Fast Play-Success!:)

[Peter Galea]

Fast Play Wednesday instituted today at Pajaro Valley Golf Club was a complete success. ALL players who teed off before noon finished in under 4 hours. Each recieved a rebate, and for each a donation will be made to the American Red Cross. This is not only a game awareness, but a charity awareness program as well. The first foursome of Mssrs. Clayman, King, Vander Borght and Goodale posted a time of 3 hours 6 minutes. The group who teed off at 11:10 made it in 3 hours 26 minutes. This is a GREAT thing! Thanks again to all on this board who contributed ideas to make it work.

[RJ_Daley]

Pete, somehow I knew you would eventually put out rabbits on your course.  

[aclayman]

The look of incredulity on Pete's face when our 11;11 tee time was on the 17th hole in 3hrs. 5 mins. and had to wait on several occasions too.
I was flabbergasted to say the least.
The morning round was lightening, a real workout. The terrain at Pajaro is wonderful with Movement everywhere.
"The Brain" had the spirit shooting a 76, JohnV and I were the best bowlers with 85's, and the king had a miserable 81.

It was a rousing success and I highly recommended it to all.

Thanx again boys

[ForkaB]

Thank you too, Pete, and congratulations on the success.  The fact that Dan and Adam were able to tee off for their 1st 4-ball at 7:10, have a nice leisurely breakfast at 10:20-11:00, tee off again at 11:10 and finish their 2nd round by 2:30 or so, on a full course, shows that IT CAN BE DONE!!!

I very much hope that any opf you out there who has not yet contacted Pete to see how it was done, do so--if you really want to see faster play on your course.

[N. Hurry]

If you all love golf so much why are you so excited to be done so quickly?

We can't wait to play and we can't wait to finish.

- best line from a course marshall to a slow group.
CM- are you guys enjoying your day?
SG- yeah were having a super time.
CM- are you having to wait at all?
SG- no!
CM- well you guys are making about 70 guys behind you wait on every shot.

[ForkaB]

N

Golfing while walking at a reasonable but healthy pace is like sex--you don't know what you are missing until you try it.  And, like sex, 3 hours is just about the right amount of time.  Any less, it's a quickie, and any more it starts to eat into valuable beer and football time.  IMHO.

[aclayman]

Your right BarnyF, why would I want to play 36 holes in the time it takes the rest of the golf world to play 18.

[Mike_Cirba]

Great stuff, fellas,

Rich,

Super analogy, but I find myself getting annoyed playing golf after the 4th hour passes, yet don't find the same level of perturbance when the other happens activity to run into "overtime".  

Which reminds me of an old, bad joke as to why golf is better than sex...it lasts longer, you don't have to work as hard, and your partner is usually more forgiving of your inevitable mistakes.  

[Slag_Bandoon]

 Happy Happy Joy Joy !!!

That's about the most upbeat, bestest post I've read.  Great read fellas.  Good job Pete!

[THuckaby2]

All I can say is WOW and I have yet another reason to get back down to Pajaro.  I must admit I was a doubting Thomas, I didn't think Bay Area golfers were capable of this... I knew YOU GUYS were, hell I've played enough with you, I just figured you'd have to wait too much to play that fast.

You don't want to know how long it took my tournament group to play that exact course, using carts...

I'm still kinda incredulous how Pete pulled this off - I gotta see for myself.  Ten minute tee times alone just can't be the answer... You have to have an entire tee-sheet of like-minded fast players.  I didn't think it could be done in the Bay Area.

I guess my senses are just bludgeoned by 5.5 hour rounds at Santa Teresa, which is an easier walk than Pajaro...

VERY impressive.  I am bummed I missed it.

TH

ps - great round, Rich!  And Adam, the guy who shot even par at PG Muni couldn't have shot 85 at Pajaro.  What imposter did you send?

[aclayman]

TH- The imposter shot even at PG.
The ten minute tee times were not strictly enforced. But, we did wait for the group ahead to get at least 8 mins out before we teed off.
After both rounds Pete and I were sitting in the clubhouse and some local came up to Pete to thank him for this brilliant idea. He said it was kinda fun checking his watch and stressing over being two seconds behind.

Not Today, was the keyword that resonated thru the cypress lined corridors. Even Pete had to be called to the mat when on the 17th tee he called the General Manager to brag about the pace. When it became his turn to tee off he was met with the keyword repeatedly.  

