slow play

[Ally Mcintosh]

what's the slowest round you can remember playing?... and why?... any architectural features contribute to this such as logjams at par threes etc...?

i am playing at the belfry in two weeks and i have been informed that every round will be five and a half hours guaranteed... i was quite taken aback...

...on top of that, i was informed that i absolutely 100% could not play off the middle or back tees and had to play from the green society tees... again, i wasn't too impressed... when you consider the cost, this is a bit of an insult...

...anyway, them's the breaks...

[Brian_Sleeman]

A few years ago the biggest regional tournament was held at a tight course a few miles down the road.  For some reason, the pro saw fit to run out of bounds stakes down either side of each fairway for most of the back nine and part of the front, and the stakes were actually several yards toward the fairway from the treeline.  Thankfully I didn't play, but those who did told me the rounds took upwards of six hours and the scores were ridiculously (and artificially) high.

[Nathaniel Amrine]

There is one main reasons why play is slow - and contrary to popular belief it has nothing to do with a particular course in general. For instance, I work at Grand Haven Golf Club in GH, MI and hear constant comments that "play is slow HERE" (as if it is our fault).

1) Various reports estimate that 90% or more of men aged 18-45 play from the incorrect tee boxes in relation to their handicap. Why only those ages? Most senior men feel completely comfortable playing from high-handicap tees and junior golfers often feel obligated to play from women's tees because of their lack of driving distance.

If men would play from the correct tee box and check their ego at the starter box - American golfers would be playing 3 hr. 45 minute rounds. Play can also be slowed by improper cart usage, i.e. instead of using the "drop me off at my ball" method they ride in packs from ball to ball.

I agree, slow play can be quite fustrating.

[Tyler Kearns]

Ally,

Nearly ten years ago, I played a round in excess of 7hrs in our National Juniour Amateur. When I stepped off of the third green, I realized we were the 5th group on the next tee, and promptly took a nap. While there are no excuses for such abysmally long rounds, trying weather conditions over an at times, very tight (dense bush) golf course & pressure were contributing factors. Architecturally, the tee we were backed-up on was a driveable par-four, with ground and wind conditions that enabled everybody to reach the blind green (many with irons).

Had this been a match play format like our National Amateur as opposed to medal, the pace would have been considerably quicker.

TK

[Bill_McBride]

The worst ever was a 6-person team scramble for a meeting planners association outing at Grand Cypress North/south in Orlando - we were over six hours and had only played 15 holes when it got dark.

I stopped playing in those events that day.  There were people who had never played golf before on several of the teams.  It was ludicrous.  

[Joe Hancock]

Any couples golf league would do it for me.....ugh....

Joe

[Bill_Yates]

Ally,
Please do me a favor.  When you play at The Belfry, (I'm guessing you are playing the Brabazon Course) make it a point to note the time your group's first tee shot is in the air and the time you put the flag in on eighteen.  And if you can make a few notes regarding places you waited out on the course.  Let us know what you found out and we can do a bit of long range analysis on another thread.

Tyler,
You nailed it.  When it comes to architecture and maintenance as contributors to slow play, bushes and long deep rough in the wrong places are killers.  Also, driveable par 4's, like the fourth hole on your tournament course, play like excessively long par 3's (accommodating one playing group only).  Also, unlike par 3's they take a much longer time to play, therefore backing up play.  The complication of having a blind green makes it even worse.  When does the next group even know when to play away?

[JLahrman]

1) Various reports estimate that 90% or more of men aged 18-45 play from the incorrect tee boxes in relation to their handicap. Why only those ages? Most senior men feel completely comfortable playing from high-handicap tees and junior golfers often feel obligated to play from women's tees because of their lack of driving distance.

If men would play from the correct tee box and check their ego at the starter box - American golfers would be playing 3 hr. 45 minute rounds. Play can also be slowed by improper cart usage, i.e. instead of using the "drop me off at my ball" method they ride in packs from ball to ball.

I agree, slow play can be quite fustrating.

Nathaniel, I think the cart factor is bigger than incorrect tees.  Honestly I don't really think incorrect tees necessarily add that much time - provided players are moving at the proper place.  Here are some other slow play factors that I observe:

Biggest factor, in my opinion, is people not being ready to hit.  Get to your ball and be ready to play your shot.  It drives me crazy when I am on the tee of a par-4, see 4 guys in/around the fairway, a clear green, and nobody looking like they're within 60 seconds of hitting a shot.  Be ready to play, and begin preparing to hit while the other guy is hitting his shot (assuming you're not distracting him and not within range of being hit).  I try to be starting my preshot routine as the previous player to hit is striking his shot.

