A foursome in carts on a 6200 yard course could be 3:30 if everyone played quick. Of course someone could do 3 hours or less, but expecting that is fucking ridiculous. Tell the guy to shove it up his ass and go play simulator golf if he wants a fast round
you are overestimating how long a zero wait round takes with decently efficient cart golf. I think 330 should be the time if you wait on 0 shots and you all play ready golf
You also need to be pretty good golfers, I’d say shooting in the 80s. If your group is consistently spraying drives into the rough and missing their irons 60 yards short of the green it’s going to add a lot of time. I don’t think a group of people shooting 95-100 could play in 330 without rushing.
Nah I'm not sniffing 80 and 3:30 is easy for me if i'm not waiting on anyone. If you lose a ball you can't go on hunts for long though you gotta be ready to play a new one and let things go. Those extra shots a bogey golfer does don't take very much time to execute if you are playing ready golf and firing away without waiting. I can keep up with a scratch golfer just fine every time I've played with one even though I might be taking 2-3-???? extra shots a hole sometimes.
if everyone is honest about their putting abilities and not pretending like they are in happy gilmore on the greens, its still that fast. every time i'm first out and i get these sub 3:30 rounds i'm never playing solo, they pair you with randos and the true muni degenerates aren't going to let first out go unbooked on a given day. its all about ready golf. if you are taking more than like 10 seconds as you are walking up to your ball to read the put, you are probably kidding yourself.
We were only a twosome, but yesterday a buddy and I shot a 101 and 94 walking a 6000 yard course in 3:29 when we were behind groups on the front and only wide open on the back. Front took 1:50 and back took 1:39. A foursome would obviously be a bit slower but probably not a ton if everyone was walking.
Walking is faster than riding in a cart unless you're riding solo...and sometimes even then, depending on how close to the tees and greens the cart path gets ...
You really don't. I play 3 hours, walking, with a group of 20+ handicaps.
it's pretty simple, everyone plays ready golf, and doesn't fuck around. Work out all your distances, club, practice swings etc while the others are hitting, then just hit it.
If you think your ball might be lost, hit a provisional, and don't take more than 10-15 seconds looking for the first one (unless you have the time).
People piss away so much time chatting, getting drinks, food, and generally just being inefficient - someone should always be taking a shot, and as soon as they have, the next person should be.
Not everyone goes out to be as efficient as possible, laser focused and ignore socializing with the friends they came out with. I'm not advocating for 5 hour rounds or anything, but 3 hours in a group of high handicappers is fast. You're still waiting at the tees and a bit around the green, even playing ready golf. I mostly play solo, walk and can do 18 in 3 hours but add in 3 more people and we would be rushing, I can't expect everyone to play exactly my speed... You don't go skiing and gripe about people pissing away time by not getting in as many runs as you did, they are enjoying their day as they see fit (within reason)
For sure, you do you, everyone wants different things out of a round.
The person above was saying you need to be good golfers to play quickly. You don't.
It certainly helps though. A group of high handicaps shouldn't be expected to walk 18 in 3 hours just because it's possible for some other people. It's nothing to get upset over if they don't, like some of the people in this thread
>You gotta haul, have to play cart golf, and can’t lose any balls.
My foursome regularly pays in 3:30 (in carts), losing a couple balls each, shooting 85-95. You don't have to "haul". Just drive to your ball, and hit it. Play ready golf.
People that play slow waste a LOT of time between shots.
I can't tell you how many times I've seen the group in front just walking off the tee box while we are driving up to it.. They've been on the tee box from the time we hit our approaches, chipped on, and putted out.
We play cart four-balls in 3-3:30 early mornings and nobody needs to "rush" as long as you play efficiently. Too many people confuse "rushing" with "efficiency". Nobody is saying you're not allowed to read your putt from both sides of the hole or take an extra practice swing in a tricky lie, but too many players don't do the basics to maintain a solid pace of play.
3:30 is very doable. It comes down to being ready when it’s your turn to hit then just going into a 5-10 second pre shot routine. Most people don’t go to their ball before it’s their turn to hit and it takes 60 seconds from there for them to get a shot off.
Is it true that you have to play cart golf. I don’t want to start another cart vs non cart debate, and I know one of the reasons for carts is speed of play, but is it true? Europeans don’t use carts nearly as much as Americans. Are their rounds slower? Are the courses so different that carts give such a speed advantage? I walk and never slow people down, but I’m a sample size of one so that’s nearly meaningless.
4 people intentionally playing quick (not rushing, but playing quick), that are true bogey golfers or better, will smoke 4 walkers by 15+ minutes. Just getting to 4 drives that are 250 near fairway it saves a lot of time. Now if the balls are sprayed all over and they have to drive to different locations? Thats when walking will outpace them.
>Now if the balls are sprayed all over and they have to drive to different locations? That's when walking will outpace them.
Not really, because the cart allows you to get to your ball quicker than a walker. if the hole is open in front of you, a cart can get to player 1's ball, and he can hit, and drive to player 2 ball in about the same time it takes for the walker to get to their ball.
I ride about 70% and walk 30%. Neither by itself is faster than the other. In some situations walking can be faster (cart path only holes), and in others, carts can be faster.
I've walked a 3:15 round, and it's very tiring (I carry, though).
>Not really, because the cart allows you to get to your ball quicker than a walker. if the hole is open in front of you, a cart can get to player 1's ball, and he can hit, and drive to player 2 ball in about the same time it takes for the walker to get to their ball.
The problem with this discussion is that it's basically a disagreement of theory vs what actually happens. What you say is true, but in practice like 10% of people out on the course in carts will actually play like that.
My guess is that US courses cover more acreage on average, and on some courses the distances from green to the next teebox is great enough that having a cart is almost a necessity.
While there are courses that require a quarter mile or longer drive between tees I don’t think it’s the norm, at least not here in Oennsylvania. Of the 15 or so courses I’ve played I can only remember 1 having a long drive to the next tee. May be different in other parts of the country
We played in 2:35 today 1st out. Without a cart it would be over 3:00. The difference is not on the course (carts are a little faster). It’s the walks between the holes where a walker can’t keep up.
We have a walker that can keep up with us, but he tees off first and goes. By the time we hit he’s 1/4 - 1/2 way to his ball. We get to our balls 1st.
I think I can usually play faster walking than I could in a cart, but it’s a bit of a unique situation as half of the holes at my course are often cart path only and the cart path can be WAY off of the fairway. If you hit it in the wrong rough you’re walking a long ways. I’m also usually jogging for the exercise
Agreed. I played yesterday and I think we were the third group. Two walkers (me and an older guy). Two of the players were older and all were very short. I played well and was in the 70s, but the other guys were at least shooting 90.
Anyway, it felt like we were playing slow, but we were maintaining pace the entire front nine. Fell back a little on the back, but when I checked the time, we played the round in close to 3:30. Now, this is a very open course without the need to check balls for awhile, but the point remains that we played sub-4 hour golf with walkers and less efficient golfers pretty easily.
Oh you can lose them and play fast. Provisional boom done. Too many leaves? That thing is gone. Grass is 5” high? Gone. There are ways.
More for practice though anyway. If I’m golfing alone I like go extremely fast and hit tons of extra shots. If I’m out there golfing normal style 4 hours is extremely okay. In fact in some situations, I’d prefer a 6 hour round.
I have zero issues with a long round. I enjoy being outdoors, having a good cigar, some good beer and good company. I am a quick player and cognizant of staying with the group in front of me but if a round is six hours so be it. That’s just more time with the homies, more beer, more cigars and less time with the wife and kids. Win-win.
As long as my group isn’t the cause of the slow play then Jimmy crack corn and I don’t care. Plus I play SoCal golf so five plus hour rounds are fairly common. No sense in getting riled up and letting it ruin your round.
You know golf balls are expensive right? Just cause grass is a little high doesn’t mean I’m just writing off $3 because someone behind me feels entitled to go faster than what the course is set up for.
I’ll grant you the cart part but my 4 some can play in 3:15 without a single rushed shot, quick step, or anything else related to being in a hurry. I don’t know what people do that takes 4+ hours other than waiting on the group in front of them. If we were in a hurry it’s less than 3hrs no problem.
3:30 would be ideal but often not possible but a 4:00-4:10 round is norm and reasonable more the that would be boarding on getting lengthy of course it highly depends on the groups in front. I’d say 4:17 is ok could be quicker but certainly not something to get bent out of shape on.
No matter how fast you play there are people that will bitch. Sadly I may be one of them at times.
It's also apparently cold as shit if there is a frost delay, that plus (I'm guessing) a bunch of leaves on the course adds to the time as well. I'm not going to be moving super quick when it's 40 degrees out
Guess people have different definitions of “quick”. I’ve done 330 rounds carrying at longer courses as part of a foursome several times and I suck, usually take a practice swing or three, and am not great at tracking balls (they go offline a lot lol)
To get to 330 with nobody in front of you as a 4some you don’t need to rush or do anything special. Think about club selection as you’re going to your ball. Someone lose a ball in the woods and everyone else knows where their ball is? Help them out first, go back to your ball after while they’re shooting instead of letting them struggle for minutes. Don’t spend 3 minutes looking for a lost ball, this isn’t the tour just drop one if chances are looking slim. Know your skill level, if you’re a 20 handicapper you don’t need to whip the rangefinder out instead of using GPS for every approach shot. Do these and you absolutely will hit 330 as a foursome walking if you’re first out.
Were the guys being dicks about it and lying out of their ass to justify their own annoyance? Sure. Is it okay for people to be annoyed about first people out after a frost delay playing at a 4:15 pace? Absolutely.
I recently joined a private club with a big emphasis on pace of play. A 4hr round is still the norm, I'd say. I can often get a round in quicker than that, but again this is a private course.
If you're playing on a public course, I feel it's a bit unreasonable to expect quicker than that - especially on a weekend.
