Thread: Pace of play
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Fourputt · 10-13-2007, 08:21 PM

I looked at your poll, but I can't really participate because it is a bit too simplistic. It doesn't even come close to addressing the real reasons for slow play. The 4 choices that you offer are just the bare minimum. The biggest reason for slow play is simply that players make no attempt to play any faster. They often are completely unaware that they are even playing slowly, and wouldn't know how to go about picking up the pace if you asked them to. It is a problem with all experience levels and with all types of courses.

While a tight course with a lot of hazards can definitely take longer to play than a wide open course where you rarely lose a ball, that difference can be minimized by players knowing the rules without having to ask or look up a procedure, and by simply being ready to play when it's their turn. It's people standing around wasting time when they should be getting ready to hit that causes 95% of slow play. You hit your ball into a hazard??? Don't stand there trying to see it on the bottom of the pond... drop a ball at the right place under the rules and hit your shot. You hit a ball into the woods?? Play a provisional, take a quick look for your ball (the rules allow 5 minutes to search, but they don't require that you take that long), then go finish the hole with the provisional. On the green, don't stand around until it's your turn to read your putt, read it while the others are doing the same thing... then when it's your turn, give it one more quick look and address the ball and hit it.

Maintaining a reasonable pace of play is a frame of mind, and it can be learned, but it has little to do with handicap or experience level. It has mostly to do with simply keeping your mind on the game and being prepared to play when it's time to play.

10-13-2007, 08:21 PM	#2 (permalink)
Fourputt Wedge Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Littleton, CO Posts: 444 Credits: 30,507.35	I looked at your poll, but I can't really participate because it is a bit too simplistic. It doesn't even come close to addressing the real reasons for slow play. The 4 choices that you offer are just the bare minimum. The biggest reason for slow play is simply that players make no attempt to play any faster. They often are completely unaware that they are even playing slowly, and wouldn't know how to go about picking up the pace if you asked them to. It is a problem with all experience levels and with all types of courses. While a tight course with a lot of hazards can definitely take longer to play than a wide open course where you rarely lose a ball, that difference can be minimized by players knowing the rules without having to ask or look up a procedure, and by simply being ready to play when it's their turn. It's people standing around wasting time when they should be getting ready to hit that causes 95% of slow play. You hit your ball into a hazard??? Don't stand there trying to see it on the bottom of the pond... drop a ball at the right place under the rules and hit your shot. You hit a ball into the woods?? Play a provisional, take a quick look for your ball (the rules allow 5 minutes to search, but they don't require that you take that long), then go finish the hole with the provisional. On the green, don't stand around until it's your turn to read your putt, read it while the others are doing the same thing... then when it's your turn, give it one more quick look and address the ball and hit it. Maintaining a reasonable pace of play is a frame of mind, and it can be learned, but it has little to do with handicap or experience level. It has mostly to do with simply keeping your mind on the game and being prepared to play when it's time to play. __________________ Rick Driver - Mizuno MX-560 9.5° 3W - Mizuno F-60 15° 4W - Mizuno F-60 16.5° 22° & 25° TM Rescue hybrid 6I thru PW King Cobra 3400I/XH Gap Wedge52° Callaway X Tour SW - Cleveland CG11 56° High Wedge - 58° Callaway X Tour Putter - Golfsmith Enterprise USGA Index 11.1 Last edited by Fourputt : 10-13-2007 at 08:24 PM.

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Thread: Pace of play
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