Slow Play

[cunch]

4 Hours and 40 minutes to play Bonifay! What can a golfer do to stop this? The ambassadors are useless! I understand if they say anything to upset a player they will be let go. Who can we complain to?:

[Bogie Shooter]

4 Hours and 40 minutes to play Bonifay! What can a golfer do to stop this? The ambassadors are useless! I understand if they say anything to upset a player they will be let go. Who can we complain to?:

The Pro is:
Brady Godfrey
Facility Manager / PGA Professional
Bonifay Golf & Country Club

Bonifay 753-1776 1033 Pinellas Place 32163

Golf The Villages (http://golfthevillages.com/championship-golf/pro.asp?course=BONIFAY)

[karostay]

Don't golf then you won't be aggravated

[nkrifats]

4 Hours and 40 minutes to play Bonifay! What can a golfer do to stop this? The ambassadors are useless! I understand if they say anything to upset a player they will be let go. Who can we complain to?:

Expected pace of play at Bonifay is 4 Hours and 17 minutes. So you was 23 minutes off the expected pace. Where there any restrictions that would have slowed down the pace? Not a true statement about the ambassadors. They can and should advise if someone is off the pace of play. The players do have to make an effort to speed up the pace of play and there lies part of the problem as a lot of golfers are not going to do that.

[justjim]

Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of Village golf is slow play. There is no single fix. Here are four common sense actions for all golfers to help speed up play. (1). If you are the first to hole out, retrieve the pin immediately so you can replace it as soon as all players complete putting. (2) Instead of marking your ball, hole out second putts. (3). Immediately proceed to the next tee before you write down the score of the previous hole. (4). Play "ready up" golf.

Everyone has more fun when you play "ready up" golf. This includes keeping practice swings to one or none and allowing whoever is "ready" to immediately get off their seat and give the ball a ride.

OP, I agree with you 100%. Keep swinging....never give up.

[karostay]

Golfers are not robots everyone's skill level in a group are not equal.
Chill

[NECHFalcon68]

Played there this morning, done in just over 4 hours...and we had to wait several times on the back nine (Ft Walton).
Also played Tuesday in under 4 hours...but I heard the Mens day groups that started on Pensacola were backed up...

[billethkid]

R-E-T-I-R-E-D!!!!!!!!!!

23 minutes off the suggested time is close enough for retired folks as far as I am concerned.

The one thing (there are many but his one is special) I dislike about golf is the propensity to have to be done in a certain amount of time. I always thought it was about having fun and being out with friends and or family....well it is for me.

Yes there are times I will grumble when folks in front (mostly on exec courses) are obviously taking an unreasonable way too much time, putting clubs away, keeping score, chewing the fat.....but the fact of the matter there are 75, 85 and some 90 year olds out there and some who are not as limber as they used to be. I remind myself that I hope I am able to still play when I get old(er) without someone with a stop watch on my tail.

I guess 23 minutes is to me....reasonable in a retirement community golf outing!!! But that is me!!

btk

[ajbrown]

I do not think you will find any 'golfer' that does not feel your pain. I think The Villages allotted times are very generous and should be observed by the ambassadors. Do not believe for a second they cannot work the pace of play, some are very good, always watching their course and seem to anticipate issues. A few just hand out water. Not much we as players can do, it is a universal issue until "management" wishes to deal with it.

When I have questions or concerns I have sent email via the web site page:
http://www.golfthevillages.com/contactus.asp (http://blankrefer.com/?www.golfthevillages.com/contactus.asp)


Go to that link and select championship golf. I find them very responsive. I suspect they would like to find a solution for pace of play also....