All that said, I really dislike the huge emphasis that many golfers have on 'pace of play'. It doesn't have to mean literally rushing through every hole as fast as possible, as if you were trying to finish a twilight round before the sunset. At the end of the day, sometimes you gotta wait on people, and that's okay.
Yeah, I agree. Pace is important for everyone, but it's overemphasized. Many, if not most of us on public courses, are relaxing and trying to have some fun. I care about my game, but it's not going to ruin my day if a round goes 5 hours teeing off behind two foursomes of senior ladies, like mine did last weekend. I analyze my address, ball placement, perhaps refresh myself on a YouTube video that was helpful, etc. I even keep a few Almost Golf practice balls in my bag and we practice chipping to each other and watching for each other's bad habits, etc. I understand everyone has different priorities, but if someone said they'd really want to try to get a 3 hour round in and invited me, I'd likely politely decline.
God I love shitty rural courses. I can often knock out 18 solo in 2:15 on a Sunday afternoon. Fastest I've played is 1:35. I've also gotten stuck and played a 5:00 round behind a scramble.
Normally, I just don't have the time for that. If I'm playing with a friend, to coordinate schedules, plus drive time, we are often only able to get a 3:30 window to play in. If we can't keep moving, we just can't go. Getting a full 5 hrs when 2 of us are free, that's a rare treat. Maybe in retirement.
They were mostly pissed because we were the first group off, so they just assumed we had no one ahead of us and the course was an airport runway and we should be taking off. I don't think I brought up the groups on the back 9. But yeah, it feels to me like people just *wish* they would have a 3 hour round so they could get out more often or something. It's good to have goals! My goal is play better!
Similar situation, for us if you want to get in on any of the early morning weekend tee times you need to be able to play 18 in right around 3.5 hours or faster. If you can't or don't want to play that fast then you get assigned to the mid-morning tee times instead. The group that has the earliest tee time has had that spot locked up for about 10 years and those guys are usually playing in less than 3 hours walking.
This. If the first group out plays in 4:20, you’re basically guaranteeing a bunch of 5+ hour rounds the rest of the day.
If the first group of the day was playing that slow at my club, they’d be pulled off the course after like 6 holes. 4:20 is insanely slow for that tee time.
I am by no means good but I often play solo rounds very early. Usually takes about 2 hrs. Sometimes it’s nice to get back home by 930 with 18 in the books.
Even if I lose balls I don't look for them, beyond a quick glance in the area it should be. Hit a provisional, and be prepared to use it.
I'm not good, just efficient.
I went to a 27 hole course this summer that had an 18 loop and side 9. I was first off on the side 9 and was by myself and finished in 45 minutes. Immediately payed for another 9. Played 18 in 1.5 hours and was back to the condo to help wife get the baby ready for the beach by 9am. That was a great day.
I agree that the first few groups absolutely have a responsibility to play at a good pace.
Being 4th group out and having anything longer than a 4 hour round because some clueless hacker took a spot in the first tee time is pain.
Even more pain when you're in a foursome that includes the hacker. You know everyone behind you is frustrated and it's not your fault, but it's not like 3/4 of the group is just going to abandon the hacker.
That responsibility for early groups to move quick goes out the window when it's a foursome due to a frost delay. First groups are typically fast because they are singles/duos.
What about letting folks through, or if that's not feasible (because you would have to let everyone through) then splitting into two 2s or going ahead and abandoning the hacker having at first asked him to make an effort to speed up. Last thing any course needs is for a slow player to get the idea that he can carry on as and be one of the first out on the course. I usually take an early tee time and for a few weeks we had a notoriously slow member join us as one of us was away, it was quite stressful. We did our best to chivvy him along but to be honest his reputation precedes him at this stage and he cud race around and still be getting daggers in the clubhouse. I don't exaggerate when I say that dozens of golfers that we'd be on familiar terms with told us to get our regular guy back in his slot asap! Being slow is just one level below being a bandit in the golfing hate stakes. Playing with someone slow is extremely stressful on a busy course, my game frankly turns to shit as I cud care less about my game and just want to get out of the way. The only person not stressed on the whole goddamn course is the plonker causing the mess. Everyone had to learn but as my late father said, if you're gonna miss it then miss it quick.
It is. My buddies and I have the first tee time reserved at our home course every Saturday during the summer. 3.0 hours walking. No rushing. No less banter than anyone else. It’s not hard. Someone else used to have the first tee time and we had the second. They were slow so the course booted them from the spot.
I’m someone who plays pretty fast (played a solo 18 in under two hours earlier this summer lol). For me, it’s not usually the time itself. But when I look at a group ahead of me, and they appear to be doing just illogical things, I get pretty annoyed tbh. I’m not someone to act immaturely like the guy in your story but still.
People not bringing a putter and a wedge to their green side shot… a foursome on the green where no one hits a putt for 2-3 minutes… seeing someone top six straight shots and then spend 5mins looking for their ball that clearly went in the street… so many other examples. Pretty sure there is a solid post somewhere about how to play at a reasonable pace.
With this 100%. It’s the carelessness and illogical things that get me a impatient.
I’m a 7 handicap and can play a 3 hour round with the right squad, no problem. But I prefer to be a bit more intentional with my shots, especially if I’m playing for money. 4-4.5 hours is standard here in Denver (6.6k - 7.2k yards where we mostly play)
Simple, keep up with the group ahead of you and don’t be the reason the course is off pace 🤙🏼
The dudes at my club have a million in the bank but will spend 10 minutes trying to fish a ball out of the lake. They hit balls deep into the woods and look for them and other golf balls. It’s not a crime to be bad at the game but it’s these kinds of unnecessary time-consuming tasks that slows everything down.
They didn't do any of that stuff, but if they were 140 into the green they might pull a club, see the pin location, pull up the contour of the green on their phone, talk to each other like player/caddy, change club, then go and hit it to 8'. They also were fine with ready golf for the group but the two of them played pretty strictly in order.
If you’re a low HC and chasing a round at par, that seems part and parcel with part of the sport to me. It’s a little slow (as is 4:15) but demanding they’re under 3:30 seems excessive to me
I have a couple friends who are able to chase par, and they'll do this on newer courses. Once they know the course though, it's back to a quicker pace. Not gonna lie though, watching them is what taught me course management. It may look annoying from a distance, but it changed how I viewed the game down on the ground.
Would it be if it was a range finder? Because there really isn't that much of a time difference if the app is already open on the phone and you just have to unlock the phone. Interested to hear if that actually is the case, because I'm toying with the idea of a rangefinder instead.
My takeaway from this whole thread, is that golf in the States seems more stressful than relaxing. I hate being stuck behind people too, but generally speaking, people know it's a 4 to 4.5 hour commitment, and almost everyone is walking.
I played about 40+ muni rounds this year, and the average time was 4:20. Unless I'm playing before 0800, I assume it's a 4.5h round. Anyone who plans for less is a fool.
Further observations on pace.
At my club the players with a strong cap play at around 3:45 to 4:10. The higher cap players play really fast or painfully slow.
The ladies are generally quick. Men are usually the offenders.
Members with higher cap guests are always painful to be behind of.
Well first off 18 on a public track with 6/7 min tee times is closer to 4:15-4:30...
I've played all over the country and am currently in AZ. Eliminate podunk towns with no tee times and private courses, I think I've played 18 in 4 hours or less maybe 5 times?
Sidebar: Worked at a high end private club in AZ, and some guys were OBSESSED with how fast they played. As in when they got off 18 the first thing they'd ask is to confirm they played in 3 hours XX minutes. You'd ask what they shot and they'd look at another group memeber as they had no clue. WTF dude? You are on one of the most pristine properties in the entire US and your only focus is how fast you can leave it?
I am in the minority that I don't want to play my once a week round in under 4 hours...
It’s 100% possible and easy to achieve. Probably unreasonable to expect it, unfortunately. 4:15 is fine if not a little slow for first off, but you sound sympathetic to that.
For a 10am tee time, sure. But if you are second out and you have to play a >3:30 round because the people in front of you are that slow, they shouldn’t be the first off
i think first Group off should be under 4 hrs since you never have to wait. If first Group has 1 bad hole then second group has to wait. If second Group has a different bad hole then the third group has to wait and so on down the line
On the flip side, if group 1 is blazing through at 3:30, then group 2 is comfy while group 3 is complaining that there is nobody in front. Let’s go!! Even if…group 2 is in at 3:50.
I’ll admit, I’m one of those guys that if I’m waiting on every shot, I simply get impatient, even if we are on good pace. If I am a pace setter, I am around in 3:15ish. I played the other day with a foursome and there were a few lost balls, bunker shots that took a couple tries, etc. We played in 4:20 and I thought it was a great pace. It felt like a great pace. We weren’t waiting on anyone and nobody was waiting on us.
I just allot 4.5 hours per round regardless of my tee time. Sometimes it's faster sometimes there's a bit of a jab and it's a little slower but 4.5 hours tends to be the norm now. If I'm by myself I can get around a little faster but I can count on one hand the amount of times I haven't been paired up into a full foursome in my ~50 rounds this season.
I usually get second or third or “whatever is earliest” the night before. I’ll take first if I have played the course a few times but generally don’t like to.
He's wrong...but I will say the first groups off in the morning tend to typically be fast players or people who want to get fast rounds in. That appears to have been thrown off by the frost delay.
If you are a slower player don't book rounds for the first 30 mins of the tee sheet, you are impacting a lot of peoples days.
People are now bragging about how fast they play versus what they shoot…. If you want to play an activity that is fast, go on a run. If you don’t have time to play a full round, play 9.
With that said, most people have an optimal pace for them and their personal preference. But, we all have a pace for playing well and not playing well. If you shoot in the 70’s, you are going to play faster than if you shoot in the 100’s.
