Thoughts On Getting Paired Up With Randoms?

[akronswitness]

15 minutes ago, MtlJeff said:

 

There was a course around here that did 6 minute intervals , i don't know if they still do but when i played it ~ 10 years ago they were doing it. It was brutal as it would become a parking lot on Saturdays and Sundays. And by the time you got to 9AM they'd be way behind already

 

I have never seen 5

 

It was crazy wasnt it? I really dont think some of the public courses around me care if the people are happy or not with pace and groupings. There are not that many options to go around here so they know people will still be back. The one course Im referring to nearly doubled its greefees this year. Went from $45-$50 per round to now $78-82 per round to pay for all of the nice new upgrades they did like firepits at the clubhouse, nicer carts, rangers, ect. I paid their inflated prices and guess what, the course was still packed when I went despite the crazy price increase.

 

Just goes to show--even if a course screws you with tee times or the pace is constantly horrible, people will still come back. There isnt a golf course every half mile around here like there is in other parts of the US. People dont have a lot of options to go run to unless they want to drive 1+ hours to play in a different town.

 

 

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

30 minutes ago, akronswitness said:

Pace of play is generally never a issue with this. I just golfed a course over the weekend that only did foursomes and we still waited 5 mins on every hole from the group in front of us. So thats why I say just because everybody is in a foursome it doesnt guarantee great pace of play compared to a bunch of smaller groups.

 

 

Pace of play is absolutely an issue.

 

Truthfully if the course is entirely smaller groups, PACE of play should improve. Because 18 holes full of twosomes can play faster than 18 holes full of foursomes. But that's not how it works--the twosomes who can play faster are held up by the foursomes in front of them, but are still occupying holes at half their normal capacity. It's the foursome groups who are dictating pace of play--hence why courses don't let groups go out as 5 or 6 and slow things down further. Foursomes could allow smaller groups to play through, but I'm of the opinion that if your group is keeping pace with the group in front of you, letting someone play through doesn't do any real benefit for their group OR for yours--they'll be stuck behind the same group you're stuck behind. 

 

There are only so many groups who can be on the course at one time, because on par 4s/5s you need to wait for the group in front of you to clear the fairway before you can hit off the tee, and on all holes you need to wait for the group in front of you to clear the green before you can hit your approach shots. It doesn't matter if your group is a single or a foursome--you have to wait for the group in front to clear and the group behind you has to wait for you to clear. Allowing non-foursomes out on a busy day simply means less revenue for the course, without any change to pace of play. 

[Bonneville85308]

21 hours ago, akronswitness said:

Sometimes private conversations are made on the course and its extremely awkward or difficult to do if your playing with randoms.

 

 

This is usually code for "we want to talk about racist stuff, tell sexual jokes, and act like a bunch of obnoxious 12 year olds"

 

I doubt you are going to be discussing some kind of top secret business merger that you don't want anyone else to overhear.

 

Buy all four spots in the tee time if you don't want to play with other people. Your whole attitude towards this is disappointing.  

[driveandputtmachine]

41 minutes ago, akronswitness said:

 

That makes sense. To your first point though is what I was referring to with the tee sheets being full. For whatever reason people want to claim I am lying about the courses I have been to and how they operate. Not every course operates with 10 min intervals even if they are supposed to. What I noticed for probably each of the last 2 years is that they just allot more tee times and squeeze people together off the tee.

 

Its not right, its not wrong its just a plan B option that I noticed some local courses take on their most popular days. They dont want to turn anybody down and say they are full, so they just create more tee times by putting them 4,5,6,7 mins apart especially in the early AM. Pace of play is generally never a issue with this. I just golfed a course over the weekend that only did foursomes and we still waited 5 mins on every hole from the group in front of us. So thats why I say just because everybody is in a foursome it doesnt guarantee great pace of play compared to a bunch of smaller groups.

 

I honestly dont mind golfing with random people. A lot of the time its fine. Ive just noticed recently its been happening a lot more than in previous years and sometimes there are times where I would just prefer to play solo or just with my buddies and i wish I had the option if I requested it. Those opportunities are slim to none at this point compared to previous years to which you stated because of Covid--which makes sense.

They don't care and complaining about it won't change it.  It is supply and demand.  They can.....

1. Continue the way they are.

2. Cut the amount of tee times and increase rates.  (TBH, almost every course that has done this during the pandemic has seen their players rate the course higher because the round doesn't take so long).  The course has just as much revenue this way.

