Slow Play

[Bob_Huntley]

The thread down below on "The Worst Ryder Cup Ever" has morphed into a discussion on slow play.

We have, at some time or another played with fellow GCA'ers at various venues. My question, who is the quickest player out of the gallant 1500?  The answer is, me. I take no practice swings, will putt continually and get on with it. Can I play worth a damn, no, but I do miss them quick as they say.

Who is the slowest among us?

Bob

[Tommy Williamsen]

I don't know Bob, I just walked 9 holes in an hour.  Before I turned 60 I could play in less than an hour and not feel rushed.  I just walked fast. 

[Bill_McBride]

Shivas would be faster if it weren't for all that fiddling with the cheater line!

[Dan King]

You are pretty damn fast Mr. Huntley, but I think the departed Mr. Goodale might have been a wee bit faster. There was a time or two I got caught talking when he swung. He'd get to his ball, pick a club and swing all as if in one motion. I stopped taking my single practice swing to try and be more like Rihc.

But I think you could kick his butt in a cart. You, unlike almost every other cart rider, know how to use a cart.

The secret to being a fast golfer is consideration for other golfers. You don't have to sprint, you just have to be aware that there are other people on the course. Slow golfers are rude.

Cheers,
Dan King

There is not the slightest doubt in my own mind that golf as played in the United States is the slowest in the world.
 --Henry Longhurst

[Dan Herrmann]

The quickest player I've ever played with is Joe Bausch.  Man, that guy MOVES!  And he takes great photos too!

[C. Squier]

Haven't played with many GCA'ers, but I'll take Krahenbuhl or Ohlendorf any day in a race.

You can't curse at your ball while it's in the air because you'd be talking in Kyle's backswing.

[Eric Pevoto]

"The secret to being a fast golfer is consideration for other golfers. You don't have to sprint, you just have to be aware that there are other people on the course. Slow golfers are rude." Dan King

Damn.  This is going up somewhere in my golf shop.  Every weekend is like herding cats.

[Dan Herrmann]

Meow!

[Garland Bayley]

Meow!

Bob asked, "who is the slowest among us?" I guess you just nominated yourself.

All for Dan, say Aye!

[Jed Peters]

Me.

Miss you, Bob.

[Eric Pevoto]

Dan, slow?  Nay.

Slow is relative.  I'd take the gca crowd any day over what is typical.

[JohnV]

GCA guy - pretty quick
GCA guy with a camera - pretty damn slow 

[Kevin Pallier]

We have, at some time or another played with fellow GCA'ers at various venues. My question, who is the quickest player out of the gallant 1500? 

Fellow Aussie Andrew Summerell is pretty quick - sometimes he even forgets to putt 

Who is the slowest among us?

I'm pretty slow on the greens (and love to take photos) so I could fall into that category to a degree

[Sean_A]

Rihc is pretty quick, but Young JNC might nip em' with far less weight to lug around and on MUCH younger legs - its hardly fair to compare the two - tee hee. Lets not quibble, both deserve honourary membership to Huntercombe.  Speaking of Huntercombe, I once got Whitty's ass round quickly. When we were in the house he recognized a few chaps that were ahead of us and questioned how we beat them without without going through. Then he glanced at his watch and realized it was only 2.5 hours since we were waiting on the 1st tee off and we aready had drinks in our hands.  It wasn't until then the penny dropped and he realized we skipped a handful of holes.  Long live clubs like Huntercombe even if the pace is a bit too torrid for my liking.  I hate to walk fast because I instinctively feel golf should be a relaxed game.  I like to take time to smell the flowers and enjoy my time rather than feel I am on a forced march.  So I guess I am fairly slow, but I don't hold up many people - the last obvious one was Young JNC, but I think the kid is on speed or something.  I watched him for a spell around a clubhouse and he does everything fast.  

One thing I would mention about slow play compared to the old days.  Back then 2balls were the norm whereas today 4balls are the norm.  Thats a huge difference in time right there.  Add in courses which are often 600-1000 yards longer and much of the difference of time is accounted for. 

Ciao  

[Mark Pearce]

We have two Huntercombe members on the board (The African Animal and Giles Payne), they both motor.  Giles and I played NBWL a couple of weeks ago in 4/5 club wind and finished in 2h50m, 90 minutes ahead of the three ball behind us.  Rihc (no longer one of the 1500, sadly) is no slouch.  Craig Disher is another who just gets on with things.  The trick with all of these is  that it never feels like a rush playing with any of them.  They simply don't waste time and are ready to play as soon as it's their turn.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Rihc is pretty quick, but Young JNC might nip em' with far less weight to lug around and on MUCH younger legs - its hardly fair to compare the two - tee hee. Lets not quibble, both deserve honourary membership to Huntercombe.  Speaking of Huntercombe, I once got Whitty's ass round quickly. When we were in the house he recognized a few chaps that were ahead of us and questioned how we beat them without without going through. Then he glanced at his watch and realized it was only 2.5 hours since we were waiting on the 1st tee off and we aready had drinks in our hands.  It wasn't until then the penny dropped and he realized we skipped a handful of holes.  Long live clubs like Huntercombe even if the pace is a bit too torrid for my liking.  I hate to walk fast because I instinctively feel golf should be a relaxed game.  I like to take time to smell the flowers and enjoy my time rather than feel I am on a forced march.  So I guess I am fairly slow, but I don't hold up many people - the last obvious one was Young JNC, but I think the kid is on speed or something.  I watched him for a spell around a clubhouse and he does everything fast. 

