[Walter123]

Originally Posted by Happinow

On the other hand....men, why do you hit from the black when it's clear that you should be hitting from the gold? Hitting from the proper tees would also speed up play. Just saying......

I play as a single most of the time and always play from the black tees. I'm usually 3-5 over on an executive course. I can't tell you how many times I played with three guys that hit from the gold but decide to hit from the black just because I am. The other day one of these guys was hitting THREE balls every other hole. He said he was new to golf and had just taken lessons and also did the "good golf school". LOL- he lost at least 10 balls that day on Redfish Run. He didn't rake the trap so I told him he "forgot" and boy, he did not like that one bit. It also cracks me up when I see beginners on Pelican. Play at your level and you'll have more FUN! I could play the blue tees on the championship's but I play the white most of the time because it's more fun. Remember to pick up after double par, get away from the hole quickly. Golf is as frustrating as you make it.

[legacyarts]

Granted, I am new to this game. But isn't the point to have a good time, work on gradually improving your score and get out in the sun and fresh air. I fail to see why there is such an emphasis on moving thru the course as fast as you can. The last time I played, my partner was so obsessed with keeping a rapid pace that I couldn't concentrate on my shots and it wasn't fun. It was just stressful. I'm not advocating dallying around, but for goodness sake...if you're so interested in moving fast - go for a run! (That's a joke...don't yell at me!)

[Walter123]

Originally Posted by legacyarts

Granted, I am new to this game. But isn't the point to have a good time, work on gradually improving your score and get out in the sun and fresh air. I fail to see why there is such an emphasis on moving thru the course as fast as you can. The last time I played, my partner was so obsessed with keeping a rapid pace that I couldn't concentrate on my shots and it wasn't fun. It was just stressful. I'm not advocating dallying around, but for goodness sake...if you're so interested in moving fast - go for a run! (That's a joke...don't yell at me!)

Sounds like your partner has the right idea.

[zonerboy]

There is so much emphasis on "pace of play" because your group is not the only one on the course. On most executive courses a new group is sent off every nine minutes. That means your group has nine minutes to finish each hole. So don't spend six minutes of it looking for lost balls. If you want to practice go to a driving range.
As for putting, golf is a game, not a set of laws to be obeyed. Pick up whatever distance of putts you feel like. No one establishes a handicap playing executive courses.

[Challenger]

Originally Posted by zonerboy

There is so much emphasis on "pace of play" because your group is not the only one on the course. On most executive courses a new group is sent off every nine minutes. That means your group has nine minutes to finish each hole. So don't spend six minutes of it looking for lost balls. If you want to practice go to a driving range.
As for putting, golf is a game, not a set of laws to be obeyed. Pick up whatever distance of putts you feel like. No one establishes a handicap playing executive courses.

Well said

Speed up play -- consider this

Pin placements- Quite often the pin placements on Ecexs are far too challenging for the level of play (sucker placements) ie far too close to the edge of the green, hidden behind traps, on downhill slopes, etc.
more reasonable placements could significantly speed up play. These are not "Championship courses".

Sand traps- many far to deep for level of play. Too many traps on numerous holes

Some work on the pin placement issue alone could pay significant time dividends.

[DonH57]

Pace of play is very important. No argument about that. One thing I have noticed on some executive courses when I've been out playing when groups in front of us start slowing down for whatever reason the group behind us start getting peeved off at us like it's our fault. Sorry, but until they move faster, I can't, and I'm not stepping aside.

[tomwed]

Originally Posted by Challenger

Well said

Speed up play -- consider this

Pin placements- Quite often the pin placements on Ecexs are far too challenging for the level of play (sucker placements) ie far too close to the edge of the green, hidden behind traps, on downhill slopes, etc.
more reasonable placements could significantly speed up play. These are not "Championship courses".

Sand traps- many far to deep for level of play. Too many traps on numerous holes

Some work on the pin placement issue alone could pay significant time dividends.

I think educating golfers may be a more realistic goal to speed up the game and lower scores.

