Pace of play thought

[Josh Wurzberger]

I feel like I might ruffle some feathers here with this one!
To help pace of play I say we allow gimmie putts if all 4 guys agree. 99% of us do it at home anyways. Obviously if you have a 2-3ft putt with some significant break I’d say you have to putt it out, but if it’s pretty obvious you can make the putt 9 out of 10 times pick it up and move on. It sort of relates to the max 9 score.

[Andreas Mealey]

JOHN I’ve been playing in this tourney for close to 40 years and you wouldn’t believe the putts I’ve seen missed.

[Bruce Friend]

I’ve missed my share of short putts. It happens. But the point is protecting the field with legitimate scores and not just your foursome.

Having gimmes will never happen. Just come to grips with that fact. It isn’t the tap ins that cause slow play on the greens. It is those taking forever to read the green and then take forever making sure the line on their ball is aligned to a line they took forever to read. And that line is most likely wrong while they don’t have the skill to hit anything they aim at anyway.

[Bob Newman]

We play GOLF in this tournament. I have witnessed a player leave a 60’ birdie putt 2” short of hole and while not trying to stand on someone s line, knock it 2 ft pass the hole.

[Landis Courington]

Ready golf will speed up any round.

[Bob Newman]

Most groups I have played in over the years do play ready golf or some form of ready golf. With tee times, I have never had an issue with pace of play. Just keep in mind that having to post an actual score each hole takes a little longer. Don’t even think you will play in 31/2 hours.

[John Hess]

What is your all thoughts on threesomes vs foursomes in the attempt to speed up play. My calculations would call for an additional 4 tee times going from 3somes to 4somes an extra 32 minutes if tee times are 8 minutes.

[Bob Newman]

Threesomes are definitely faster than foresome. We did yhat during COVID. Actually played a round in4 hour 15 minute. Playing tournament golf is going to take longer. Holing everything out takes longer People playing tournament golf on courses players are not familiar with takes longer. Accept it, play ready golf, keep it in the FW as much as you can. Tee times are definitely faster and an overall better experience.

[Terry Cornelius]

Threesomes take less time if it’s not cart path only. That one player in a cart ends up walking more back and forth than if he had a cart partner.

[Charles Mines]

Maybe this is just me, but every year this thread shows up in some form. I don’t know about the rest of you all but I come to this to 1) play a competitive 4 rounds of golf 2) meet up with friends 3) enjoy a week at the beach. But #1 is the golf, so a 5 hour round is not a big deal because that’s the reason I come. And Yes, I prefer tee times as it’s not crowded on the range and putting green. If you are here to complain about the pace of play, don’t come here for the golf or just leave the course after 4 1/2 hours.

[Frank Pinto]

I am in agreement with Charles. I take this tournament seriously and even a 5 and a half hour round flies by quickly. There are few better places to be than on a beautiful golf course struggling to play one’s best. And…NO gimmies. I once saw a contestant backhand an 8 inch putt 20 feet past the cup out of frustration. That’s why you hole out all putts.
Winning is hard. It requires even temperament on every shot. Enjoy the challenge!

[Mark Hancock]

I think going to threesomes is a very good idea. I don’t think the Committee will go that way since it would tie up the courses for another hour and hamper revenue potential.

[Tom McCain]

Bob Newman, gonna disagree that tee times are a better experience. People come to play golf, not rush home or head off to work. It’s a vacation. Losing the shotgun diminishes the community aspect of this event and the long-term relationships that it creates. I can’t imagine what it would have been like had I not met my late friend Lou from Maine. I think about him every time I go to the beach, with or without the WA. Or the folks I know now that I may have never met, including my great friends that invite me down to stay with them throughout the year. You can’t replicate that with tee times.
Might as well save your $$ and keep your Saturday tee times at home. And yes, I did run skins, which I know you have an aversion to. And the players really enjoyed that aspect of the event also.

Hope you enjoy yourself. I will, for the last time.

[Bob Newman]

Tom, do not have a problem with you disagreeing with me whatsoever. That is what this forum is all about. I have stated all my reasons why I like tee times etc. Some of my most enjoyable days have been spent on a golf course watching Junior golfers playing Tournament Golf and those days are a minimum of 7 hours not including travel time. The golf courses requested the change and they have the control. The WA does a wonderful job with this tournament, but the times are changing. Sorry this is your last year. I stopped coming for a couple years but hope to stay at it for a few more.

[Rick Kimbrell]

Tom, I much much prefer shotgun start myself for same reasons as you. Not everyone goes out before each round and beats balls on range. Many of us hung out in the grill or just out in the carts shooting the breeze and reconnecting. I think more hung out after the round also when it was shotgun start. I too ran skins games usually when no one else would step up and do it and really enjoyed doing it. It could be a hassle but I always thought having the skins game gave some added incentive to many of us who had already shot ourselves completely out of competition. I remember the largest skin I ever won in MB was also a year I finished close to DFL in my flight of over 100 players. Yes, I know there are ways to do it with tee times but I guess I am just to dang old to want to deal with it now. I hope to make the WA this year and then when I turn 80 in 2027. That most probably will be it for me. See you in MB.

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