Tee time intervals

[CowtownTexas]

What do they do at your course?

A topic I see here often has to do with pace of play. However, I can't recall a thread discussing the intervals on a tee sheet and how that impacts the pace of play.

At our course, we have 9 minute intervals. Typically, that spreads the groups out enough that there isn't much overcrowding. Of course, like anywhere, we have the occasional slow groups that will back up everyone else. It's pretty easy to know who they are and I always try to make sure I'm not playing behind them.

However, I see public courses with 7 minute intervals and even went to a resort a few months ago that sent them off every 6 minutes. I quit after 4.5 hours and 13 holes as it just wasn't worth the hassle (and the course wasn't all that great either).

The difference between a 7 and a 9 minute interval equates to two extra groups per hour. Doesn't sound like much, but assuming a full tee sheet that's the difference between sharing the course with 33 other groups versus 25 other groups based on a 4 hour round. A busy public course sending them off every 7 minutes which results in 5 hours to finish could mean there are 43 groups on the course at a given time.

Anyway, not alot to discuss, but something some of you might look at when booking a golf outing. Longer intervals between groups likely will result in a more enjoyable round of golf, but also would likely mean a more expensive round due at a daily-fee course.

[mantan]

Tee times intervals are HUGE part of pace of play. 9 or 10 minute tee times usually mean groups are spaced out a bit and even if a group slows down a bit (cart girl, at the turn, etc) - they should have enough space to not slow down the rest of the course.

But a LOT of public courses push 6-7 minute tee times for the reasons you stated. You can get more golfers out per hour. The problem is only works if every group finishes holes at a 12-14 minute clip. One slight hiccup and the problems ripple all the way back. Like clockwork they'll get bogged down on a busy day and then everybody is waiting. People often assume it's the group in front of them or one problem when it's a systemic issue of too many people sent out too quickly. As golfers many people come to expect the 5 hour weekend round, so there is isn't a strong enough incentive for courses to change it.

But go to most high end or resort courses and they usually space out there tee times because they are more concerned about the overall expereince than volume. (the exception being Myrtle Beach and there '1 and 10' practices which usually bogs things down....)

[FLOGMR]

There was an article in one of the major golf mags a few years ago about this very situation. They claimed that 10 minute intervals actually got more players around the course per day than the crowded 7-8 minute intervals because people played faster and therefore more people finished their rounds in any given time period......worth looking into I think.
I have played in a number of Canadian National Championship events through the years and they typically use 10 minute intervals and it has never been over 4 hrs per round even under tournament conditions

[j.lapp]

Ten minutes at the course I work. Deerhurst Highlands

[DaveLeeNC]

Pinehurst does 8-10 minute intervals, depending on the course. The 8 min interval courses generally are not a problem, as most golfers tend to play roughly the proper tees.

dave

[DaSportsGuy]

My home course has eight minute intervals. Pace of play is usually not an issue.

[awil]

I would say 13 /10/13 /10 at a country club and a 11/9/11 for upscale public club and 7/9/7 for the average club the interval helps offset the slow play margin

[TheCityGame]

[quote name='mantan' timestamp='1334692877' post='4739524']
Tee times intervals are HUGE part of pace of play. 9 or 10 minute tee times usually mean groups are spaced out a bit and even if a group slows down a bit (cart girl, at the turn, etc) - they should have enough space to not slow down the rest of the course.

But a LOT of public courses push 6-7 minute tee times for the reasons you stated. You can get more golfers out per hour. The problem is only works if every group finishes holes at a 12-14 minute clip. One slight hiccup and the problems ripple all the way back. Like clockwork they'll get bogged down on a busy day and then everybody is waiting. People often assume it's the group in front of them or one problem when it's a systemic issue of too many people sent out too quickly. As golfers many people come to expect the 5 hour weekend round, so there is isn't a strong enough incentive for courses to change it.

But go to most high end or resort courses and they usually space out there tee times because they are more concerned about the overall expereince than volume. (the exception being Myrtle Beach and there '1 and 10' practices which usually bogs things down....)
[/quote]
You are absolutely correct about how spacing affect pace of play.

The issue is this. . .if Group A plays at a 4 hour pace, but looks for a ball for 5 minutes on hole 6, they finish at 4:05.

If group B plays at a 4 hour pace, but looks for a ball for 5 minutes on hole 10, they're going to finish in 4:10. . .the 5 minute wait due to group A, and the 5 minute wait due to themselves.

Group C is going to finish at 4:10 through no fault of their own, and Group D is going to blame group C for being slow.

