[Thomas Dai]

How long do you like to play golf for?
Not practice....play!
Okay, I appreciate some some folks would like to play all day, but in reality most of us can’t whether that be due to the numerous other life activity constraints that are regularly placed upon us or physical/age limitations or even heat/cold/daylight/seasonal restrictions.
2 hrs, 3 hrs, 4hrs, 5hrs?
What’s your optimum time?
Time, not holes played, but time!
Atb

[David Wuthrich]

For one round, by myself, no more than 2:30


With a foursome, 3:45 to 4:00


For two rounds, 7:00 for both

[Jeff Schley]

I typically play in a foursome and around 3:45 I really enjoy.

[Erik J. Barzeski]

How long do I like to play? All day if possible.

How long do I often get to play? Much less than that.

[John Kavanaugh]

I'm old enough to remember when digital clocks were introduced and we put one on the bedstand. The only time I look at my watch when having fun is during Deal or No Deal. They ain't taking the deal until there is 3 minutes left in the show. Was anyone else amazed this last Monday night when they looked at the game clock and there was eight minutes left in the first quarter?


The truth about golf that is rarely mentioned on this site is that every course plays differently in relation to time.

[Sven Nilsen]

The truth about golf that is rarely mentioned on this site is that every course plays differently in relation to time.

Probably the first time the Theory of Relativity has been invoked on this site. 


We can only hope Golf Digest can incorporate this into their algorithm before their next ranking.

[Ira Fishman]

At our home course, the 12th and 14th greens are fairly close to the clubhouse.  If it looks as if the round is going to take more than 4:15, I go to the bar.  I have even done this when playing with my wife who plays fast but also is more patient than I am.


The ideal day is the back nine by myself at 7am (1:15) and then 18 later in the day with my wife and/or friends (see above for time).


Ira

[Lou_Duran]

Carried in a 3-ball yesterday morning in 3:15; in a 2-ball today in 3:10.  Cold both days, with some wind.  6800+ yards, 5.4 miles 1 tee to 18 green.  Would prefer playing a tad faster.  18 holes 3-4x per week is great, 10 minute warm-up, no practice; 36 holes at times when travelling for golf.

[MCirba]

Played seven rounds (walking) in England and Scotland during 2016 in two and three balls and longest round was Muirfield at 3 hours with 40-50 mph winds that created a backup on the 7th tee.


I have no understanding for rounds longer than 3.5 hours and support the death penalty for rounds beyond four hours.

For anyone who thinks that's harsh my counter is that you're killing the game.   Seriously.

[Tom_Doak]

It's been a few years since I got to play much on my own, but back in the day, I loved to go out and play in 3 hours or less.  It just felt like speeding around the course having a good time.  I wish there were more opportunities for that in golf.  Getting in nine holes in three hours behind a bunch of people in Myrtle Beach is not quite the same thing!


This may be one of the reasons I like foursomes matches so much.

[Ira Fishman]

One unfortunate aspect of liking to play fast is it probably interferes with an objective assessment of the quality of the course. Castle Stuart was my least favorite of the courses we played in the UK last year, and it was by a distinct amount the slowest round. I found Kapulua disappointing, but maybe it was the five hour round that made it seem like a slog. We played Pacific Dunes in 4:15, but the other Bandon courses in less than 3:30, and although I put it second behind only Bandon Trails, the relative pace of play may have affected my opinion.


I know that I should take the delayed time to study the hole, but I just cannot stand waiting a long time to play a shot.


Ira

[Peter Pallotta]

Usually by the 14th hole I'm frustrated and feel I've played long enough. So architects, don't hold on to your people-pleasing holes until the 15th; I need that reachable Par 5, drivable 4, or short 3 at least a hole before then
P

[BHoover]

I like to play as long as I can until my wife calls/texts and asks what’s taking so long and why am I ignoring the kids.

[Tommy Williamsen]

It all depends where I am. If i'm home I just go out for nine. If I'm alone it takes about 75 minutes walking or an hour in a cart. If I am at Ballyhack, I play dawn til dusk.

[mike_beene]

We tee off at 9:00 and 9:10 on
Saturday mornings. I prefer to finish just before 1 and still have a lot of day left. Finish later and don't get away until after two and the day is half gone. For some reason the 45 minutes affects the rest of the day.

[Sean_A]

All answers depend on many factors, probably most important being the course/setting, weather, mood and company.

Assuming I am not being held up and the course is a decent walk...

4ball...I prefer 3:45ish, but some courses are big and require more time.  If it takes more than 4:15 I will likely lose interest.  That said, if I suspect the course is tough I would prefer to play as a 2ball to eliminate the time slog.

3ball...3:30ish is fine.

2ball...3:00ish is fine

4somes...2:45 is fine, but a rarity in my experience. 