[THuckaby2]

All right, I gotta know:  what was the rebate?  There had to be some serious reward to get all these people to play fast.  I am just having a hard time envisioning this... like I say, I am bludgeoned by slow play.

TH

[aclayman]

It was 5 bucks and PVGC will make a two dollar donation to the Red Cross.\
Maybe Pete will post the pic???

[ForkaB]

Tom

The rebate was 5 bucks.  We're easy .

PS--the Clayman was just practising in the early morning round for his big money game at 11:10.  You should have seen him turn on the controlled draw off the tee when he had to.......

[THuckaby2]

Wow.  This is astounding.  That does it, I gotta see this for myself.  I just can't see this thing working at Santa Teresa no way no how.. not that management there would be enlightened to do it anyway... So off to Pajaro I go.  Soon.

This damn work thing just really cuts into most Wednesdays, doesn't it?

TH

ps - as for the Clayman, he's my hero since he carried me us to defeating Gib's team at PG.  Money player, oh yes.

[BarnyF]

aclayman,

Since I don't really exists in any real form common among to your species, I can be easily confused as We are by your above post.
The BarnyF has always supported fast play and only recognizes any timed golf while walking.  I would considerate it to be very rude for a cart riding group to press a walking group that is playing in under four hours...we have all seen the cart jockeys who hurry hurry hurry until they catch a walking group and then when let thru slow down under the auspicies that they are naturally faster.

[BarnyF]

clay,

I have never had a discussion with a course marshall...I think they are a waste of a good prostate.

[Dan King]

I had a great time on Wednesday. Thanks to Pete for starting Fast Play Wednesday and Adam for setting things up for our group. Adam, you are going to be missed.

Our group might have played faster, but I held them up.  I'm getting older and fatter and just can't walk as fast as I used to. I've prided myself on how fast I play, and it is a shock to be the slow member of our foursome.  I'm gonna work on getting back to being able to walk faster.

It will be interesting to see if Fast Play Wednesday speeds up golf other days of the week. I'm thinking golfers will get used to liking faster play and it will carry to other rounds. Pete, does Pajaro have any numbers showing average length of rounds during various times and rounds? Something to compare to see if there is a change?

Dan King
dking@danking.org

quote:"Cyril Walker played so slowly they asked him to hurry up, and he became abusive. He said, "Who the hell are you? I'm, an ex-U.S. Open Champion." This was about 1931, he won the Open in 1924. He said he came out 3,000 miles to play in their diddy-bump tournament (L.A. Open), and they couldn't kick him out, he'd play as slow as he damn well pleased. Well, when he came to the ninth hole, they told him he was disqualified and he said, "The hell I am! I came here to play and I'm going to play." So these two officers picked him up by the elbows and I can still see him being carried up the hill, kicking his legs like a banty -- he was a small man.'
--Paul Runyan

[N. Hurry]

I enjoy the idea of a course allowing two-somes only until 9 am on weekends.

Rich,
Are you Sting?

[Practical Pete]

N. Hurry,
Pay for four, you can play as two.

[Peter Galea]

aclayman, the evidence you requested.

The feature foursome walks up to the par 3 #14 on their way to a 3 hour 6 minute round.

The usual suspects w/ Abe Lincoln (L-R) Goodale, John V., headpro Jim Collins, Clayman and King.

[ForkaB]

"Pete"

Thanks for digitally altering those pictures so that nobody outside of our close cirle of friends will know that, in fact, I am Sting.

"Rich"

[RJ_Daley]

Rich, I can't see your feet.  Did John push you into a bunker just before they snapped the picture?

[aclayman]

If you look closely we are adjacent to the first tee, which has a slight slant to it either that, or Pete is 'just that good'?

But getting back to what DK touched on, will this lead to an attitude that spills over onto other days?

I predict it will, if the dilegence Pete shows in HIS job, is emulated behind the cash register and with the marshaling program.

[JohnV]

I hope that the quick round wasn't the reason I was so sick yesterday I couldn't even post.  It was a great day and a great idea of Pete's.  With more rounds at that pace, I'll probably get a membership of some kind at Pajaro.  The course was really fun, I don't know how I missed it when I was growing up down here, but now that I'm back I'll be there a lot.  I'm sure that most of you would love the firm and fast conditions that Pete has brought to Pajaro.  For $40 it may be the best deal in the Bay Area.

Hopefully I saved my good play for the rounds at the Dunes this coming week.