Socializing on the Golf Course

[justjim]

Socializing on the course in TV is leading to slower and slower play. Now, before you start throwing rocks at me, I'm not talking about friendly social talk as you play your round of golf as long as you are keeping up with the group in front of you. Rather, I'm talking about sitting in your golf cart telling stories while the tee box is open for play. I'm talking about socializing after finishing a hole instead of moving on to the next hole. Obviously, the ambassadors are going to do very little about slow play so its up to us to "govern" ourselves. For example, make an agreement with your foursome to pick up after triple bogey, and move on. Play ready golf and lets finish an executive course in hour and half and championship in less than four hours. Later, we can tell our stories and talk "things" out over our favorite beverage. :beer3: Does anybody realize its hot out there, especially waiting and waiting to hit your next shot? :gc:

[scarecrow1]

First rule of golf: You can't be in any hurry when you go to play golf. Plus you're retired. Chill out and you won't be so hot !!!!

[ncr2482]

:agree:Socializing on the course in TV is leading to slower and slower play. Now, before you start throwing rocks at me, I'm not talking about friendly social talk as you play your round of golf as long as you are keeping up with the group in front of you. Rather, I'm talking about sitting in your golf cart telling stories while the tee box is open for play. I'm talking about socializing after finishing a hole instead of moving on to the next hole. Obviously, the ambassadors are going to do very little about slow play so its up to us to "govern" ourselves. For example, make an agreement with your foursome to pick up after triple bogey, and move on. Play ready golf and lets finish an executive course in hour and half and championship in less than four hours. Later, we can tell our stories and talk "things" out over our favorite beverage. :beer3: Does anybody realize its hot out there, especially waiting and waiting to hit your next shot? :gc:

[justjim]

First rule of golf: You can't be in any hurry when you go to play golf. Plus you're retired. Chill out and you won't be so hot !!!!

Scarecrow: Your "kidding" of course-----I like to BS just as much as the next guy but I also want to finish my round of golf by dark. When socializing is holding up your fellow golfers, its bad golf etiquette.

[Golfingnut]

I would rather be slowed down by a group having a good time than someone in a hurry to GET DONE. I enjoy all aspects of the golf course that includes socializing. Since this is a retirement community with folks up and into their 90's that play the game, I fully accept slow play. I agree with scarecrow1.

[Happinow]

Socializing on the course in TV is leading to slower and slower play. Now, before you start throwing rocks at me, I'm not talking about friendly social talk as you play your round of golf as long as you are keeping up with the group in front of you. Rather, I'm talking about sitting in your golf cart telling stories while the tee box is open for play. I'm talking about socializing after finishing a hole instead of moving on to the next hole. Obviously, the ambassadors are going to do very little about slow play so its up to us to "govern" ourselves. For example, make an agreement with your foursome to pick up after triple bogey, and move on. Play ready golf and lets finish an executive course in hour and half and championship in less than four hours. Later, we can tell our stories and talk "things" out over our favorite beverage. :beer3: Does anybody realize its hot out there, especially waiting and waiting to hit your next shot? :gc:
:agree::agree::agree::agree::agree::agree::agree:: agree:

[bluedog103]

First rule of golf: You can't be in any hurry when you go to play golf. Plus you're retired. Chill out and you won't be so hot !!!!
Sorry, I didn't know that rule of golf. Maybe I was absent that day. The rules I'm familiar with require you to keep moving. There are a lot of people behind you waiting to play.

[mulligan]

I really wish more people would read the books handed out at closing. One is on golf etiquette in The Villages. It explains ready golf, and maintaining the pace of play. With 10,000 tee times per day (no kidding), it is only common courtesy to keep it moving.

[gomoho]

Oh boy, this could get as interesting as the poop threads! I'm on the fence with this one. Would love to take my time out there and enjoy all the game has to offer, but at the same time don't like to wait to have to tee off 'cause someone is socializing.

[mulligan]

can't have it both ways. Go to Cody's afterward, and talk over a couple of icy cold brews.

[mgjim]

Oh boy, this could get as interesting as the poop threads! I'm on the fence with this one. Would love to take my time out there and enjoy all the game has to offer, but at the same time don't like to wait to have to tee off 'cause someone is socializing.

If you have to stop to poop, you should definitely let the next group play through.