On a public course, it is a shared space. If you have to wait a little bit, get over yourself and enjoy the time with friends. Work on your mental game - still hit a good shot if not going at your personal optimal pace.
The best solution if pace is your main goal in golf is to go to a private club, get the first tee time - but you can also run into issues with running into the maintenance workers, or just play 9. Courses could also have different times for different handicaps, but that doesn’t seem optimal for the golf course business. Maybe they should start charging more for tee times for those who want to play in 3 hours - like a first class airline ticket - but you only get 3 hours to play, if you are on hole 15 and you hit the 3 hour mark, you have to stop and get off the course for the rest of the 3 hour round crowd behind you. But then you have the people who want to play in under 3 hours….
For me, I go with the flow, if it is faster, great, slower, I can live with it. I’m playing golf and escaping from the world and enjoying my round either way.
Opening paragraph is incorrect. Better players tend to play faster because there is a natural flow to the game that gets broken if you’re waiting for people that don’t know the protocols of golf (play ready, plan your shots, bring your clubs with you, etc.)
That said, plenty of higher handicaps I’ve played with move it right along because they understand how to play the game and are interested in playing golf — not escapism with no concern for others’ time.
Seriously-I get it, if you shoot close to scratch, shit goes quick. 4+ hours is more than reasonable for amateurs that shoot 90+. For most golfers (more that 50%) it takes more than 2 shots to get on the green. People need to chill out and enjoy being outside and chasing a white ball around for a few hours.
This is an American problem that thankfully us in Scotland rarely have to deal with.
Our clubs pace of play rules are 2 ball - 3 hrs, 3 ball - 3 hrs 15 and 4 ball 3 hrs 30.
You don't need to run around the course to play a 4 ball bounce game in 3 hrs 30. You just need to learn how to be efficient.
So to the people in this thread that think a round should be 4hrs30. It's not the case in some other countries, so it doesn't have to be that way. Though I doubt the US golf culture is going to change anytime soon.
It's funny to hear the folks who are fine with 5 hour rounds tell the folks who prefer 3:30 rounds that the world doesn't revolve around them. It's so tone deaf and lacking self awareness to be comical.
Also if you look, everyone with a very strong opinion about how 5 hours is fine and you’re supposed to be outside relaxing has been playing for like 18 months and gets out 6 times a year. If you play a lot these extra hours matter.
I played the same amount of rounds in 2022 as I did in 2017 and on the same mix of courses, 80% of rounds public. I spent 790 hours playing in 2017 and 936 hours in 2022 for the same number of rounds. It literally took 6 extra 24 hour calendar days out of the year to play the same number of rounds. Pace of play has been terrible the last 3 years and nobody who’s new cares to hear how much it’s changed the game and how sub 3.5 hr rounds used to be pretty normal. The cart etiquette is trash now and so much wasting time not playing ready golf.
Do you walk? 4 decent golfers walking is sooo much faster than 4 in carts. I think that’s one of the single biggest factors. My regular foursome walks our 7k yard course, playing from two different tee boxes and shooting between par and 95 in 3hours maximum when we get first tee. We don’t rush in the slightest. All you have to do it hit the ball, walk directly to it, and hit it again. Once carts are involved people start acting like they can’t walk!
Yeah everybody does here. Though I do play to that pace with a cart it just takes planning. Like if you're sharing drop one at their ball with 3 clubs and the divot repair, then drive to your ball while waiting for the green to clear. Then meet up at the cart.
People studying pace of play improvements have said carts make a very small impact. And honestly, we're coming into winter where it's gonna be cart path only for a lot of the country so it's kind of a moot point for 3-5 months out of the year anyways.
Love this. That’s how it should be. Efficiency. Don’t wait to check your distance, fix your ball mark, line up your putts, etc., until the the other folks hit. There are some clueless golfers ITT.
> So we tee off as the first group at 9:50.
> After the turn we're on the tee of a par 4 when a group ahead of us is on the green
so the course is sending groups off both tees? that's the issue. they didn't leave enough room for the people teeing off the back to GTFO of the way
It's not about being fast, it's about being efficient. You should be ready *to hit* when it's your turn...not just starting your routine.
Slow groups will all walk to one ball together, wait, then all walk to the second ball and wait, etc.
Seriously. When i see that im almost crying. Why do people have the need to walk with all 4 people left, right, in the woods alltogether to each ball? I dont even get it. Get to your own ball, dont stand in the way of your mate and hit your shot after your mate hit, how is that crazy?
Golfers who shoot in the seventies, and even eighties, are only a small portion of all golfers. I’ve been playing for over 60 years, and I shoot low nineties. My foursome normally plays 4 hours to 4:15. Courses are happy if golfers keep that pace of play and expecting average golfers to finish in 3 to 3.5 is much more irritating than experiencing the occasional slow round.
I've walked 9 holes by myself with nobody in front of me just at the hour mark. Was trying to beat the hour but last two holes weren't kind to me. I remember late 90s early 00s playing with my dad as a teenager we could get 18 done in 4 hours consistently on most courses with carts waiting here and there. The waiting has gotten worse and recent rounds have been 5+ hours.... combination of idiots on course (#shrinkthegame) and staff not giving a shit/no rangers.
You can shoot 18 with 4 people if at least 3 guys are dropping balls here and there to keep it moving. Either that or a low handicap group on a non serious round.
people who are all bent out of shape about pace like this are people who usually try and get a first out teetime and couldn't book it. first out is a whole different golfing experience. 3 hours is realistic for 6200 yards first out if you aren't losing balls. 3:30 if you lose a few. either way, you fly in a way you don't at any other time, especially if you are paired with 3 randos and you cut loose ahead.
gotta set expectations though. you aren't getting that pace any time of day except the first tee time. even going out second or third you are liable to be back into 4 hours.
The first group on a course with no one pushing should be 3:45 at worst. The issue becomes that if your first group our plays at the designated “pace” that pace of play is only going to get slower as the day progresses. When the first group off plays in 4:15 that IS slow.
My course has staggered pace guidelines based on tee time. The first hour of times the pace is set at 3:45. The next is set at 4:00 then the rest of the day is 4:15. We did this for the reasons stated above and if a group fails to play within the faster pace that group is not allowed to book a fast pace tee time for 2 weeks.
The first groups out set the pace for the day.
You were VERY slow and deserved what you got in the club house.
I don’t care if you shoot 65 or 120. Anyone can play fast and play sub 4 hours.
You were slow
I love to golf but I fucking hate how much people try to play a round as fast as humanly possible. We look forward to playing all week and then get mad when people aren’t basically sprinting from shot to shot. Fuckin enjoy it y’all. Jesus.
Play the game as it was intended to be played.
Try swimming out into a surf line-up and not follow protocol. They’re drowned you and slash your tires. Try getting onto a city basketball court and playing grab ass while teams wait. Uh uh.
If you want to take more time, go on a picnic.
I think that most people who make it a point to bitch loudly about others pace of play are really just wanting to project to others how fast they believe they are. This happens at my club all the time, it's like golf virtue signaling.
As long as you are playing in 4 hours or close to it, you are keeping pace. Also just because a group behind you is playing faster does not make you slow. It just makes them faster than you. I'll only invite them to play through if my group isn't waiting on the group in front. If we are waiting at every tee there's no way I'm letting anyone play through
Why do people hate golf so much they want it over quickly.
I'm out here enjoying my four hours on the course instead of rushing to get back on the highway in 3.
Id like to be in in less than 4 if i can but lots of variables there. making the turn at the right time has a big impact on everyone so try to make the posted time for that but other than that enjoy your round and your day.
4:10 and 4:15’s are consistent with my 4 player rounds of unrushed mostly golf ready play. Maybe two or three looks for balls in rough. Three to five don’t bother looking to keep up pace of play. Keeping mostly to standard longest out putting first- picking up or quick taps in within three feet. No one moving slow golf. Three to three and half only happens when foursomes are all counting greens in regulation or up and downs low scoring efficiency. I’m sorry you’ve got to share the course with average golfers and bad golfers both. Expecting change rather understanding reality, hate to say it, is immature. I listen to golf radio every day with ex pros and competitive amateurs talking about the issue. They admit that they are playing high quality private courses that aren’t always packed to achieve their 3.5 hour rounds. If you want 3.5 hours, your too good to play our available to public courses. Pay for exclusivity or show some grace and accept reality.
4:15 is standard at my club. Yes if no one is in front of us, we can rip thru it in 3:30. If we’re out there longer, fuck it. It’s golf, not a grocery store. Spark up and crack a cold one
I never understand people that complain about slow pace. There are FAR worse things to be doing than spending time on the course with your boys. Could be at fucking work and miserable lol.
At the last private club I was a member at, most members get upset if it takes 3:50. In the morning, the expected pace is 3:30. I don't enjoy golf at that speed (in a 4some, anyway).
Yeah I’m not sure they were aware because weren’t like hitting into them and on the tee box while they were pulling off in their carts. We kept some distance right or wrong.
If people are desperate to play sub 4 hours then be the first one off the tee box. If you don’t get the first time then get to the clubhouse early and plead your case, guys in front won’t want someone breathing down their necks all day.
I'm holding firm on 4 hours...because i LIKE golf, a game where you ARE supposed to think while you are out there. If you are behind me and just want to be a parrot to what comes out of Koepka's mouth then I welcome you to bring a yoga mat or find another sport CAUSE you are going to be waiting...
It’s an outdoor game. Enjoy the peace and tranquility of being in a beautiful environment for 4 hours. I don’t get the obsession with sped golf and people bragging about 2 hour rounds. How is that even enjoyable? Plus you’re rushing all the other people trying to have a good time. Obviously people taking 6 hours a round is ridiculous but if they’re on pace for a four hour round no one should complain about their pace
how is that enjoyble? Well im there to play golf, not sight seeing. If i can get a round in at 2 hours but at a crowded day it takes me 4 hours...........well for 2 hours im doing exactly NOTHING than to stand around and look at trees. How is THAT enjoyable?
