When and where is "Good Golf School"?

Another Beginner Golfer

Simple Pace of Play Rule
 

Rules of Golf state that when you have an open hole in front of you and golfers behind you are waiting, step aside and let the faster group play through...no big deal. If you wish to play a 5 hour round of golf, that is fine, just don't expect everyone behind you to do likewise....let them play through.

Playing through in TV accomplishes very little. The courses are full. The most you might gain is one hole.

That would work good if there is no one behind the people that you are letting play through. However if the course is full as it is most of the time in The Villages at this time of the year it works best for everyone on the course if the slow players skip a hole. It takes more time to let someone play through if you are playing slow then all that happpens is more people are further behind.

I just played Mallory and we were done in just under 4 hours which is ahead of the 4 hours and 16 minutes on the score card.

What is the hurry. We are mostly retired. Afraid gonna miss early bird special or happy hour?:grumpy:

I take that comment to mean that you are a slow player yourself?

Slow play hurts everyone on the course. Slow play is a choice. I've seen many raw beginners who are not slow.

Bad choices such as:

• Getting in your cart and scoring the hole while on the side of the green
• Taking your time to make sure your clubs are all in their place before leaving the green side. (hold your putter in one hand and drive with the other until the next tee box if you must).
• Waiting to tee your ball up on the tee. First player should be ready the minute the group in front is clear.
• Waiting for another player who is no where in sight to hit before you plan and execute your next shot (you are not going to bother each other - just hit).

Last month I played with a woman, on an exec, who said "you're an experienced golfer, if you see something that I could do differently to speed up play, please let me know". It was refreshing and we had a great time during the round (I shared her cart). I gave her a few tips (for speed of play not the play itself) as the round went on. I wish more golfers were open to simple suggestions.

Playing in an expedient manner does not take the fun out of the game.

Not a slow player. scratch player who realizes everyone isnt in a hurry and enjoy my time on the golf course whether 3 4 5 6 hours.

I do not believe it is an issue of being in a hurry but more an issue of common courtesy. Each scorecard on the exec courses show an expected time to play that course and if a group falls out of that time range then it will have a trickle down effect throughout that day. Just this past week we played Bacall and it took us over 2 1/4hrs due to the two groups just in front of us. Of course looking behind us you could see a backup growing and two clear holes in front of us. That can be frustrating.

Scratch player doesn't mean you are quick. There isn't a player (or organization) in the world who doesn't think slow play is an issue whether it be professional or weekender. The fact that you even mention a 6 hour round as OK takes away all of your credibility.

My 2 cents as an 11 handicap who plays quickly and enjoyably.

I take exception to what you say. I will guarantee, without a doubt, that I am a faster player than you. I am extremely fast player, who believes in ready golf, which you and most probably dont believe in. I also read my putt before it is my turn. Just because I do not criticize slow play does not mean I MUST be a slow player. You should not judge without knowledge.

While I can understand the frustration if play becomes too slow (i.e., you pull up to the tee box and the group in front of you is still waiting to tee off), I don't understand the frustration of of having some waits. Maybe it's just me, but a big part of the allure of golf is its sociability and being out in beautiful surroundings. I find the waits to hit a great opportunity to enjoy both of these aspects - a good chance to talk with your partners and also a good chance to enjoy the surroundings. My worst nightmare would be to have the opportunity to play any of the world's great courses without the opportunity to pause between shots to take it all in. I find that even on the non-worldclass courses that we play around here that the rounds I enjoy the most involve some waiting versus where we spend the whole time golfing with no time talk or look around.

Slow Pace of Play
 

I have played with guys who chide you for wasting time pulling the flagstick ( a penaly if you hit it while putting) to people who invented the term "chatter boxes" and both types are not beneficial. All courses have well established times for how long it should take to compete nine or eighteen holes of golf. Some even have clocks attached to carts advising where you should be at any given time You should be teeing off on the 15th hole, etc). Most courses enforce their rules. Some after two or three warnings of slow play terminate your play. I play by the USGA rules, will pick up when in trouble and will accept the max strokes per hole based on my handicap. There is a difference between social discourse when playing and a chatter box that is totally distracting. I will not do anything I believe will distract another player. I respect people and I respect the game much too much. If people want a social event they out to plan a picnic. If they never played golf they need to experiement on executive courses, then go to the practice range , Under no circumstances should they play any executive course without picking up after six shots. I have seen people with 15 strokes on a par 3 claiming they will not give up. I admire their tentacity but it is self defeating for them and an annoyance to other golfers. and no, while there are not any give me's in stroke play on executive courses you do not always need to hear the clunk, specially when several fourome behind you are backed up