One thing I would mention about slow play compared to the old days.  Back then 2balls were the norm whereas today 4balls are the norm.  Thats a huge difference in time right there.  Add in courses which are often 600-1000 yards longer and much of the difference of time is accounted for. 

Ciao 

Sean may not rush, its not his style,  but he’s efficient.  Next time he posts a photo tour note how seldom you see another golfer in the frame, only possible if you’re at the head of your group. I’ve played on several of those rounds with him and you just never notice him slip the camera out of the pocket. 


Done with consideration for others I can’t see taking snaps holding the game up. 


A slow guy on the golf course is slow, whether he’s walking, using  a caddy or a cart.  They go into this world of their own and just don’t’ see how it affects others.  Several times, including TOC,  I’ve been lumped with others who include the dreaded “deliberate golfer”.  When the group is asked to speed up by a marshal they change nothing, oblivious to their own behaviour.


Hand on heart I’ve never played with anyone at GCA event who is truly slow.  A few who are slower than me;  but if that’s how I judge all others then I’m hardly being considerate.

[Dan Herrmann]

Come on - who hasn't hosted guys at your club that take f-o-r-e-v-e-r to play?  I'm used to 3:50, and playing in 4:45 seems like purgatory to me.

[Jeff_Brauer]

I like to think I play fast.  My son and I occaisionally play our home course over lunch and get in 9 holes and I am back in an hour and a half including drive time (10 min each way) if the course is empty.

My ex and I played Royal Melbourne three times in two days and never took more than 2H 45M, with me shooting 80 something and her shooting 120 something.  One time, we were behind a ladies league and they didn't hold us up.  (Both events mentioned to dispel the myth that average female players are the main problem in slow play - we have seen the enemy and the enemy is us!)

The RM experience taught me (I think) that distance from green to tee is one key design wise, as are wide playing corridors. 

From the play side, I try not to wait until my partner has played to plan my shot, pick a club, etc.  Perhaps I am anti social that way (and have occaisionally tossed out a gratuitous "nice shot" after a cold top because I really wasn't looking) but I think waiting for others to play is the main culprit, and if sharing a cart, its a double culprit to wait rather than drop off your partner and go to your ball (safety permitting)

I also eliminated practice swings years ago as well as looking at the putt from the other side of the hole (in most cases) In truth, I can only recall a few occaisions where that second look helped me make a putt.  Oh, and I play ready golf, damning the customary order of play.  (perhaps because of that "shoot the first guy on the tee" story I have told hear, I should be a little more selective on that one)

[jeffwarne]

Haven't played with many GCA'ers, but I'll take Krahenbuhl or Ohlendorf any day in a race.

You can't curse at your ball while it's in the air because you'd be talking in Kyle's backswing.

Most slow players have tons of antics AFTER they hit as well,(like holding their finish forever on the tee) making it difficult for the next guy to hit.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Jeff,

As a kid, I recall there was a minor tour player who did a twirlie at the end of his swing.  He had a withered are, IIRC.  Anyway, one of my then young golf buds thought that the twirl and hold was the key to the golf swing, even though he had to iniate it well after contact with the ball.  We couldn't go any where near the tee while he was deploying that swing.  Not only was there a twirl, there was an untwirl on many occaisions.

That said, watching the ball until it rolls out is probably a faster way of playing (if you have hit it wayward a bit) than walking off the tee quickly and not marking your line and seeing where the ball ends up, no?

[Giles Payne]

On the same day as Mark and I played North Berwick we also played Goswick in 2hrs 45 (and a good thing too as the heavens opened as we walked of the 18th).

There is no excuse for slow play and as others have said, it is just rude. I find it amazing that people, when playing a round of golf, can be suddenly suprised that they might actually have to play a shot. Be ready, plan while you are walking to your ball and as your partner plays, play the shot and move on - simple.

When we play in medals, we play as two balls, and we tend to get round in just under three hours. If it takes much longer than that there tends to be quite an enquiry afterwards. (we do have the advantage of an old fashioned course where the green to tee walks are short.)

Foursomes, shouldn't really take much over 2 1/2 hrs if played properly with people walking ahead.

I am afraid that my poor brain cannot cope with 5 hr rounds - I find them incredibly frustrating and depressing.

[PCCraig]

I usually play pretty fast. As a single with no one in front of me I can usually play in under 3 hours while not feeling like I'm in a rush. Now, if I want to get holes in fast (like in twilight) I can get around in about 2 hours.

It's funny....who's going to admit that they are a slow player?

[jeffwarne]

I usually play pretty fast. As a single with no one in front of me I can usually play in under 3 hours while not feeling like I'm in a rush. Now, if I want to get holes in fast (like in twilight) I can get around in about 2 hours.

It's funny....who's going to admit that they are a slow player?

Anyone have an anecdotal story of a fast time for a group more than two.
cause 3 hours by one's self or in twoball ain't fast..........

[Mark Pearce]

I usually play pretty fast. As a single with no one in front of me I can usually play in under 3 hours while not feeling like I'm in a rush. Now, if I want to get holes in fast (like in twilight) I can get around in about 2 hours.

It's funny....who's going to admit that they are a slow player?

Anyone have an anecdotal story of a fast time for a group more than two.
cause 3 hours by one's self or in twoball ain't fast..........

Indeed.  I used to play Elie on holiday by myself first thing in the morning.  On the first tee at 6.30, at breakfast at 8.30. 


Four of us (iI can't remember precisely who now) got round Deal in well under three and a half hours last year on the last afternoon as the sunset.

[Giles Payne]

Jeff

I am not claiming to be fast - I am just expressing a view of what I would consider as a reasonable tine for a normal round of golf.