Etiquette for Slow Play

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By dp

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  1. dp

    dp

    I'm sure this has come up many times...but I'm new to the site and love to hear from the crew.

    I'm sure most of you have all experienced it...going up to every tee box and having stand or sit in your cart for 10 min waiting for the group ahead of you to stop goofing around and keep up with the pace of play. Then you end up on the fairway only to find them fishing for a dozen balls out of the woods or pond or running back and forth across the green and you end up waiting another 10 min to clear our out of the way. So, you get to a point where you ask to play through and you do, only to met with the same scenario 2 holes down with another group. What's the etiquette for addressing slow play during a round? My golf group of 3 or 4 can get through a round in under 4 hours, and if its just my wife and I, we can get through a round in under 3.5 hours. Our handicaps range from 5-15 and we are seasoned golfers. Can't do the 5 hour rounds...more than that, disrupting the pace of play is extremely annoying and makes playing a round miserable.

    How do you address these things in an effective manner...any suggestions?

  2. drtaylorwright

    drtaylorwright
    Draper, UT

    I love this question/comment. I've had some great and not so great moments. I've found most golfers are great about seeing people waiting behind them and actually suggesting they play through without having to ask. Then there's the scenario my brother and I had a few weeks ago. We play pretty quick, we don't hurry but we just don't watch or wait for each other to hit (honestly everyone should do this). Well we made the turn and ran into a foursome, looked like a dad with some older sons. We waited for a while for them to putt in on the 10th and thought they'd let us play through. Well we got to the T box and they were hitting and then I asked if we could play through.. .they all made comments and acted all put out and even said " you're not going to play faster, there's a couple on the next T box"... which wasn't true. So we played through anyway and watched them act like children who couldn't have their way. I thought about it afterwards and thought I was glad I asked to play through so we could enjoy our round and if they felt it ruined their round then that's their own choice. I can see if it's all backed up maybe not have someone play through but when there's no one ahead of you... come on man (note to foursome who played Fox Hollow in Utah two weeks ago:O )
  3. Bob T

    Bob T
    East Otis, MA

    Call the club house pro and make him aware of the situation and he will look into it is one of the easiest ways!!
  4. No'l

    No'l
    Palmdale, CA

    dp, sometimes you will find a course that are just slow and that's difficult to deal with no matter what. What I've found my self doing to avoid slow play was to move up my tee time earlier, and then even earlier when I find the same speed.

    Many years back, I used to play in the city, and more times than not, it's a 'hit then wait' unless you were first off the #1 tee. But I find that most suburban courses are more open and more in tune with a good pace of play.

    Also check out some of the private courses near you if you're not a member already. Most, if not all private courses are very much in accordance with etiquettes and then some, but it's great.

    Hope you find your good pace.
  5. DV

    DV

    DP,

    If the course in question is not enforcing pace of play then there is not much you can do. I myself have stopped playing golf on weekends and holidays. I can play a 18 hole round of golf in 2 1/2 hours with friends if we go out first tee in AM. Many times I have been on public golf courses in the past where the round would last 6 hours because of lack of enforcement. If you have to play on these days then try to get the very first tee time of the day if possible. This, in my opinion, is the only solution. Too many golf courses just don't care to be honest with you.

    DV
  6. Dave N

    Dave N
    Dade City, FL

    I call the pro shop and let them deal with it. You might have to play with some of them in the future, so you want to keep cool heads.
  7. Todd T

    Todd T
    San Diego, CA

    Military
    Call Marshall
    Call pro shop
    Ask them to play through
    Skip them and just miss a hole
    Light a stogie and sip a fine craft beer
    Sit back and enjoy yr company
  8. greg p

    greg p
    Chicago 'burbs, IL

    Cell phone call to the clubhouse may work. If they care, they will send somebody out to monitor play. However, it seems like a lot of courses are afraid of ruffling feathers of paying customers and POSSIBLY losing the revenue. What they fail to realize is that it ticks off everyone behind them, they develop a reputation as a slow play facility, and that is a SURE way of decreasing revenue.
  9. Matthew B.

