pace of play

[ron hubert]

having played in this for over 25 years. The only complaint I have is the pace of play. How are we going to handle the new rules of pulling or not pulling the flag for putting. Also it would be nice if the pro
would help before we start telling every one to play ready golf . It would be nice if we can get a round in under 4:45 or less.
Ron Hubert

[Dale McMath]

I agree. The pace of play is my only complaint. Seems the flag in or flag out will be an individual choice. Cant see mandating it stay in or out if a player wants it the other way. I suspect it could be a slow down measure. I play with groups that some want it in and some want it out for all putts. I’m a get along kind of guy. Leave it in if it is already in, but putt with it out of that is what others want.

[Tommy Briggs]

If the players in your group are sensitive to what is going on, the flag should not slow down play at all. I prefer the flag out on putts inside of 20 feet. I will always ask someone who prefers the flag in if they want to finish before I pull the pin. If they choose not to proceed I will hand them the pin or hand it to another player who is finished so they can replace it and play moves along pretty quickly. Again it largely depends on the players in your group, if everyone is courteous it should be a non-issue.

Most players who prefer the pin in use the flag to stop the ball on hard hit or downhill putts, once you get inside a certain distance most players do not care if the pin is in or out.

[Rick Kimbrell]

Well, I am sure we will hear more than once that they expect us to play in 4 hours. And, as soon as that is said, you will hear a bunch of snickering. With 96+ players on the course, 2 groups starting on multiple holes…fat chance. Honestly, if we can finish in 5 hours or less…I will be a happy camper. As Dale McMath, who posted above, knows…we can play in less than 4 hours many times but not on a stacked golf course with people having to putt everything out.
I think the flagstick in, flagstick out can create a slow down because some people want it in on 2 foot putts. I prefer it out. One thing that can help…continuous putting. Remember, most of these greens are some form of Bermuda grass and dozens of folks have walked in your line before we even get there. Putt the ball out and move on. Most of all, don’t sit on your ass in the cart while others are playing their shot. BE READY!!! You get 40seconds to play your shot when it is your turn to play…Geez…that is a hell of a long time if you think about it.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 8 months ago by Rick Kimbrell.
• This reply was modified 3 years, 8 months ago by Rick Kimbrell.

[ron hubert]

most of the time the people I have played with will work together to keep things moving . But a reminder from the pro before we start can go a long way in helping the speed of the rounds.
round that ready golf is the norm I have played in under 5 hours . and yes it was at the world am .
ron

[Rick Kimbrell]

Generally speaking, Round 1 on Monday is the slowest. Everyone still has a chance of winning. You can’t win your flight on Day 1 but you can sure shoot yourself out of contention. So, I think people are more cautious, take extra amount of time(not always a good thing) and pay more attention to ever aspect of their game. Worst I have seen was 6hour 40minutes for a Monday round. Talk about miserable. More recently, right around 5 has been the norm. After Monday, it seems to speed up a bit. But, this all depends on where you are on the course and who is slow ahead of you. I find it amazing that some groups finish at least an hour ahead of the later groups coming in. Gotta wonder what went wrong out there and who was holding it up.
Now, if we have rain, standing water, CPO…all bets are off on how long it will take.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 8 months ago by Rick Kimbrell.

[Tracy Chapman]

When it comes to slow play, I think each golfer needs to be ready to go when they get to their ball. What I mean is if you cart partner is playing first and you can walk to your ball, grab some clubs and walk to it. Most times you should know by looking what club you need, and since everyone has rangefinders
now, take it, shoot the distance and when it is your time… go. I know I can guess within 3 clubs what I am going to need. Riding to each shot can make for a looonnng day, and waiting on those in the groups in front that do that, well you are looking at 5 plus hours

[Michael Linthicum]

This is my 1st World Am but I have Uncles that play almost every year and i have been warned about the slow play and 5-6 hr rounds. I recently played in a tournament that had around 120 players and wasnt a shotgun start and my 1st round was right at 6 hrs and mainly cause the group in front of us, a couple of the players wanted the flag in and the others wanted it out. It was frustrating having to sit and watch the flag go in and then be pulled over and over again. My thought is before this year it had to be out so everyone should be used to it being out. With that being said i understand with putts that are the length of the green and you wanna leave it in but after that 1st putt pull it. At my home course i asked the pro what his take on it was and he said that on average it doesnt speed up play at all

[Tommy Briggs]

I think some people are making a bigger deal out of the flag than is warranted.

Whoever is closest to the hole, should tend the flagstick: Put it in if someone wants it in, take it out AND HOLD IT if someone wants it out.

