Time to wave goodbye to the WAVE tee time system on Championship courses?
 

Just throwing this out for feedback but with all the 9 hole only players on Championship courses why don’t they designate one of the 27 hole course’s nines to nine hole players and do straight 18 hole tee times on the other two. If you have ever finished your front nine and had to wait up to 30 minutes to tee off on your back nine you understand why I am asking this. They could rotate the dedicated 9 hole course.

How many 9 hole players are there?????
(I've never seen the stats)

I don’t have the stats but I always ask the starter about the groups immediately in front of me before I tee off and invariably there are 9 hole players. They take an entire tee time away even though only playing 9

Play 9 holes all the time
 

If they can't better manage the Pace of Play and the Wave tee time system I would agree that a change is needed if people playing 18 holes are frequently delayed on the turn. I don't like making rounds longer for people because I prefer to play 9 holes.

Without knowing volumes, very difficult (in fact dangerous) to change successful practices or expect change.

True, definitely not expecting change just spitballing here

352-753-3396; Golf Admin.; let us all know what the response is.....

When are people going to realize that being first out and playing fast has it's disadvantages?

Yep.

Removing a tee time and waiting thirty minutes at the turn do not seem to go together. Lots of complaints about slow play. So maybe 9-hole players creating a space in the second nine is a good thing.

I like 9 hole players in front of me, then my back 9 will be even faster. Plus this time of year all 9 hole players have to tee off after 1pm. I don't see any problem, taking away a course for exclusive 9 hole play is a bigger problem when you're not a priority member. Two of the three Fridays this month they weren't able to accommodate my request for a teetime from 11:56 to 1:00, losing an entire course would make that even harder. If you can't get off before 1:00, it's hard to get in 18 holes.

The only problem I encounter, and this has happened twice in the past 6 months. We get a teetime of 11:56 and my foursome will done with the front nine by 1:30 to 1:40, then we go to the back nine and they make us wait for 20 to 30 minutes so teetimes can get off before we can start our back nine. This happened two weeks ago at Cane Garden going from Jacaranda to Allamanda. I wish they would eliminate the last couple of teetimes from 1:40 to 1:55.

I like playing 9 holes instead of 18 since it gives me time back in the day. Maybe they could open more 9 hole times on one day a week. Just a thought.

If you are waiting at the turn, it's usually because you have played the front nine ahead of schedule. I've found that if our group plays steadily, and meets the time schedule shown on the scorecard, we don't have to wait at the turn.

I play in a small group of 8 to 12 players, all priority. We usually get tee times between 7:50 and 8:15. We rotate between all the championship courses. We can easily finish the first nine in 1 1/2 hours, but we know that with the wave, we will have to wait to begin the second 9 if we speed too fast. Most of the time we have very little wait, if any, to start the second 9.

While there is some slow play on the champ courses, most of the complaints I see are from those speedy players that are playing too fast. I remember one time when we were complaining to each other about the slow play since we were waiting on every shot. At the turn we realized we had still finished the first nine in 1 hour 40 minutes. The group ahead of us were "on time", but we thought they were slow; we are just always ready to hit our next shot in turn.

Interesting idea posted by the OP. Personally I very much prefer straight T times because my favorite time to start a round is in the 9:30 to noon window. One doesn’t have to rush out too early, yet still finishes the round with plenty of day still ahead of them. These times simply are not available using the wave. That is the primary reason that I tend to play Tierra and Orange Blossom more frequently than the other courses.

Talk to any of the ambassadors, starters or pro shop people and they will all tell you that the use of separate carts has played a huge part of this being more of an issue than in the past. If we get back to normal process this should eliminate most of the issue.

That doesn't seem logical
 

It would seem separate Carts should speed up play, not slow it down ? Players in there own carts get to the ball faster if they can find it and if they hit when it's there turn, things should move more quickly. I imagine the people managing the course just don't like the wear and tear and more crowded starting areas.

Agree 100% and will not need a rocket scientist to change the system. There is a current trend where in people do would rather play 9 holes, especially in the summer.

Do you have numbers to support the "current trend" ??

Here’s one. :)

:bigbow:

After June 1st, as in the past you can play 9 holes anytime. That goes until 12-31.

BTW folks, the 27 hole courses are not going to do one 9 for people playing just 9 holes. To many tee times would be filled up, the answer to all the questions is to follow the money. For the people having to wait at the turn, has NOTHING to do with 9 hole play, it has to do with pace of play. And believe me slow play IS NOT the issue. With everyone using their own carts, play has sped up. Slow down, enjoy the game, People were upset when pace was slow, NOW they are upset because they want to play in 3 hours!

Bingo! That will fall on deaf ears..it does on the course.

If you did straight teetimes, how would those playing 18 holes ever get to the back nine, that's why we have a wave.

The only way the make this work is to have the Christmas Day procedures in place. For example at Bonifay, 18 hole players tee off at Destin and then go to Pensacola for the back nine. Those playing 9 holes would tee off at Ft. Walton, there would no need for a wave. Works great on Christmas. You rotate the 18 holes and 9 hole courses weekly, because for example my favorite is Destin to Ft. Walton, so every 3 weeks that would be available.

Exactly what would need to happen

And there would not be any loss of tee times or revenue - just more efficient golf.