    Matthew B.
    Ada, MI

    Unfortunately, there isn't an effective way to address this directly. Slow golfers that won't let others play through aren't going to change their ways when approached directly by other golfers.

    If this occurs often at a course you frequent, address it with management such as the head pro. They might then increase use of on-course rangers to manage pace of play.

    Alternatively, most private clubs don't seem to have nearly the amount of pace of play problems that public courses have. YMMV.
  10. Chuck Z

    Chuck Z
    Mt Pleasant, SC

    Military
    Speak to the ranger/marshal or if there is not monitor on the course, call the pro shop for assistance. Most public courses have a slow play policy and recommend foursomes play in 4.25 to 4.50 hours. We play in the mornings and most all groups play under the 4.25 hours. We play a fivesome (which our course allows) in our morning men's group and can play in 3.5 hours. We play ready golf, which a lot of golfer's do not understand. Afternoons at public course seem to be the worse. I play in area senior tournaments and the normal can be 5+ hours and that requires getting into a different zone. I try to relax, enjoy the beauty of the courses I am playing and not worry when I play tournaments, because it definitely is a big change from the norm for me. Cheers, Chuck......
  11. LWilliams

    LWilliams
    Wiltshire uk

    Shotgun. I was playing in a medal today and I actually gave up after 9 holes because the group two holes in front of us took 3 hours to do 9 holes. On our home course. The club house even sent a buggy out to tell them to hurry up. But if anything this made them slower
  12. DHall

    DHall
    Arizona

    The sooner you say something the better. Play through as fast as you can. Whether you run into another group or not is then irrelevant because you be asking them to play through as soon as you catch them also.

    My group generally keeps an eye out behind us to see if we have a single or double coming up on us. We'll happily let them play on.

    This said, a nice drive up their back is always a good attention getter :) j/k be safe.
  13. Matthew S

    Matthew S
    Reynoldsburg,

    I think asking to play through is the best way. You could try different tee times. I rarely see a ranger come out and move people along. I've been fortunate enough that I've been waived to play through without having to ask. My last time out it was so backed up on the back 9 that I went back on played the front 9 again since it was later in the evening. My favorite is when there is slow play by guys teeing off from the blues when they should be teeing off from the forward tees.
  14. Greg D

    Greg D
    Oklahoma City, OK

    Had a 4 1/2 hour round today. Very frustrating. The problem was not just the group in front of us though. It was backed up for a number of groups. Playing through wouldn't help. The group behind us quit after 9. It was brutal. Here's to hoping people can learn to keep up pace of play.
  15. Don O

    Don O
    Madison, WI

    You didn't mention if this was a municipal or public course. If there is no oversight for pace of lay/course marshals, you can try earlier in the day or other courses. All my local public and municipal courses have leagues tied up at least Monday through Thursday evenings. I had the option to join a local club that I can pretty much get on anytime and the majority of members are all about pace of play. I can get in under 3:20 on my own walking.
  16. Keith M

    Keith M
    Acworth, GA

    That's brutal and we've all encountered it. One thing that has helped me it to avoid the situation in the first place, since often you can't count on the marshals to enforce the pace of play.

    I haven't played a weekend round in probably 6 months. I started taking my son for 9 holes at least once a week about then and been doing it since. Tee off about 5:30-ish, we can get in 9 in under 2 hours, grab some dinner, and call it a night. For what it's worth, I go to work insanely early and leave about 4pm, specifically so I can do this and participate more with my boys' extra-curricular activities.

    I generally confine my full rounds now to when I take a day off from work, or when I happen to be on vacation so I can go during the week when it's less crowded.
  17. Dino J

    Dino J
    Burnaby, BC

    Hi DP, ... I understand the frustrations that you are encountering. However, after reading your passage and describing your experience, it almost seems to me rather a result of the place that you play rather than just slow play overall.

