Appreciate Comments

Hi Wayne

Appreciate your comments about the Football shirted Duffer.

Fortunately have never ever taken 5 hrs. Our regular 4 has taken at most 4:15min even when letting others thro. which they always seem to appreciate, they then get a move on leaving us a clear course ahead. We have just got to consider others instead of ourselves all the time. I find this works very well. Maybe its just our northern good manners.

cheers have a good game

john 

John, whilst calling people through is commendable, my experience tells me that this does in effect back up the course even further because of the time it can take.

You might think your 4 hours fifteen minutes is fast enough for your fourball, but have you realised that this time equates to an average of 14 minutes per hole and it does not need much working out to realise that with clubs having starting times of 6/8 minutes apart that things are going to get messy and as well mannered as you are in the North does not make this scenario right.

When I first started playing this game, the pro who taught said I should measure my maximum pace of play as a four ball as follows: -

10 mins for a par 3, 15 mins for a par 4, 20 mins for a par 5

That equates to a 4.5 hour round and is not a million miles away for a busy course. 

Also John, 14 minutes per hole with a tee time every 6/8 minutes is not too bad because generally speaking there are two groups on each hole

Some years ago we did an experiment at a 9hole Muni in Leeds.

The first Tee was run with a Ball Shoot, groups having played nine slotted in alternately. It had been worked out that this method should keep things moving, but it didn't work. The reason was that at the start of the day groups reached the 10th Tee one after each other so backed up. This lead to rounds of 6hrs.

The first experiment was to introduce Starting Times and have spaces for 10th Tee starts from the beginning, but groups didn't play at a set pace and again we had a 10th Tee back up. We even made sure that each group only started at their Set Time and even changed the space between them.

What we did notice was the wait all groups had between the 9th and 10th and with several par 4's being reachable we worked out that a target time of 2hrs for 9holes was normal. Then allowing 30-45min for waiting, we gave the course an optimum time of 4hrs 45min.

We set the 1st Tee Times at 8min and didn't let groups off before their time and kept the Round Times under 5hrs. That was very good for a popular 9hole Muni at that time.

TheLyth

Chris, the golf world that you live in is far removed from the golf that I was brought up with. 4.5 hours  for a round is pretty disgraceful.

 or those oldies who just walk up to their ball and just hit it without any thought.

I am one of those, Colin, but I can assure you that the thinking about the shot has taken place long before I get out of the buggy.

Basically until all golfers learn to walk briskly to their ball without undue delay, we are always going to have slow play.

Correct.

I think that the problem of slow play will always be evident on municipal courses or courses that are 'corporate' led but I think it is less so on private courses as the members have the same level of courtesy / etiqutte for everyone.

Colin, I play with long hitters like yourself and of course they have to wait before they can go most of the time. This is why I am always first on the tee to play. I also have to endure the waiting when they decide that they can reach the green from the tee, although I have yet to see it actually happen.

As regards to the three hour rounds, that was the time that it used to take for a decent fourball, now of course things have changed dramatically and I have to sit and suffer, like everyone else through 4 and five hour rounds.

I never force my way through anyone, even though I am obviously quicker with a buggy, but given a clear course then it would only take 2 hours to complete 18 holes.

At the moment I would say that I am playing over my handicap, in fact I seem to get worse every time I play, but in between the rubbish, I do, on occasion produce shots that are the equal of the best in the world and it is this that keeps me playing.

My strengths are my course management skills coupled to a fairly decent short game. I am not that good off the tee however and that is what is keeping my handicap where it is currently.

I may be an old duffer but I do not act like one in any way, shape or form and that is why I have no problem getting a game with all the better players at my club and on Golfshake.

I thought it was the money you keep taking off me that kept you coming back, Dave.

Nice day yesterday though, glad you could make it.