How about 4 1/2 for 9 and short 9 at that...

aj

Slow Play
 

I'm sorry, but a 5 hour round just cannot be fun for me. I don't care how beautiful the course, the people or the day, 5 hours is way beyond my endurance level and those who contribute to 5 hour rounds should be playing elsewhere....Just sayin:wave:

Nj blue
 

Thank you. exactly how I feel. Well said

I'm sorry, but a 5 hour round just cannot be fun for me. I don't care how beautiful the course, the people or the day, 5 hours is way beyond my endurance level and those who contribute to 5 hour rounds should be playing elsewhere....Just sayin...
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Fourpar, I agree!

I DO agree that 5 hours is to long. But if IT DOES HAPPEN, why not just enjoy your company and the surroundings. 5 hour rounds are gonna happen, we just have to enjoy life. No sense raising blood pressure on slow play when we live in such a wonderful place and with such wonderful people.

I'm sure most people try to make the best of long rounds and enjoy the company and scenery. The point is, a five hour round shouldn't happen. These courses are set up to play in a little over 4 hours at most, and if people are courteous and the ambassadors are doing their job, there should never be a round over 4 1/2 hours. I play right along, and have found plenty of time to socialize and enjoy the surroundngs in 4 hours... . .

My wife and I are fairly new to golf. We only play the executive courses, usually with friends. Several times we have had golfers behind us waiting on us when we are only taking 9 or 10 minutes per hole. One group even hollered at us to hurry. When we got to the next tee, we still had to wait a minute or so for the ones ahead of us. It ruined the round for us to have people pushing from behind like that when we weren't really slow. My point is that if you are that good and that fast, what are you doing on an executive course fussing at those who are playing at an acceptable pace and staying away from the championship courses until they get better? And if you want to play an executive course, expect those ahead of you to perhaps be a bit slower.

Played Heron a couple of weeks ago on a cold, rainy, blustery day. My foursome was all there 20-25 minutes early. When we signed in we were told that there were alot of cancellations and we could go right out.
5 minutes later, as my partner and I were rolling up his side curtains, the starter came over and asked what was the problem and told us we had to get moving. There was not another golfer in sight, other than my group. It was almost comical.
We were well ahead of our starting time on a deserted golf course and here's a joker tring to hurry us up.
This is an exception, of course. Most of the starters and ambassadors I've met are very cordial and helpful. I guess the guy at Heron was just having a bad day.
No, he didn't ruin our day. We played our round quickly and had fun doing it.

If you got to the next tee and had to wait for the group ahead of you to clear before you could tee off, you are not in the wrong. Sounds like you are in position and the issue is the group behind you. I would ask the ambassador how you are doing for pace and mention to him what happened with the back seat ambassadors behind you. Do not let folks ruin your day.

On the other hand if are two holes behind, I have an entirely different post :evil6:

Played Cane Garden today. The front nine, Allamanda was only about 2 hours. Before we teed off on the second nine, the starter said it was running about 5 minutes behind. We waited on every hole - one hole there were 3 groups backed up. It took us almost 2 hours and 45 minutes. Talk about losing focus - it was a beautiful day, and I enjoyed the company, but having 9 holes last that long was just unbearable. I wish the ambassadors would try to hurry people along.

The second nine on all championship courses gets very slow/backed up if you play in the afternoon wave....because they let people out between 1:30 and 2:00 who want to play only nine holes.
So, the nine holers go out before the people who played at 11:56 make the turn. Adds more people to the course suddenly and many who play only nine holes tend to be a little slower than 18 hole players.

And I played at Cane today....I played Jacaranda and Allamanda.

I played yesterday at Glenview. Was first off second wave at 11:56. made front nine in two hours. Got to back nine and 4 groups had gone off between 1:30 and 2:00 for nine holes. They were couples played nine hole worse ball scramble. They were extremely slow. However, the Course Pro, Ken went out and made them move along after the ambassador went in to tell him they were holding up the whole course. Thank you Ken.