 

2. Or for you they should allow twosomes and threesomes and cut the number of rounds they are getting paid for while the pace of play stays horrible booking piles of rounds a day.

 

When will it change?   When Supply outstrips demand.  When it outstrips it too far though courses will shut down.  We all saw this quite a few years back.

 

Asking a course to not realize its earning potential though is ludicrous and I am hoping these discussions help you realize that.  If you ever knew someone that ran or owned a golf course you would know how horribly difficult their life is and it all comes back to not enough money to maintain the course.  They are always skimping on something.  Then all the players complain about conditions at a course that was booking maybe 70% of their rounds at 40 bucks a person.  Land lease, mortgage, equipment leases or payments, chemicals, building payments, paying the workers, etc pulls a lot more money than 99% of golfers understand.  Now how these owners use this new money is completely up to them, they may line their pockets and keep skimping on the course.

[akronswitness]

26 minutes ago, Bonneville85308 said:

 

This is usually code for "we want to talk about racist stuff, tell sexual jokes, and act like a bunch of obnoxious 12 year olds"

 

I doubt you are going to be discussing some kind of top secret business merger that you don't want anyone else to overhear.

 

Buy all four spots in the tee time if you don't want to play with other people. Your whole attitude towards this is disappointing.  

 

Uhh no. Thats code for 'We just went through a pandemic where a lot of people had major life problems and we just want to get out, golf and talk to a close friend for a few hours to take our mind off things'

 

To your last point, I didnt realize this many people loved playing with randoms. That was the initial question until a select few posters turned it into something else. It was simply, do you mind playing with randoms (for the few reasons I stated) or if you had a choice would you prefer to play with just yourself or your buddies--and then we went on 3+ pages behind the economy and ethics of golf at $125+ per round golf courses.

Edited July 20, 2021 by akronswitness

[krtgolfing]

13 minutes ago, akronswitness said:

 

Uhh no. Thats code for 'We just went through a pandemic where a lot of people had major life problems and we just want to get out, golf and talk to a close friend for a few hours to take our mind off things'

 

To your last point, I didnt realize this many people loved playing with randoms. That was the initial question until a select few posters turned it into something else. It was simply, do you mind playing with randoms (for the few reasons I stated) or if you had a choice would you prefer to play with just yourself or your buddies--and then we went on 3+ pages behind the economy and ethics of golf at $125+ per round golf courses.

 

Well your first post involved you complaining about paying $125.00 for a round and being forced to pair up so... 

 

I play with random people 90% of the time. I try to get the first few tee slots of the day so I can get done with the round before it is 100F. Most my golfer friends do not like playing that early. I can count of one hand the amount of times I have had awful experiences being paired with others with playing golf since 1998. Played with a guy a few weeks ago that I never met and we are playing the member / member tournament this weekend. While sometimes I would love to play by myself I do understand that golf courses is in the business to turn a profit. If the charges are $125.00 and three slots are not booked that is $375.00 lost. Say you have 3 more singles in a row booked after that is $1,125.00 lost for 4 tee time slots possibly. If you tell the group in advance you might hit two balls occasionally they would more than likely be okay with it if you're not holding up the pace of play. 

[akronswitness]

42 minutes ago, krtgolfing said:

 

Well your first post involved you complaining about paying $125.00 for a round and being forced to pair up so... 

 

I play with random people 90% of the time. I try to get the first few tee slots of the day so I can get done with the round before it is 100F. Most my golfer friends do not like playing that early. I can count of one hand the amount of times I have had awful experiences being paired with others with playing golf since 1998. Played with a guy a few weeks ago that I never met and we are playing the member / member tournament this weekend. While sometimes I would love to play by myself I do understand that golf courses is in the business to turn a profit. If the charges are $125.00 and three slots are not booked that is $375.00 lost. Say you have 3 more singles in a row booked after that is $1,125.00 lost for 4 tee time slots possibly. If you tell the group in advance you might hit two balls occasionally they would more than likely be okay with it if you're not holding up the pace of play. 

 

Ive played with random people all of the time and thats why I created this topic. The question is do you like that you get paired up with randoms all of the time or if the course offered it, would you just rather play by yourself or with your group instead.

 

Also, the cost is why I brought it up--for a premium cost I don't think its out of line to ask to just play in a threesome if you would like. I understand courses need to make money, but the vast majority of them are already making money hand over fist because they are charging $125 for a round that is honestly probably worth $70 and they can raise their rates whenever they want at your personal expense while also provided the most expensive concessions around.