For instance the best practice for a high handicapper is to aim for the center of the green no matter where the pin is. This gives you the widest margin of error. The fundamental axiom in golf is "risk vs reward."
I play with many woman who see the lake on the right and aim the ball left of the green. They got the concept. Their best chance of a par is a great chip or a great putt.

For sand shots that are too difficult, a player can call the ball unplayable, add a penalty stroke and drop it anywhere else in the trap if you like playing by the rules.

Unless I'm in a competition, I don't keeps score. Too many times I have played with others that keep score but innocently don't know all the rules. In real golf there are no drop zones, no mulligans, no grounding the club inside of the hazard stakes, and you hit provisional balls just in case you can’t find your first ball. If you didn't hit a provisional you would need to go back to the tee or the previous position. If you don't play by all the rules you really don't know what you shot so why keep score. What I do pay attention to is my “greens in regulation” score.

As others have said, enjoy the game on the executive courses and I’ll add "Just don't think you are playing golf." The executive courses are more like a little league field with lot’s of Homers.

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by rubicon

There are many ways to speed up the game but when people start making up rules as they go along well please don't call it golf and you might as well stop wasting score cards

I guess everyone keeps score when they play?
Is that considered to be an important part of the game? That's a serious question.
I've only been golfing for a couple of years and I never keep score. I play for fresh air, exercise and fun.
Some of the people I golf with keep hitting balls until they get a hit they like.
So to me it seems pointless to keep score.
(But we do play ready golf and never keep the golfers behind us waiting)!

[steamdogman]

Yup

[Walter123]

Originally Posted by Barefoot

I guess everyone keeps score when they play?
Is that considered to be an important part of the game? That's a serious question.
I've only been golfing for a couple of years and I never keep score. I play for fresh air, exercise and fun.
Some of the people I golf with keep hitting balls until they get a hit they like.
So to me it seems pointless to keep score.
(But we do play ready golf and never keep the golfers behind us waiting)!

Good point. I only keep score on the championship courses for a handicap. On exces I keep track in my head using the + - method. Ready golf is also a good idea. If you're close to the hole after your first putt just putt out or pick up. Don't mark the dang ball. Your marker will probably be in someone else's line anyway.

[TheVillageChicken]

Originally Posted by tomwed

I think educating golfers may be a more realistic goal to speed up the game and lower scores.

For instance the best practice for a high handicapper is to aim for the center of the green no matter where the pin is. This gives you the widest margin of error. The fundamental axiom in golf is "risk vs reward."
I play with many woman who see the lake on the right and aim the ball left of the green. They got the concept. Their best chance of a par is a great chip or a great putt.

For sand shots that are too difficult, a player can call the ball unplayable, add a penalty stroke and drop it anywhere else in the trap if you like playing by the rules.

Unless I'm in a competition, I don't keeps score. Too many times I have played with others that keep score but innocently don't know all the rules. In real golf there are no drop zones, no mulligans, no grounding the club inside of the hazard stakes, and you hit provisional balls just in case you can’t find your first ball. If you didn't hit a provisional you would need to go back to the tee or the previous position. If you don't play by all the rules you really don't know what you shot so why keep score. What I do pay attention to is my “greens in regulation” score.

As others have said, enjoy the game on the executive courses and I’ll add "Just don't think you are playing golf." The executive courses are more like a little league field with lot’s of Homers.

Good stuff, except for the "no drop zones." There are drop zones in golf, although I must admit they are normally established by the committee in tournaments vs everyday play.

[tomwed]

Originally Posted by TheVillageChicken

Good stuff, except for the "no drop zones." There are drop zones in golf, although I must admit they are normally established by the committee in tournaments vs everyday play.

I did a little research anf found this:

Monday, April 19, 2010
Ask Linda #195-Drop area across hazard
Hi Linda,

I play out of a golf course in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Hole #4 is a 350 yard par 4. A tee shot of 275 yards will put you in a ravine. For balls hit in the ravine a drop area exists next to the green. Normally, a player's poor second shot hit into the ravine allows for a drop in the drop area next to the green with a one stroke penalty. My question is, does a player's tee ball hit into the ravine entitle him to the drop area next to the green, or must he play his third shot (one stroke penalty) over the ravine? The ravine is not a lateral hazard, your ball must cross it to get to the green. The drop area is next to the green. The ravine starts about 75 yards in front of the green.