[BarryRX]

I really wish more people would read the books handed out at closing. One is on golf etiquette in The Villages. It explains ready golf, and maintaining the pace of play. With 10,000 tee times per day (no kidding), it is only common courtesy to keep it moving.
I agree. Socialize all you want, but it is your responsibility to maintain your position on the course. It is part of the same golf etiquette that requires you to fill divots, rake bunkers, replace rakes correctly, repair ball marks, fix spike marks around the hole, etc. Here is a quote from the great golf teacher Harvey Penick. "Poor players usually seem embarrassed to play with good players. The fact is that you may not be good enough to play with the good players, but no one will notice if you keep up. The good players are not going to be watching you and criticizing your swing. They have their own games to deal with. But if you hold up play, the others will notice you - and not in a kindly manner. If you, as a poor player, lose your temper along with your golf balls, and shout and throw clubs and curse your luck, and plumb bob all your putts from both sides of the hole, the good players will be disgusted. So just keep the game moving in a good humor, and you will always be welcome." I think we can all still learn from this great teacher.

[gomoho]

If you have to stop to poop, you should definitely let the next group play through.

You are probably right about that.

[Dayzee]

Random partners in TV are often new to golf and don't know all the rules of the game. I love meeting new people on the course and sharing with them, but I hate slow play - frankly, it affects my game (not that it is all that great, mind you) It's frustrating to wait behind golfers who sit in their carts chit-chatting when the tee is empty and the fairway clear. Having said that - I also feel, that as an experienced golfer, I can help newbies to the game, so if I am playing with people who tend to delay the game, I will politely and in a friendly manner inform them about pace of play. We were all new to the game at some point in time.

[mickey100]

Each scorecard has the time posted for reasonable pace of play. For a championship course it is general 4 hours or 4 hours 10 minutes, etc. Anything longer than that is unacceptable. To say you have the right to take longer because you're retired, or feel like socializing and don't want to hurry, is thoughtless to the people behind you that you are holding up. And while you're at it, please repair your ball marks. I see so many un-repaired ball marks marring the greens, it is ridiculous. We got behind 4 gents today and I didn't see them repair one ball mark.

[clekr]

This is for those who say “What’s the hurry, you’re retired, relax.”
CONTEXT:
I’ve played golf for over thirty years. I’m a bogey golfer; roughly a 15 handicap. My regular Saturday group can easily get around 18 holes in 3:40 with no one in front of use.
POINTS:
You are not the only one out there to play. There are 28 people behind you for every hour of open tee times remaining in that day. They would like to enjoy their round just like you. If you take five hours to play, no one else will play in less than that for the rest of the day.
Most public golf courses expect you to get around in 4:15.
Very good and even average players will generally not have their best rounds when they have to spend a lot of time waiting for the group in front of them.

That being said, think of it this way. Let’s say your game is bridge/checkers/pickleball. You start your game with your group and after seven minutes of play someone comes into the room/court and says that play must stop – lay down your cards/checkers/paddles. Of course, you may socialize amongst yourselves. After three minutes you are permitted to resume play. Another ten minutes goes by and again you are told to stop play. After two minutes you resume. Another eight minutes goes by and you have to stop again. This time for five full minutes. But, of course you enjoy this delay because you are socializing. And so it goes on for the next three hours. Play for a few minutes then have to lay down your cards/checkers/paddles with an opportunity to socialize.

I'm retired too - but I don't want to send a couple of hours a week watching the group in front of me enjoying themselves. And, I'd be happy to play with you whether you shot 80, 90, 100 or 200. As long as you do it in 4:15.

[mac9]

Today we were a foursome followed by a twosome. The foursome in front of us were 4 very elderly gents who played painfully slow causing us to wait on every tee. The twosome behind us hit into us on 2 holes. I went back to talk to them to explain that the elderly fellows were causing us to wait on every tee. He rather nastily told me to hurry it up or they would continue to hit into us. I told him that he must be of pro caliber to be able to, as a twosome, catch up with our foursome! Then my "Tourettes" kicked in and they decided to wait on every hole without hitting into us. What a shame that it has to come to that. By the way, the three of us posted 2 under and one was 5 under!

[mert1506]

If you want to talk, go sit at a table somewhere.

[Indydealmaker]

Scarecrow: Your "kidding" of course-----I like to BS just as much as the next guy but I also want to finish my round of golf by dark. When socializing is holding up your fellow golfers, its bad golf etiquette.

