How Long Should a Round of Golf Take

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

Our recent survey on the pace of play revealed some surprising results.

It was completed by 2,000 respondents which broke down as follows: 

• 96% Male
• 60/40 Club & Non Club Split
• Handicaps: <15 (36%), 15-20 (36%), 20+ (28%)
• Age: <45 (10%), 45-64 (48%), 65+ (42%)

Most used some form of trolley, just 9% of you carry your clubs.  

What is Your Ideal Time For a Round of Golf?

Unsurprisingly, 87% of you said that you would like a round to take less than four hours, although just 61% said that the last round they played fell within this timescale. We should point out that our survey questions were pretty loosely worded, so we don’t know if those times related to two-balls, three-balls, four-balls, social golf or competitive rounds. And it stands to reason that a competitive round of golf such as a monthly stroke play medal is going to take longer than a stableford competition. Other things also need to be taken into consideration, such as length of course, weather, etc.

On average, a tiny 2% of you said your ideal time for a round was more than four hours and 30 minutes. However, 5% said this was how long a midweek round took and weekend rounds could be considerably longer, with 16-18% stating that their last weekend round took longer than four hours and 30 minutes. Spare a thought for non club golfers where the weekend round was over four hours and 30 minutes for 25% of the respondents. I no longer play weekend golf because I simply cannot face medal rounds that routinely take five hours and more to complete.

Midweek rounds are considerably quicker, with 69% on average getting round in under four hours compared to just 37% making this time at the weekend - I would love to know what courses these play at.

An average of 40% of the over-45s said their ideal time for a round was under three hours and 30 minutes compared to 54% of the under 45s who would prefer to get round in under three hours and 30 minutes. And 17% of the under-45s would ideally like to get round in under three hours. Good luck with that!

Why Impacts The Pace of Play?

There are many factors that come into play when it comes to the time it takes to complete a round of golf.

It is a fact that younger golfers hit the ball further and that means that they have to wait longer before tee shots and second shots to reachable par fives.

It is also true that some golf course are not exactly user-friendly for visitors, with poor signage between holes meaning that they have to wander around aimlessly looking for the next tee.

If people want quicker golf, will etiquette suffer? It takes time to repair pitchmarks, look for golf balls and rake bunkers.  

What Golfers Think

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

Unsurprisingly, you had plenty to say on this subject, and it was also clear that many of you are content with pace of play.

Here are some of your views:

"As long as it takes. I'm there to relax and enjoy my time on the course."

"I am not too bothered about a four hour plus round, my home course (Wychwood Park) is a long course and a long walk as well. Four to four and a half hours is the norm there."

"I play golf to enjoy it, not to rush round and see how quickly I can get round. I do not play slowly, I allow faster players through. In our society we do not play provisional balls. If you lose a ball we spend a quick amount of time looking for it, if you can’t find it, drop it out, for one penalty shot. The fixation with the speed of golf seems to forget that a person with a low handicap will naturally spend more time on the fairway, hit a ball, walk up to it hit the ball again. They naturally play quicker. There are many many high handicappers and those playing on a course for the first time who find the attitudes of some golfers and particularly course marshalls intimidating. High handicappers will obviously hit their ball into the rough more often. The rules of golf penalises with two strokes for a lost ball so they will naturally spend time looking for it. To be surprised there are different paces of play when you have such different levels of ability is bizarre. I have had some terrible experiences playing on courses with marshals - all they talk about is the pace of play and not having a great time enjoying the sport and being in the countryside with your friends, it's all about keep moving, keep moving. They seem to forget we have actually paid to play on the course. The attitude of marshalls is often so poor, with words delivered with such bluntness and almost rudeness. For people who are new to golf they create a lot of stress. How are they supposed to react when they are constantly being told they are playing too slow and rush your shot? There are places we have played which we would never return to because of the attitude around running around the course as quick as you can. I think some periods of the day should be reserved for speed golf where there is a maximum time allowed on the course and then those people who delight in announcing how quickly they played can be delighted with the speed of their round and then after those times people can just enjoy playing the game."

Not everybody agrees though…

"Having to wait for slower players/groups destroys your rhythm. Also it makes keeping your muscles warm and supple  difficult."

"Slow play is killing my enthusiasm for the game."

"The gradually extending time it is taking to play a round of golf has me close to quitting the game. I recently walked in after 13 holes, having taken just under four and a half hours or 20 minutes a hole. The two groups causing the delay made no attempt to keep up with the groups in front and never looked back to see three groups of four-balls waiting on a teebox. Terrible behaviour and a reflection on a total lack of golf etiquette. When I walked past both groups, they all looked away and ignored me. I could have had more fun watching paint dry."

Not everybody is capable of playing quickly…

"I am quite slow because of two knee replacements and nerve problems in both legs, if someone is close behind and no one in front we let them through. I don't see why someone would complain about being slow when we've paid our money and going as quick as our age related problems allow."

Are there any solutions?

"We have set the pace of play at four hours and 10 minutes for our men's clubs tournaments. Four hours and 20 minutes is an acceptable pace."

"Course guides seem to show four hours as round time which slow players use as a defence or even a target."

So you can see that this is an issue that continues to divide the sport - and probably always will!

What The Data Says

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