[Mike Sweeney]

From a membership newsletter for 2010

For 2010 our main objective will be to effectively enforce our “Pace of Play Policy”. With the help of our
starters and rangers we will be implementing member and guest guidelines including penalties for slow
play similar to those found at other local clubs. We are developing a guide that will clearly state which
tee is the most appropriate for a golfer based upon their skill level as well as the expected time of play
from the suggested tee. Too many golfers are playing from the championship tees without possessing
the necessary skills to finish their round in a timely fashion. In addition to tee guidelines I will also be
providing suggestions from the PGA as to best practices we can all utilize to help improve our speed on
the course. Pace of play is plaguing the golf business and we plan on tackling this issue head on during
next season.

[Melvyn Morrow]

Mike

Whatever happened to a good uncomplicated game of golf either alone or with friends that took a comfortable 3 to 3.5 hours to play?

Soon many golf courses may require floodlighting to allow most to complete the back 9 before sunrise. Perhaps the answer to speed is uncluttered and uncomplicated play but for many I expect that will mean sacrificing at the alter of testosterone, an act many may refuse to do for fear of course impotency. A short set back but with long term gain, - no, many cannot see let alone accept the possibility.

Lets pray to the ancient Gods of Greece as I believe they will take more notice of the “Pace of Play Policy” than many of the current golfers.

I could be wrong and we all know that miracles do happen even on a golf course.

Melvyn

[JNC Lyon]

Amen.

I definitely like the system in the UK.  Clubs will not set the back tees out for regular play.  Of the good courses of I played, I have yet to play one from all the way back.  I probably would not want to play from all the way back.  If I am not playing off the backs as a single digit, than any players who are not scratch should not be playing off the backs.

The issue of tee placement goes back to Jeff Warne's thread on fun golf courses.  Much of the obsession with back tees has nothing to do with fun.  It is fun to play an impossible golf course...once a year.  Most of the time, I prefer 6,500 yards and under.  As long as I can hit different shots and use every club in the bag, what is the use of extra length?

As for pace of play, all I can say is 'play faster!'  The number one thing is to be ready to hit when it is your turn.  Consider the shot as walk up to the ball.  I usually have a club in mind before I get to my ball.  Extra hard golf courses do not help matters either.  Would more people play golf if the average round was 2.5 hours instead of 4.5?

[Jim_Kennedy]

Mike,
I wish them luck in establishing a guide for tees/time of play. Hard thing to do if you are going to allow everyday play from all the various tees. If the blue players get 4 hours and the white players get 3:48 and the red players get 3:26, well, you can see the problem.

[Jud_T]

Love the effort! I'd like to hear the progress report...Now if you can only get Ben Crane & Co. to actually incur a real penalty stroke for slow play......

[Tim Martin]

Mike-The last line says it all"pace of play is plaguing the golf business". Webster`s Dictionary gives the following definition of the word plague:1)to smite, infest, or afflict with or as with disease,calamity or natural evil 2)to cause worry or distress, to hamper or burden3) to disturb or annoy persistently. I think this is a fair assessment of the effect of slow play but maybe not quite strong enough. Great topic.

[Pete_Pittock]

Our club had a forum last week and pace of play was discussed. We have whittled it down from 4:20 to 4:05 by dropping the expected pace by five minutes a year, and hope to do it again this year. Very little problems, but one member said he liked to play in 4:20 or so and he could have a good time walking and enjoying his group and was unhappy with groups in carts crowding behind him. When he was asked if his group let faster groups through he sat down.

[Ulrich Mayring]

Setting target times is a problem, as players will always say that they couldn't play faster, because they were held up. And many are actually right in saying that. I also find it interesting to set different target times for different tees - how is this going to work at all? If one group plays in 4 hours, because they are entitled to 4 hours from their set of tees, how is the group behind them going to play in 3.5 hours from a more forward tee?

Ulrich

[Adam Clayman]

Mandating times might have a psychological affect on some. For the one's who just can't figure out how to play faster, I'd suggest electro-shock therapy, or, whatever cures narcissistic selfishness.

[Melvyn Morrow]

Adam

Is that to speed them up or stop using carts etc?

Melvyn

[Jon Wiggett]

Setting target times is a problem, as players will always say that they couldn't play faster, because they were held up. And many are actually right in saying that. I also find it interesting to set different target times for different tees - how is this going to work at all? If one group plays in 4 hours, because they are entitled to 4 hours from their set of tees, how is the group behind them going to play in 3.5 hours from a more forward tee?

Ulrich

Ulrich,

by the slower group showing some manners and letting the faster group play through might be one way

[Ulrich Mayring]

Playing through works only if there is room in front of the slower group. So on relatively empty courses it makes sense, but those aren't usually the courses with pace of play issues. If the course is full and everyone is on a, say, 4 hours schedule, then there is at least the potential for everyone moving along smoothly. But if everyone is on a different pace, then playing through will only make it slower on the whole.

I think it would be better to set a universal target time for the course and then assign tees in a way that makes sure everyone can hit this target time. This would mean assigning tees not according to skill level, but according to individual pace of play.

Ulrich

[Adam Clayman]

Melvyn, Depends on if the carts are gas powered or electric.

But you do bring up a good point. The total untruth that riding in a cart makes for faster play. And before anybody wants to argue that point... I'm not talking about you or the experienced foursomes who know how to utilize a cart efficiently. I.E. Parking properly so each player can be ready to play when it's their turn, versus, waiting for a twenty yard cart ride to the next ball. 

Properly paced golf ( walking or riding ) is like a well choreographed dance. Nobody I know of teaches that dance. Leaving it all up to the individual's level of experience is why there's such a problem. The target market American golfer has little of that. Only serious golfer's have enough experience. What's that? 20-25% of the total number of golfers?
Even a pro will make a mistake now and then, but that's how one learns.

The whole pace of play mess illustrates the downside of treating Golf like an industry. Trying to attract masses to an esoteric sport has only resulted in clogging the fields with unsophisticated practitioners.. Sounds like the ancient old justification for joining a private club, no?

For those that can't afford it the only solution withn the system... wake up early and be the first off on a course that won't let people start on #10.  

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