Ready golf is playing within the prescribed time for that particular course...not playing to stay ahead of the group behind.

[clekr]

Your position on the course should be behind the group ahead of you. Not ahead of the group behind you.

If you are consistently unable to keep up with groups ahead of you, you should evaluate whether or not you are playing from the right tees.

We want you to have fun - but, we want the people behind you to have fun too.

I've heard slow players say they paid so they'll play as fast as they want. The people behind you paid too. They have the same right to a pleasant round!

[asianthree]

ready golf is what we play 18 champ in less than four hours is not rushing

[renielarson]

You all scare me. I have never golfed before but I want to learn. I want to play the courses. I know I will be slow as a beginner. I may have a lot of questions to ask the others playing with me. It may look like I'm socializing but I will be trying to learn and do my best as a beginner.

However, you won't know I'm a beginner. You will get impatient with me. I will feel intimidated...especially if you make comments about how slow I am.

You all scare me with wanting to learn and wanting to play.

[asianthree]

You all scare me. I have never golfed before but I want to learn. I want to play the courses. I know I will be slow as a beginner. I may have a lot of questions to ask the others playing with me. It may look like I'm socializing but I will be trying to learn and do my best as a beginner.

However, you won't know I'm a beginner. You will get impatient with me. I will feel intimidated...especially if you make comments about how slow I am.

You all scare me with wanting to learn and wanting to play.

no worries if you are just learning allow play thru for the more experienced, after all none of us was born with a club in their hand

[Indy-Guy]

I see many players that I feel that are playing from the wrong tees and that adds to a longer less enjoyable round of golf for them and the players with and behind them.

On the Championship courses if you look at the score card it reads that for men if you are more that a 18 handicap you should playing the white tees. That means if you are not shooting 90 or less from the blue tees on a regular basis you need to move up to the white tees. Not my opinion it is on the score card on every Championship course score card in The Villages. Which tee box you use has nothing to do with age it has to do with ability.

I also see many men playing the black tees on the Executive Courses that aren't even close to the greens on a regular basis. If this is happening I suggest you move up to the gold tees. Not only will you score better but you will enjoy your time on the course and the people with and behind you will appreciate it. Also by using the gold tees on the Executive courses you will find the distance is more like the distances on the Championship par 3's are from the Championship white tees.

I have a 21 handicap. I play the white tees on the Championship courses and the gold tees on the Exec courses. If I moved back a tee box it would not be fun for me or the people around me.

Golf should be enjoyable and playing from the correct tee box is a major step in the right direction to an enjoyable round.

[Golfingnut]

It is the same in all sports. Some folks go to the big game and then get stressed out because they cannot get out of the parking lot in 5 minutes with 1000's of cars trying to do the same thing. Some folks have to drive 10 MPH over the speed limit on the highway. It has more to do with the make up of their personality than it does with being hot. My bet is the same folks claiming that would have another reason in February. I have been here for 3 years and have only one time at Bacall witnessed truly slow play. Just because those in front are going slower than your group does not mean they are slow, it means they are going at their pace and not yours. I keep seeing where marshals will not do anything. I have witnessed Marshals speeding folks up and it works. The day I referred to at Bacall, we seemed to crawl around the course yet when we came in, it was 1 hour 50 minutes and I think the normal is 1 hour 45 minutes. Really, would that give me a stroke. NO. Chill out and enjoy or perhaps play a sport that will allow you to burn off some of your anxiety. Now if they are exceeding the allowed time, insist that the Marshall does something.

[graciegirl]

First rule of golf: You can't be in any hurry when you go to play golf. Plus you're retired. Chill out and you won't be so hot !!!!

I am guessing that you are just kidding or you haven't ever played golf. Socializing/ chatting on the golf course and holding up play on the golf course is like taking a nap on the tennis court. Or farting in church. People may not say anything about it but it is extremely unpopular. Nine holes should be finished in an hour and a half and no more than an hour and 45 minutes, especially if you are playing from the forward tees on an executive course
.
There isn't any reason for slow play even if you are a beginner. Play with someone experienced and pick up after double par. Clear the green when you are finished and move your golf cart to the the next tee to mark your score or make comments. No one wants you to be intimidated and everyone wants you all to enjoy the game but you should take lessons FIRST where they will reinforce that golf etiquette dictates moving to keep up with the group ahead of you. Have your club ready to hit and take two or three clubs to the shot if you don't know which one you will want to use so you don't have to walk back to the cart to exchange a club. Don't look for lost balls, drop another one. Watch where your partners ball lands and they will watch for you. Take extra balls so you won't be looking for a lost ball in the tall grass or in the water. It is safer anyway, who knows what lurks in the tall grass or water. Go to the practice green to practice.