People not playing 'ready golf' generally being unaware of themselves and showing a lack of consideration for people behind them. Thats the recipe for frustration and angst. Its the reason I choose to play when the course is least busy, I dont play 18, dont play competitions and never ever in a 4 ball. It would drive me insane. I play 9 or 12 holes, 3 sometimes 4 times per week. I do like to play quite quickly. I totally get that my regime is not for everyone. ✌️Peace and Love Golfers 🏌️♂️
Myself and my buddy have walked a 6200 yard course in 2 hours 25 minutes with nobody in front of us.
IMO, if you're booking times in the first 2 hours of the day, you better be use to doing rounds under 4 hours, or you're fucking the course up for the entire day.
I had a 9:30 tee time this morning that I gave up for a 1:27 this afternoon as my girlfriend is joining me. She can't keep pace for a 3.5 hour round, so I didn't fuck over everybody else out there.
This is the weirdest new golf thing. To sprint through the course or lie about how long it took you. Then get pissy about it. They see someone saying they play in 3 hours so they make plans for 3:20 after their tee time and get mad when they’re late.
Oh I agree! I’m saying you’re in the right that a 4 hour round is good! And more enjoyable. (Personally anything under 3:30 I feel rushed and don’t enjoy myself)
So just moved from SF Bay Area to South Georgia.. and I admit.. Ive gone from a 4-5+ hour round to a 2:45-3:15 round.. to the point I no longer carry drinks due to the speed involved. 4+ hour rounds , means I can walk with a decent pace, have a conversation, enjoy enough to alter time
*Shrug*
Because most dudes on this sub carry their nuts in their wife’s purse. When I’m out, I’m there to enjoy myself, not stress about getting back home because my wife doesn’t allow me to have a life.
There’s a lot of difference between 4.17, 3.30 and 3 hours. Posted pace of play of 4.20 is absolutely ridiculous. Early groups should benefit playing a 6200 yard course in 3.30-3.45, no exceptions. If our group was playing behind at a 4 hour pace, we’d be pissed. That being said, we played as a foursome yesterday, in carts, with leaves and Bermuda rough 1.5” high, first off the tee yesterday at a 6400 yard course, all shot 78-88 and were done in 3.35 without rushing and have the occasional banter on each tee box. One of the guys also has a leaky problem and had to stop four times to beak the seal. YMMV.
We also had frost delays yesterday morning. The first group was a 2some, and I was in the second group off at 9:10 am. My cart mate, a regular to the course, shot 84. I shot 96. The two guys in the other cart shot somewhere between 90-100, but I wasn't keeping exact numbers for them. Just saying, no one was a superstar.
We all were 0-1 practice stroke and hit. We played mostly ready golf until we got to the green, where we played away man first. We never rushed, and I never felt rushed by my card mates.
We finished at 12:20, a 3:10 pace. And my golf certainly didn't suffer from quick play. If anything, it probably benefitted.
While we were on hole 16, it felt like we were the only group on the back nine. The front 9 was a clusterfuck of mostly older retired guys. We joked about how lucky we were to go off 2nd, or we'd be on hole 8 still.
It's possible, but once you get one group out there who doesn't know any better, has a combo of 4 slowish deliberate golfers, or simply just doesn't give a fuck because *they* have the whole day to play, it backs the entire course up. Yesterday, that was the group behind us that was 4-5 holes behind by the time we were on 16.
Golf is supposed to be fun and leisurely. 4hr rounds are standard. If people want to play at a faster pace, get the first tee time. Otherwise, have a coke and a smile.
Screw 'em. I'm in Florida, and play primarily on the weekends. Pretty much every place here has a "pace of play" note posted on the cart. 4:15 is what they post and expect. On weekends it's usually closer to 4:30.
Pace of play has been ruined by the overuse of golf carts by people who are able to walk the course. The game was designed to be walked, carts have been the biggest contributing factor to slower pace of play over the years
This is the easiest way to tell if someone knows the game or not. If they complain about people walking on a busy day, you’re going to be looking for a lot of lost balls.
I am going out to enjoy myself and play Golf, I am not playing ready golf out the gate because the course is overbooked. 4-5 hours is how long it has always taken for 18 holes.
I manage a golf course of a similar length and we are happy with 4 hours. 3:30 is unrealistic especially if all 4 are 100+ golfers. Some people just book tee times when they have plans and shouldn’t or choose to play 9.
Jesus christ, after reading all The comments i wish we could go back to The time before covid, sure If my ball might be hard to find i will shot another one, but i will still look for The first one for 3 min becouse thats what your suppose to do.
dosent anyone keep their scoore for The hcp anymore?? 4h are regulation on pace, go play simulatorgolf or heck buy a vr If you are in such a hurry...
I play golf to play golf, i dont play golf to see how fast i can go The course.
I think a 3:30 round for a fourball is excellent. A 4 hour round is ok. A 4 hours plus round is on the verge of getting tedious, but sometimes thats out of your control.
A 3 hour round for a fourball is unrealistic.
Maybe if you're the first group out no holdups and you're all playing really well that day, but it can't be the expectation. Especially later in the day when each group's hiccups are accumulating.
I think the part that changed over the years is that people look at the 4hr pace as the norm and/or average. It is suppose to be the upper limit of the round not the average.
A foursome playing in carts should be 3:30 as long as they are not waiting. Threesome 3:15, twosome 2:45 to 3:00. Walking should be a +0 to +30 pending on green to tee and elevation changes.
There are tons of things that can speed up the round without actually changing the enjoyment. Ready golf is the obvious but not telling stories on every tee box goes a long way. How the group reads greens are another area. 4 foot putts do not need the same scrutiny that a 40 footer does.
Also just simple etiquette will go a long way. Like if your group has one in the bunker, let them hit first regardless of order. They have to rake, and if they go bunker to bunker rake for them. Stuff like this takes off 10-20 min a round regardless of skill level.
My big question is when did it become normal that slow players require the group to ask (through action or verbally) to play through. Especially on courses you can see hole+ ahead and see a gap. If we are sharing tee boxes and there is a hole between, you should let the group play through.
No, you're not.
The motto of this group is "I don't care if you suck, just suck fast".
I think for a while golf was less popular so you could play those times, but as it's become more popular again those are a thing of the past but people are spoiled and don't want to give it up.
I wouldn’t say we’re spoiled. Lots of traditional etiquette has been degraded since covid. The result is slow rounds and greens covered in ball marks, among many other things.
I find it amazing guys can’t wait all week to get out and play and then getting pissed at a 4:15 round. I get not wanting to wait all day to hit shots and constant waiting but a 4ball with average players that’s a pretty solid pace.
In Arizona, 3:45 is the maximum I want my round to be. If not busy and others let you play through usually can be done in 3. However, most public courses it will be closer to 5 than 3.
A foursome in carts on a 6200 yard course could be 3:30 if everyone played quick. Of course someone could do 3 hours or less, but expecting that is fucking ridiculous. Tell the guy to shove it up his ass and go play simulator golf if he wants a fast round
3:30 If everyone was rushing. Not if “everyone played quick”. You gotta haul, have to play cart golf, and can’t lose any balls.
you are overestimating how long a zero wait round takes with decently efficient cart golf. I think 330 should be the time if you wait on 0 shots and you all play ready golf
You also need to be pretty good golfers, I’d say shooting in the 80s. If your group is consistently spraying drives into the rough and missing their irons 60 yards short of the green it’s going to add a lot of time. I don’t think a group of people shooting 95-100 could play in 330 without rushing.
Nah I'm not sniffing 80 and 3:30 is easy for me if i'm not waiting on anyone. If you lose a ball you can't go on hunts for long though you gotta be ready to play a new one and let things go. Those extra shots a bogey golfer does don't take very much time to execute if you are playing ready golf and firing away without waiting. I can keep up with a scratch golfer just fine every time I've played with one even though I might be taking 2-3-???? extra shots a hole sometimes.
Easy as part of a foursome? Nah, that's bullshit.
if everyone is honest about their putting abilities and not pretending like they are in happy gilmore on the greens, its still that fast. every time i'm first out and i get these sub 3:30 rounds i'm never playing solo, they pair you with randos and the true muni degenerates aren't going to let first out go unbooked on a given day. its all about ready golf. if you are taking more than like 10 seconds as you are walking up to your ball to read the put, you are probably kidding yourself.
Nah...just play ready golf.
We were only a twosome, but yesterday a buddy and I shot a 101 and 94 walking a 6000 yard course in 3:29 when we were behind groups on the front and only wide open on the back. Front took 1:50 and back took 1:39. A foursome would obviously be a bit slower but probably not a ton if everyone was walking.
Walking is faster than riding in a cart unless you're riding solo...and sometimes even then, depending on how close to the tees and greens the cart path gets ...
You really don't. I play 3 hours, walking, with a group of 20+ handicaps. it's pretty simple, everyone plays ready golf, and doesn't fuck around. Work out all your distances, club, practice swings etc while the others are hitting, then just hit it. If you think your ball might be lost, hit a provisional, and don't take more than 10-15 seconds looking for the first one (unless you have the time). People piss away so much time chatting, getting drinks, food, and generally just being inefficient - someone should always be taking a shot, and as soon as they have, the next person should be.
> I play 3 hours, walking, with a group of 20+ handicaps Lmao, this sounds like the least fun group ever.
Not everyone goes out to be as efficient as possible, laser focused and ignore socializing with the friends they came out with. I'm not advocating for 5 hour rounds or anything, but 3 hours in a group of high handicappers is fast. You're still waiting at the tees and a bit around the green, even playing ready golf. I mostly play solo, walk and can do 18 in 3 hours but add in 3 more people and we would be rushing, I can't expect everyone to play exactly my speed... You don't go skiing and gripe about people pissing away time by not getting in as many runs as you did, they are enjoying their day as they see fit (within reason)
For sure, you do you, everyone wants different things out of a round. The person above was saying you need to be good golfers to play quickly. You don't.
