How do you handle a slow player in your group?

[Pastit]

Our large group of c 16:20 regulars had one of these. I told him he was so slow that vultures were circling overhead. 

[glm]

58 minutes ago, Foxx said:

I just say to everyone we are falling behind. That speeds things up.

 

My problem is I'm too fast. I walk quick after the last person has hit, and find myself having to slow down to wait for them.

DITTO!

[Anser3]

I think one thing would would speed up play a bit is to record the scores immediately after the hole is over (if you are keeping score).  Too often, I see people wait until the tee box on the next hole (or even a couple holes later) and ask, "what did you get on the last hole?"  or "What did you get on hole 4?"  Then people start playing mental gymnastics and reciting the hole shot-by-shot to remember their score. This results in a bunch of "No, wait...",  "Did I take three shots or two from the weeds?", etc. 

[Greenie]

12 minutes ago, Anser3 said:

I think one thing would would speed up play a bit is to record the scores immediately after the hole is over (if you are keeping score).  Too often, I see people wait until the tee box on the next hole (or even a couple holes later) and ask, "what did you get on the last hole?"  or "What did you get on hole 4?"  Then people start playing mental gymnastics and reciting the hole shot-by-shot to remember their score. This results in a bunch of "No, wait...",  "Did I take three shots or two from the weeds?", etc. 

 

I strongly disagree with you. One of the things that gets me worked up is the group that you are waiting on to walk off the green that returns to their carts and sits there recording scores and debating on did I get this or that while they are holding up the group behind from hitting up. Move on!  We do the scores on the next tee box. A lot of times we will hop in the carts holding our clubs and ride off. We will put them back in the bag when we get to the next tee box.

 

I will agree with you that missing a score and having to ask a few holes later slows things up a bit. I can remember shot for shot what I did on every hole after my round and end up with the score on the score card. Some people can't remember what they did on a hole a few holes earlier.

[Anser3]

1 hour ago, Greenie said:

 

I strongly disagree with you. One of the things that gets me worked up is the group that you are waiting on to walk off the green that returns to their carts and sits there recording scores and debating on did I get this or that while they are holding up the group behind from hitting up. Move on!  We do the scores on the next tee box. A lot of times we will hop in the carts holding our clubs and ride off. We will put them back in the bag when we get to the next tee box.

 

I will agree with you that missing a score and having to ask a few holes later slows things up a bit. I can remember shot for shot what I did on every hole after my round and end up with the score on the score card. Some people can't remember what they did on a hole a few holes earlier.

 

 

I should have clarified... write down the score while moving to the next hole (instead of waiting until you get there).  Don't loiter around the green to record them.  

[Foxx]

10 hours ago, glm said:

DITTO!

 

Is it both for you too?

You are too fast as well?

 

Thing is for me with most rounds, I feel like just smashing through the round. Hit and get to the next shot. I still enjoy it, try just as hard, and have a chat. But I want a 4 hour or less round. I struggle to find players who are the same as me. 

 

 

Edited December 2, 2023 by Foxx

[glm]

3 hours ago, Foxx said:

 

Is it both for you too?

You are too fast as well?

 

Thing is for me with most rounds, I feel like just smashing through the round. Hit and get to the next shot. I still enjoy it, try just as hard, and have a chat. But I want a 4 hour or less round. I struggle to find players who are the same as me. 

 

 

I play way to fast

it hurts my  putting most

[MountainKing]

On 12/1/2023 at 9:10 AM, Anser3 said:

I think one thing would would speed up play a bit is to record the scores immediately after the hole is over (if you are keeping score).  Too often, I see people wait until the tee box on the next hole (or even a couple holes later) and ask, "what did you get on the last hole?"  or "What did you get on hole 4?"  Then people start playing mental gymnastics and reciting the hole shot-by-shot to remember their score. This results in a bunch of "No, wait...",  "Did I take three shots or two from the weeds?", etc. 

 

You have bigger issues than pace of play if you can't remember what you had on a hole 30 seconds later.

[Anser3]

2 hours ago, MountainKing said:

 

You have bigger issues than pace of play if you can't remember what you had on a hole 30 seconds later.

 

 

I don't disagree.  I think a lot of folks don't play with the intention of keeping an actual score.  I do keep score for myself just to gauge how I am doing on a particular day.  Some folks I play keep score but don't keep track of their strokes as they go.   One is in medical journals due to having suffered a severe brain injury (cause of injury unknown...he had to retrain himself to do things left-handed, the right side of his body is functional but has almost no strength. 

Edited December 10, 2023 by Anser3

[gato_plomo]

I've been paired with some slow randoms in the past. Usually I find a time I can say sorry to the group waiting and let them know I'm not with them.  I don't say anything to a random partner. Not looking to get shot.

 

Friends/family I tell them right away they're playing slow and unless they want to let the group behind play through, hurry up. 

[LukeDonaldsTiger]

1 hour ago, gato_plomo said:

I've been paired with some slow randoms in the past. Usually I find a time I can say sorry to the group waiting and let them know I'm not with them.  I don't say anything to a random partner. Not looking to get shot.

 

Friends/family I tell them right away they're playing slow and unless they want to let the group behind play through, hurry up. 

That’s sounds terrible. Are you seriously worried about an altercation if you say something?