No one is being mean to you by expecting you to keep up with the group ahead of you.

Even first time beginners can keep the pace of golf. That doesn't mean rushing, it means paying attention. You will get the hang of it soon and see very shortly that slow play ruins the game for everyone and slows up the entire course for everyone behind you for the rest of the day. If an ambassador asks you to speed up here in The Villages, YOU are playing REALLY slow. Chatting and enjoying is one thing, but having conversations while people wait behind you is another.

http://golf.about.com/od/golfetiquette/a/slowplaytips_2.htm

[rustyp]

Go on the reservation system and look up an executive course, example Hilltop. You will see the tee times for the day. On Hilltop the times are 9 minutes apart. Translated that means you have 9min X 9holes = 81 minutes (1hr 21 minutes) for a round on that course. Independent of what tees, capability, etc. that is what the system allows for. If you take longer than the formula allows then the tee times start backing up. Now put yourself in the position of arriving for your tee time and waiting since the course is backed up. This delay becomes cummlative throughout the day. This also applies to the championship courses but they are on the wave system. The time between the first wave and second wave needs to equal maximum time for 9 holes of golf or tee time delays will begin. I find the alloted times are plentiful for a round of golf. The biggest time consumer I observe is golfers going to each others ball and waiting for them to hit rather than going to their own ball and getting ready for their own turn. Go to the Villages golf school and take the introduction course. They do a good job of explaining the system. They will emphasize play ready golf and help you understand why and what this means. Ready golf does not mean being unreasonably rushed.

[Mimivillager]

You all scare me. I have never golfed before but I want to learn. I want to play the courses. I know I will be slow as a beginner. I may have a lot of questions to ask the others playing with me. It may look like I'm socializing but I will be trying to learn and do my best as a beginner.

However, you won't know I'm a beginner. You will get impatient with me. I will feel intimidated...especially if you make comments about how slow I am.

You all scare me with wanting to learn and wanting to play.

Don't worry, as long as you play an executive hole in 9 minutes and keep up with the group ahead of you, you will be fine. If you feel you cannot do that, just pick up the ball and go on to the next hole.
Gracie, said it all so well!

[scarecrow1]

Start earlier in the day and you won't have to finish in the dark. Nothing said about having a good time in golf etiquette. Relax you'll live longer.

[buzzy]

......The biggest time consumer I observe is golfers going to each others ball and waiting for them to hit rather than going to their own ball and getting ready for their own turn.

Beginner question: Isn't it inconsiderate (and unsafe) to go on past the ball that is farthest from the green, until that player has hit it?

[Mikeod]

Beginner question: Isn't it inconsiderate (and unsafe) to go on past the ball that is farthest from the green, until that player has hit it?
Sometimes not. If one ball is on the right side of the fairway and another is on the left side and a bit closer to the green, it is fine for the cart to drop off the golfer on the right and drive to the other ball. If the first golfer can't walk over to the cart, the cart can drive back to pick him/her up. You certainly don't want to be in the line of play or near it. If you watch pro tournaments, you will often see a player and caddie walking toward the green while another player is playing. But they always walk in or near the rough on the opposite side of the fairway.

One advantage to doing this for me is it gives me more time to assess my lie, distance, wind, hole position, etc., without slowing the group down. Sometimes it also gives me a better look at where my partner's shot finishes, saving time looking for a ball.

For golf to be enjoyable for everyone on the course it has to be a cooperative effort. Your pace of play will affect everyone behind you for the entire wave, and, on the execs, perhaps for the entire day.

[justjim]

Beginner question: Isn't it inconsiderate (and unsafe) to go on past the ball that is farthest from the green, until that player has hit it?