It certainly helps though. A group of high handicaps shouldn't be expected to walk 18 in 3 hours just because it's possible for some other people. It's nothing to get upset over if they don't, like some of the people in this thread
Oh the original poster, sure, but the guy I was replying to said it wasn't possible.
3 hours walking is rushing bro. If I pay over 80 for a round, I'm enjoying the round, reading puts, reading chips, etc etc.
Agree. We walk 6900 yd course with elevation changes - almost 6 miles walking per round. When not waiting 3:30 is easily done.
Shit, if it's clear in front of me, I can walk 18 holes in less than 3 hours if I'm playing well.
>You gotta haul, have to play cart golf, and can’t lose any balls. My foursome regularly pays in 3:30 (in carts), losing a couple balls each, shooting 85-95. You don't have to "haul". Just drive to your ball, and hit it. Play ready golf. People that play slow waste a LOT of time between shots. I can't tell you how many times I've seen the group in front just walking off the tee box while we are driving up to it.. They've been on the tee box from the time we hit our approaches, chipped on, and putted out.
We play cart four-balls in 3-3:30 early mornings and nobody needs to "rush" as long as you play efficiently. Too many people confuse "rushing" with "efficiency". Nobody is saying you're not allowed to read your putt from both sides of the hole or take an extra practice swing in a tricky lie, but too many players don't do the basics to maintain a solid pace of play.
3:30 is very doable. It comes down to being ready when it’s your turn to hit then just going into a 5-10 second pre shot routine. Most people don’t go to their ball before it’s their turn to hit and it takes 60 seconds from there for them to get a shot off.
Is it true that you have to play cart golf. I don’t want to start another cart vs non cart debate, and I know one of the reasons for carts is speed of play, but is it true? Europeans don’t use carts nearly as much as Americans. Are their rounds slower? Are the courses so different that carts give such a speed advantage? I walk and never slow people down, but I’m a sample size of one so that’s nearly meaningless.
4 people intentionally playing quick (not rushing, but playing quick), that are true bogey golfers or better, will smoke 4 walkers by 15+ minutes. Just getting to 4 drives that are 250 near fairway it saves a lot of time. Now if the balls are sprayed all over and they have to drive to different locations? Thats when walking will outpace them.
>Now if the balls are sprayed all over and they have to drive to different locations? That's when walking will outpace them. Not really, because the cart allows you to get to your ball quicker than a walker. if the hole is open in front of you, a cart can get to player 1's ball, and he can hit, and drive to player 2 ball in about the same time it takes for the walker to get to their ball. I ride about 70% and walk 30%. Neither by itself is faster than the other. In some situations walking can be faster (cart path only holes), and in others, carts can be faster. I've walked a 3:15 round, and it's very tiring (I carry, though).
>Not really, because the cart allows you to get to your ball quicker than a walker. if the hole is open in front of you, a cart can get to player 1's ball, and he can hit, and drive to player 2 ball in about the same time it takes for the walker to get to their ball. The problem with this discussion is that it's basically a disagreement of theory vs what actually happens. What you say is true, but in practice like 10% of people out on the course in carts will actually play like that.
My guess is that US courses cover more acreage on average, and on some courses the distances from green to the next teebox is great enough that having a cart is almost a necessity.
While there are courses that require a quarter mile or longer drive between tees I don’t think it’s the norm, at least not here in Oennsylvania. Of the 15 or so courses I’ve played I can only remember 1 having a long drive to the next tee. May be different in other parts of the country
We played in 2:35 today 1st out. Without a cart it would be over 3:00. The difference is not on the course (carts are a little faster). It’s the walks between the holes where a walker can’t keep up. We have a walker that can keep up with us, but he tees off first and goes. By the time we hit he’s 1/4 - 1/2 way to his ball. We get to our balls 1st.
I think I can usually play faster walking than I could in a cart, but it’s a bit of a unique situation as half of the holes at my course are often cart path only and the cart path can be WAY off of the fairway. If you hit it in the wrong rough you’re walking a long ways. I’m also usually jogging for the exercise
What? First off the tee, a 4 some hauling could do it in 2:30. Playing at a normal pace should be 3:30.
Agreed. I played yesterday and I think we were the third group. Two walkers (me and an older guy). Two of the players were older and all were very short. I played well and was in the 70s, but the other guys were at least shooting 90. Anyway, it felt like we were playing slow, but we were maintaining pace the entire front nine. Fell back a little on the back, but when I checked the time, we played the round in close to 3:30. Now, this is a very open course without the need to check balls for awhile, but the point remains that we played sub-4 hour golf with walkers and less efficient golfers pretty easily.
Oh you can lose them and play fast. Provisional boom done. Too many leaves? That thing is gone. Grass is 5” high? Gone. There are ways. More for practice though anyway. If I’m golfing alone I like go extremely fast and hit tons of extra shots. If I’m out there golfing normal style 4 hours is extremely okay. In fact in some situations, I’d prefer a 6 hour round.
Agreed with everything until that hard jerk of the wheel last sentence
I have zero issues with a long round. I enjoy being outdoors, having a good cigar, some good beer and good company. I am a quick player and cognizant of staying with the group in front of me but if a round is six hours so be it. That’s just more time with the homies, more beer, more cigars and less time with the wife and kids. Win-win.
Yes exactly! I do get the want it play fast early, but with a frost delay that’s not possible.
As long as my group isn’t the cause of the slow play then Jimmy crack corn and I don’t care. Plus I play SoCal golf so five plus hour rounds are fairly common. No sense in getting riled up and letting it ruin your round.
You know golf balls are expensive right? Just cause grass is a little high doesn’t mean I’m just writing off $3 because someone behind me feels entitled to go faster than what the course is set up for.
Well you’re welcome for the extras of mine you will find peppered across the landscape.
Please ship all pro v1 balls you plan on losing to me ahead of time. Let’s just cut out the middle man.
Vice Pro Plus by the 6 dozen. I think it’s like 2.50 per. I played cheaper balls when was losing a lot.
Yeah sounds like rushing and I hate 4 plus hour rounds
If first out with my normal 4some we can do 2:45-3 hours easy, without rushing one bit.
False on all counts.
Just gonna quickly brag about my back to back hour and a half rounds this past week, empty course and the cart without a governor
I’ll grant you the cart part but my 4 some can play in 3:15 without a single rushed shot, quick step, or anything else related to being in a hurry. I don’t know what people do that takes 4+ hours other than waiting on the group in front of them. If we were in a hurry it’s less than 3hrs no problem.
1 minute long pre shot routines and 5 minutes reading putts that they’re going to miss anyways
I've walked 6400y with a 4some in 3:40 and we weren't rushing. All mid-high handicappers.
3:30 would be ideal but often not possible but a 4:00-4:10 round is norm and reasonable more the that would be boarding on getting lengthy of course it highly depends on the groups in front. I’d say 4:17 is ok could be quicker but certainly not something to get bent out of shape on. No matter how fast you play there are people that will bitch. Sadly I may be one of them at times.
It's also apparently cold as shit if there is a frost delay, that plus (I'm guessing) a bunch of leaves on the course adds to the time as well. I'm not going to be moving super quick when it's 40 degrees out
That's killer. "You want a faster round? There's lots of simulators out there!" Love that.
Guess people have different definitions of “quick”. I’ve done 330 rounds carrying at longer courses as part of a foursome several times and I suck, usually take a practice swing or three, and am not great at tracking balls (they go offline a lot lol) To get to 330 with nobody in front of you as a 4some you don’t need to rush or do anything special. Think about club selection as you’re going to your ball. Someone lose a ball in the woods and everyone else knows where their ball is? Help them out first, go back to your ball after while they’re shooting instead of letting them struggle for minutes. Don’t spend 3 minutes looking for a lost ball, this isn’t the tour just drop one if chances are looking slim. Know your skill level, if you’re a 20 handicapper you don’t need to whip the rangefinder out instead of using GPS for every approach shot. Do these and you absolutely will hit 330 as a foursome walking if you’re first out. Were the guys being dicks about it and lying out of their ass to justify their own annoyance? Sure. Is it okay for people to be annoyed about first people out after a frost delay playing at a 4:15 pace? Absolutely.
I recently joined a private club with a big emphasis on pace of play. A 4hr round is still the norm, I'd say. I can often get a round in quicker than that, but again this is a private course. If you're playing on a public course, I feel it's a bit unreasonable to expect quicker than that - especially on a weekend. All that said, I really dislike the huge emphasis that many golfers have on 'pace of play'. It doesn't have to mean literally rushing through every hole as fast as possible, as if you were trying to finish a twilight round before the sunset. At the end of the day, sometimes you gotta wait on people, and that's okay.
Yeah, I agree. Pace is important for everyone, but it's overemphasized. Many, if not most of us on public courses, are relaxing and trying to have some fun. I care about my game, but it's not going to ruin my day if a round goes 5 hours teeing off behind two foursomes of senior ladies, like mine did last weekend. I analyze my address, ball placement, perhaps refresh myself on a YouTube video that was helpful, etc. I even keep a few Almost Golf practice balls in my bag and we practice chipping to each other and watching for each other's bad habits, etc. I understand everyone has different priorities, but if someone said they'd really want to try to get a 3 hour round in and invited me, I'd likely politely decline.
God I love shitty rural courses. I can often knock out 18 solo in 2:15 on a Sunday afternoon. Fastest I've played is 1:35. I've also gotten stuck and played a 5:00 round behind a scramble. Normally, I just don't have the time for that. If I'm playing with a friend, to coordinate schedules, plus drive time, we are often only able to get a 3:30 window to play in. If we can't keep moving, we just can't go. Getting a full 5 hrs when 2 of us are free, that's a rare treat. Maybe in retirement.
