In the old days, tee time intervals were 7 minutes and then 8 minutes. This seemed to fit nicely into 1 hour, thats 8 tee times. As slow play became a problem all sorts of ideas were proposed.
Tommy Thyme, an English efficiency expert, used to take his home made lunch to a local golf course and sit on a golf bench and eat it. He noticed that there would be a clog of golfers on that Hole everyday. He got tired of listening to the bitching and moaning and tried to figure out why.
Tommy had sat and ate lunch on the first par 3 hole on the golf course. He surmised that the amount of time allocated in between groups teeing off the first hole was creating the clog on the first par 3 hole. And once a clog started it would just get worse. He started timing the groups who played the hole he ate lunch on. He determined that whatever that time was would be the ideal time interval off the first tee.
So, if it took 8,9, or 10 minutes, then that should be the time interval off the first tee. And, that interval, once determined needed to be adhered to strictly. In his honor they subsequently called those intervals T.Thyme.
So, slow play can be blamed on the golf course if the tee time interval is not correct, time it takes to play the first par 3 hole. And if the starter doesn't strictly adhere to sending golfers off at the proper time he is the reason for slow play.
Once the golf course does these 2 things then slow play is not their fault. BUT, if during prime time they let out a 2some or single golfer it is their fault. They create slow play.
Thats 3 reasons for slow play you can blame the golf course on. The rest is on the golfers.
If you go play a golf course and look at the first par 3 hole and determined it will take 9 minutes to play that hole and the tee time intervals are 7-8 minutes you are in for a slow day. You have been warned.
Lastly, golf courses with 7 and 8 minute intervals only want your money. You get more golfers out who will meet each other on the first par 3 hole.
