3:05 is an incredibly fast time for a foursome to play a round of golf. GREAT JOB!!
I used to be able to finish a 9 per hour if I played alone and could do a twosome in 2:30-2:45 if we really hauled. (This was on a walkable course with no one on it.) Playing 4 in anything under 3:30 is commendable. Great job.
Details please. I don't think it is possible to do that without certain conditions. I see from the photo you are walking. Is it a development course with long trips from green to tee (the only kind I see in Florida)?
How long is the course and did you play the back tees? With a modern standard in our market of 7300+, even if you play it a much more reasonable number you have to drive (or in your case since the course seems to allow walking) past several boxes to get to a "member-type" tee. I find this to greatly increase time per round.
What was the format of the game? Specifically, was it at friendly match play with conceded putts and pick-ups once out of a hole or were all shots counted and all putts holed? I assume it was a casual game.
I find some "fast-play" initiatives ridiculous and others - like this one - wonderful. A friend of mine told me a story from the FSGA Senior Amateur a few years ago. They played threesomes and one player, one of Florida's greatest amateurs ever, admirably chose to walk. This group was put on the clock for falling a bit behind the group in front and wound up finishing in line with the allotted time.
It seems that the walker had to cover long distances to get from green to tee and his playing partners would wait on the box for him. Did I mention FSGA was allowing 3:45 to 3:50 for each group? A rules official kept harrassing them to keep up with the group ahead (the event was early in the year and they were trying to make a statement about slow play in response to the criticisms they'd received in the past).
You and I both know that anything under 4 hours is tolerable for threesomes playing tournament conditions. The fact that this group did not play as fast as the group in front of them did not make them the problem.
Much of the slow-play issue is a direct result of the courses built. A foursome in competition playing at 7000 yards on a Florida course will take 4:30 on average if they play a course with housing. Some of the earliest groups may make it inside that number, but once one group takes that long the groups behind won't be playing in less.
Congratutlations on such a success with your initiative. I'd like to hear more about the conditions of the day regarding course type and set-up. Too often I hear people talk about how long it takes to play without mention of the conditions.
My boss thinks anything over 4:00 is too long, so he gets impatient at a nicer modern course if it is typically busy. To expect the same pace of play that he enjoys at his limited membership, walkable private club would be a mistake.
Many of my posts make mention of how we would all benefit from courses built with less overall yardage. 6200 par 70 is a nice number. Pace of play is a big reason for my sentiment.