[Warren Kiefer]

Golfers are not robots everyone's skill level in a group are not equal.
Chill

I am afraid you totally missed the point.The pace of play times are not very restrictive and usually have little to do with skill levels. If I may use a rouind on an executive course a few days ago. We had three foursomes. The foursome ahead of my foursome observed the group ahead of them doing the following. When one golfer was teeing off the other three sat in the carts until it was their turn, One of the ladies normally hit her ball less than 50 feet at which time she would run to her ball. pick it up and return to tee for a second time too tee off and at times it was three times. While in play, one male was continually giving one of the ladies golf lessons. When two of our groups were sitting at the third hole tee box, we could see that the above group was two holes behind already. Our lead group decided to pass thru the slow group, we decided to call the starter shack. Soon an ambasador showed up, sat a while and proceeded , finally stopping to talk to us. He said the "slow" group was in position and we couild not make him understand that they were not, that a group had actually passed thru. He never seemed to understand, and said that he had spoken to the "slow" group, which was not true. We had watched him drive past the "slow" group and and I assure you, he never stopped to talk to anyone.. :cus:

[OCsun]

:agree:R-E-T-I-R-E-D!!!!!!!!!!

23 minutes off the suggested time is close enough for retired folks as far as I am concerned.

The one thing (there are many but his one is special) I dislike about golf is the propensity to have to be done in a certain amount of time. I always thought it was about having fun and being out with friends and or family....well it is for me.

Yes there are times I will grumble when folks in front (mostly on exec courses) are obviously taking an unreasonable way too much time, putting clubs away, keeping score, chewing the fat.....but the fact of the matter there are 75, 85 and some 90 year olds out there and some who are not as limber as they used to be. I remind myself that I hope I am able to still play when I get old(er) without someone with a stop watch on my tail.

I guess 23 minutes is to me....reasonable in a retirement community golf outing!!! But that is me!!

btk

:agree:

[looneycat]

R-E-T-I-R-E-D!!!!!!!!!!

23 minutes off the suggested time is close enough for retired folks as far as I am concerned.

The one thing (there are many but his one is special) I dislike about golf is the propensity to have to be done in a certain amount of time. I always thought it was about having fun and being out with friends and or family....well it is for me.

Yes there are times I will grumble when folks in front (mostly on exec courses) are obviously taking an unreasonable way too much time, putting clubs away, keeping score, chewing the fat.....but the fact of the matter there are 75, 85 and some 90 year olds out there and some who are not as limber as they used to be. I remind myself that I hope I am able to still play when I get old(er) without someone with a stop watch on my tail.

I guess 23 minutes is to me....reasonable in a retirement community golf outing!!! But that is me!!

btk
Well....who is gonna believe you if you yell "while we're young"?

[graciegirl]

Well....who is gonna believe you if you yell "while we're young"?

I LOVE those commercials Looney.

I would love to have the...um...courage to yell it sometimes.

[eweissenbach]

While I generally agree with BTK, I do get frustrated with slow play. I understand that especially on executive courses, there are many golfers that are new to the game, or less capable than others, but many times it is an issue of simply being courteous and aware and not a function of talent or ability. If the group behind you is waiting on every tee box and every shot on the fairway to hit, get a move on! You don't have to be an accomplished golfer to keep things moving, just keep things moving in a positive way. I am a quick player, and have played with slow players who I have attempted to gently prod into a sense of urgency, sometimes successfully. The USGA is now promoting the "while we're young" campaign to remind people to keep up the pace because they recognize that slow play is hurting the game and keeping many people from playing. Many people simply don't have time, or care to devote time to play five hour rounds of golf. Retired people may have the time, but it does not necessarily follow that they are willing to devote that kind of time commitment to play the game.

[Mikeod]

Retired people may have the time, but it does not necessarily follow that they are willing to devote that kind of time commitment to play the game.
Nor should they be able to dictate the pace and thereby the enjoyment for everyone behind them. Golf is not a sprint, nor should it be a death march. The time pace on our courses are generous.

[villagerjack]

R-E-T-I-R-E-D!!!!!!!!!!

23 minutes off the suggested time is close enough for retired folks as far as I am concerned.

