Design can sometimes affect pace and flow of play. With help from Forrest Richardson, this is the chapter from "Designs on a Better Course" which ASGCA published late last year. There are a few pace of play consultants now, and the book gives about 300 wors per topic, so there is much more to say, but since this is a design website, I thought I would offer it up. As usual with cut and paste here, there are some formatting problems, so apologies in advance.
Are There Quick Solutions for Slow Play?
The 4 hour round is as real as the Unicorn. With some foursomes regularly imitating turtles, American golf has a problem. It’s been building for decades, and the golf industry has been too slow on quick play solutions. Design played a part, with a misplaced design focus on “championship courses,” excessive length (to paraphrase Churchill, “Never has so much golf course been built for so few”), and real estate courses (with longer cart rides) all of which have added nothing but time to every round of golf.
We can’t convert turtles to greyhounds, but with new research on the issues of poor flow and slow play, we can modify design features and management policies that can cause problems. Each course needs careful study to optimize results, but here are some general ideas:
· Remove features designed for tour pros who will never show up.
· Decrease difficulty, increase playability, especially at public courses.
· Shorten your course and reorganize tees to eliminate 5-10 “unnecessary shots” per round. (See “How Far Apart Should Our Multiple Tees Be”)
· Consider regulating selfies, if golfers exhibit too little “selfie” control.
· Design greens with easily read contours. Golfers as confused as goats on artificial turf, will move slower than turtles.
· Reduce green speeds! (9-10 is the most average golfers can handle)
· Easy holes play fast. Hard holes and par 3 holes play slow. Easy holes just before either will surely cause backups on the tee. As much has possible, balance out the difficulties on each hole to keep play moving.
· Widen fairways and play corridors. Make sure turf reductions are well planned considering shot dispersion patterns of “C and D” players.
· Remove brush from wooded areas to reduce lost golf ball search time.
· If the Rules of Golf allow, replace “O.B.” areas with “Penalty Areas.”
· Reduce distance and travel time from green to next tee.
· Design travel routes and distances primarily for the busiest tees. If possible, no need to travel by every tee you have no intention of playing.
· Add bridges to create direct routes. Avoid combining bridges or paths to save money, if they lengthen walking and cart routes.
· Put short par 5’s, drivable par 4’s, and the first par 3 hole as far back in each nine as possible.
· Eliminate as many hazards as possible in areas that get a lot of play, (i.e., short right of greens and anywhere right of fairways).
· Where you place hazards, remember that:
o Ponds are actually the fastest play hazard, with few golfers looking for their “deep sixed” golf balls.
o Green side sand bunkers (always use Sand Wedge) play fairly fast.
o Greenside chipping areas maintained at fairway height can be tricky for many, but misses are quick.
o Deep rough (extensive ball searches) and fairway sand bunkers (difficult shot for most, indecision in club selection) slow play.
· While most courses should accommodate all players, some may consider tailoring design to narrower market segments, which may speed play.
l Reverse the 1980’s-1990’s “Country Club for a Day” trend, where more public courses were designed with private club difficulty, and even muni courses were no longer golf’s version of the bunny slopes.
l Spreading out tee times is proven to reduce congestion. Go from 6-8 minutes to 10-15 minutes. At daily fee facilities, you’ll likely be able to charge more for what will become a better experience.
l Adopt the relaxed USGA rules of play and other time saving policies.
Some concepts go against traditional architectural theories, but times change and “necessity is the mother of invention.” Newer design paradigms - some paradoxically borrowed from old ones – can help to make golf fast again.
In reality, a combination of many little things will add up to big time savings. Course policies are a major component in the battle to speed play. Design is only part of the solution. However, while pace of play is a critical issue, we can’t return to dull, hazardless golf to achieve it. Plain courses are out. Beautiful, exciting courses with appropriate difficulty are in, and will be necessary to continue to draw golfers.
Rather than neutering holes on your own, retain an architect, who can skillfully design fun, interesting and challenging golf holes that also keep play moving.