    Please don't misunderstand me, but it really seems that the course(s) that you are playing do not/does not do a very good job of "policing" the pace of play, whether it be through a "Player's Assistant" or a "Marshall", etc.

    I suspect that this is a big part of the reason why people seek out private or semi-private clubs to play. I would suggest that you have a polite word with the head pro or the administrative manager of the course to make them aware of their situation on their course.

    While we occasionally run into slow play, it is not that frequent, as most players get "taught" the importance of pace of play, basic etiquette, etc. that is part of the game, Unfortunately, many of these courses are public courses and rely upon green fees to sustain the operation. That means appealing to a broader and wider audience of players.

    If you decide to say something to the slow group, perhaps a kind and encouraging word or two about the matter, etc. would probably go a long way to helping the group or player(s) become more self aware of their action.

    After all, I keep reminding myself that we need new golfers to come to the courses and spend their money and take up the game so that we can remain financially viable for the future -- and that to me is a responsibility that all golfers share.
  18. Matt H

    Matt H
    Jackson, MI

    Typical golf outings generally bring out the "partier" in people. Spending more time buying shots from the nice looking beer girl and lighting up cigars rather than playing "ready" golf...I'm pretty sure we've all been there.

    With that said...it typically depends on the situation. If I am not trying to plow through an outing, I will first approach the group and politely request to play through (which sounds like your approach as well). If I run into another group 20 minutes later with the same scenario, I will call the club house and ask for some "persuasive" assistance...i.e. the ranger. I do not mind the party round but if I have to also pack supper to get me through 18 holes...my patience will be very similar to yours.

    Matt
  19. Rick D

    Rick D
    Weston, WI

    Slow play sucks, but isn't just found at public courses. We've got a few too many slowpokes at the private course I belong to. We have two men's leagues. 18 goes off at noon. 9 hole goes off at 5. Two weeks ago my partner blew his stack at the group in front of us. He was out of line for his approach, but tired of being the last group in for dinner. Last week my group waited and waited. Walking in, it was so dark I could barely read my pencil marks to add up scores.

    Whether public, or private, asking a slow group to pick up the pace never goes over well. I've heard the bitches later "I paid my money. The hell with that guy". That from a group just coming off 6 tee, and the next group in front of them is on 9 tee! Let's face it, the people who are notoriously slow are that way because they're too self centered to realize they've got the entire course stacked up behind them. Unless the course cares enough to have a martial out, unfortunately it's something we have to try to accept and up to those of us behind pokey to ask them to pick up the pace.

  20. Carl T

    Carl T
    Little Rock, AR

    If the situation is a packed course then it is what it is. If there is not a group holding the group up front ask if you can play through. If they refuse call the pro shop and have them come out. If that does not work just go around them, skip a hole and write down an equitable score for your handicap and move on. This is why I joined a private club. Does not happen as much as a muni but it does occasionally happen. At a private club you can lodge a complaint with the head pro and or the greens committee. At a muni you are dealing with city hall.
  21. Darron K

    Darron K
    Fate, TX

    Some things I find make it easier. 1) Make earlier tee times. 2) Call the Pro Shop and make them aware of the situation (usually the Marshall will say something but nothing really gets done). 3) Ask to play through. 4) Skip a hole. 5) Walk the course 6) Walk the course at a more casual pace 7) Hit up to them 8) Curse at them 9) Just start a brawl 10) Pull a knife and shank a fool

    Ok, so the last five things I don't recommend but if you've been watching the news, been on social media or other golf sites...you've probably heard about them recently.

    I find the problem is a combination of things. Courses make 6-8 minute tee times which is a problem for the average golfer. I can finish a round solo in about 2 hours. Add 3 more people it's about 3 hours. The average golfer can't complete a round that fast because of the following. The don't play it forward. If they do or do not play it forward they search for their ball for days. They have so many swing thoughts it takes them three minutes to hit the ball. They have a pre-shot routine that is worse than a golf instruction infomercial and longer. They have no consideration for others playing in their group.

    Just my thoughts.
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