Longer tee time intervals create a buffer for the delays. Course design and maintenance have a big effect on this, too. But, everyone wants to blame people who look at their putts from both sides, or take 2 practice swings.

I've played with guys who will b**** about the group in front of us ALL DAY LONG, and then we get to 18 and that group still has to wait to hit their approaches because there's still a group on the green. And, it's not the group on the green's fault either.

It's really like traffic. . .when you're all spread out, one guy can hit his brakes and it doesn't delay anyone. But when you're bumper to bumper already, and someone hits the brakes, that can create a jam going back through traffic and persists even though everyone is trying to get back to speed.

[allegrolink]

10 minute intervals at Prairie Landings in West Chicago, IL. First hole is potentially drivable for some on some days. First hole creates a lot of putts too (our group once had 14 putts with a brutal pin) so groups need that interval or things would be messed up right from the start. Fifth hole has a split fairway, is number one handicap hole, and can play pretty slow. 10 minute intervals seem to keep groups spaced well.

[PhilMickFan]

Most public courses I have played are in the 8-10 minute interval range.

[eric_b]

Most public courses in my area are in the sub-10 minute range....some going as low as 6 or 7 minutes.....i'm a green fee golfer and have been to many of the courses in my area.

I find that for non-nice weather weekend golf.....generally, the spacing is more than enough....even when its down to 6 or 7 minutes.....i'm in the ottawa canada area and so far this year, i've yet to have a round make it to the 4.5 hour mark....but that's because the weather hasn't hit summer like conditions yet.....as soon as it's hot and sunny on a weekend, all bets are off. It won't matter what the spacing is....it could be 20 minutes.....it's still gonna be a long day. For some reason, in my area, hot sunny weekends get everyone out on the course.....and by everyone i mean non-golfers who are renting clubs, never hit a ball in their lives, and have no concept of etiquette.....and its at MANY courses....it's hard to avoid.....

[glfpunk]

The public courses around here really try to pack them in. The private course I belong to does 10 minute intervals but it's always fairly empty anyway. Last saturday I made a 1pm tee time and got to the course about 11:45 to warm up. Hit some range balls for a while, hit some putts, and worked on chipping. Went inside and grabbed a sandwich and some water. Teed off about 12:45. Between the time I got there and the time I teed off, nobody teed off. I love it. It was 75 degrees, sunny, and about 10mph wind. Nobody in front or behind all day. Crazy. Meanwhile at a local public course that would equate to the same money as my monthly dues if I played it just once a week, they're running 7 minute intervals. The first hole is a reachable par five. This means there are always two groups just sitting there at the first tee. Four guys up on the box waiting for the guys in the fairway who are waiting for the green to clear so they can give it a go, and four more guys just sitting in their carts waiting on the guys to tee off who are waiting on the guys in the fairway waiting for the green to clear. This is right off the bat.

So the intervals make a big difference but so does course design. Having a reachable par 5 or a driveable par 4 as your starting hole is just bad design.

[Veng]

Golf courses have fixed costs for the most part. They've got the same course maintance and land costs if they send 1 golf or 100. As such, they see being able to put more people on the course means the difference between losing and making money. And as long as they've got people to fill every tee slot, they really don't have an incentive to change.

[nfinch10]

Last weekend I had a tee time around 2 o'clock. The course was sending groups out at 6 or 7 minute intervals. The marshall told me they had been sending out straight 4-somes all day long since the morning. We played the front in about 2 hr 50 min and when I got to the tenth tee there was a group on the tee and a group behind waiting. The group on the tee was obviously in no rush to speed up because you could hear them yelling "let's get hammered" 2 holes back and they came out of the clubhouse when I was on 9 with a ton of bear and food. I know it probably wasn't all their fault, but the marshall driving around just seemed resigned that there was nothing he could do. He made a very good point, one that the poster above me alluded to, in that all the pro shop cares about is money and doesn't realize how it is out there for him. Having to drive around all day getting the "why aren't you speading up the group in front of me?" death stares from every group is not fun for him either.

I went in and tried to ask for a rain check/refund for the back 9 (the pro shop guy suggested I play the front again because it was now, "wide open"...ended up being exactly the same) but I'm sure I was one of the only ones. Unless a bunch of people are bring up the concerns, the tee times aren't going to change.

I will also say it depends on where you are. Never had this problem in CO or OR, now that I live in the Bay Area, it's very hard to find uncrowded courses, especially on the weekends.

[DLiver]

Great (and interesting) topic guys.

[pheitmeyer]

Knollwood Golf Club in LA county california used to do 8 minute intervals with FIVESOMES fri-saturday. 5.5 hours to play a round. waiting on every single shot. amazing. glad i moved to arizona!