The one thing (there are many but his one is special) I dislike about golf is the propensity to have to be done in a certain amount of time. I always thought it was about having fun and being out with friends and or family....well it is for me.

Yes there are times I will grumble when folks in front (mostly on exec courses) are obviously taking an unreasonable way too much time, putting clubs away, keeping score, chewing the fat.....but the fact of the matter there are 75, 85 and some 90 year olds out there and some who are not as limber as they used to be. I remind myself that I hope I am able to still play when I get old(er) without someone with a stop watch on my tail.

I guess 23 minutes is to me....reasonable in a retirement community golf outing!!! But that is me!!

btk

That says it for me BTK. Thanks.

[eweissenbach]

Nor should they be able to dictate the pace and thereby the enjoyment for everyone behind them. Golf is not a sprint, nor should it be a death march. The time pace on our courses are generous.

Not disputing that others should not be able to dictate the pace, but one should be cognizant of others and how their pace is affecting other golfers. There are people of all ages who have given up golf primarily because of the inordinate amount of time it takes. I have played courses that for some reason attract slow golfers and have chosen not to play those courses further.

[gemorc]

This past spring and early summer, before the steady rains, the Championship Courses were in terrible condition. Our regular Saturday group started playing off the reservation. We found that four hour rounds were of the norm. Most courses will not tolerate rounds of over four hours. We played Royal Oaks last Saturday. Tee off was at 10:00am. We were done at 1:40pm. We did not rush, and boy was it fun.

[justjim]

Old Coach, I suspect that we are fighting a losing battle with slow play---especially in TV. It's unfortunate, but a fact, a lot of folks just don't care and it only takes one or two groups to hold up the whole golf course. "I'm retired and I have earned the right to play at "my" pace."

I read an article just a few months ago in Golf or Golf Digest that there are actually fewer golfers today than a few years ago. Of course the economy is partly to blame but according to surveys taken---slow play and time was the major reason given to having put up their clubs. Well, after they retire maybe they will take up golf again!

Learning to hit a golf ball should take place on a practice range and not on TV'S Executive Courses. Skill level and age has little to do with slow play but rather it has everything to do with the lack of golf etiquette. Fore!

[John_W]

We're not the only place. I played last Saturday at Wetlands Golf Course in Aberdeen, MD. For those who travel in the northeast, that golf course is behind Cal Ripken Stadium on the west side of I-95. We teed off at 12:30 and we were done at 5:55, just a shade under 5-1/2 hours. I had a 39 on the front nine but a 46 on the back, I wonder why that is?



/

[Mikeod]

Not disputing that others should not be able to dictate the pace, but one should be cognizant of others and how their pace is affecting other golfers. There are people of all ages who have given up golf primarily because of the inordinate amount of time it takes. I have played courses that for some reason attract slow golfers and have chosen not to play those courses further.

Sorry that it appears you took my post as critical of yours since I agree with what you said. The point I was trying to make was that a slow group affects everyone behind them for the entire round. I recently played both courses at TPC Sawgrass and Pine Barrens at World Woods. All three rounds were completed in four hours or less. If it can be done at those, there is no reason for it to take longer at our courses. And we did have time to talk and swap stories and jokes during the round.

[Fourpar]

:agree:..and that's the way it ought to be everywhere, including The Villages.

[BarryRX]

4 Hours and 40 minutes to play Bonifay! What can a golfer do to stop this? The ambassadors are useless! I understand if they say anything to upset a player they will be let go. Who can we complain to?:
I played Bonifay on Thursday also. We teed off at 12:44 and finished at 5:15 for a 4.5 hour round. We were a twosome playing behind a foursome. While it felt slow while we were playing, at the end of the day we only ran about 30 minutes over what is considered normal. That averages out to about 1.5 minutes a hole. We asked an ambassador what the hold up was and he just said that its been slow all day and was even slower the day before. But while these things don't really annoy me, I agree that more people need to understand that they have to keep their position on the course, no matter what their skill level is. That means using the correct tee, and playing ready golf.