 

 

Edited July 20, 2021 by akronswitness

[Gdane]

I’m not going to join the pile-on, but I’d day say your best bet is trying to book the first round of the day if you want to avoid getting paired up. 
 

I booked the first time and played a top 20 public this morning, got there way before my tee-time, and small talked the starter for about 10 mins, then he let me go solo before the couple I was supposed to join made it to the tee.

[phizzy30]

Golf is a business and their goal is to maximize profits.  That means making sure all the tee times are filled even if it means pairing you with other strangers.  I know it sucks but that's just the way it is.  For me, there are some days that I feel anti-social and want to golf with just my family or friends.  Other days, I feel a bit social and don't mind the company.  You make some good points but at the end of the day, it's all about the money with golf courses. 

Edited July 20, 2021 by phizzy30

[Bonneville85308]

1 hour ago, akronswitness said:

 The question is do you like that you get paired up with randoms all of the time or if the course offered it, would you just rather play by yourself or with your group instead.

 

 

 

To answer your question, there are only three occasions on which I would prefer to play solo and not with randoms. First are early morning crack-of-dawn rounds, where I have an unwritten agreement with the pro shop at a certain course that I can get there before the first official tee time of the day and just tee off solo so I can get done quick and go to work. Second is late day twilight rounds where I am usually interested in finishing 18 holes before dark in the least possible amount of time. Third is the maybe 3 times per year I take my non-golfer wife out late in the day for 9 holes and she will play a few holes from the 150 yard marker.

 

The last thing I want is to be a single or twosome sandwiched between a bunch of foursomes on a crowded course.

 

Otherwise, I play the bulk of my golf as a single in groups of randoms and I enjoy it. Playing early in the morning means that the randoms are almost always experienced golfers who know etiquette regardless of their skill, play at a good pace, and aren't jerks. I am not a social butterfly but have some basic social skills and can get along with anyone for 4 hours and either conversate or keep quiet after getting a read on the other people. To me, part of the mental aspect of golf is learning how to play in the company of others of all shapes and sizes and not let them be a distraction to your game. Even if you join a private club, as soon as you enter a tournament or club championship you are going to be playing with guys you don't know.

 

One of my best friends is a guy I got randomly paired with at a public course probably 15 years ago.

 

Some of my favorite pairings are at the local muni when you get 4 randoms together who all booked as singles, I find it a fun aspect of the game that 4 complete strangers can enjoy the game together.

 

The only people I ever encounter on a busy course who insist on playing by themselves or tell me to just go ahead after the first hole are almost always either a husband and wife where the wife is new to golf and nervous, or three younger guys who just want to get drunk and high.

 

I've probably played well in excess of 2,000, maybe even 2,500 rounds of golf in my life and count the number of randoms I've played with whom I would never want to play with again probably on both hands.

 

 

Edited July 20, 2021 by Bonneville85308

[chippa13]

1 hour ago, akronswitness said:

 

Ive played with random people all of the time and thats why I created this topic. The question is do you like that you get paired up with randoms all of the time or if the course offered it, would you just rather play by yourself or with your group instead.

 

Also, the cost is why I brought it up--for a premium cost I don't think its out of line to ask to just play in a threesome if you would like. I understand courses need to make money, but the vast majority of them are already making money hand over fist because they are charging $125 for a round that is honestly probably worth $70 and they can raise their rates whenever they want at your personal expense while also provided the most expensive concessions around.

 

 

"These are people of the land........simple folk..........you know..........morons."

[akronswitness]

13 minutes ago, phizzy30 said:

Golf is a business and their goal is to maximize profits.  That means making sure all the tee times are filled even if it means pairing you with other strangers.  I know it sucks but that's just the way it is.  For me, there are some days that I feel anti-social and want to golf with just my family or friends.  Other days, I feel a bit social and don't mind the company.  You make some good points but at the end of the day, it's all about the money with golf courses. 

 

Right right, just wish they could offer a way to have it be a choice if there is a day like you said where you feel anti social. Something like if you call so far in advance of the tee time and specially request it then they could oblige. If courses offered that I honestly dont think it would be used that often, but it would be there for the picky person who just wants a round to themselves or with their friends.

[chippa13]

Maybe restaurants and bars could do this, too?

 

"Hi, my wife and I want to eat at your bar around 5pm today. We're feeling a little anti-social today so could you not seat any people in the last 6 seats on the left so we don't have to be near them? Yes, I get that you're losing money but I don't want to be near strangers today."