When it is that person’s turn to putt, he hands the flag to whoever has finished the hole and they tend the flag.

Absolutely zero time lost, it is only an issue if someone feels they are above tending the flag when they should. I regularly see people who hole the first putt and walk away and leave the flag on the ground. I was always taught: First in, tends the pin.

[Bob Newman]

Pace of play will always be an issue without knowledgeable people monitoring the course. You may see a ranger come by and ask you to speed up but I have never seen anyone ride with a group and even try to time them and you almost have to go to get some one from USGA to explain proper way to “time”. With 96 people on course and shotgun start, it is just about impossible to work out a useable time to par chart. I have asked for years to at least get the pro to continuously read de the course and monitor play but that will not happen. I’ve learned to live with it and accept it will be long rounds. And I definitely think the flag issue is a slow down and I will not continues putt, have missed too many short one doing uis.

[Dale Craig]

I used to really let slow play get to me, to where it affected my own play. I finally learned or maybe as I’ve gotten older figured out that there are way more things in life to worry about than how long it takes to play a round of golf (surviving cancer does that to you!). Don’t get me wrong I love to get a round in as quick as possible and the reason that my fun rounds on the weekends it is usually my usual friends and partners at my club and we will be among the first groups out and usually play in around 3 hours. This way we get to play and then have the rest of the day for the family or other things, but come tournaments, I know it will take however long it takes. It is not in my control to worry about the rest of the field and why it is taking so long. In fact I can’t help but laugh when I actually see how dumb some players can seem. I will never understand when I’m a hundred yards out and waiting to hit my wedge on to the green and watching some guy walking around a putt, looking at it from every angle, then plumb bobbing, approach the ball take 4 or 5 practice swings and then seem to freeze and when he finally putts the ball in and reaches down and it was a 1 foot putt. REALLY!!!!

As for the whole pin in /pin out thing. I’ve really found and my friends and I have now decided that it is actually faster for all of us and has yet to make a difference (meaning I have yet to see a putt deflected from going in) by leaving the pin in. So for us the consensus is to just leave the pin in. In fact I think I putt better with it in. I feel like my depth perception is better and break and distance are easier for me to read. If I get stuck playing with someone who insists on it out, I just go along and play with it out. No biggie, it’s how I’ve played for 45 years.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 8 months ago by Dale Craig.

[Bill Majercin]

Agree with others on pace of play. I don’t think any one thing will speed it up much. However I think few items will lessen round time.
1) On the Green closest to cup tend flag in or out for players. When someone puts out they tend flag.
2) Ready to play your next shot.
3) If your on long Par 4 or 5 and you hit your drive 220-240(which a lot of us higher handicap golfers do) Don’t wait till green clears to hit your next 260+ yard shot. Thinking your going to get there.
4) Stop stacking 2-groups on shotgun starts on Par 3’s

Just my thinking on speeding things up some.

[David Baker]

Many of your ideas for speeding up play are excellent. But how do you speed up golfers who are struggling or 4 somes who are struggling? I look at it this way. Yes I wouldn’t mind 4 hour rounds. But being on a golf course on a nice day with good people doesn’t bother me. I have learned that letting pace of play upset me only makes for a worse game and lost shots. I came to MB to play golf so being on a great course, or any course, makes for an enjoyable day. No matter what time I finish I’m going to lunch, back to where I’m staying for a shower or a lounging in the pool. Great day. There is nothing that we can do to make the round faster. Golfers are going to struggle and fall behind, especially with a loaded golf course. There is always have a few drinks to ease the frustration and get on with enjoying the day and the golf.

[Rick Kimbrell]

Well, as I said previously…the pro is going to tell us what we should finish in. Have only seen that happen a time or 2 and that was when we played in 3somes and not 4somes. Would love to see 4-1/2 hour round. 5hours…in WA, playing in a tournament, so be it. I have also found that Crown Royal helps keep the frustration of slow play down quite a bit. 🙂
David Baker’s post above is the right attitude to have. We are playing golf…just think of all the other crap we could be doing instead.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 7 months ago by Rick Kimbrell.

[Rick Murgittroyd]

I think, if it’s done correctly and the courses implement it, and I believe they will, that the out of bounds rule can really speed up play. If folks go up to drop where it went in, as opposed to heading back to the tee, where they should have hit a provisional any way, that it will speed up play.

Actually, if I ran the course, there would be no out of bounds if possible. Red stake everything and keep it moving. Everyone plays under the same rules so no one should be complaining.

RIck

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