I was on the local muni course with a walking cart by myself. It was late in the afternoon at not that crowded. An old guy in his 70s + and probably his late 40's son were ahead. They were incredibly slow. Slow to get back in the cart. The old guy had a half swing. They would hit a bad drive then a bad second shot. They would drop another ball and play the second shot again. They also took mulligans. I stopped at the soda machine and bathroom on the course around #8 and let them go.

I am amazed at how inconsiderate people can be. I had my cell phone and was ready to call the course and b**** to the rangemaster. Any suggestions? I was ready to start swinging to hit the ball on a par 3 as they were walking off.

If there were holes open ahead you could have skipped half a hole and jumped ahead of them.
Or, if there were holes open ahead you could have asked to play thrrough them.
* if they were as slow as you claim then you would have an opportunity to get close to them and ask to play through.

Well, that does sound pretty like a drag, but I will throw this out there: when you are playing solo...any pair or more in front of you can seem slow. And I mean more than just "seem". While you're waiting to shoot, every move they make can appear innapropriately slow.

But this past winter, two times in pretty quick succession, I was going crazy waiting behind threesomes, with me playing solo. I was cursing them out -- realizing of course that they should be slower with three than my one, but **really** feeling like they were dragging their feet and being waaaay slower than they needed to be, just watching them. Then they asked me to join them. I felt a little weird, since I'd just been cursing them behind their back, but I felt it'd be funner than waiting for them. To my great surprise, both times, once I joined them, their pace of play seemed completely normal, and I wasn't waiting for anyone in the group at any time. At all.

So now when I get that feeling when I'm solo...even if the folks in front look **rediculously** slow...I assume it's probably in my head, and start playing two or even three balls. After all, if I'm solo, it's strictly a practice round anyhow. If I'm in a hurry, and actually catch up with them at a tee, I may ask politely to play through.

As for mulligans: mulligans do not slow the pace of play, per se. They just artificially reduce a player's score. It is always an option, within the rules of golf, to declare any shot unplayable, and to shoot another. It just costs you a stroke. Right? How do you even know they were taking mulligans? Did you see their scorecard?

So then...I'm not saying you are wrong. They might have been unbearably and inappropriately slow. But if you, as a single, were the only player they were slowing down, they shouldn't necessarily feel pressure to alter their approach to the game -- they should simply let you play through. OTOH, if they are slowing up a half dozen groups behind them...that is another story.

its a father and son bonding.

why ruin their whole day.... they put a lot of time into it.

Tough situation for you. It is hard to skip ahead of a slow group when you are walking. They should have let you play through, and when they didn't, you might have pressed the issue.

IMO, late afternoon is when you want the beginners, juniors, older folks to play. It sucks when you get caught up in that though.

Thanks for the responses. I know what slow play is versus being incredibly inconsiderate. When they are hitting extra tee shots or dropping another ball to play after a bad second shot it is too much. They also would stand there watching their shot from the tee until after it landed and making comments about it. If I have people behind me I play my shot - one ball not tow - and move to the next shot.

I think playing more than one ball is wrong. If there is no one on the course then go ahead or let people play through. I backed off at the 8th hole where there is a bathroom and soda machine. There were two young fellows in a cart behind me and I let them play through. I just backed off and let the slow pair go. I think the slow pair left after the 9th hole. I was hoping the two youngsters would start breathing down their neck.

Don't underestimate the power of communication.

If you had just asked them, maybe they had been happy to let you through?

Btw, where do you live and play?

You'd be surprised. I was at my home course in a foursome. My buddy and I joined a 2 some in front of us some time during the round. We were all walking (it's a pretty tough walk too). Really not many people out there that day, with maybe 1 group per two holes if that. A twosome came driving up behind us on the 9th hole and asked to play through. They were totally polite. I had NO problem with that and said sure. Boy was the one guy we were with pissed off. I have no idea why. These guys were shooters. They hit and were out of our way in no more than 60 second, and long gone after that (in a cart). Why you would want a 2-some behind you for every shot that you're hitting for another 10 holes is beyond me.