Socializing on the Golf Course
 

Socializing on the course in TV is leading to slower and slower play. Now, before you start throwing rocks at me, I'm not talking about friendly social talk as you play your round of golf as long as you are keeping up with the group in front of you. Rather, I'm talking about sitting in your golf cart telling stories while the tee box is open for play. I'm talking about socializing after finishing a hole instead of moving on to the next hole. Obviously, the ambassadors are going to do very little about slow play so its up to us to "govern" ourselves. For example, make an agreement with your foursome to pick up after triple bogey, and move on. Play ready golf and lets finish an executive course in hour and half and championship in less than four hours. Later, we can tell our stories and talk "things" out over our favorite beverage. :beer3: Does anybody realize its hot out there, especially waiting and waiting to hit your next shot? :gc:

First rule of golf: You can't be in any hurry when you go to play golf. Plus you're retired. Chill out and you won't be so hot !!!!

:agree:

Scarecrow: Your "kidding" of course-----I like to BS just as much as the next guy but I also want to finish my round of golf by dark. When socializing is holding up your fellow golfers, its bad golf etiquette.

I would rather be slowed down by a group having a good time than someone in a hurry to GET DONE. I enjoy all aspects of the golf course that includes socializing. Since this is a retirement community with folks up and into their 90's that play the game, I fully accept slow play. I agree with scarecrow1.

:agree::agree::agree::agree::agree::agree::agree:: agree:

Sorry, I didn't know that rule of golf. Maybe I was absent that day. The rules I'm familiar with require you to keep moving. There are a lot of people behind you waiting to play.

I really wish more people would read the books handed out at closing. One is on golf etiquette in The Villages. It explains ready golf, and maintaining the pace of play. With 10,000 tee times per day (no kidding), it is only common courtesy to keep it moving.

Oh boy, this could get as interesting as the poop threads! I'm on the fence with this one. Would love to take my time out there and enjoy all the game has to offer, but at the same time don't like to wait to have to tee off 'cause someone is socializing.

can't have it both ways. Go to Cody's afterward, and talk over a couple of icy cold brews.

Another Rule of Play
 

If you have to stop to poop, you should definitely let the next group play through.

I agree. Socialize all you want, but it is your responsibility to maintain your position on the course. It is part of the same golf etiquette that requires you to fill divots, rake bunkers, replace rakes correctly, repair ball marks, fix spike marks around the hole, etc. Here is a quote from the great golf teacher Harvey Penick. "Poor players usually seem embarrassed to play with good players. The fact is that you may not be good enough to play with the good players, but no one will notice if you keep up. The good players are not going to be watching you and criticizing your swing. They have their own games to deal with. But if you hold up play, the others will notice you - and not in a kindly manner. If you, as a poor player, lose your temper along with your golf balls, and shout and throw clubs and curse your luck, and plumb bob all your putts from both sides of the hole, the good players will be disgusted. So just keep the game moving in a good humor, and you will always be welcome." I think we can all still learn from this great teacher.

You are probably right about that.

Random partners in TV are often new to golf and don't know all the rules of the game. I love meeting new people on the course and sharing with them, but I hate slow play - frankly, it affects my game (not that it is all that great, mind you) It's frustrating to wait behind golfers who sit in their carts chit-chatting when the tee is empty and the fairway clear. Having said that - I also feel, that as an experienced golfer, I can help newbies to the game, so if I am playing with people who tend to delay the game, I will politely and in a friendly manner inform them about pace of play. We were all new to the game at some point in time.

Each scorecard has the time posted for reasonable pace of play. For a championship course it is general 4 hours or 4 hours 10 minutes, etc. Anything longer than that is unacceptable. To say you have the right to take longer because you're retired, or feel like socializing and don't want to hurry, is thoughtless to the people behind you that you are holding up. And while you're at it, please repair your ball marks. I see so many un-repaired ball marks marring the greens, it is ridiculous. We got behind 4 gents today and I didn't see them repair one ball mark.