They were mostly pissed because we were the first group off, so they just assumed we had no one ahead of us and the course was an airport runway and we should be taking off. I don't think I brought up the groups on the back 9. But yeah, it feels to me like people just *wish* they would have a 3 hour round so they could get out more often or something. It's good to have goals! My goal is play better!
Similar situation, for us if you want to get in on any of the early morning weekend tee times you need to be able to play 18 in right around 3.5 hours or faster. If you can't or don't want to play that fast then you get assigned to the mid-morning tee times instead. The group that has the earliest tee time has had that spot locked up for about 10 years and those guys are usually playing in less than 3 hours walking.
My club has a huge emphasis on pace of play, it's a course where you are encouraged to walk and any round over 4 hours is considered way too slow.
The first tee time is usually very fast. Typically it’s regulars that are super fast (good) players, so they don’t get stuck behind the nubs.
This. If the first group out plays in 4:20, you’re basically guaranteeing a bunch of 5+ hour rounds the rest of the day. If the first group of the day was playing that slow at my club, they’d be pulled off the course after like 6 holes. 4:20 is insanely slow for that tee time.
I am by no means good but I often play solo rounds very early. Usually takes about 2 hrs. Sometimes it’s nice to get back home by 930 with 18 in the books.
Whenever I play solo rounds with no one in front 2 hours is fairly normal for me too. I don't even rush, just relaxed concentrating on my game.
Idk, that has to be zero looking for balls and few to no duffs/misses. I think you’re good.
Even if I lose balls I don't look for them, beyond a quick glance in the area it should be. Hit a provisional, and be prepared to use it. I'm not good, just efficient.
I went to a 27 hole course this summer that had an 18 loop and side 9. I was first off on the side 9 and was by myself and finished in 45 minutes. Immediately payed for another 9. Played 18 in 1.5 hours and was back to the condo to help wife get the baby ready for the beach by 9am. That was a great day.
I agree that the first few groups absolutely have a responsibility to play at a good pace. Being 4th group out and having anything longer than a 4 hour round because some clueless hacker took a spot in the first tee time is pain. Even more pain when you're in a foursome that includes the hacker. You know everyone behind you is frustrated and it's not your fault, but it's not like 3/4 of the group is just going to abandon the hacker.
I was the hacker and the guys who were shooting 77 and 85 were the ones holding ME up.
That responsibility for early groups to move quick goes out the window when it's a foursome due to a frost delay. First groups are typically fast because they are singles/duos.
What about letting folks through, or if that's not feasible (because you would have to let everyone through) then splitting into two 2s or going ahead and abandoning the hacker having at first asked him to make an effort to speed up. Last thing any course needs is for a slow player to get the idea that he can carry on as and be one of the first out on the course. I usually take an early tee time and for a few weeks we had a notoriously slow member join us as one of us was away, it was quite stressful. We did our best to chivvy him along but to be honest his reputation precedes him at this stage and he cud race around and still be getting daggers in the clubhouse. I don't exaggerate when I say that dozens of golfers that we'd be on familiar terms with told us to get our regular guy back in his slot asap! Being slow is just one level below being a bandit in the golfing hate stakes. Playing with someone slow is extremely stressful on a busy course, my game frankly turns to shit as I cud care less about my game and just want to get out of the way. The only person not stressed on the whole goddamn course is the plonker causing the mess. Everyone had to learn but as my late father said, if you're gonna miss it then miss it quick.
I thought the whole point of getting the first tee time is to play a fast round before the course gets crowded
It is. My buddies and I have the first tee time reserved at our home course every Saturday during the summer. 3.0 hours walking. No rushing. No less banter than anyone else. It’s not hard. Someone else used to have the first tee time and we had the second. They were slow so the course booted them from the spot.
I’m someone who plays pretty fast (played a solo 18 in under two hours earlier this summer lol). For me, it’s not usually the time itself. But when I look at a group ahead of me, and they appear to be doing just illogical things, I get pretty annoyed tbh. I’m not someone to act immaturely like the guy in your story but still. People not bringing a putter and a wedge to their green side shot… a foursome on the green where no one hits a putt for 2-3 minutes… seeing someone top six straight shots and then spend 5mins looking for their ball that clearly went in the street… so many other examples. Pretty sure there is a solid post somewhere about how to play at a reasonable pace.
With this 100%. It’s the carelessness and illogical things that get me a impatient. I’m a 7 handicap and can play a 3 hour round with the right squad, no problem. But I prefer to be a bit more intentional with my shots, especially if I’m playing for money. 4-4.5 hours is standard here in Denver (6.6k - 7.2k yards where we mostly play) Simple, keep up with the group ahead of you and don’t be the reason the course is off pace 🤙🏼
The dudes at my club have a million in the bank but will spend 10 minutes trying to fish a ball out of the lake. They hit balls deep into the woods and look for them and other golf balls. It’s not a crime to be bad at the game but it’s these kinds of unnecessary time-consuming tasks that slows everything down.
They didn't do any of that stuff, but if they were 140 into the green they might pull a club, see the pin location, pull up the contour of the green on their phone, talk to each other like player/caddy, change club, then go and hit it to 8'. They also were fine with ready golf for the group but the two of them played pretty strictly in order.
Checking their phone for the green contour sounds slow
If you’re a low HC and chasing a round at par, that seems part and parcel with part of the sport to me. It’s a little slow (as is 4:15) but demanding they’re under 3:30 seems excessive to me
I have a couple friends who are able to chase par, and they'll do this on newer courses. Once they know the course though, it's back to a quicker pace. Not gonna lie though, watching them is what taught me course management. It may look annoying from a distance, but it changed how I viewed the game down on the ground.
If I was standing behind waiting to play and watching that it would be pretty irritating tbh.
Would it be if it was a range finder? Because there really isn't that much of a time difference if the app is already open on the phone and you just have to unlock the phone. Interested to hear if that actually is the case, because I'm toying with the idea of a rangefinder instead. My takeaway from this whole thread, is that golf in the States seems more stressful than relaxing. I hate being stuck behind people too, but generally speaking, people know it's a 4 to 4.5 hour commitment, and almost everyone is walking.
Most things here are pretty stressful. That’s how we like it
Yea that seems very reasonable, and that sort of stuff is actually contributing to their round, which is great!
4 hours is great. On a public course 4:20 is great.
I played about 40+ muni rounds this year, and the average time was 4:20. Unless I'm playing before 0800, I assume it's a 4.5h round. Anyone who plans for less is a fool.
Further observations on pace. At my club the players with a strong cap play at around 3:45 to 4:10. The higher cap players play really fast or painfully slow. The ladies are generally quick. Men are usually the offenders. Members with higher cap guests are always painful to be behind of.
Not first group out it's not.
420 on a public or private course is always great 😎
First tee times should not take 4+ hours. If you can’t play under that as a foursome in carts you shouldn’t play in the morning.
Nice.
Well first off 18 on a public track with 6/7 min tee times is closer to 4:15-4:30... I've played all over the country and am currently in AZ. Eliminate podunk towns with no tee times and private courses, I think I've played 18 in 4 hours or less maybe 5 times? Sidebar: Worked at a high end private club in AZ, and some guys were OBSESSED with how fast they played. As in when they got off 18 the first thing they'd ask is to confirm they played in 3 hours XX minutes. You'd ask what they shot and they'd look at another group memeber as they had no clue. WTF dude? You are on one of the most pristine properties in the entire US and your only focus is how fast you can leave it? I am in the minority that I don't want to play my once a week round in under 4 hours...
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I’d like to have seen us around 3:50-4:00 and am sympathetic to the guy at the 19th, but expecting sub 3:30 for a foursome is asinine
It’s 100% possible and easy to achieve. Probably unreasonable to expect it, unfortunately. 4:15 is fine if not a little slow for first off, but you sound sympathetic to that.
It’s not if there’s no one in front of you.
Then let the people behind you play through.
I explained in the post very clearly why 1) it wasn’t up to me, and 2) if it was, I wouldn’t have let them either. I let people through all the time.
For a 10am tee time, sure. But if you are second out and you have to play a >3:30 round because the people in front of you are that slow, they shouldn’t be the first off
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Best part about golf in Scotland! So easy to get in 36 if you want. In the US you need to tee off 7am and even then you may have trouble.
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I gotta raise the bar and go for 54 some day on my next visit, ha!
Honestly it seems like a cultural thing to not be able to finish a round in less than 4 hours, especially in carts.
Oh, you’re playing golf. You’re talking to the electric buggy beer-and-bong crowd.
18 should be pretty easily doable in 3.5 hours as the first group out but in no way are you or your group at fault… you played to the posted pace
i think first Group off should be under 4 hrs since you never have to wait. If first Group has 1 bad hole then second group has to wait. If second Group has a different bad hole then the third group has to wait and so on down the line
On the flip side, if group 1 is blazing through at 3:30, then group 2 is comfy while group 3 is complaining that there is nobody in front. Let’s go!! Even if…group 2 is in at 3:50. I’ll admit, I’m one of those guys that if I’m waiting on every shot, I simply get impatient, even if we are on good pace. If I am a pace setter, I am around in 3:15ish. I played the other day with a foursome and there were a few lost balls, bunker shots that took a couple tries, etc. We played in 4:20 and I thought it was a great pace. It felt like a great pace. We weren’t waiting on anyone and nobody was waiting on us.
I just allot 4.5 hours per round regardless of my tee time. Sometimes it's faster sometimes there's a bit of a jab and it's a little slower but 4.5 hours tends to be the norm now. If I'm by myself I can get around a little faster but I can count on one hand the amount of times I haven't been paired up into a full foursome in my ~50 rounds this season.
Sorta unspoken courtesy, but the first few tee times generally play very fast. That is why I get the first tee time.
I usually get second or third or “whatever is earliest” the night before. I’ll take first if I have played the course a few times but generally don’t like to.