This goes for the green as well.  People are not ready to hit their putts.  How often do you see a guy waiting to line up his putt until it's his turn to play?

Unless you get to the lost ball first, hit your shot THEN go help look for the other guy's lost ball.  Usually they find it while you're hitting.

Play ready golf.

There is no reason that a high handicapper can't be nearly as fast as a low handicapper (or faster, given the speed at which I see some good players moving).  And I can't entirely blame the players - they are not being taught how to play at a proper pace.  Where is the proactivity around speeding up play?

[George Pazin]

JAL, I agree with you 100%.

I'm a high handicapper and I guarantee you I could play the tips at most courses faster than a great majority of golfers.

[Dan_Callahan]

I find that the most common cause of slow play is the idiot.

He's the guy who has 180 yards to the green, fats a 6-iron about 10 yards, goes back to his cart for a new club, fats that one another 10 yards, looks at his buddies like it's their fault, takes at least 20 practice swings trying to determine the swing flaw, goes back to his cart for another club, repeat, repeat, repeat until you are ready to stick a fork in your eye.

He's also the guy who gets down in an obscene crouch to line up his putts, knowing full well he has absolutely no idea how to read a break but has seen a guy on tv do it this way so what the hell, takes a good four putts to get in the hole, and then pulls out his scorecard and turns to look down the fairway to count his shots. Usually you can hear him say to his buddies, "Damn, that was a rough 6."

[JLahrman]

I don't know that I agree with that either Dan.  Those guys are out there, but not on the early weekend mornings when I'm out hacking around.  I think it's far more caused by an extra few seconds on a shot by shot basis for the whole group.

If a foursome takes 360 shots, and 100 of the shots require an extra 30 seconds, that's 50 additional minutes added to the round.

[Dan_Callahan]

Probably true, but those extra 30 seconds don't really impact my game in a negative way.

When I am stuck behind the idiot, I spend so much time watching what asinine thing he will do next that I complete lose any focus on my own game. Admitedly it is a failing on my part. I am not Tiger Woods. I am incapable of blocking out my surroundings.

I can usually tell within two holes if I am going to play well or not. It has nothing to do with how I am striking the ball and everything to do with the level of my blood pressure based on the antics of the jackass in front of me.

[JLahrman]

I see your point, but while that guy might be one sizzling your bacon, I don't think he is the cause of the vast majority of five hour rounds.

When I see that guy I at least have hope that we can play through.  I get more frustrated when the group in front of me takes 20 minutes to play a par 3...and still has to wait on the next tee.

[Jack_Marr]

I was playing in Portugal recently. I was put in with people I din't know, as I was on my own. However, the didn't turn up. I was the third out in the morning and there was two fourballs in front of me. The first fourball (some Dutch people) called me through. But the next fourball - well I was practically standing on the tee with them on every hole, but they never invited me to go through.

I know you have limited rights on a golf course, but if that was here, I know I would be invited to go through.

Eventually, I just said to them: "look lads - I'm sorry I can't hang around like this so I'm playing through". They then agreed. It was painful for nine holes playing behind them. They were about 4 holes behind me when I finished my round.

[cary lichtenstein]

I generally walk off when play gets that slow. I play enuf as it is. I will not go back to Pebble as a result.

When we travel, we try to get early times as we knowit backs up as the day progresses

[Matt_Cohn]

7 hours. 3 for the front, 1 at the turn because of double-tee start, 3 for the back.

[Peter_Herreid]

There is a hands-down winner for the slowest round of golf I've ever played...

Mother's Day 1990  Poppy Hills Golf Course, 6 hrs and 15 mintues...

We thought we had it mapped out so well, mid-morning brunch, the ladies go shopping in Carmel, the guys go out to golf and then meet back for a 5.30pm dinner reservation at Casanova's in Carmel...

Well, it was a good plan.  This was before the days of readily available cell-phones, etc.