Buzzy: That is a fair and excellent question. My answer is yes and no. It depends if the ball closer to the green is reasonably in line with the intended line of flight of your ball. In other words, if you are a beginner and I am playing with you (or someone else) we are going to give you more "lead way" than we would a good experienced golfer. If my ball is 30 yards right in front of yours, Iam going to wait a few yards to the side of your ball until you hit and be ready to move quickly to my ball. TIP: If you always park your golf cart just a couple yards to the right of your ball (if you are a right handed golfer) you won't have to move your cart in order to take your stance and hit your golf ball. If you are off the fairway and my ball is in the middle of the fairway, I am going to move a bit further toward my ball (still not in your line of flight) and already have my club out ready to hit as soon as you hit your ball because nine out of ten times I already know from surveying my surroundings about how many yards my ball is to the pin. Really, its all common sense and with just a few rounds of golf under your belt you will quickly see how you can speed up your game and at the same time be very safe on the golf course. I've been playing.........nope not going to say it because sure as heck will be hit with a golf ball next time out!! Safety is very important so never get in the line of flight of your competitor's golf ball but be ready to move to your ball as soon as he/she hits. My wife never played golf prior to retiring so "we been there done that." Golf lessons (and not from your husband or S.O.) is a must IMHO before your start play. Then go out and have FUN!

[bluedog103]

I am guessing that you are just kidding or you haven't ever played golf. Socializing/ chatting on the golf course and holding up play on the golf course is like taking a nap on the tennis court. Or farting in church. People may not say anything about it but it is extremely unpopular. Nine holes should be finished in an hour and a half and no more than an hour and 45 minutes, especially if you are playing from the forward tees on an executive course
.
There isn't any reason for slow play even if you are a beginner. Play with someone experienced and pick up after double par. Clear the green when you are finished and move your golf cart to the the next tee to mark your score or make comments. No one wants you to be intimidated and everyone wants you all to enjoy the game but you should take lessons FIRST where they will reinforce that golf etiquette dictates moving to keep up with the group ahead of you. Have your club ready to hit and take two or three clubs to the shot if you don't know which one you will want to use so you don't have to walk back to the cart to exchange a club. Don't look for lost balls, drop another one. Watch where your partners ball lands and they will watch for you. Take extra balls so you won't be looking for a lost ball in the tall grass or in the water. It is safer anyway, who knows what lurks in the tall grass or water. Go to the practice green to practice.

No one is being mean to you by expecting you to keep up with the group ahead of you.

Even first time beginners can keep the pace of golf. That doesn't mean rushing, it means paying attention. You will get the hang of it soon and see very shortly that slow play ruins the game for everyone and slows up the entire course for everyone behind you for the rest of the day. If an ambassador asks you to speed up here in The Villages, YOU are playing REALLY slow. Chatting and enjoying is one thing, but having conversations while people wait behind you is another.

15 More Tips for Fighting Slow Play at the Golf Course (http://golf.about.com/od/golfetiquette/a/slowplaytips_2.htm)

Thanks Gracie, as usual you made everything very clear. You covered eveything with intelligence and grace. Like you, I think Scarecrow is ribbing everyone or has never played golf. In old movies the golfers often seemed to spend more time scocializing than playing. I think that's where non-golfers get their mistaken ideas of what golf is really like.

[justjim]

I agree. Socialize all you want, but it is your responsibility to maintain your position on the course. It is part of the same golf etiquette that requires you to fill divots, rake bunkers, replace rakes correctly, repair ball marks, fix spike marks around the hole, etc. Here is a quote from the great golf teacher Harvey Penick. "Poor players usually seem embarrassed to play with good players. The fact is that you may not be good enough to play with the good players, but no one will notice if you keep up. The good players are not going to be watching you and criticizing your swing. They have their own games to deal with. But if you hold up play, the others will notice you - and not in a kindly manner. If you, as a poor player, lose your temper along with your golf balls, and shout and throw clubs and curse your luck, and plumb bob all your putts from both sides of the hole, the good players will be disgusted. So just keep the game moving in a good humor, and you will always be welcome." I think we can all still learn from this great teacher.

:agree: I agree Harvey Penick knew what he was talking about! "little red book" is very good reading for any golfer. You can bet that Harvey would socialize WHILE fixing ball marks on the green---- not after everybody had putted and it was time to move on.