[BarryRX]

We're not the only place. I played last Saturday at Wetlands Golf Course in Aberdeen, MD. For those who travel in the northeast, that golf course is behind Cal Ripken Stadium on the west side of I-95. We teed off at 12:30 and we were done at 5:55, just a shade under 5-1/2 hours. I had a 39 on the front nine but a 46 on the back, I wonder why that is?



/

we played Disney two weeks ago. It also took us over 5 hours. By the way, the reason you had a 46 on the back is because your grip was too strong (only kidding).

[karostay]

I played Bonifay on Thursday also. We teed off at 12:44 and finished at 5:15 for a 4.5 hour round. We were a twosome playing behind a foursome. While it felt slow while we were playing, at the end of the day we only ran about 30 minutes over what is considered normal. That averages out to about 1.5 minutes a hole. We asked an ambassador what the hold up was and he just said that its been slow all day and was even slower the day before. But while these things don't really annoy me, I agree that more people need to understand that they have to keep their position on the course, no matter what their skill level is. That means using the correct tee, and playing ready golf.
Thank you for taking the time to explaining real golf:bigbow:

[PJOHNS2654]

Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of Village golf is slow play. There is no single fix. Here are four common sense actions for all golfers to help speed up play. (1). If you are the first to hole out, retrieve the pin immediately so you can replace it as soon as all players complete putting. (2) Instead of marking your ball, hole out second putts. (3). Immediately proceed to the next tee before you write down the score of the previous hole. (4). Play "ready up" golf.

Everyone has more fun when you play "ready up" golf. This includes keeping practice swings to one or none and allowing whoever is "ready" to immediately get off their seat and give the ball a ride.

OP, I agree with you 100%. Keep swinging....never give up.

The "Good Golf School should promote the following:

Keep an eye on the ball flight of your playing partners. Maybe you're hitting right into the sun. Maybe you pick up your tee in disgust the second the ball comes off the clubface. If everyone in the group is paying attention to tee shots (we realize it's not always possible on approach shots if a foursome of golf balls is sprinkled all over a hole), it saves time locating the ball, which, in turn, helps keep the pace of play reasonable.

Another unwritten rule choice is mostly for cart riders, go to your ball nothing is more frustrating than watching everyone going from ball to ball, 3 watching and one hitting and then on to the next one, drop the rider off with the clubs he or she needs and go to your ball, ditto with the other cart. It is my firm belief that the only way carts could speed up the game is if only one person per cart was allowed, then everyone could go directly to their ball and theoretically be ready to hit when it is their turn.

If your group is moving slowly, and you see the group behind you is always waiting for you to advance, and there is a hole open in front of you, please let the group behind play through.

[Fourpar]

:sad:....Play through? Are you kidding? In The Villages? That's blasphemy!

[Indy-Guy]

The "Good Golf School should promote the following:


If your group is moving slowly, and you see the group behind you is always waiting for you to advance, and there is a hole open in front of you, please let the group behind play through.

Letting someone play through is not good advice. If the course is full behind you that will even stack up the course even more. Not very often in The Villages that the courses are not full. The proper thing to do if you are slowing the play on the course and have an open hole ahead of you is to skip a hole and get to your proper place on the course. Ask an ambassador which of these two things you should do and I am sure the answer is pick up you ball and skip a hole.

The good golf school in The Villages would not ever tell you to let some one play through.

[festusrules]

A few months ago a group ahead of us at Evans Prairie was slow and the Ambassador noticed. He spoke to them and we sw him leave and return with someone who also spoke to that group.

After they resumed play he came to our group and said he had notified that group that they were 21 minutes behind the expected pace of play. They had cursed him and he went into the pro shop and the course mgr talked to them.

Just 1 example of Ambassador doing his job.