6 hours and 15 minutes after starting we finally finished #18 in near darkness from enveloping fog.  The ladies had waited for us, then cancelled the reservation and eaten an unsatisfying meal at the Med Market and all the shops has closed up by the time we got back to pick them up (we had the car)

Worst slow play golf experience followed by coldest, chilliest and quietest car ride back to SF you could imagine.

Our fault for not walking off, but we were more youthful and less "in tune" then

I have not been back to Poppy Hills since that day..

[Jim Franklin]

We were 3 hours 15 minutes into our round at Oakmont Green in Pennsylvania about 15 years ago when we were hitting our second shots into the par 5 ninth. I stuck it to 3 feet, made eagle and went directly to my car to never return to that God foresaken place. I will NEVER set foot there again. I think they had 7 minute splits for tee times and it was a joke.

Bethpage Black was a near 6 hour round the first time I played there. Just brutally slow. I am surprised I went back.

[Brian_Sleeman]

I forgot to mention another contender, though I think all scrambles require an asterisk:

At the same course I mentioned earlier, they hosted a four-man scramble where they actually paired teams together into 8-somes.  The result was fittingly an 8-hour round.

Needless to say that pro is no longer employed there...

[David Stamm]

Encinitas Ranch the 2nd day they were open. Teed off at 10:10am and finished at 5:30. The single worst pace of play I've ever seen. Just thinking about it makes me sick!

[Tyler Kearns]

The worst ever was a 6-person team scramble for a meeting planners association outing at Grand Cypress North/south in Orlando - we were over six hours and had only played 15 holes when it got dark.

I stopped playing in those events that day.  There were people who had never played golf before on several of the teams.  It was ludicrous.  

Bill,

Growing up, I worked in the proshop at a private club. We had a corporate tournament once a week, and I remember the following conversation I had with a guest;

"I'de like to rent some golf clubs" she asked.

"Sure. Left or right-handed" I replied.

"It doesn't matter, I have NEVER played before"

TK

[Marty Bonnar]

Did you ever find youself in the Twilight Zone of being behind the slowest group you've ever encountered - who resolutely refuse to look back and wave you through

BUT ALSO

in front of another group who are permanently up your backside and, due to the trees around or lots of doglegs or changes in elevation, believe it's YOU who are holding them up!?!?!!?

We were playing in a threesome in Florida a couple of years ago at one of the courses in Poinciana and had a twosome in our back pockets for fifteen holes. The english guy we were playing with eventually let them through. We got to the 16th tee and had to wait for about a half hour for the now TWO groups to putt out for their 6s and 7s on the par 3.

Possibly the angriest I've ever gotten to on a golf course - and I have my moments!

Aaaarrrghgghhghghhh!!!!

FBD.

[JLahrman]

The most proactive ranger I've ever encountered repeatedly approached my group about speeding up although there was nobody else in sight.

I was with a group that had started at about 7:30 AM.  This was not the fastest group I've every played in, but not glacial either.  There was nobody in front of us and we probably made it around in 4:30-4:45.  On maybe the third hole we let a group go through us and that was the only group we saw all day.  Apparently whoever was behind us must have really been holding up the show.  Three times between maybe holes 11 and 15, the started approached us about picking up the pace.  One conversation I recall distinctly:

Ranger:  I hate to bother you folks again, but I'm going to have to ask you to pick up the pace a little bit.

Me:  OK, we are trying to keep moving but at least we're not holding anybody up.

Ranger:  Well we're getting some complaints from the earlier groups that it's moving really slow.

Me:  I appreciate your efforts to get play moving but it can't possibly be us, we haven't seen anybody all day.

I gesture back down the fairway.  Absolutely no signs of life; dead silence.  I was waiting for a tumbleweed to blow across the panorama or a crow to start cawing.  He drove off and eventually apologized for getting on us.  This guy got an A for effort, but I have no idea how he thought we could have been the bottleneck.

[Craig Sweet]

Each day of our club championship is a 6 hour round....I no longer care to play in it, life is too precious to spend in that kind of hell...

As a daily spectator of golf, I see too many idiots playing slow...many have no clue how to use a cart, most obsess over the ball way to long (before chunking it), many spend way too long putting, on ridiculous pre-shot rituals,and pacing yardage, etc...

[Doug Wright]

A couple of full field (2 groups per hole) charity events years ago where each participant could play his/her own ball, many once a year or once a decade golfers. 6 hours. There's a reason these events are now scrambles or modified scrambles...

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