[ronat1]

Golf is a very socializing activity and there is also a time and place for socializing on the course. There's plenty of time to socialize while riding in the cart to the next tee or to your ball, as well as walking to and from the green & cart.
I have been playing golf for over 50 years and am fortunate enough to still play to a single digit handicap. I have aslo worked on course as a Ranger/Ambassador for numerous years and have seen and heard just about everything.
I am a firm believer that pace of play has absolutely nothing to do with a persons playing ability or whether they're a male or female, but with an individuals ability to have a little respect and consideration for others on the course.
Unless someone is playing in a sanctioned tournament then everyone should be playing "ready golf", especially here in TV due to the amount of scheduled play. It would be much more considerate and enjoyable for all involved whether you're beginners or advanced players.

"Ready Golf" is just a means to help maintain the pace of play on the course by following a few simple suggestions:
1. Being ready to play when it's your turn to safely hit. You don't have to be the fartherest away.
2. After finishing the hole go directly to your cart and drive to the next tee before writing your scores down.
3. Take extra clubs to your ball so you don't have to return to the cart.
4. Once your score has reached double par pick up.
5. Last and probably most importantly, play from the tee markers commensurate to your playing ability which means check your ego.

In the summer months in TV it's not as crowded and at certain periods timing is not that big of an issue. The "in season" period, usually November through mid-May, everyone wants to get their round in before it gets dark and believe it or not it only takes one group to back up the entire course.

A good rule of thumb is to try and maintain your pace with the group in front of you and you can't go wrong.

Everyone can still socialize while on the course playing but please just show a little bit of "respect, consideration & etiquette" to everyone else and the course.

Thank you

[Fourpar]

:ho: Well said, ronat1!

[scarecrow1]

Exactly what I was thinking Indy. Everybody has to hurry to get to happy hour and reserve their seats at the square. If you have a problem tell the ambassador. They will handle it.

[scarecrow1]

:agree:Ready golf is playing within the prescribed time for that particular course...not playing to stay ahead of the group behind.

[Mimivillager]

:agree:

[KeepingItReal]

....

[renielarson]

I am guessing that you are just kidding or you haven't ever played golf. Socializing/ chatting on the golf course and holding up play on the golf course is like taking a nap on the tennis court. Or farting in church. People may not say anything about it but it is extremely unpopular. Nine holes should be finished in an hour and a half and no more than an hour and 45 minutes, especially if you are playing from the forward tees on an executive course
.
There isn't any reason for slow play even if you are a beginner. Play with someone experienced and pick up after double par. Clear the green when you are finished and move your golf cart to the the next tee to mark your score or make comments. No one wants you to be intimidated and everyone wants you all to enjoy the game but you should take lessons FIRST where they will reinforce that golf etiquette dictates moving to keep up with the group ahead of you. Have your club ready to hit and take two or three clubs to the shot if you don't know which one you will want to use so you don't have to walk back to the cart to exchange a club. Don't look for lost balls, drop another one. Watch where your partners ball lands and they will watch for you. Take extra balls so you won't be looking for a lost ball in the tall grass or in the water. It is safer anyway, who knows what lurks in the tall grass or water. Go to the practice green to practice.

No one is being mean to you by expecting you to keep up with the group ahead of you.

Even first time beginners can keep the pace of golf. That doesn't mean rushing, it means paying attention. You will get the hang of it soon and see very shortly that slow play ruins the game for everyone and slows up the entire course for everyone behind you for the rest of the day. If an ambassador asks you to speed up here in The Villages, YOU are playing REALLY slow. Chatting and enjoying is one thing, but having conversations while people wait behind you is another.

15 More Tips for Fighting Slow Play at the Golf Course (http://golf.about.com/od/golfetiquette/a/slowplaytips_2.htm)

It sounds like an assembly line to me. Not sure I'd find much pleasure in playing the game if I have to always be thinking of time, time, time, time. That translates to stress, stress, stress to me. Can you tell I'm not a golfer yet?

[bluedog103]

It sounds like an assembly line to me. Not sure I'd find much pleasure in playing the game if I have to always be thinking of time, time, time, time. That translates to stress, stress, stress to me. Can you tell I'm not a golfer yet?
I noticed.

