his presence on the course. There are people who are self absorbed that even confrontation doesn't work. Not allowing them to play in your group is the only solution.

[Turbs]

So we have a guy in our group who is very inefficent which makes him slow. By inefficient I mean he's the type of guy on a cart path only guy will walk to his ball get his yardage then walk back to the cart to get a club and finally goes out to hit his ball, waits in the cart for his cart mate to hit before going over to his ball, etc. We have made comments but have yet to flat out say, "you are playing too slow". He's really a nice guy and a decent player who brings a lot to our group but his slow play is becoming painful.

 

Was wondering how others handle this type of player.

 

Thanks

 

Hi there,

 

If and when I am playing with someone who is playing slow I will inform them politely that we need to keep pace with the group in front of us, I know the group may be a smaller party than ours and therefore faster, but we can still play ready golf. I am a quick player and it definitely throws me when I am playing slower than I am comfortable with.... but if the others in the group are playing ready golf it helps...

 

and as others have said.... if really bothers me.... I just wont play with that person....

 

Cheers!!

[Roadking2003]

Slow play is rude and sans golf etiquette.

 

As is fast play. A player racing around as if golf is a footrace is just as rude.

[Eagle1018]

The non self aware slow player is maddening ... self centred

 

I would say 99% of all slow players are not self aware. The others are aware but don't care. All talk concerning faster play assumes they know or care. Neither of which is true.

[RSinSG]

Most of the time I'm in the group behind these guys.

 

We do have one guy in our rotation of players who is by far the slowest of all of us. He's not like what you guys are describing, but because he has a tendency to get 9's and 12's every few rounds he naturally is slower. There is one guy in our league that I pray I don't get grouped with. Multiple practice swings, plumb bobbing every putt after reading it from 360* and then walking like Stepin Fetchit between shots. I've only had to play with him a few times but it was miserable.

[bladehunter]

Slow play is rude and sans golf etiquette.

 

As is fast play. A player racing around as if golf is a footrace is just as rude.

 

I’d agree with that.

 

I hate slow. But didn’t know I hated fast until one particular 9 that a regular partner of mine talked me into. Just he and I. He talked me into riding ( I walk mostly ) . He drove. I swear he started the cart 90% of the time before I had completely sat down. Older guy who’s a good player. He ran to every shot. That’s terrible to play with too.

 

Really only had a couple really slow guys in my days. And each one just got left out eventually . Nobody wants to deal with babysitting a slow poke.

 

When it’s really bad is tournament time. Most events don’t have enough staff to actually issue a penalty. So you just have to deal with it. What you have to not do is speed yourself up to compensate. The slow poke wins then.

[caniac6]

I wouldn't play with that guy unless he picked it up.

 

It's not that simple. In my case, it's a good friend and I choose to keep a good friend rather than play fast.

I play in a regular group on Tues. and Thurs. Last tues we had 5, and since the weather was not good, and the course was not busy, we played 5. One guy left after 9, and with no one in front of us, it took almost 5 hours. On Thurs, I played in a threesome, first group out, and we walked off 18 in 3.5 hours. Three of the guys I played with on Tues were behind us, but were at least, two or three holes behind. These guys are all good guys, and like you, I value their friendship, but the pace of play is killing me.

[Swisstrader98]

I wouldn't play with that guy unless he picked it up.

 

It's not that simple. In my case, it's a good friend and I choose to keep a good friend rather than play fast.

I play in a regular group on Tues. and Thurs. Last tues we had 5, and since the weather was not good, and the course was not busy, we played 5. One guy left after 9, and with no one in front of us, it took almost 5 hours. On Thurs, I played in a threesome, first group out, and we walked off 18 in 3.5 hours. Three of the guys I played with on Tues were behind us, but were at least, two or three holes behind. These guys are all good guys, and like you, I value their friendship, but the pace of play is killing me.

C: who plays as a 5-some??

[Carl Spackler3]

Stopped playing with my buddy cold. Tried to explain in positive way all the good advice. Could not grasp it, just won’t put up with it,life’s to short for golf to have 1 minute of aggravation. I just see him more often off the course

[dokex]

We had a group of 4-5 foursomes that played three times a week at the course I worked at. They identified the four slowest players, and always put them in the final group. They always finished 2-3 holes behind. Finally the pro issued an edict; the slowpokes would tee off first. Problem solved.

[rogolf]

> @dokex said:

> We had a group of 4-5 foursomes that played three times a week at the course I worked at. They identified the four slowest players, and always put them in the final group. They always finished 2-3 holes behind. Finally the pro issued an edict; the slowpokes would tee off first. Problem solved.

Smart pro! He made your problem your problem, instead of his.

 

[bladehunter]

This is a prime example of why walking is better than riding. 4 guys or gals walking and that slow person doesn’t have the opportunity to hold up the group. When they get walked off and left. They get the message.

[Edward_Majorwin]

I love hearing these stories of slow play...Roody, yours was classic! Mello your post also hit it dead on target.

 

I am hard wired with quick and forward thinking, and I'm overly considerate of others, so I have to remind myself that most people just ain't like me at all. I'm always looking back on every hole and checking on the following group's pace compared to ours.

 

About once a month I'll go out and play with my dad and his wife (both in their mid-70s) at a par 63 executive track. Despite them riding in a cart the whole way, they are the definition of slow. The thinking-a-step-ahead element is nonexistent. The cart gets parked where dad almost always has to go back for it after we've finished the hole (once in a while I'll sprint over and move it to the next tee box while they're dithering around on the green). The putters are often left in the bag rather than bringing them along for the obvious chip and putt that is to come. I try my best to make some suggestions but they're old and the basics of the game are all they can handle. I will not play with them on any other course. We did a par 72 last year and it was excruciating to say the least...never again!

[Malvern]

For my sins I'm on the committee at the club these days, so have started playing with a lot more members rather than my regular mates.

 

Turned up several months ago on a Wednesday, two guys I don't know and then the starter put a fourth with us, he's a good player, retired and works hard on his game, 3-4 marker but notoriously slow.

 

On the first tee he announces that he is working on a new visualisation technique, I let out an audible groan, he assures us that whilst it adds a few extra seconds to his pre shot routine that he is walking quicker between shots and it all should even out. I know its gonna be one of those days and in my head commit myself to focussing on the beer that will be coming my way in around 5 hours or more.

 

After 4 holes one of the other guys is a little distressed, he's rushing his shots to compensate for the slow fella. I have a word, he promises to speed up, of course nothing happens and we are on the clock with the marshall by hole 7.

 

The guy who first raised it, has missed a two footer on the 9th by rushing whilst the slow dude was standing there with his eyes closed, its time to say something.

 

On the 10th, I tell him that I too am working on a visualisation technique, if we get any further behind, I'm visualising the three of us going Elin Nordegren on his a** and hacking him to death in the bushes. Whilst that was a joke, I said to him, he can't have his game affect others in the group to the extent it was. Whilst he got it, and sped up a little, he was copping sledges from the group of old boys behind.

 

He's still a guy who marches to the beat of his own drum, that is, he's selfish. It's difficult to come up with an appropriate penalty, a letter from the captain is not going to do much, is a suspension for a period of time the way to play it?