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.