[NJblue]

It seems like there are two potentially contradictory "rules" to maintain pace of play. One says to keep up with the foursome ahead of you. The other says to pick up after double par. Suppose your group consists of four people who generally double bogey and the group ahead of you are scratch golfers. By definition, your group will be taking a lot more strokes (i.e., time) than the group ahead of you - even if none of your group ever reaches double par. In order to keep up with the group ahead, your group would have to pick up after reaching par, which might be even before reaching the green. What fun would that be?

On the other hand, if your group follows the "double par" rule, the group ahead will open a gap of several holes because of their proficiency. It seems unfair for the ambassadors to chastise you for slow play only because those ahead of you are way ahead of pace.

[schotzyb]

It seems like there are two potentially contradictory "rules" to maintain pace of play. One says to keep up with the foursome ahead of you. The other says to pick up after double par. Suppose your group consists of four people who generally double bogey and the group ahead of you are scratch golfers. By definition, your group will be taking a lot more strokes (i.e., time) than the group ahead of you - even if none of your group ever reaches double par. In order to keep up with the group ahead, your group would have to pick up after reaching par, which might be even before reaching the green. What fun would that be?

On the other hand, if your group follows the "double par" rule, the group ahead will open a gap of several holes because of their proficiency. It seems unfair for the ambassadors to chastise you for slow play only because those ahead of you are way ahead of pace.

Odds are there is probably a slower or average group in front of the scratch golfers causing them to wait. It all evens out in the end.

[Indydealmaker]

It seems like there are two potentially contradictory "rules" to maintain pace of play. One says to keep up with the foursome ahead of you. The other says to pick up after double par. Suppose your group consists of four people who generally double bogey and the group ahead of you are scratch golfers. By definition, your group will be taking a lot more strokes (i.e., time) than the group ahead of you - even if none of your group ever reaches double par. In order to keep up with the group ahead, your group would have to pick up after reaching par, which might be even before reaching the green. What fun would that be?

On the other hand, if your group follows the "double par" rule, the group ahead will open a gap of several holes because of their proficiency. It seems unfair for the ambassadors to chastise you for slow play only because those ahead of you are way ahead of pace.

There is only one TRUE rule. Play at a pace at or better than the guideline for that course. If you do that it does not matter how far ahead the group in front of you manages to be. They could be Tiger and three of his buddies.

[er9027]

Golf course rounds should be determined by the difficulty of play. 4 hr for 18 holes or 4:15 are kinda standard. Anything longer is out of line in my opinion.
I love to socialize and visit..NOT on the golf course!! Now, exective course might have a different plan but from what i have seen quick play is important. Play golf,,,go in and have a drink and visit !!

my thoughts

[justjim]

It seems like there are two potentially contradictory "rules" to maintain pace of play. One says to keep up with the foursome ahead of you. The other says to pick up after double par. Suppose your group consists of four people who generally double bogey and the group ahead of you are scratch golfers. By definition, your group will be taking a lot more strokes (i.e., time) than the group ahead of you - even if none of your group ever reaches double par. In order to keep up with the group ahead, your group would have to pick up after reaching par, which might be even before reaching the green. What fun would that be?

On the other hand, if your group follows the "double par" rule, the group ahead will open a gap of several holes because of their proficiency. It seems unfair for the ambassadors to chastise you for slow play only because those ahead of you are way ahead of pace.

:posting: NJBlue: Interesting scenario but IMHO unlikely. Four scratch golfers! Again, unlikely. Four good low handicap golfers in the same group, now that is likely. In addition, because they take less strokes, very good golfers are more likely to take more time choosing which club to use, play by the USGA rules, hit provisional balls for possible lost balls and out of bounds balls, measuring exact distance to the pin, checking location of pin on the green for the day, addressing wind speed, fixing their ball marks and others ball marks and lining up their putts. For these reasons, very good golfers will take approximately the same time as less proficient golfers who play ready up golf. I prefer to agree to pickup after triple bogey on championship courses because on a par 5 double par would be 10 strokes. Now, on an executive course the double par could work okay because most of the holes are par 3 which is triple bogey. Remember it only takes one group to slow the pace of play for the entire course. The whole idea of ready golf is so everybody can enjoy the game and complete the round by a reasonable time-frame. Fore!

[NJblue]

Odds are there is probably a slower or average group in front of the scratch golfers causing them to wait. It all evens out in the end.

