Redanman wrote:


"My opinion is that you can play fast and shoot 150, so the point is moot.  Just bring enough ammo if you spray into the hay.  Just abandon it and play on, you're out of the medal competition anyway at that point. Just bring plenty of cheap balls so you don't care if you lose them.  You don't need to worry about spinning shots on links even when it's raining.  And please, don't be afraid to play the forward tees.  I've seen many a Scot do it.

I have reasonable golf skills, but I can chop it with the best of them (around in 90-something) when my back really sucks or I can shoot 74 on a good day equally fast.  (Play pace is much more dependent on my co-competitors).  Miss 'em quick.  No triple full speed practice swings to foozle the ball (Or stripe it for that matter!, please).

Go play them, but keep moving and have fun. p.s. THE OLD COURSE is made for literally anyone to play, just keep it left."



Bill really does get to the heart of the matter. My question, who is the fastest player in the GCA?

Bob

I doubt I'm the fastest, but my fastest 18 holes (holing out on every hole) was 1:35 walking, although I didn't pull the flagstick on every green that evening.  If I'm by myself I can usually do about 2:15 playing entirely by the rules.  I have a good friend in Oregon who also takes about 2:15.  When we played together we played in 2:10.  We figure that is because we have the other guy to help find our ball.

All that being said, my ex-wife was just as fast even though she was taking 20 to 40 shots more than me.

One of the fellows in our County Men's league plays almost every morning by himself at about 5:30-6Am.  He carries about 6-8 clubs and jogs to his ball.  He gets around in well under 2 hours... more like 1.5.

I on the other hand like to play fast, but compared to him, I would be halffast.  I would rather do a halffast round (my specialty) in about 3 to 3.25.

OK, OK, I'll take John V in a close race with Mike Golden, Redanman, and Tim Weiman...

A cart's cheating. Dan Kelly and I have several times done 80 holes in 9 hours (8 a.m. -- 5 p.m. on November days in Minnesota when the course is clear and the days are short.)

My wife and I walk 18 holes in about 3:15 if no one is in our way. Why play faster? We're there to enjoy the game and each others' company.

I was going to throw my name into the hat, but John V. has clearly lapped the field. He's right, pulling those pins out and replacing them is a huge time killer. I don't see a problem though, just add the penalty strokes and keep movin'.

I will say that I am applying for a grant with the BBGE that will provide some cash for the first person here who sees me make a practice stroke.

The one time I played with Huckaby at Cinnabar Hills, he encouraged me to drive the ball into the group in front of us.  Not sure if I was playing too slow for him or he just had zero confidence in my ability to hit fellow golfers.  He may not be the fastest, but he definitely kept it moving along.

Ha!  I believe at that point I was just unaware of your prodigious length off the tee.

But yes, I do like to go as fast as possible anyway.  And I think my routine hitting the ball is pretty simple and quick.  

So yeah, I'd guess I can keep up with anyone... that being said, I have to really try to do so when I play with Mike Golden.  Now that man does not dawdle.  Neither does John V or redanman or Dave Moriarty or shivas, come to think of it.  In fact there's your play in 2 hours fivesome....

TH

I'm surprised that no one has yet claimed they can play faster walking than riding.

I too was waiting for that.  Assuming carts can go anywhere, there is just plain no way that that can be true.  A cart gets you to the next shot so much faster, it's just silly to even make the claim.  I've done rounds in carts in stupid fast times, like an hour for 18 holes.  I don't think I've ever gotten under 2 hours walking, even actively TRYING to go fast.  There's just too much distance to cover.

Now if the carts have to stay on the path, it might be close.  But even then I think the cart player is gonna win.  But it would depend on the course and where the paths go.  In a horrid extreme, I can see the walker winning.  But it would take one hell of an extreme.

On a crowded course and assuming good conscientious walkers and silly dawdling riders, then walkers do go faster in the end.  But make all things equal, and well... one doesn't walk as fast as a cart goes.

TH

Tom, How right you are. The key as you noted was going straight to your ball. A cart makes the round go oh so much faster. I however love a fast round alone with bag on shoulder. The tempo you get is so beautiful.

What would you say the biggest time-wasters are?

My vote is hitting when it's "your turn".  I say you should be reasonably courteous but hit when ready and finish putting out.  These two alone would save quite a bit of time.  

The thing is, these time-savers are meaningless unless everyone on the course is doing it.

Huck,

Thanks for the mention about my speed of play.  My secret isn't that I hit the ball so quickly (my preshot routine is probably slower than some) but that I walk fast and mostly keep it in play-hitting it straight and knowing the golf course probably makes it much easier.  

There's no question being able to take carts anywhere makes everyone play faster except for the morons who share a cart and are too freaking lazy to get out of the cart and walk 20 yards to their ball while their partner is getting ready.  I've even seen a whole group in 2 carts all drive to each ball and wait until that shot is hit before going to the next one.  What a bunch of morons.  And don't even talk to me about carts on paths only-that undeniably slows up play for everyone, particularly bad players who have to walk back and forth to the cart after every crappy shot.

Back to the original question at hand posed by Mr. Huntley...

I'll take our fivesome round at Mid-Pines back in the TraditionalGolf.Com days of 1999 as the fastest GCA'rs of all time...it was pure poetry in motion.

Back to the original question at hand posed by Mr. Huntley...

I'll take our fivesome round at Mid-Pines back in the TraditionalGolf.Com days of 1999 as the fastest GCA'rs of all time...it was pure poetry in motion.

Evan I was thinking of that as I was reading down to here.  As I recall, it was you, me, Craig Edgmand and I've forgotten who else (its hell getting old).

We played in around 3 hours as I recall (after taking over 5 to play Tobacco Road earlier in the day.)  Of course, we weren't real serious about putting as they had just punched the greens and they were real bumpy.