Quote:
Originally Posted by TheTourVan
It continues to evolve sadly. The norm has gone from 4 to 4.5. Simple to play ready golf but very few do. Instead drive to a ball with partner. Wait until hit and then go to next ball. Instead of drive to first and drop off on way to second. There is a reason golf speeds picked up dramatically with single riders.
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I'm not suggesting that the pace on the time par sheet should be 4.5 hours, necessarily. Certainly not for a private club where 99% of the players know the course.
However, for a public facility, with lots of players who may not know the course, you have to add a bit of time, I think.
Also, if the greens are cut fast, and the pins in slopey positions, hey, you have to expect a lot of 3, and maybe 4 putts. That slows things down. I don't think it's right to do that and expect players who have paid a greens fee to give up after two or three putts. If you set up the course that way, you have to expect things will be slow.
The object of the game is to PUT THE BALL INTO THE HOLE. If you make it really hard to do that, it's going to take longer.
People who give putts, and take putts, have no standing to complain about slow play. They aren't really playing the game, are they?
Sometimes people need to remember the "object" of the game is to put the ball into the hole. It is not a race.
The "purpose" of the game, for most of us, is to have an enjoyable, and social time.
Having said all of that, there is a time when one should just "pick it up"...
The time par sheet should be a good guide to that point.
You know, a course could make it's time par 3:45. Post it, advertise it, and then enforce it. Then the rabbits would have a place they could play, and they'd have a legitimate gripe when players take 4 hours.
I've never seen that though. Public facilities don't want to alienate potential customers, but they might do well with enough fast players being attracted to the place.