Good point, but it happened to us when playing at Glennview. We were the second group out and the group ahead of us were clearly very proficient golfers who "flew" through the course. Our group was not as proficient but did not take any extra time socializing or looking for lost balls and picked up when our score was high on any particular hole - we just needed more strokes on each hole. We also never made the group behind us wait. Yet, the ambassador told us that we needed to catch up with the group ahead of us.

[Trayderjoe]

:posting: NJBlue: Interesting scenario but IMHO unlikely. Four scratch golfers! Again, unlikely. Four good low handicap golfers in the same group, now that is likely. In addition, because they take less strokes, very good golfers are more likely to take more time choosing which club to use, play by the USGA rules, hit provisional balls for possible lost balls and out of bounds balls, measuring exact distance to the pin, checking location of pin on the green for the day, addressing wind speed, fixing their ball marks and others ball marks and lining up their putts. For these reasons, very good golfers will take approximately the same time as less proficient golfers who play ready up golf. I prefer to agree to pickup after triple bogey on championship courses because on a par 5 double par would be 10 strokes. Now, on an executive course the double par could work okay because most of the holes are par 3 which is triple bogey. Remember it only takes one group to slow the pace of play for the entire course. The whole idea of ready golf is so everybody can enjoy the game and complete the round by a reasonable time-frame. Fore!

Good points NJBlue. I have sat behind "better" golfers for reasons such as the examples you provided. A round of golf is not meant to be a "night at the races", and you can socialize yet still maintain pace of play. When we play, our socializing occurs as we move towards our next shots (if our previous shots ended up in the same area), while waiting on our approach shots to the green, on the side of the tee box between shots, etc.

One other thing that does slow the game down is insistence on "honors" on the tee box. We always cede the tee box to the "birdie maker", but if someone gets a par and isn't ready, we just tee off whenever we are ready. If we have people in the group who can't hit their tee shots as far as the group in front of us, we let them tee off first regardless of our scores on the previous hole.

I remember being stacked up on a par 3 (regulation course) as two seniors were paired up with two teens who insisted on honors. We had to wait for the green to clear so the teens could hit their drives, and then we sat patiently (maybe patiently is too nice a term) while the seniors hit their balls maybe 125 yards (the seniors also played from the whites instead of the gold-that's another issue). I don't blame the seniors (other than they should have played from the golds), and they were not playing badly, they just couldn't hit as far as the teens. You can imagine the delays for the rest of the round since the seniors had to wait patiently for the teens to hit while the rest of us, had our patience tested.

The short of it is that you can socialize and have an enjoyable round of golf-perhaps the term is that you want to play an "efficient" round of golf.

[ronat1]

EVERYONE PLEASE READ THIS!!!!!

Hopefully this will clarify the Pace Of Play guidelines and the meaning of the term Out Of Position. Folks, these ARE the golf rules in The Villages so the people playing golf will just have to deal with it, if not expect to be informed of your non-complinace by an Ambassador and then if that won't work hopefully his supervision.

You are Out of Position when you are at least One Hole Behind the group in front of you AND behind the Pace of Play guidelines (i.e. Time Par) for the specific course.This is marked on the scorecard for every championship course in The Villages and located directly under the hole number. Keep in mind that time :00 is not your tee time but the actual time you tee off, which could be ahead of or behind your designated tee time based on when the first person in the group tees off. That time is then inputted into the Starters computer and communicated from the Starter to the Ambassador so they know exactly what time you tee'd off relative to when you were supposed to tee off and he knows where you should be at any given time. The Ambassador is then supposed to track your "Pace Of Play" or "Time Par" to ensure everyone is maintaining a good pace of play.

ONE HOLE BEHIND is defined as:

Par 3 or Par 4 - the group in question has an entire hole open in front of them

Par 5 - the group in question is on the tee and the group in front of them is on the green

If you are one hole or more behind it does not mean that you are slow and the Ambassador should be pushing you to play faster and catch up. But, if you are one hole behind as defined above and behind on the Pace Of Play or Time Par, you should be asked by the Ambassador to pick up the pace so that consideration is given for everyone else behind you to get their round completed in a timely manner.

Obviously during periods when the course has numerous open tee times and not as many people are playing there is flexibility in your required pace.

Hopefully this will clarify everyones understanding and that it will put this topic to rest!!!

If everyone would just understand and make a concerted effort to comply with the above then the socializing on the golf course would not be an issue.

Once again, THANK YOU!!