Wow! That must be a first, certainly the exception. My experience with Ambassadors is that they are loath to offend anyone, even the very slow with hole(s) open in front of them. Kudos to this Ambassador and Pro! :BigApplause:

Awesome! Way to go, Ken.

I think good golf goes back to "The Golden Rule" or "What I learned in Kindergarten."

1. If you are new to TV or the game - go to good golf school

2. Think about how you like it when you have to wait and wait at tee boxes. Yes (some) are retired - but it is no fun playing when you feel there are others breathing dson your neck.

3. Follow the pace of play for the course - when I play with novices, I ask them to pick up once they are 2 - 3 shots over par (on the 4's and 5's). Then they can put out with the rest without causing undue delay. Hacienda is much shorter than Palmer and should play more quickly.

4. If you are a beginner, start with the easier execs and play in the afternoon. That way id you fall behind, you can skip a hole and it costs you nothing.

5. Try to keep pace with those in front of you. However, having said that, you may have a two- or three-some ahead of you. I think if you are at or faster than the pace of play that you need not pick up your ball. I know some of you disagree - but IMHO pace of play is the goal, keeping up is a quick pulse check to ensure you are doing just that.

6. You can speed up play by having your club ready, your shot in mind and your eyes on the balls that all of your group hits to minimize time in looking for lost balls.

Remember - holding people up, if you are slower than the pace of play, is rude. We finished Orange Blossom last week in 4:01 - we were sometimes on pace with the threesome ahead of us, and occasionally they were a bit ahead. We had to wait on 1 or 2 holes. We were hit into a number of times... that is REALLY rude!

When people hit into you, they really just made a mistake, so just tee it up and hit it back to them and wave. Just being friendly. :wave:

And that's when the fight started! :22yikes::1rotfl:

Having been hit before, once in the head, I am REALLY sensitive about someone hitting into our group. One time, OK, an accident. You get a friendly wave to remind you it was too close. Twice? Grrrr. Don't bother looking for your ball. It has gone bye-bye. :wave:

You are right - sometimes it can be an accident. My hubs and I were playing Hacienda (Palms) and the group ahead of us had to wait and had gone down to the edge of the water to get a better look at some eagles. We had seen their carts further up, then they disappeared so we wrongly assumed (yes, I know) that they were moving up to the green.

I had not been playing a driver much and tried out my husband's that day on a couple of longer holes. I hit that sucker over 200 yards (a feat I have yet to repeat). When we got around the hill and saw the guys ahead of us I nearly died! I apologized; they took it in stride.

Kate (who is usually happy to reach 165 off the tee)

200 yards!!....you animal!..lol.

On another note, we played Mallory recently. It had been in poor condition a month or so ago, but I'm glad to report it seems to be improving. The greens were okay, and the fairways have filled in some so you get a decent lie most of the time.

The pace of play could have been better though. We went from Caroline to Virginia. Front nine was 2 hours, back nine was 2 hours and 45 minutes, ouch! The excuse was the morning wave got 25 minutes behind. I do wish they wouldn't let that happen. The last 2 times I've played its been slow the 2nd nine like that.

LOL Taj...

Played Hibiscus to Jacaranda with the hubs, Dirigo and another friend. It was a bit slow, took about 4 hours and 30 minutes to play. But it was the front nine that was slower - maybe because Hibiscus is so tough?

k

What rule would that be ?

While not in the Rules of Golf - this from the USGA Gold Etiquette 101 on their website...

Pace of Play

Play at Good Pace and Keep Up

Players should play at a good pace. The Committee may establish pace of play guidelines that all players should follow.

It is a group's responsibility to keep up with the group in front. If it loses a clear hole and it is delaying the group behind, it should invite the group behind to play through, irrespective of the number of players in that group.

Kate,

Please help, I need a lesson.

:BigApplause:

We found out today that slow play is not just on The Villages Championship courses. We played Stonecrest today and it was miserably slow. We waited at least 3-5 minutes on each shot on every hole.

Had been thinking how much fun it would be to play golf with you, Pooh, PTurner and ......................just crossed you off the list.:1rotfl::1rotfl:

Taj....I am going to ask you again...Were you playing in the Champion of Champions tournament?

Back to slow pace of play on Championship courses...........

Sorry Topicop..

Bump