[Bonneville85308]

8 minutes ago, akronswitness said:

 

Right right, just wish they could offer a way to have it be a choice if there is a day like you said where you feel anti social. Something like if you call so far in advance of the tee time and specially request it then they could oblige. If courses offered that I honestly dont think it would be used that often, but it would be there for the picky person who just wants a round to themselves or with their friends.

 

When I want to play a round alone with my wife late in the day, I check the online tee sheets of the courses in my area the day before and pick a time and course where it looks like nobody has booked anything within 45-75 minutes or so. Chances of getting a random with you at that time are pretty much nil, and even if someone is there, you can just tell them to go ahead of you. You just can't expect to book a time during a busy, peak time with a full tee sheet and expect the course to accommodate your desire to play alone. If you want to play alone, play when the tee sheet is dead; usually mid-afternoon where I live.

Edited July 20, 2021 by Bonneville85308

[Pepperturbo]

If we let complainers and ranters dictate tee sheets and who's with whom, playing golf would cost a helluva lot more, even muni golf would drastically increase.  I understand the rant, but would never wish for any of those desires.

 

The OP's reasons for the Rant ring of entitlement.  Golf courses owners - own the tee times, and have their P&L configured based on ideal of 4 players holding every legit tee time, and golf is meant to have limited social; NOT like sharing a table in a restaurant.  One does NOT equal the other. 

 

Some of us pay a lot per month (upwards of $250 x2) on green fees and I just set up 3 weeks of tee time in the Islands; do the math...  Honestly, never have I or my wife asked a starter not to put people with us.  Maybe that's partly because I've been on the BOD of a club and dealt with similar desires.

 

If someone struggles with adapting to tee constraints, there's always this: earn a lot more money and build or buy your own course.  All you need is about 5M for a rudimentary track, plus monthly operating exp.  And why would anyone that says this (I don't want to have small-talk with a stranger) be on Golfwrx? 

Edited July 20, 2021 by Pepperturbo

[vandyfan]

This topic hits home for me because I play golf as a single quite a bit. I have two small kids (2 months old and 2 years old) so I can't really book a four some several weeks out. If I get a chance to go, I go and I am more flexible as a single. If you'll permit me, this happened the last time I was on vacation in Destin, FL and I came across someone who got the treatment you are asking for:

 

I booked online as a single at a golf course I rather like in Freeport, FL and was assigned a tee time (there was 1 available so obviously I was joining three other golfers). When I got there, I went and checked in at the pro shop and then got out to the starter. The threesome was actually part of a group of seven (one group of 3 goes off and a group of 4 goes off after them) and they were doing some kind of buddies trip. That's awesome. I go on a golf trip every year. Anyway, a guy in the group of 3 sees they are pairing me up with them and starts to hem and haw. "We are a group here...we all came to play together" etc etc. The starter caves and tells me, "they want to play as a 3 some, sorry, we will pair you up with next available group" (which was 3 groups later probably 30-40 minutes). This was extremely annoying to me but I didn't pitch a fit or really get mad because what difference will that make? I won't make/force a group of 3 play with me, that's incredibly awkward, especially with no backing from the starter. I asked (begged really) if I could go off the back since it was all foursomes after this group of 3 and they let me do that so no real harm but, damn, the stones on that guy to just be like "no we don't want a fourth at this PUBLIC golf course"...unbelievable. Side note, I could see the guys tee off on #1 from my vantage point #10 and if any of those guys was a single digit HDCP I will eat all the golf balls in my bag right now. Side note to the side note: We took a buddies trip to Pinehurst with 7 guys this year and GUESS WHAT we had a random person paired up with us on every one of the 5 rounds we played. 3 of the randoms were additive. 1 random was neutral and 1 was annoying but guess what we have all played golf and realize that when you have an open spot you are going to get paired up most of the time. The idea that you can't have a private conversation with your friend on a 7000 yard golf course when paired up with a random is outrageous. 

 

Also, if you don't want to talk or are with a group of your friends I am not going to forcefully insert myself in your conversation. Just play fast and we won't have a problem. 😀

Edited July 20, 2021 by blackbdmillsaps

[akronswitness]

1 minute ago, chippa13 said:

Maybe restaurants and bars could do this, too?

 

"Hi, my wife and I want to eat at your bar around 5pm today. We're feeling a little anti-social today so could you not seat any people in the last 6 seats on the left so we don't have to be near them? Yes, I get that you're losing money but I don't want to be near strangers today."