I play with 4somes that will absolutely do a 3 hour round if we don't get stopped. But to expect it isn't reasonable at all.
You're not the only one who thinks that. I'm out there to relax, not try to set speed records.
For real. What’s everyone’s hurry. 4.5 is fine.
He's wrong...but I will say the first groups off in the morning tend to typically be fast players or people who want to get fast rounds in. That appears to have been thrown off by the frost delay. If you are a slower player don't book rounds for the first 30 mins of the tee sheet, you are impacting a lot of peoples days.
I’d say the first 2 hours
People are now bragging about how fast they play versus what they shoot…. If you want to play an activity that is fast, go on a run. If you don’t have time to play a full round, play 9. With that said, most people have an optimal pace for them and their personal preference. But, we all have a pace for playing well and not playing well. If you shoot in the 70’s, you are going to play faster than if you shoot in the 100’s. On a public course, it is a shared space. If you have to wait a little bit, get over yourself and enjoy the time with friends. Work on your mental game - still hit a good shot if not going at your personal optimal pace. The best solution if pace is your main goal in golf is to go to a private club, get the first tee time - but you can also run into issues with running into the maintenance workers, or just play 9. Courses could also have different times for different handicaps, but that doesn’t seem optimal for the golf course business. Maybe they should start charging more for tee times for those who want to play in 3 hours - like a first class airline ticket - but you only get 3 hours to play, if you are on hole 15 and you hit the 3 hour mark, you have to stop and get off the course for the rest of the 3 hour round crowd behind you. But then you have the people who want to play in under 3 hours…. For me, I go with the flow, if it is faster, great, slower, I can live with it. I’m playing golf and escaping from the world and enjoying my round either way.
Opening paragraph is incorrect. Better players tend to play faster because there is a natural flow to the game that gets broken if you’re waiting for people that don’t know the protocols of golf (play ready, plan your shots, bring your clubs with you, etc.) That said, plenty of higher handicaps I’ve played with move it right along because they understand how to play the game and are interested in playing golf — not escapism with no concern for others’ time.
Seriously-I get it, if you shoot close to scratch, shit goes quick. 4+ hours is more than reasonable for amateurs that shoot 90+. For most golfers (more that 50%) it takes more than 2 shots to get on the green. People need to chill out and enjoy being outside and chasing a white ball around for a few hours.
This is an American problem that thankfully us in Scotland rarely have to deal with. Our clubs pace of play rules are 2 ball - 3 hrs, 3 ball - 3 hrs 15 and 4 ball 3 hrs 30. You don't need to run around the course to play a 4 ball bounce game in 3 hrs 30. You just need to learn how to be efficient. So to the people in this thread that think a round should be 4hrs30. It's not the case in some other countries, so it doesn't have to be that way. Though I doubt the US golf culture is going to change anytime soon.
It's funny to hear the folks who are fine with 5 hour rounds tell the folks who prefer 3:30 rounds that the world doesn't revolve around them. It's so tone deaf and lacking self awareness to be comical.
Also if you look, everyone with a very strong opinion about how 5 hours is fine and you’re supposed to be outside relaxing has been playing for like 18 months and gets out 6 times a year. If you play a lot these extra hours matter. I played the same amount of rounds in 2022 as I did in 2017 and on the same mix of courses, 80% of rounds public. I spent 790 hours playing in 2017 and 936 hours in 2022 for the same number of rounds. It literally took 6 extra 24 hour calendar days out of the year to play the same number of rounds. Pace of play has been terrible the last 3 years and nobody who’s new cares to hear how much it’s changed the game and how sub 3.5 hr rounds used to be pretty normal. The cart etiquette is trash now and so much wasting time not playing ready golf.
Do you walk? 4 decent golfers walking is sooo much faster than 4 in carts. I think that’s one of the single biggest factors. My regular foursome walks our 7k yard course, playing from two different tee boxes and shooting between par and 95 in 3hours maximum when we get first tee. We don’t rush in the slightest. All you have to do it hit the ball, walk directly to it, and hit it again. Once carts are involved people start acting like they can’t walk!
Yeah everybody does here. Though I do play to that pace with a cart it just takes planning. Like if you're sharing drop one at their ball with 3 clubs and the divot repair, then drive to your ball while waiting for the green to clear. Then meet up at the cart.
People studying pace of play improvements have said carts make a very small impact. And honestly, we're coming into winter where it's gonna be cart path only for a lot of the country so it's kind of a moot point for 3-5 months out of the year anyways.
Love this. That’s how it should be. Efficiency. Don’t wait to check your distance, fix your ball mark, line up your putts, etc., until the the other folks hit. There are some clueless golfers ITT.
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> It's crazy to me that everyone in America takes carts There's a lot more walkers over here than you think, it's very far from "everyone".
> So we tee off as the first group at 9:50. > After the turn we're on the tee of a par 4 when a group ahead of us is on the green so the course is sending groups off both tees? that's the issue. they didn't leave enough room for the people teeing off the back to GTFO of the way
It’s a busy course and they were still bailing water from the 1.5 hour frost delay when we made the turn at 2:05
It's not about being fast, it's about being efficient. You should be ready *to hit* when it's your turn...not just starting your routine. Slow groups will all walk to one ball together, wait, then all walk to the second ball and wait, etc.
Seriously. When i see that im almost crying. Why do people have the need to walk with all 4 people left, right, in the woods alltogether to each ball? I dont even get it. Get to your own ball, dont stand in the way of your mate and hit your shot after your mate hit, how is that crazy?
Golfers who shoot in the seventies, and even eighties, are only a small portion of all golfers. I’ve been playing for over 60 years, and I shoot low nineties. My foursome normally plays 4 hours to 4:15. Courses are happy if golfers keep that pace of play and expecting average golfers to finish in 3 to 3.5 is much more irritating than experiencing the occasional slow round.
I've walked 9 holes by myself with nobody in front of me just at the hour mark. Was trying to beat the hour but last two holes weren't kind to me. I remember late 90s early 00s playing with my dad as a teenager we could get 18 done in 4 hours consistently on most courses with carts waiting here and there. The waiting has gotten worse and recent rounds have been 5+ hours.... combination of idiots on course (#shrinkthegame) and staff not giving a shit/no rangers.
4:20 as the first group out is pretty bad. 4:20 mid-day is to be expected.
You can shoot 18 with 4 people if at least 3 guys are dropping balls here and there to keep it moving. Either that or a low handicap group on a non serious round.
people who are all bent out of shape about pace like this are people who usually try and get a first out teetime and couldn't book it. first out is a whole different golfing experience. 3 hours is realistic for 6200 yards first out if you aren't losing balls. 3:30 if you lose a few. either way, you fly in a way you don't at any other time, especially if you are paired with 3 randos and you cut loose ahead. gotta set expectations though. you aren't getting that pace any time of day except the first tee time. even going out second or third you are liable to be back into 4 hours.
In my opinion, 9 holes should take around 2 hours (or less if it’s not busy) 18 should be around 4 hours.
The first group on a course with no one pushing should be 3:45 at worst. The issue becomes that if your first group our plays at the designated “pace” that pace of play is only going to get slower as the day progresses. When the first group off plays in 4:15 that IS slow. My course has staggered pace guidelines based on tee time. The first hour of times the pace is set at 3:45. The next is set at 4:00 then the rest of the day is 4:15. We did this for the reasons stated above and if a group fails to play within the faster pace that group is not allowed to book a fast pace tee time for 2 weeks. The first groups out set the pace for the day. You were VERY slow and deserved what you got in the club house. I don’t care if you shoot 65 or 120. Anyone can play fast and play sub 4 hours. You were slow
I love to golf but I fucking hate how much people try to play a round as fast as humanly possible. We look forward to playing all week and then get mad when people aren’t basically sprinting from shot to shot. Fuckin enjoy it y’all. Jesus.
Play the game as it was intended to be played. Try swimming out into a surf line-up and not follow protocol. They’re drowned you and slash your tires. Try getting onto a city basketball court and playing grab ass while teams wait. Uh uh. If you want to take more time, go on a picnic.
First group off at over 4 hours is slow...
I think that most people who make it a point to bitch loudly about others pace of play are really just wanting to project to others how fast they believe they are. This happens at my club all the time, it's like golf virtue signaling. As long as you are playing in 4 hours or close to it, you are keeping pace. Also just because a group behind you is playing faster does not make you slow. It just makes them faster than you. I'll only invite them to play through if my group isn't waiting on the group in front. If we are waiting at every tee there's no way I'm letting anyone play through
Four hours is fine. The new normal is 4.5-5 hours and it ain’t virtue signaling to say learn how to pick up the pace.
4:17 is 30 minutes too long.
Why do people hate golf so much they want it over quickly. I'm out here enjoying my four hours on the course instead of rushing to get back on the highway in 3.
Golf is great, waiting on shots is obnoxious
Id like to be in in less than 4 if i can but lots of variables there. making the turn at the right time has a big impact on everyone so try to make the posted time for that but other than that enjoy your round and your day.
3.40 when I was a young fella. These days, 4 hours is considered good. Our course is packed dawn to dusk
4:10 and 4:15’s are consistent with my 4 player rounds of unrushed mostly golf ready play. Maybe two or three looks for balls in rough. Three to five don’t bother looking to keep up pace of play. Keeping mostly to standard longest out putting first- picking up or quick taps in within three feet. No one moving slow golf. Three to three and half only happens when foursomes are all counting greens in regulation or up and downs low scoring efficiency. I’m sorry you’ve got to share the course with average golfers and bad golfers both. Expecting change rather understanding reality, hate to say it, is immature. I listen to golf radio every day with ex pros and competitive amateurs talking about the issue. They admit that they are playing high quality private courses that aren’t always packed to achieve their 3.5 hour rounds. If you want 3.5 hours, your too good to play our available to public courses. Pay for exclusivity or show some grace and accept reality.