I don't like to be rushed and I don't like to scurry down fairways.  Golf is a leisure pursuit for me, not a race against the clock.

I feel sorry for guys who are naturally very quick players because they have to wait all the time.  However, in my experience, there are very few very quick players...it is certainly the case that many people are not as quick as they believe...especially for GCA.com events...some of the slowest golf I have ever played  All that said, as I get older I find I am able to control my pace of play frustrations much better.  The key to this has been far less 4ball play.

Ciao

[David Davis]

All answers depend on many factors, probably most important being the course/setting, weather, mood and company.

Assuming I am not being held up and the course is a decent walk...

4ball...I prefer 3:45ish, but some courses are big and require more time.  If it takes more than 4:15 I will likely lose interest.  That said, if I suspect the course is tough I would prefer to play as a 2ball to eliminate the time slog.

3ball...3:30ish is fine.

2ball...3:00ish is fine

4somes...2:45 is fine, but a rarity in my experience. 

I don't like to be rushed and I don't like to scurry down fairways.  Golf is a leisure pursuit for me, not a race against the clock.

I feel sorry for guys who are naturally very quick players because they have to wait all the time.  However, in my experience, there are very few very quick players...it is certainly the case that many people are not as quick as they believe...especially for GCA.com events...some of the slowest golf I have ever played  All that said, as I get older I find I am able to control my pace of play frustrations much better.  The key to this has been far less 4ball play.

Ciao

So you are coming all the way over to the continent and snubbing NL? Again...


At least that's what it says in your footer. 

[John Emerson]

The faster the better!!...anything over 4hrs is getting ridiculous. 3:20-3:30 is acceptable. Really, I can handle a 4hr round with a 4some as long as I’m not waiting on every shot.  Waiting to hit (all day) drives me insane.

[Jay Mickle]

Belonging to and playing mostly resort courses I am satisfied at 3:45. I enjoy the walk and conversation and at that pace with 3 or 4 we don’t end up on the tee box complaining about pace of play. Saturday rounds take longer as resort guests have nothing else to do. Sunday rounds are shorter as guests want to finish and head home. This leads to the theorem that the length of a round is a function of the time allotted to it.


Alone I like 3 hours or less.

[John Kavanaugh]

But the great thing about playing slow is that you never wait to hit. I think we are all guilty in life of chasing what is in front of us. If no one is behind you just slow down a bit and enjoy yourself. When RWL is coming on here claiming to play is barely over 3hrs something is amuck in the universe.

[Thomas Dai]

Perhaps my OP was not as well written as it could have been although some posters seem to have grasped my drift.
It’s TIME not holes I’m trying to get at here.
Is there a period of time, irrespective of how many holes you may or may not have played, when you’d be prepared for your round to finish?
I ask this because I’m more and more playing and talking with with folks for whom 2 or 3 hrs on the course is enough. If they’ve got a full round in by then that’s great, if not, well they’re not too fussed. This is private members golf, not a pay-for-18 quit early situation.
Taking this further, perhaps courses should be made/altered such that they are of such a yardage that 18-holes can be played by a 4-ball in a max of 3 hrs? Do folks really need to be out there any longer?
Atb

[John Kavanaugh]

While it would have pleased the women in my life I never was of the mind that first one home wins.

[A.G._Crockett]

Thomas,
An interesting question, and one that has a couple of different answers, at least for me.  I'll assume we're talking a four ball here, and not solo rounds, and walking.

For casual play, I think 3:45 is fine, which is typical for my regular group, and I'm ok up until about 4:15.  Anything longer than that starts to annoy me, but I also don't come to the golf course to see how quickly I can get home.  Of course, I'm retired, and so I'm not trying to beat darkness, or get home to take care of the kids, or any of that stuff anymore.  I come to the course to be outside, to enjoy my buddies, and to try to play good golf; finishing in under 3 hours seems counterproductive to all of that.  The unstated ethic of "I want to go to the golf course to see how quickly I can leave the golf course." just doesn't click with me.

For stroke play tournament golf, the equation changes significantly, and 4:30 is more realistic.  There are a lot of guys on this site that will scream about that pace of play, but it just isn't possible to play competitive tournament stroke play golf much faster than that.

[John Kavanaugh]

The guy who changes his shoes in the parking lot, scurries out to the first tee, walks and carries, and then heads straight to his car after the round is looking for reasons to quit the game. We always miss them as their role is just as important as the guys at the bar. Golf on its own is never worth the toll it takes on the rest of your life.

[Steve Lang]

   less than 3:30 pace is very acceptable, as 4:00 pace starts the mind wandering to what's or who's holding things up or what's for lunch, 4:30 pace the reality of 15 min per hole average happening which is twice as long as should really be needed, thinking of bailing, 5:00 pace and we've probably already blown off the round...


of course, destination golf, time limits are suspended, but duly noted...

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