What Is The Slowest Course To Play?

[Jed Peters]

MPCC Dunes course, with my host the last time I had the pleasure of playing there.

Best 6 hours anyone would want to spend, anytime, anywhere.

[Tom Huckaby]

Interesting you mention that, Jed.  We have discussed it before.  The day you had was intentionally slow as you described and understandly time very well-spent.

But at the risk of offending Mr. Huntley.... and Jay Flemma... and I know you said Dunes..... but it brings to mind...

I don't think the Shore course was designed with speed of play in mind, let's just say.  Bottlenecks occur quite often, at least two different points.  I have never figured out WHY, but I think Mr. Huntley can concur that at darn near each par three after #3, there is typically some sort of backup, with the worst happening on #7.  No round there is anything less than great fun, but I have also yet to play a round there that didn't take a lot longer than those on other courses.

So perhaps here is a course where architecture factors in.

TH

[Gene Greco]

   At Bethpage Black in the summertime it is not unusual to find FIVE groups waiting to tee off on the SECOND TEE.

Along with the new maintenance practice of leaving the course in Open conditions and all those who want to play it way back, it is a six hour nightmare - minimum - in the summertime.

Go when it's cold out.

[Greg Chambers]

   At Bethpage Black in the summertime it is not unusual to find FIVE groups waiting to tee off on the SECOND TEE.

Along with the new maintenance practice of leaving the course in Open conditions and all those who want to play it way back, it is a six hour nightmare - minimum - in the summertime.

Go when it's cold out.

The course setup should not allow the course to be played from all the way back when it's that busy.  Period.

[Mike Mosely]

Here are my worst ones:

I have never played Van Cortlandt Park GC in under 6 hours and once played it in 7 hours and 30 minutes.

I have found Split Rock and Pelham GC's not that bad in the afternoon easily playing either in 4 hours or less.

Lido Beach GC played there several times and never finshed in under 6 hours and 30 minutes.

Bethpage Black has suprisingly not been as bad as others describe of the several times I have played, I have average 5 hour rounds.

I forgot about Lido, yes that is a long day. Van C too...ugh.  La Tourette was another 6 + hour round.  Too much.

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

Almost any round with two or more college players in the group.
Whatever happened to the three hour rounds we used to have playing competitive golf in England?

I can remember playing in a lot of the 36 holes amatuer events and having 4.15 between rounds and at lunch we would have a 3 course lunch!

Without ever being in a hurry.

[C. Sturges]

What is worse?  A five hour + round where it flows and you do not waite on every shot or  the four hour round where you waite on every shot.  I know when I have to waite on every shot it gets ugly fast.

[Gene Greco]

[The course setup should not allow the course to be played from all the way back when it's that busy.  Period.

Greg:

      There are usually two sets of tees and many who come to play just walk to the back on every tee whether a tee marker is placed there or not and either with or without game.

There's not much anyone can do about it.

[Mike Demetriou]

Completely agree with Pat Craig. Waveland (Marovitz) in Chicago, is the slowest round i've ever played, but only because of poor management and even worse golfers. What an amazing course that COULD be though.

Has anyone ever heard of a rescue plan for Waveland? It would have to be private, but my point is that the course has potential.

[Jay Flemma]

I have to agree about BB.  Last time I was there, either side of rough were wider than the fairway   Plus the rough was deep and thick, and the blades were tough.  After seeing torrey's set up last year, I think Mike Davis will have to tell them to scale it back a bit, and it certainly isn't "graded."

[Matt_Ward]

The root cause of any major slow play problem starts with the management of the facility. They run the joint -- the inmates don't.

What stems from management dictates all the elements people have
already mentioned.

At BB the course set-up was done by management and the place can only be played by those with near zero handicaps. It is an absolute torture chamber for anyone who plays military golf ...

left, right, left, right

Management has the responsibility to toss those who can't keep up the pace by simply refunding their money when places get cramped. That's not likely going to happen -- easier to sit behind the counters and collect the $$$.

[Dan Herrmann]

What's the slowest course to play?

Easy - try playing your home course (if you play at a private club) on a Monday as part of an outing.  Your 3.5 hour round (walking) turns into purgatory.  But if you laugh and realize you're probably playing to benefit a charity, all works out fine.

[Chris Ord]

Rancho Park in Los Angeles. 6 hours at least on the weekends.  I think they group the tee times too close together.  Plus, the 2nd and 3rd holes are two of the toughest, and they bottleneck the traffic.  It takes the next fifteen holes just to get back to a regular pace.  Too bad, because it's a fun, old course.

I would also add that it's also pretty difficult to find any course in the L.A. area that takes less than five hours (unless you get the first tee time of the day).  18 holes really shouldn't take that long.

[cary lichtenstein]

Slow play is the reason I always like to play early regardless of whether it is my home course or away. I'd bet that a late morning time takes an hour more to play on a nationwide average than an 8 am time.

[Kalen Braley]

What is worse?  A five hour + round where it flows and you do not waite on every shot or  the four hour round where you waite on every shot.  I know when I have to waite on every shot it gets ugly fast.

C. Sturge,

While I have played the 4 hour round in those conditions, I've yet to come anywhere close to any 5 hour round that "flowed" or there wasn't a lot of waiting on most shots.

I can't even think of a scenario where this would be true on 5+ hr round.