Heavy rough / slow play

[Ed Tilley]

Allow technology for finding golf balls.

Why is this not actually allowed? As Sean says, there are a number of areas where spending money gives the player the advantage - lessons, equipment, GPS watches etc. However, this to me seems the single one thing that would dramatically increase the enjoyment (and speed) of a round for an average player. I understand there are commercial reasons why the manufacturers don't want it but would it really make that much difference - they would obviously charge more for the balls, and the devices etc. so surely they could make it work if it was actually allowed. I would certainly pay more for balls if it meant I was almost guaranteed to find them.

[Ed Tilley]

The thick rough certainly slowed play at my club , Frilford Heath , a few years ago but this has been cut back. Certainly helped with speed of play but they have since added new tees making the courses longer for club competitions.  One of our club comps saw 5 hour rounds and people walking in. And this was a members only event !
We recently played our Christmas Turkey trot ( in November ) . A fourball handicap " fun" event , played in very wet conditions. The tees we used were on the back of medal tees .
Just out of interest was the speed of play any quicker at Merion for the US Open where the course was shorter than other recent majors ?

The cutting back of the rough at Frilford has been a very pleasant surprise. Re-joined this year after 20 years and playing once or twice a year in the intervening period. The hay like rough was very off putting a few years ago but it has been excellent this year. The clearing of scrub in and around trees is also superb - I remember losing my ball in the gorse in the trees on the right of 17 Red one Saturday. The next week I hit the same drive and trudged up only to find they'd removed the gorse and scrub in the week - still had to hit out sideways but no issues looking / finding.

One thing I have noticed is that stableford / medal rounds take considerably longer than "normal" rounds, particularly medal rounds. People not playing provisional and going back to the tee is one issue, but I think the main issue is everything in the hole and taking as long over an 18 inch putt as a 6 foot putt. That probably adds at least half an hour to a fourball. Not sure what you do about this however.

[OChatriot]

Totally agree
Members started to complain this summer at my club. The pace of play was really slow. We think it was mainly because they did not cut the roughs and some heather and gorse were let too close too. It made recovery shots difficult, and recovery pars a rarity.
3 of us, all below 6hcp tied off for 9 holes. We played really well. Results: +2  +4  +4
The details? 5 wayward drives that we never found. Not much fun to not even have the opportunity to try a banana shot back towards the green. Of course, we also lost  20mins...
They since cut the roughs down, and started to hack the very thick stuff back.
All that because the committee wants to have a tough course.
For what purpose? We want to enjoy golf, score well and move on.
And then they complain they lose members...

[Marc Haring]

I also agree.

One of our four nines at Cumberwell is tree less and despite the wide fairways the long rough has been left uncut this year due to staffing constraints. You may have well just put OOB markers both sides of the rough lines of every hole which destroyed any strategy. Truly an unpleasant experience! The wayward would find it impossible and so simply did not play. I like long rough but it has to be the wispy stuff where the ball can be located with ease but still enough to grab the club through impact.