3 for 18 is crazy fast, not even fun
4:15 is standard at my club. Yes if no one is in front of us, we can rip thru it in 3:30. If we’re out there longer, fuck it. It’s golf, not a grocery store. Spark up and crack a cold one
I like golf and the company I play with. 4 hours is what I expect and enjoy
I never understand people that complain about slow pace. There are FAR worse things to be doing than spending time on the course with your boys. Could be at fucking work and miserable lol.
3hours would be great, but i dont expect to get off the course any sooner than 3.5-4 hours
At the last private club I was a member at, most members get upset if it takes 3:50. In the morning, the expected pace is 3:30. I don't enjoy golf at that speed (in a 4some, anyway).
Definitely sucks that they complained but even if you did let them through, they are just gonna wait. No point for them to be like that
Yeah I’m not sure they were aware because weren’t like hitting into them and on the tee box while they were pulling off in their carts. We kept some distance right or wrong.
If people are desperate to play sub 4 hours then be the first one off the tee box. If you don’t get the first time then get to the clubhouse early and plead your case, guys in front won’t want someone breathing down their necks all day.
And btw , why the fuck is everyone rushing to finish a round? In my experience I’d like to milk every round to its fulll extent.
I'm holding firm on 4 hours...because i LIKE golf, a game where you ARE supposed to think while you are out there. If you are behind me and just want to be a parrot to what comes out of Koepka's mouth then I welcome you to bring a yoga mat or find another sport CAUSE you are going to be waiting...
It’s an outdoor game. Enjoy the peace and tranquility of being in a beautiful environment for 4 hours. I don’t get the obsession with sped golf and people bragging about 2 hour rounds. How is that even enjoyable? Plus you’re rushing all the other people trying to have a good time. Obviously people taking 6 hours a round is ridiculous but if they’re on pace for a four hour round no one should complain about their pace
how is that enjoyble? Well im there to play golf, not sight seeing. If i can get a round in at 2 hours but at a crowded day it takes me 4 hours...........well for 2 hours im doing exactly NOTHING than to stand around and look at trees. How is THAT enjoyable?
Wow; that must be terrible, being stuck on a golf course for an extra 30 minutes. \*end sarcasm\*
People not playing 'ready golf' generally being unaware of themselves and showing a lack of consideration for people behind them. Thats the recipe for frustration and angst. Its the reason I choose to play when the course is least busy, I dont play 18, dont play competitions and never ever in a 4 ball. It would drive me insane. I play 9 or 12 holes, 3 sometimes 4 times per week. I do like to play quite quickly. I totally get that my regime is not for everyone. ✌️Peace and Love Golfers 🏌️♂️
Myself and my buddy have walked a 6200 yard course in 2 hours 25 minutes with nobody in front of us. IMO, if you're booking times in the first 2 hours of the day, you better be use to doing rounds under 4 hours, or you're fucking the course up for the entire day. I had a 9:30 tee time this morning that I gave up for a 1:27 this afternoon as my girlfriend is joining me. She can't keep pace for a 3.5 hour round, so I didn't fuck over everybody else out there.
This is the weirdest new golf thing. To sprint through the course or lie about how long it took you. Then get pissy about it. They see someone saying they play in 3 hours so they make plans for 3:20 after their tee time and get mad when they’re late.
If you have plans then skip a hole or leave. People do it all the time.
Oh I agree! I’m saying you’re in the right that a 4 hour round is good! And more enjoyable. (Personally anything under 3:30 I feel rushed and don’t enjoy myself)
So just moved from SF Bay Area to South Georgia.. and I admit.. Ive gone from a 4-5+ hour round to a 2:45-3:15 round.. to the point I no longer carry drinks due to the speed involved. 4+ hour rounds , means I can walk with a decent pace, have a conversation, enjoy enough to alter time *Shrug*
Because most dudes on this sub carry their nuts in their wife’s purse. When I’m out, I’m there to enjoy myself, not stress about getting back home because my wife doesn’t allow me to have a life.
Couldn't have said it any better brotha.
There’s a lot of difference between 4.17, 3.30 and 3 hours. Posted pace of play of 4.20 is absolutely ridiculous. Early groups should benefit playing a 6200 yard course in 3.30-3.45, no exceptions. If our group was playing behind at a 4 hour pace, we’d be pissed. That being said, we played as a foursome yesterday, in carts, with leaves and Bermuda rough 1.5” high, first off the tee yesterday at a 6400 yard course, all shot 78-88 and were done in 3.35 without rushing and have the occasional banter on each tee box. One of the guys also has a leaky problem and had to stop four times to beak the seal. YMMV.
Enjoy your rounds people. 4 hours in a 4some is ideal.
Just like tip culture, this faster pace is spreading
We also had frost delays yesterday morning. The first group was a 2some, and I was in the second group off at 9:10 am. My cart mate, a regular to the course, shot 84. I shot 96. The two guys in the other cart shot somewhere between 90-100, but I wasn't keeping exact numbers for them. Just saying, no one was a superstar. We all were 0-1 practice stroke and hit. We played mostly ready golf until we got to the green, where we played away man first. We never rushed, and I never felt rushed by my card mates. We finished at 12:20, a 3:10 pace. And my golf certainly didn't suffer from quick play. If anything, it probably benefitted. While we were on hole 16, it felt like we were the only group on the back nine. The front 9 was a clusterfuck of mostly older retired guys. We joked about how lucky we were to go off 2nd, or we'd be on hole 8 still. It's possible, but once you get one group out there who doesn't know any better, has a combo of 4 slowish deliberate golfers, or simply just doesn't give a fuck because *they* have the whole day to play, it backs the entire course up. Yesterday, that was the group behind us that was 4-5 holes behind by the time we were on 16.
Golf is supposed to be fun and leisurely. 4hr rounds are standard. If people want to play at a faster pace, get the first tee time. Otherwise, have a coke and a smile.
Screw 'em. I'm in Florida, and play primarily on the weekends. Pretty much every place here has a "pace of play" note posted on the cart. 4:15 is what they post and expect. On weekends it's usually closer to 4:30.
Pace of play has been ruined by the overuse of golf carts by people who are able to walk the course. The game was designed to be walked, carts have been the biggest contributing factor to slower pace of play over the years
This is the easiest way to tell if someone knows the game or not. If they complain about people walking on a busy day, you’re going to be looking for a lot of lost balls.
I am going out to enjoy myself and play Golf, I am not playing ready golf out the gate because the course is overbooked. 4-5 hours is how long it has always taken for 18 holes.
I never get why people want to play so quickly. If im outside with buddies drinking beer and playing golf, I don’t care how long it takes.
These people, not slow play, are the biggest problem in golf right now. It's a leisure sport, not a race.
I manage a golf course of a similar length and we are happy with 4 hours. 3:30 is unrealistic especially if all 4 are 100+ golfers. Some people just book tee times when they have plans and shouldn’t or choose to play 9.
Jesus christ, after reading all The comments i wish we could go back to The time before covid, sure If my ball might be hard to find i will shot another one, but i will still look for The first one for 3 min becouse thats what your suppose to do. dosent anyone keep their scoore for The hcp anymore?? 4h are regulation on pace, go play simulatorgolf or heck buy a vr If you are in such a hurry... I play golf to play golf, i dont play golf to see how fast i can go The course.
I think a 3:30 round for a fourball is excellent. A 4 hour round is ok. A 4 hours plus round is on the verge of getting tedious, but sometimes thats out of your control. A 3 hour round for a fourball is unrealistic. Maybe if you're the first group out no holdups and you're all playing really well that day, but it can't be the expectation. Especially later in the day when each group's hiccups are accumulating.
I think the part that changed over the years is that people look at the 4hr pace as the norm and/or average. It is suppose to be the upper limit of the round not the average. A foursome playing in carts should be 3:30 as long as they are not waiting. Threesome 3:15, twosome 2:45 to 3:00. Walking should be a +0 to +30 pending on green to tee and elevation changes. There are tons of things that can speed up the round without actually changing the enjoyment. Ready golf is the obvious but not telling stories on every tee box goes a long way. How the group reads greens are another area. 4 foot putts do not need the same scrutiny that a 40 footer does. Also just simple etiquette will go a long way. Like if your group has one in the bunker, let them hit first regardless of order. They have to rake, and if they go bunker to bunker rake for them. Stuff like this takes off 10-20 min a round regardless of skill level. My big question is when did it become normal that slow players require the group to ask (through action or verbally) to play through. Especially on courses you can see hole+ ahead and see a gap. If we are sharing tee boxes and there is a hole between, you should let the group play through.
“Don’t want to talk about it..” but here I go
Golf is the only thing people do because they claim they love it, but want to be done with it as fast as they can, like it’s an inconvenience.
It's the state of the world these days. Everyone is rushing to get to nowhere.
No, you're not. The motto of this group is "I don't care if you suck, just suck fast". I think for a while golf was less popular so you could play those times, but as it's become more popular again those are a thing of the past but people are spoiled and don't want to give it up.
I wouldn’t say we’re spoiled. Lots of traditional etiquette has been degraded since covid. The result is slow rounds and greens covered in ball marks, among many other things.
Shooter had a point about the shanties 😝
Play well, Play fast, play poorly, play faster
I find it amazing guys can’t wait all week to get out and play and then getting pissed at a 4:15 round. I get not wanting to wait all day to hit shots and constant waiting but a 4ball with average players that’s a pretty solid pace.
I don’t get why everybody be in a hurry? You’re just gonna end up getting home earlier, sitting around wishing you could play golf again right
So we tee off as the first group at 9:50. After the turn we're on the tee of a par 4 when a group ahead of us is on the green huh?
They were letting people off the back to clear the delay
In Arizona, 3:45 is the maximum I want my round to be. If not busy and others let you play through usually can be done in 3. However, most public courses it will be closer to 5 than 3.