[dotti105]

Pardon my comments as I may be way off base, being new to golf. But isn't it acceptable to ask the slower group ahead of you if you may play through ahead of them?

I have seen it done politely by both parties, and everyone continued to enjoy their game.

I thought that was the normal thing to do if the group ahead of you is holding everyone up. No?

[Jhooman]

Slow play is painful, yet it's a part of golf, especially when folks think they are on the LPGA or PGA tour.

It's been my experience mostly with men, they can't make a decision what club to use, then hit the shot poorly, stand there watching the ball go left or right and give a speech about how they had a poor lie, ball in a divot, the sky is blue, these darn clubs or curse up a storm. As the day passes and our group gets further behind, the ambassador comes up to our group and tells me the only woman to speed it up. He doesn't approach the slow players the men, but let's me know that I'm the problem.:MOJE_whot:

If I say to the men to please speed up, we are falling behind, I get the look:shocked:, you know what I mean. The answer to preventing slow play, is to play ready golf. Have your club ready, be at your ball, putt out then get to your cart and head to the next hole. Very simple and believe me it's so much more enjoyable.:clap2:

[PaPaLarry]

Pardon my comments as I may be way off base, being new to golf. But isn't it acceptable to ask the slower group ahead of you if you may play through ahead of them?

I have seen it done politely by both parties, and everyone continued to enjoy their game.

I thought that was the normal thing to do if the group ahead of you is holding everyone up. No?
Yes it would be common courtesy to let the people behind you play through if they are a twosome or threesome, but most times here in Villages its more then one foursome slowing up play. The frustrations of slow play, are part of golfing here in TV. Maybe there are more players playing Bonifay this week, because of The Village Cup coming up next week. I myself don't mind too much, especially on Executive courses, because many villagers are just learning, and I expect slow play. (just wish they would rake traps and fix divots & ball marks for other players) Pretty soon timeframes will be changing, and snow birds will be playing, and it still will be slow. Over all, I think most ambassadors do there job, but are afraid to step on toes. I just give thanks to be able to play golf and enjoy our nice golf courses here. Happy golfing!!

[graciegirl]

Slow play is painful, yet it's a part of golf, especially when folks think they are on the LPGA or PGA tour.

It's been my experience mostly with men, they can't make a decision what club to use, then hit the shot poorly, stand there watching the ball go left or right and give a speech about how they had a poor lie, ball in a divot, the sky is blue, these darn clubs or curse up a storm. As the day passes and our group gets further behind, the ambassador comes up to our group and tells me the only woman to speed it up. He doesn't approach the slow players the men, but let's me know that I'm the problem.:MOJE_whot:

If I say to the men to please speed up, we are falling behind, I get the look:shocked:, you know what I mean. The answer to preventing slow play, is to play ready golf. Have your club ready, be at your ball, putt out then get to your cart and head to the next hole. Very simple and believe me it's so much more enjoyable.:clap2:

JHooman, smart, good lookin', witty, warm and disarming lady, is a veddy, veddy, good golfer who could beat 98 percent of the golfers here in TV, boy are girl. We are talkin' good here, like scratch.

She is my friend. I don't play golf with her. But she keeps asking, sigh.

Sometimes it is the guys, and sometimes it is the girls slowing things down. It is almost always people who are either new to the game OR people who have great self importance who slow things down.

I agree with her completely about ready golf. It is only good manners toward all of the folks following you on the course for the rest of the DAY.

[CFrance]

Jhooman, why not say to the ambassador: I am not the problem. Talk to the men!

I wonder if you said it enough times, they'd start to recognize you and steer clear.

[billethkid]

so how did the thread gravitate to the allegation that slow play = men?

Never mind I figured it out...it is the women talking!!!!:D

btk

[CFrance]

so how did the thread gravitate to the allegation that slow play = men?

Never mind I figured it out...it is the women talking!!!!:D

btk

Good one!:ho: