New Local Rule at my club

[larrybud]

[quote name='luxman' timestamp='1287676442' post='2752685']
I'm curious of opinions of a local rule just put in at my club. Mind you, this comes off of the heels of a 5 1/2 hour tournament round and recent weekend rounds exceeding 4 1/2 hours. While this is not a cureall for the problem, I don't think it can hurt and wonder if this is a rule that should be considered beyond my club...

New Local Rule
The following local rule will be in effect immediately:
"If there is doubt whether a ball is in or is lost in a water hazard (including a lateral water hazard), the player may play another ball provisionally under any of the applicable options in Rule 26-1.
If the original ball is found outside the water hazard, the player must continue play with it.
If the original ball is found in the water hazard, the player may either play the original ball as it lies or continue with the ball played provisionally under rule 26-1.

If the original ball is not found or identified, the player must continue with the ball played provisionally.
Penalty for breach of local rule:
Match Play - Loss of hole; Stroke play - Two strokes."
[/quote]
I've always thought this is how it should be played, and when playing with buddies this is how we do it. But to think it's going to speed up a 5.5 hour round by any significant amount is crazy.

There some FUNDAMENTAL problems at your club if you have 5.5 hour rounds. Too close tee times, poor pin positions, no marshalls, no risk of penalties for slow play, etc.

[larrybud]

[quote name='hayzooos' timestamp='1287689057' post='2753003']
8 minutes between tee times should be the absolute minimum. 10 is probably best, but you can lose a few tee times per day, and at a busy course, that can really add up over the course of the year.
[/quote]

Shortsighted view. I know many people (including myself) that avoid courses altogether which have tee times too close together.

[Augster]

Edited for inaccuracy.

Thanks Jontyc. Totally misread it AND misremembered it.

[Newby]

[quote name='Augster' timestamp='1287805313' post='2755219']
[/quote]

The rule does of course give you the choice of playing a provisional or not.

[grabthepin]

Might be worth reading the Local Rule again Augster.

[_MS22_]

[quote name='jontyc' timestamp='1287791741' post='2754847']
I think it's somewhat a win for the players, but it's not attacking the cause of slow play, just catering for it.

The only encouragement to pick up pace is to get into the morning times and many groups will just be happy to play slowly at a later tee time. So the club isn't pushing through more rounds in a day, just more in the morning, less in the afternoon.

Plus the people who can only play later because of their schedule are now stuck with the slow brigade.

There's a saying in golf that goes something like "slow golfers tend to befriend other slow golfers and create an even slower force" and I feel MS22's club is essentially forcing this friendship.

I do like however that some action is being taken towards the slower golfers.
[/quote]

The policy was started as a way to penalize slow play, not to cater to it. I see how one would be led to think that most members would just say "Oh Well, I'll just play later on the weekends" but that was not the case. Some of our, at one time slowest members, are now turning in rounds right at 4 hours so they can get early morning tee times on the weekends. And many groups of friends who were slowed down by a slow player or two still play, those guys just had to pick up the pace and they did. It caused much of the membership (since it is by most accounts a young crowd of players) to evaluate their play and evolve to meet the new policy of the club. And the guys who can not make it until later actually have "Prime" slots open all weekdays T-F, giving the guys who work until 4-5pm a chance to get most of a round in, depending on sunset. Later on the weekends it usually not a problem too as if you wait until 2:30 or 3:00, like I do for my 27th-36th-45th or whatever it may be, the place is wide open being we have 27 holes.