I think if you don’t say anything you’re part of the problem, and apologizing to the other group and throwing your flight partners under the bus is weak. There has to be a way to address a minor problem nicely without chickening out of the matter. Sorry bud, not a fan of that strategy. 

[LukeDonaldsTiger]

Playing too fast is a problem, too. Throws me off my rhythm if I have to wait on every shot because our group is too fast. I play and walk fast and certain guys I play with do, too. It’s great if the course is open, but not so much on a packed day or if it becomes a subtle contest of Usain Bolt Golf. 
 

OTOH, one of my friends is painfully slow over the ball, as in, „is he still alive?“. That would be tolerable, but he checks all the other slow play boxes as well, unfortunately. Bag set down in front of the green with a back pin and next tee behind it, not ready for his shot, bringing wedge only to the green with bag in said position, changing clubs after having had ample time to decide, reading greens when it’s his turn to putt instead when others are doing their routines, etc. 

It‘s exhausting, but incurable. We‘ve told him many times, he just lacks awareness. Torture. But a nice guy. Unfortunately, he shoots 110-120 on top of that. 

[gato_plomo]

24 minutes ago, LukeDonaldsTiger said:

That’s sounds terrible. Are you seriously worried about an altercation if you say something?

I think if you don’t say anything you’re part of the problem, and apologizing to the other group and throwing your flight partners under the bus is weak. There has to be a way to address a minor problem nicely without chickening out of the matter. Sorry bud, not a fan of that strategy. 

You could be right, but there's too many crazy people out there.. and golf seems to bring out the crazy in a lot of people. I don't comment on people I don't know. 

[mshills]

On 4/22/2024 at 6:38 AM, LukeDonaldsTiger said:

Playing too fast is a problem, too. Throws me off my rhythm if I have to wait on every shot because our group is too fast. I play and walk fast and certain guys I play with do, too. It’s great if the course is open, but not so much on a packed day or if it becomes a subtle contest of Usain Bolt Golf. 
 

OTOH, one of my friends is painfully slow over the ball, as in, „is he still alive?“. That would be tolerable, but he checks all the other slow play boxes as well, unfortunately. Bag set down in front of the green with a back pin and next tee behind it, not ready for his shot, bringing wedge only to the green with bag in said position, changing clubs after having had ample time to decide, reading greens when it’s his turn to putt instead when others are doing their routines, etc. 

It‘s exhausting, but incurable. We‘ve told him many times, he just lacks awareness. Torture. But a nice guy. Unfortunately, he shoots 110-120 on top of that. 

This complete lack of situational awareness is the worst, and it would make that player slow whether he’s shooting 79 or 109. 
 

My observation is slow play ultimately comes down to only two issues. The situational awareness problem displayed above, or on-course alcohol. 

[Greenie]

Boy did me and my friend get the slowest pairing I have ever been a part of on Monday. 

 

I looked at the tee sheet at a course I play sometimes. I noticed from 10:30 to 11:16 it was not booked. I booked 11:08. I know there is no guarantee the other spots would not fill up but I took a chance and booked 11:08 to give us a buffer before we caught the foursomes ahead. 

We show up at the course 20 mins. early and check in. My friend gets a cart and we are ready to go. There is no one on the first tee box so we ask the starter if we can go. He says no because someone has booked as a twosome at 11:08 and he is going to pair us up. The whole time while we wait the tee box is open. At 11:08 I mention to the starter it's 11:08 and it appears they are a no-show. As I am saying this the starter looks around and sees a couple walking towards the club house. He asks them if they are 11:08 and they said yes we are. 

 

The couple walks over after checking in and says I guess we are playing with you guys. The starter says yes this is the group you booked with. The guy says well I guess we better get a cart and ride over to the car to get our clubs and put our shoes on. I am ready to blow a gasket. No sense of urgency and late! I looked at the starter and said really?

 

The couple shows up and I guess the women could tell I was not happy. She says by the look on your face I guess you don't like to play with other people. I replied well at the moment I am not happy we are late to tee off. I am never late. She laughed and said I guess that is our fault. Then I said I don't mind playing with strangers as long as they keep pace. I said in my usual foursome we usually play around 3:30 but I am ok with 4:00 to play but after that I get a little worked up.

 

By the third hole my friend is making comments to them that we play ready golf. I said my piece at the beginning. It was evident already it was going to be a long day.

 

By the time we hit the back nine we had the whole course behind us backed up. We were riding to 17 and as we went by a guy on 14 tee box he said excuse me but I would like to know what was your tee time? I replied it was 11:08 but we started late because we had to wait for the starter to pair us up. The guy shook his head and I laughed.

 

17 was a par 3 over water. I was on the green, my friend was over in a sand trap and they were both in the water several times each. I went ahead and putted out and went back and sat in the cart. When they finished the hole the women asked me why I didn't finish the hole. I said it's becoming a long day. We played 18 and I don't even know what went on. I putted out and sat in the cart. No one even realized I finished the hole. We finished at 4:10 for a nice almost 5 hr. round.

 

I have been stuck behind people for a 5 hr. round but I have never been the cause of a 5 hr. round before. I was actually more pissed at the starter than I was with the people we played with. They were very nice people that had no clue there were others on the course. They said they were out to enjoy the day.