I don't think anyone is berating the ambassadors. All we are asking is that they do their job. The ambassador today knew what the problem was but did nothing about it except tell another ambassador and then said he would see his supervisor if the problem continued. When he talked to us there were 4 foursomes on the same hole. This tells me there is a problem that must be addressed now. Ambassador,supervisor,head pro, I really don't care,just solve the problem.

Gosh ! I recently moved here and have never golfed. I had planned to do some lessons and give it a try, but after reading this thread I shall never ever get closer than the club house restaurant to a golf course - ever. This thread is the culmination of what had been a "looking forward to the villages and what it has to offer" mode for me........ I was waiting for the snowbirds to fly north to start some lessons, but I'll fore go that idea and start wondering why it was that I bought in the villages.

Do not get discouraged, take some lessons and go out on the 9 hole courses this summer. Playing late in the day and you will learn ready golf and be able to play. There are times I just pick up and go to next hole.

Were going to continue to have issues like this because the renters are on vacation and could care less. Sorry but that has been my experience. :0000000000luvmyhors

Wow, that seems to be a bit of an overreaction. I have golfed for 50 years and am still not very good, but I get to the ball quickly, hit it, and move along, and I never spend much time looking for a lost ball. You don't have to be good to play at a decent pace, and as someone else said, often the best players are among the slowest. Learn to play the game and have fun, don't take it too seriously and keep moving and you will be fine.

Don't Let the comments scare you away. I'd suggest taking lessons (which should include etiquette), go to the driving range, play the 9 hole courses and don't bother keeping score in the beginning - that will help you concentrate on technique. If possible, try to play with a round with the pro to get 'on the course' instruction. Good luck.

Right you are...and KB...there are rules in any games and just as many have said...you don't have to be GOOD to keep the pace of play. If there is an open hole ahead of you, your group is playing too slow. All of this will make more sense when you begin to play, and soon you too will be annoyed if there are four groups stacked up on a hole.

Golfing on the executive courses is a wonderful privilege that many of us have payed for all of our adult lives. The price is certainly right here.

Just remember, that golf is NOT a matter of life and death. It is MUCH more important than that.

(just kidding of course)
Well a little, anyway.

Its sad that you are making the decision on the comments of one course. Did you not read the posts regarding "right on time" at other courses? I think you have jumped to the wrong conclusion.

I totally agree with your post. As a new golfer, I try to be very respectful of other golfers. The other new golfers I play with have stressed ready golf and not dilly-dallying around.

Kb8tpw ... I think this thread is about inconsiderate players, not new players.

Slow play
 

Recently played at Glenview. It took us 4:45 to play 18 holes. My past experience had been that ambassadors always quote the same reason for slow play : the course is packed. Poor excuse, as a packed course can play in reasonable time if the slow parties are monitored.<

The Glenview experience was different. The group in front of us were clearly the slow players. By the the 12th hole, they were a full par 5 hole behind. When we talked to the ambassador, he responded by saying that he had already warned them, but to please be patient, as we would be old ourselves someday. Other than the implied compliment, (not deserved), I felt that it was kind of lame as an excuse.

To top things off, after the 18th hole, one player took the time to empty his pockets, replace all head covers, put away his glove etc before moving away from the green.

These people should have been told to skip a hole, or tee off from the 150 yd marker on a par 5, making it a par 3. Additionnally, they could be told to follow a course on golf etiquette, with emphasis on ready golf, before being able to book again on a championship course.

I am ready to accomodate people who move more slowly because of age or disabilities, but those people should reciprocate by making some concessions, such as the ones mentionned above.

Dang, and here I am talking up Glenview. It always struck me that the ambassadors were on top of things there and would get Ken or one of the managers if they could not get a situation under control. 4:45 on a village golf course is pretty frustrating, my cooler is not large enough :). Here is a technique you can use in the future. With the group in front of you in ear shot, turn like you are yelling at the group behind you and say "It is not us, it is the group in front of us".

Like I said, most rounds this year have been under time, nothing like 4:45. We just played Lopez last Sunday in just under 4 hours without rushing, but Sunday AM is always a little less crowded.

There is something to be said about a packed course being slower. It is analogous to a highway being full, one mistake is hard to recover from. That said there is no reason a round should take more than the recommended time on the card, IMO that time is very fair.

I have played in foursomes where one person in our group is slowing things down, hitting two or three balls, walking around in a daze, not caring if they are bollixing everything up. One day, I routinely walked to my ball at about the 100 yard marker and my partner stood next to me and watched me hit. Then he started walking back toward the tee box. I asked where he was going and he said, "oh, my ball is back at about 175 yards. AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHH! ( he was the one who drove me up to my ball.)

One uncaring, unthinking person can mess up the whole course. Believe me, there are more than a few of them around.


JLK

One thing to speed up play easily is to putt out on the green. In other words the person furthest from the hole putts first and continues putting until he or she holes out. Then the next furthest player does the same thing until all are holed out. This prevents people from putting, marking their ball, letting the next person putt etc. etc. The is a relatively painless way of speeding up play. I don't recall this being mentioned on this thread.

John

ready golf helps . go when ready even if your partner is 6" behind and not yet ready. I know this violates golf etiquette, but is necessary to maintain pace.

Many people seem to go through life in kind of a fog, not just on the golf course. They are oblivious to anyone else they may be inconveniencing - you see them at the grocery check-out line, at the bank, in traffic etc. etc.
I believe that most slow golfers (not all) are just unaware of the delays they are causing. I got a good friend of mine back into golf after thirty years of not playing, and whenever we play I remind him of golf courtesy and moving along. He had not played in so long that he had forgotten many of those things, if he had ever learned them at all. In other words, I think most people will do the right thing if reminded, so tell people you golf with, in a kind and positive way, that "WE seem to be holding up the group behind us so WE better pick up the pace and not do so much ------------. Perhaps a few signs between holes, and in the proshop reminding people of the importance of good pace and tips on how to keep things moving would be of help. At least then the ambassadors would be able to back up their warnings by pointing out the obvious reminders the golfers should have seen.