Pace of Play

[Lou_Duran]

https://www.golfdigest.com/story/yes-you-can-beat-slow-play?utm_brand=gd&mbid=social_facebook&utm_social-type=owned&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook

Just received the link to this past article from GD.  Good practical stuff.  How the suggestions can become standard practice is another matter.  Cultural changes are hard to achieve.

I like aspects of UK golf where the game seems to be played with alacrity, leaving time for socializing afterwards.  Maybe F & B doesn't have to be a loss leader and trunk slamming becomes a thing of the past.     

[Mike Sweeney]

How the suggestions can become standard practice is another matter.  Cultural changes are hard to achieve.

Lou,


Thanks for posting this.



The Bike Team changes were changes driven by economic incentives. If Team Sky wins/does better, the bike racers make more money. Even at the very start, they don't have much choice as they are on some sort of salary + incentive system. If you don't buy into the system, my guess is that most of the Bikers can be replaced. I am a casual Tour de France fan, so I think that is the case.


A golf course is a different situation as we are paying for use of the asset similar to flying on a plane. Private planes can be compared to private clubs, less people = more $$. I think there is an argument for PAYING people for faster play in golf. [size=78%]Charge the first foursome of the day $100 each to tee off at 7am. If they finish at;[/size]

• 10:15 am - pay them back each $20
• 10:30 am - pay them $0
• 10:45 am - Players each pay an additional $20
• 11 am - Players each pay an additional $100

Just a thought!

[Jay Mickle]

Marginal changes can make huge differences. I played with 2 guys who together spent an extra 45 seconds per hole putting on and taking off gloves.Riding in carts they would wait until they got to their cart to remove their gloves and hang them (with clips they brought along) on the top struts. Upon getting to to tee box they would take down a pair, carry the onto the tee box, put the ball on the tee, walk around behind the ball, look down the fairway and then put the gloves on. I quit after 8 holes. 45 seconds/ hole = almost 14 minutes. Needless to say there were other grossly time wasting habits they had acquired over time. Hit the ball, walk to your next shot, hit the ball, repeat, Golf in 3 hours or less. I am easily annoyed.

[BHoover]

How much extra time does it take fumbling with those trestle sticks instead of just buying a stand bag?

[Jay Mickle]

How much extra time does it take fumbling with those trestle sticks instead of just buying a stand bag?

Takes less time than picking a bag off the ground and no more time than a stand bag. I have 5 broken/worn out stand bags and have gone through a bunch more.

[Rob Marshall]

My game plays fast. We have all level of golfers. Our weekend average it probably 3:20. IMO a Foursome walking in 3 hours or less is not practical and probably wouldn’t be enjoyable. We are usually the first group out and always finish a hole and a half to two holes ahead of the next group.

[James Bennett]

Lou Duran
At Royal Adelaide, we play quite quickly, albeit with 'ready golf'.  threesomes are 3:30 and foursomes are 4:00 (although my last two f-balls have been 3:40).
Tee sheets have moved to 8-minute intervals for 3-balls, and 9-minutes for 4-balls.
There is (generally) no backup of groups on par 3's, and the pace of play is on from the first hole.
I was hearing about a neighbouring course which has longer rounds (and larger fields).Average rounds are 4.5 hours, and the 4-ball time sheet gap is 7 minutes.I am not surprised that pace of play is slow, as you would know that you are going to wait at every par-3 tee.That said, this course has full playing sheets, and so shifting to longer intervals would mean a much later start for some participants, although I suspect they might finish at the same time as an earlier start with 7-minute intervals.
PS  as a non-glove player, I do find that 'ready golf' results in me playing first more often than my score would suggest is reasonable.  However, it works and we keep up with the pace of play. And typically enjoy a beverage and sandwich after golf in good time.
James B

[Steve Lang]

   speaking as a guy who leaves his glove on all the time...


-  work out strokes before you get to the tee
-  walk and talk only until 5 yards from your ball, focus on next shot, talk after you hit
-  if you can't hit it to plus/minus 5 yards accuracy you  don't need any exact distance to a yard and chances are you won't hit that career 7 iron
-  check out the putt as much as possible before getting to it, don't go and immediately mark it and then check the distance, slope, etc..
-  While I think a centerline marked on a ball is a crutch, I'm not taking it away from folks, but please, no re-adjustments
-  marking a ball within a foot should not be allowed, putt it out   

[BHoover]

I have never had a stand break break or wear out.

[Kalen Braley]

They don't wear out or break when you put em on the back of the cart... 

[Michael Moore]

There's no way in hell I am going to walk around all day with a glove on, tanning one hand and not the other.

[Niall C]

Lou

Many thanks for the link. Everything the guy said is absolutely bang on. When he referred to a cultural change he was undoubtedly referring to a change to the ways he suggested. Over here I tend to think we are making the cultural change, unfortunately it's the opposite way from what he suggests in the article. It seems that gone are the days when the first thing kids were taught was not how to swing but the basics of etiquette like being ready to play, where to leave your bag etc. All basic stuff.

Niall

[Steve Lang]

   Mike M. 


Yeh, I understand the fashion statement could be taken wrong in certain circles... so I assume you also wear pants when at play, so as not to have  potential mismatching tan lines around the ankles and thighs? 

On your next road warrior trip, do come down to Houston in July or August, or wait for Sep when we return from MI...

I used to do the ritual pro glove thing, got tired of time spent making sure the fingers hung perfectly from back pocket, moved to the no glove world for many years with cord grips, now just a leave it on , arthritic challenged guy, and don't understand how tactile feel in fingers makes any difference when using big back-shoulder muscles to pendulum swing, but just this weekend saw add that putting woes may be my putter shaft flexing too much, and x-stiff is needed, oops

[Matt Frey, PGA]

The Philadelphia PGA Section recently shared a pace of play video with its members that was produced by the Indiana PGA Section and Indiana Golf Association to share with golfers. Enjoy: https://youtu.be/az7WqlURup0

[Dave McCollum]

There is a downside to faster play.  Once you get used to it, your opportunities to play golf at your preferred pace are greatly reduced.  I don't play on weekends unless first off or very late in the day.  For example, a friend asked me to play yesterday, a Saturday, at 2 PM.  At our course we encourage families to play later on weekends as the mornings are fully booked by regulars and more avid golfers who usually play at an acceptable pace around four hours or less.  Two guys couldn't make the tee time, so we went off as twosome, a bad idea on a weekend, but joined up with a twosome behind us on the fourth tee as we waited for the groups ahead.  Still we waited forever on every shot and it seemed to take forever.  The two groups in front of us were playing with wives and kids, only three golfers in each group, but also three spectators enjoying a very nice day.  All were riding and paying for the outing.  They offered to let us through, although there was no place to go.  The course was full.  I started losing focus, became bored, and quit after nine holes.  When I looked at my watch, we had played the front nine in 2:15 which seemed glacial to me.


Obviously, it was my problem.  I wasn't upset or angry.  The golfers ahead of us seemed to be having a good time on fine day.  They were paying customers enjoying golf with family and friends.  Yeah, their socializing probably contributed their slow play, but they weren't out of position on a full course.  Just public golf on the first really fine day we've seen in weeks.  If I enjoy golf at a brisk pace, I have to be more judicious about when I choose to play.  I had only agreed to play because I was working on my game, hitting extra balls while we waited, not keeping score, not playing a match, etc.  I had plenty of time to observe course conditions and watch other golfers dealing with them.  I enjoyed it.  It was rather like my attitude about playing tournaments.  When asked why I don't play them anymore, I always say "if I want to spend 5 hours playing golf, I'll play 36."  David Owen's comments are all good and accurate, but he also has to apply them when and where he can.  He's a smart guy.  I'm sure he's figured it out.             

[Lou_Duran]

Matt,


Thanks for the clip.  Is there one with the same narrative but two riding carts instead of four walkers?  I've forwarded the clip to my head pro but he may not even put it out to the membership (who would probably dismiss it as not being applicable to a dominant riding culture).


For those who may wish to consider going sans glove:


 https://www.thegripmaster.com/


A GCAer turned me on to these years ago and I can't recommend more than enough.  I have both the Classic and the Roo on two sets of clubs and they are great without a glove even in wet, humid conditions.  In fact, when wet, a rub with a dry towel will make them sticky.  Great products and highly economical as they will last years.  And no, I don't have a financial interest in this Aussie company.

[Garland Bayley]

I think I could read War and Peace in the time it takes some players to hit after first addressing the ball. I can't imagine how they are doing other than tensing up to hit it poorly.

[Matt Frey, PGA]

Matt,


Thanks for the clip.  Is there one with the same narrative but two riding carts instead of four walkers?  I've forwarded the clip to my head pro but he may not even put it out to the membership (who would probably dismiss it as not being applicable to a dominant riding culture).

Hi Lou...I'm not aware of one focused on golf cars, but if I see any come through, I'll be sure to share!