 

You have already failed at this analogy earlier. The correct analogy would be a host seating another group at your table in the restaurant because there were 2 more open spots in the booth you  were in. Another one would be going to a bowling alley and having to share your lane with another group because they were busy and wanted to make more money by putting the max capacity at each lane. Another one would be booking a AirBnB for your family only to find out there was another family occupying the upper level because the house slept 8 and you only have 4.

[vandyfan]

9 minutes ago, Pepperturbo said:

And why would anyone that says this (I don't want to have small-talk with a stranger) be on Golfwrx? 

 

NOW YOU ARE ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTION. What say you @akronswitness?

[akronswitness]

6 minutes ago, blackbdmillsaps said:

 

NOW YOU ARE ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTION. What say you @akronswitness?

 

Because i like bickering about trival subjects looking to find commonality among likeminded others who might share in the same peeves.  

 

Not being able to play in a smaller group if I request for good reason is a peeve of mine on the golf course.

Edited July 20, 2021 by akronswitness

[chippa13]

9 minutes ago, akronswitness said:

 

You have already failed at this analogy earlier. The correct analogy would be a host seating another group at your table in the restaurant because there were 2 more open spots in the booth you  were in. Another one would be going to a bowling alley and having to share your lane with another group because they were busy and wanted to make more money by putting the max capacity at each lane. Another one would be booking a AirBnB for your family only to find out there was another family occupying the upper level because the house slept 8 and you only have 4.

I have yet to golf with anyone who got as close to me as they would at my dinner table.

[Pepperturbo]

Agree @chippa13.

 

As a single, I walk on quite often.  I've met some nice people, even made a few friends.  Other times no connection, so I stayed away from others in the group.  I've played with Asians that didn't speak a lick of English, we never said a word to each other, other than be cordial.  I played with a couple that didn't like my cigars, so I stayed away from them.  Unfortunately, that day I did a lot of waiting on them, as they were not very good at golf and couldn't find their silly balls.  They were lucky, and eventually chilled on my cigars as I tracked balls in flight.

 

In the US eating is personal.  Eating in a buffet style, German restaurant - you might find yourself sharing bench seats with strangers on a long table.

[Pepperturbo]

19 minutes ago, akronswitness said:

Because i like bickering about trival subjects looking to find commonality among likeminded others who might share in the same peeves.  

Could you not find similar interaction playing with strange golfers?

[golf_junkie_85]

entitlement at it's finest...having a stranger paired up with you isn't the same as another person seated at your table in a restaurant. when you're done eating you can pay the check and leave whenever you want, playing golf there are people in front and behind you that directly effect you and the pace of play for the whole course. Like many have said just join a Club or buy out the Foursome if you don't like strangers....and who cares how much you pay,  this is a free market, nobody is forcing you to golf there if you don't like it. 

[akronswitness]

42 minutes ago, Pepperturbo said:

Could you not find similar interaction playing with strange golfers?

 

Did you miss my previous 5 posts where I said Ive played golf with randoms eight of the last ten rounds Ive played or did you just gloss over that part to cherry pick something to try and prove your point.

 

 

 

 

[akronswitness]

27 minutes ago, 1putt2win2 said:

entitlement at it's finest...having a stranger paired up with you isn't the same as another person seated at your table in a restaurant. when you're done eating you can pay the check and leave whenever you want, playing golf there are people in front and behind you that directly effect you and the pace of play for the whole course. Like many have said just join a Club or buy out the Foursome if you don't like strangers....and who cares how much you pay,  this is a free market, nobody is forcing you to golf there if you don't like it. 

 

Again, I just got done playing the longest round of the season so far 5.5 hrs at a course that mandated foursomes for 'pace of play' and 'financial' reasons. Waited on every single tee box 5-10 mins. Slower round of golf than the other course I play at that doesnt pair groups together. You can think all you want that everybody playing in a foursome speeds the game up but it does not. Every group is playing at the slowest possible pace it can play at when its nothing but foursomes. What speeds the game up and lets everyone play at their own pace is the simple 'let them play through' golf etiquette rule.

 

Foursomes speeding up play would theoretically work if everybody on the course was equal skill level. However they are not. So more times than not its slow as molasses if you even have 2-3 groups out of 25 playing who are beginner level. All it takes is 1 group out there that plays slow to slow down everybody else 13+ holes behind them.

 

If your at a ritzy golf course that has GPS carts that beep at you when your slow than this would work fine. However, the vast majority of people who play golf dont play those types of courses often and their local course doesnt have Rangers.