From,

Lou Lou


Dear Lou Lou,

I’m afraid I have nothing but bad news for you, Lou. Establishing a drop area on the green side of a water hazard is not permitted under the Rules of Golf. Neither the players who dump their second shot into the ravine, nor you, when your drive lands in the ravine, may use a drop area that allows players to cross a hazard without hitting their balls over it [Decision 33-8/2].

The only relief options for a ball hit into a water hazard are to return to where you hit your original ball and hit another, or drop a ball behind the hazard on the line-of-sight to the hole [Rule 26-1a, b]. Both relief options require that you add a one-stroke penalty to your score. A player is never allowed a free lift over a hazard.

I am well aware that a number of golf courses establish “illegal” dropping zones to assist with pace of play. If you and your friends opt to use the drop zone, then you need to be aware that you are not playing under the Rules of Golf. In the case of your playing this “fun” round, the procedure would be the same for any ball hit into the hazard, whether on the first, second, or even fifth stroke. You would have the same opportunity to drop your ball in the drop area after reaching the ravine with your drive as your friends would when they plunk their second shot into the goo.

However, all of this dropping on the other side of the hazard is illegal. If you’re serious about your golf, you and friends should ignore the illegal drop area and drop your ball behind the hazard according to rule.

You might want to mention to a course official that this drop area does not conform to the Rules of Golf. There are situations where dropping zones need to be established, but there is no valid reason to place them on the wrong (green) side of the hazard and thereby encourage golfers to break the rules.

Linda

Copyright © 2010 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.

Posted by Linda Miller at 9:35 AM

There are drop zones on regulation courses. You are right and I stand corrected. I wonder how many of the drop zones on the executive courses
would be considered legal. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad they are there. I guess my point in the previous post is that even when you thinkk you are playing golf by the rules, as the pros do, you probably are not. So keep it fun and keep it moving.

BTW until now I didn't know that the course could not put a drop zone whereever it wanted and just call it a local rule. I also learned that even the PGA has drop zones in tournaments. In Sawgrass the island green had a drop zone in a PGA tournament. I always thought the pros had to retee. But I am forgetting more as I get older.

[SALYBOW]

Lately when I have been playing there has been a group of men or two couples that hold us up. It is rarely all women. Just Saying.

[Chi-Town]

Originally Posted by Walter123

I play as a single most of the time and always play from the black tees. I'm usually 3-5 over on an executive course. I can't tell you how many times I played with three guys that hit from the gold but decide to hit from the black just because I am. The other day one of these guys was hitting THREE balls every other hole. He said he was new to golf and had just taken lessons and also did the "good golf school". LOL- he lost at least 10 balls that day on Redfish Run. He didn't rake the trap so I told him he "forgot" and boy, he did not like that one bit. It also cracks me up when I see beginners on Pelican. Play at your level and you'll have more FUN! I could play the blue tees on the championship's but I play the white most of the time because it's more fun. Remember to pick up after double par, get away from the hole quickly. Golf is as frustrating as you make it.

3-5 over from the black tees is quite enviable. But isn't shooting par golf the goal? You would definitely be a par golfer from the golds and may enjoy the game even more. BTW, 3-5 over is my goal from the golds.

[rubicon]

Originally Posted by legacyarts

Granted, I am new to this game. But isn't the point to have a good time, work on gradually improving your score and get out in the sun and fresh air. I fail to see why there is such an emphasis on moving thru the course as fast as you can. The last time I played, my partner was so obsessed with keeping a rapid pace that I couldn't concentrate on my shots and it wasn't fun. It was just stressful. I'm not advocating dallying around, but for goodness sake...if you're so interested in moving fast - go for a run! (That's a joke...don't yell at me!)

legacyarts: What you say may be true for you but having a good time on the golf course means different things to different people.