Tee Times

[Tommy Briggs]

The reason I remember my time at Caledonia is we had to drive to Daytona Beach for another tournament the next day. We teed off at 9:12, finished, turned in our cards, ate lunch and was on the road at 2:20, so just under five hours. The difference between 5 hours and 5:15 is one group, again someone was asleep at the wheel and not managing the groups.

I still think tee times are faster than a shotgun, but it is all about the marshals. Whether you use tee times or a shotgun if no-one is managing the course, 5 – 5.5 rounds or worse will happen. The challenge is how do you pull a group off the course in the WA? I have seen it happen at tournaments I play in elsewhere but I cannot see the WA doing it. I still think tee times are faster than a shotgun

[Dan MESSNER]

I played in 2020 and absolutely loved the tee times, I also ran the skins game and really didn’t have any issues with this with some modifications of prepay for the week on day one, and notification to the players the payouts would happen the next day at a certain time and as always and someone helping me. I brought a new player in from Hawaii and we were able to play two afternoon rounds that week where is years past was able to get a shower if Lucky and make the 19th hole. This year I have eight of us that are coming in from Hawaii and I understand the rental car issue but will make it work as we can enjoy the town other golf courses if desired because of the pace of play being decreased because of the tee times. So needless to say I am supporter of tee times but that being said no matter how we play I am anxiously waiting for the registration to open and to begin the real countdown.

[William Aleshire Jr.]

The issues with Social distancing at Q-School was due to how the courses staged the carts. From what I had seen most/all participants were masked (Sometimes incorrectly but yet had a mask covering their mouth only..) until they started playing.

For pace of play. As any golfer should know by now. Anytime it is raining or simply cart path only expect for a 5+ hour round and hope for less. With the conditions I do not believe it would have mattered if it was tee times or a shotgun start. Rangers out on the course might also have helped a bit.

Personally, With playing last years “WA” and this years Q-School; I do like having tee times for being able to put/chip and hit a few. My first year at the “WA” was during shotgun starts and it was crazy trying to find room to putt chip or even hit the range.

Side note: I would like if possible to at least have the players reordered on the last day of the event so everyone is playing along with the person(s) who they are ranked against. .

Just my 2-3 cents…

[Bruce Friend]

Not addressing you directly Tommy as I believe your comments and respect them greatly. I would not say anyone dropped the ball or make any other accusation without experiencing a similar situation. I have no doubt there were some foursomes in all the groups that played faster than what I and several others I spoke to experienced. Doesn’t make anything or anybody nefarious but rather it was a different experience. I will say out of the 3 days of qschool, only once which was day 1 at Pine Lakes where a Marshall said something to our group. And a guy in my foursome basically told him to STFU as we were on hole 7 after 2 hours already waiting in the fairway for the green to clear and hole 8 is a par 3 with a group on the green and one on the tee box. The course was obviously stacked up all day and it wasn’t due to anyone “playing slow” or “dropping the ball”. You can’t have players pick up in a tournament. I felt the courses did their best as well as WAM staff and it wouldn’t have been any better if it was a shotgun.

I will say with my experience in qschool and the different players playing at different tees, this lead to some waits. The Super Seniors playing a far shorter course had holes that were very reachable from the tee on some Par 4’s and reachable in 2 on some par 5’s, especially at Colonial National. The natural slowness of having different tees in a foursome led to natural slowness which isn’t an issue at WAM.

My last comment on the subject. I would like to think WAM staff takes all perspectives into consideration when making decisions and I greatly appreciate the surveys they ask to have filled out. They are attempting to do the right thing knowing they can’t please everyone. If individuals don’t like how it is set up, explain your reasons to WAM and stay home.

[Tommy Briggs]

Bruce great point on the different tees, that can definitely slow things down as you described.

As I said I don’t think the WA can do much about slow play, they are simply not going to pull a group off the course, but that does not mean the course should not be managed and slower groups asked to pick up the pace. Many times a slow group does not know they are playing slow once the group in front of them is out of view.

[Tom McGeehan]

Mixed emotions about tee times. This will be my 33rd year. Never used tee times in past. I enjoyed seeing all my friends in my flight each year. Not likely with tee times. Less crowds on range and putting greens a positive. Skins games negative. At 76, just glad to be there with a 6.1 index. No way I will win my flight, but I bet the group I am with each day will be great!

[James Carter]

Hi Tom. We actually played three times last year, and I got to see my buddies from years past. If people are riding to the course together, they Do not necessarily have the same teatime. Definitely better in regards to space on the range and putting green. I think you will have a nice appreciation for it this year.

[Maci Wilson]

I loved Tee times! I play a lot of competitive golf where I live in Florida with the FSGA and the shotgun starts are awful. The practice range and putting green are always over crowded and sometimes I haven’t been able to hit warm ups. I hate shotgun starts.

[William Morrison]

I am hoping that they stick with individual carts, tee times, and threesomes. Please no more 6 hour rounds and slow play.

[Mike Sigmon]

Hey William, I to did like it last year with everyone having their own cart and the threesomes did for sure speed things up but don’t look for that this year…I think I seen someplace in a earlier post that Scott had already said it will be 2 people to a cart this year and 4’somes 🙁 but maybe I am wrong…

[Mike Cheeseman]

Hey Mike you are correct it is two to a cart and foursomes. I sent a email to the WA with that exact question and the answer came back exactly what you said.

[Glenn Foster]

It’s all about the $$$ boys! They had to lease so many extra carts to accommodate the individual cart rule, the profit wasn’t there with the 19th hole being cancelled last year as well.
These vendors pay to get their product/booth at CC as well. This is a tournament that makes money, not a non-profit.
I personally loved the individual cart thing because of people from hot-spot infection areas could be in your cart. They could/will be again this year because it sounds inevitable, even with the immunizations & protocols. They don’t exhibit symptomology yet, but touch the same steering wheel, windshield, handles, cart bag cover ( if drizzling), your cup/can by mistake in holder, towels…that is where we can and should distance! We spend 6,000+ yards in the same cart & most of the 5+ hrs. is in the cart. I actually thought the Committee would require us, last year, to play with the same grouping days 1-3 to have a better control over possible spreading; just in case and without CC.
I’m not saying treat everyone as infectious, but we should be thinking that way with thousands of folks coming into this event, and the Convention Center?

[Donnie Penney]

Just play ready golf. Walk to your ball while the other rider is at theirs. Get your measurements while they are hitting. It works.

[Glenn Foster]

Donnie, great point; but falls on deaf ears in tournament play. A slow player can play with anybody, but a fast player will loose rhythm and get frustrated at slow players. That is a given & you can’t “make” anyone play ready golf and rarely are both cart mates close enough to really protect the field by observing others in the group.
I’ve been in the Am for a long time & can truly say I’ve never thought someone was shady on the course, seen some great breaks, but don’t think they created them maliciously. That being said, it is part of the responsibility of each other to ” protect the field” while round is underway. Ready golf is great, but you still aren’t playing through anyone, and aren’t playing any faster than the slowest player in front of you or in your group! 5 and 6 to 6 1/2 hr rounds in blistering heat is no fun; 100%. Everyone play as quickly as possible would be great.

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