Edited July 20, 2021 by akronswitness

[chippa13]

Then find another sport. I don't know what else to tell you.

[golf_junkie_85]

14 minutes ago, akronswitness said:

 

Again, I just got done playing the longest round of the season so far 5.5 hrs at a course that mandated foursomes for 'pace of play' and 'financial' reasons. Waited on every single tee box 5-10 mins. Slower round of golf than the other course I play at that doesnt pair groups together. You can think all you want that everybody playing in a foursome speeds the game up but it does not. Every group is playing at the slowest possible pace it can play at when its nothing but foursomes. What speeds the game up and lets everyone play at their own pace is the simple 'let them play through' golf etiquette rule.

 

Foursomes speeding up play would theoretically work if everybody on the course was equal skill level. However they are not. So more times than not its slow as molasses if you even have 2-3 groups out of 25 playing who are beginner level. All it takes is 1 group out there that plays slow to slow down everybody else 13+ holes behind them.

 

If your at a ritzy golf course that has GPS carts that beep at you when your slow than this would work fine. However, the vast majority of people who play golf dont play those types of courses often and their local course doesnt have Rangers.

 

Nothing in your original post did you mention that you wanted to play faster, or hated being in a foursome because the rounds are slow paced. You even mentioned not wanting to slow a stranger down because sometimes you just wanted to "practice" on the course, or just enjoy family/friend time and avoid chit chat with a stranger. sounds like you want your cake and eat it too. at the end of the day we book with the course not the other way around.

[betarhoalphadelta]

3 hours ago, akronswitness said:

 

Ive played with random people all of the time and thats why I created this topic. The question is do you like that you get paired up with randoms all of the time or if the course offered it, would you just rather play by yourself or with your group instead.

 

Also, the cost is why I brought it up--for a premium cost I don't think its out of line to ask to just play in a threesome if you would like. I understand courses need to make money, but the vast majority of them are already making money hand over fist because they are charging $125 for a round that is honestly probably worth $70 and they can raise their rates whenever they want at your personal expense while also provided the most expensive concessions around.

 

 

If courses were making money hand over fist... We'd see a lot more courses opening, rather than what we've seen pre-COVID, which is a decline. Demand surged with COVID, to be sure, but I frankly feel like courses are trying to fatten their wallets in case we see this demand drop sharply again as the world reopens and they need to ride out lean times again...

 

I personally don't mind playing with randoms. Tradition states that golf is played in foursomes, so if I am going to the course with a tee time that doesn't have 4 people, especially on the weekend and busy times, my assumption is that we'll be playing as 4 with whoever fills out the group. If the course isn't busy? Then sure, I don't think it's any hassle to split up the groups. But I haven't found a non-busy course on a weekend since I came back to the game last summer. On the contrary, tee sheets are COMPLETELY full every tee time all weekend. 

 

I also can't imagine playing as a single or a twosome sandwiched between foursomes on a public course on a weekend. I'm a fast player generally, so the amount of waiting I'd have to do between shots would probably drive me insane. At least with a full group we'll have more people playing shots to keep us from running up the back of the group in front of us.

 

So no, I'm not going to tell a golf course to change their business model because I don't want to talk to someone I don't know. 

[jimbo123]

34 minutes ago, akronswitness said:

 

Again, I just got done playing the longest round of the season so far 5.5 hrs at a course that mandated foursomes for 'pace of play' and 'financial' reasons. Waited on every single tee box 5-10 mins. Slower round of golf than the other course I play at that doesnt pair groups together. You can think all you want that everybody playing in a foursome speeds the game up but it does not. 

A course full of foursomes will be slower than a course full of smaller groups, but that’s not because they allowed foursomes.  It’s because there are more total people on the course.   The foursomes course would be even worse if they allowed smaller groups. 

[akronswitness]

1 hour ago, 1putt2win2 said:

 

Nothing in your original post did you mention that you wanted to play faster, or hated being in a foursome because the rounds are slow paced. You even mentioned not wanting to slow a stranger down because sometimes you just wanted to "practice" on the course, or just enjoy family/friend time and avoid chit chat with a stranger. sounds like you want your cake and eat it too. at the end of the day we book with the course not the other way around.

 

I mean this conversation has evolved quite a bit since the OP hasnt it? There are literally pages of people complaining that people that play in groups of 2 or 3 slow the pace of the game down (on top of finances) and thats the reason courses mandate foursomes.