Are you that golfer that sees a 5some on the course 3 pr 4 holes ahead, for whatever reason was allowed. You call the pro shop and complain, even though the group was good enough to keep up with group in front of them.

No I am not that golfer. But one time the starter let a group of 6 started in front of me, must have been his friends. I still didn't complain, but obviously they were holding people up. By the 8th hole they thought better and called it a day. My group got onto the 9th tee and was greeted by the marshall complaining that we were 20-30 minutes behind. Needless to say I ripped him a new one. We didn't see the marshall for the rest of the round.

If they're keeping up with the pace of play and there isn't a gap ahead of them, I don't care if they're playing a tensome.

Ill never call or anything but I just b**** amongst my friends until I can fire away!

No, as long as they're keeping up...what's to complain about?

I don't have a problem if they're keeping pace.

tuesday thru thursday at my course is fine by me. i'm not a complainer on the course when it comes to small issues (if you let me play though) hahaha. if they keep pace and dont piss off other golfers then i really don't mind

Like everybody else says, if they keep up np problem. I've seen twosomes that couldn't keep up with the foursome ahead of them.

I don't care how many people are in a group as long as they keep up.

How did you find out it was me??? LOL, as long as they keep up the pace who cares.

i usually try to take one of them out

As long as they keep pace, no problem. The issue is that virtually no 5-some can keep pace. It is a struggle for many 4-somes, so a 5 some just isn't going to do it often. At one time my home course "discouraged" 5-somes, but in practice there was frequently a hold up with a bunch of groups waiting on some sloth-like 5 some.

a group of 5 who can keep up - fine
a group of 2 who cant keep up- SO DANG IRRITATING...!!!!


(just a quick side note, we were playing this past summer and the local muni was packed as usual, so pretty much every group had a wait, however there was a group that was lagging behind, how you can lag behind when you pretty much have to wait on every shot is beyond me, but anyways, we noticed that one of the guys in the group was the reason they were so slow... the guy honestly got up to his ball and would prepare to hit his ball for 30+ seconds.. and i dont mean his whole pre-shot rountine..I am only talking about when he was addressed over his ball... 30 + secs.. and yes we counted... EVERY shot..drive, Iron, putt.. the group behind him must of called the marshall or the club, because after about the 14th hole, things picked up and we didnt see those guys again...

+2. No harm, no foul.

Yup I think the norm is if they are keeping pace then who cares, I know I have been in them, and i have been in larger groups, mind you the larger groups are usually late on a slow night, and it's usually The Club Pro, some select members, and myself (VP of the Course) so even if someone was behind us and was feeling like they were being held up not sure who they can complain too, LOL. But ya keep pace and let singles or doubles play through, if triples are catching you, you shouldn't be out there.

the people you'd complain to, are likely the people who let the 5-some on the course

anyone else see an issue there?

I have played a in a group of 6 and played in 3:45 without a gap thank you very much.
that being said I was behind a group of 5 today slow slow sloooooooow.

Don't know where you play but 5 somes are the norm for us on weekends.
And seeing how most of them us can play a nice relaxed round in under 4 hours, I don't see the problem.

Granted that could be the difference between public and private courses.

Our target time is a 4h round MAX. Any group that is longer than that sure gets grief in the locker room. But at the public courses around here target times are 4:35....even at 7:00am!

If you take more than 4 hours with a 7am tee-time, you ARE SLOW.

As for the question, as long as pace is being kept.....I could care less.

I once played with 3 Chinese clients and a fellow employee of my company who acted as an interpreter. We had planned on two foursomes, but 3 of my American colleagues bailed on me. The clients really wanted to play so we had no choice. I cleared it with the pro shop, and said we'd play a scramble to keep play moving.

First tee, one guy duffs his ball 10 yards. We all laugh, he goes to play it. As he's doing so, the second guy proceeds to try and tee off with the other guy still in front!! Needless to say I had to intervene. So on the first green the ranger catches us and says we have to break up. I explain that we have approval from the pro shop and there's no one behind us. BUT, if he prefers, I could let the other four move on ahead on their own without a course guide. I wish he would have taken me up on that....

Hello

As long as the group keeps the pace, I don't care how many players comprise their group. In a friendly high school nine hole match we played eight during the last 4 holes. The pace was a little slow but we were the were the last group and everyone had a good time.

Thanks
Loren

Very odd. Those are the exact words that came to mind and I was preparing to type as I scrolled down and saw your post. If they can keep up, let em go.

I was playing on a muni course in Pacific Grove California (near Monterey) and noticed on the score card that it said 5somes were against the law and stated the city ordnance. I thought that was abit overboard but maybe the city officials play that course and don't want any holdups.

I agree with everyone else who said it before me: if they can keep up with the pace then it doesn't bother me at all. Then again I've seen threesomes who can't keep up as well...

Ill agree with that, but they really never seem to keep up. If I get stuck behind a 5some I might not call and complain to the starter, but you can guarantee that I will never go back to that course. There are too many good ones around here that dont allow them, so why bother.

If they're up the *expletive* of the group in front of them at almost all times then sure, but people behind have alot less patience for a bit of a gap in front of a fivesome than for the same gap in front of a foursome

having played in 5some's though I have no problem with them as long as they keep pace

We have a few 5-somes that play money rounds where they putt everything out. Those are slow going days.

We also have 2 big money groups that come out in groups of 20 or more and play back to back to back 4-somes and they're the biggest hold up on the course.

As long as I aviod those guys however the course runs pretty fast. Four of us (all walkers) played a round behind a "slow" family (dad, mom and the kids) and were done in les than 3 1/2 hours.

I recall reading an arnold palmer interview where he said he usually plays in a fivesome and they're always done in 3 to 3.5 hours. My local course almost always have a few fivesomes out there, and typically they're fairly aware of their surroundings and play quick or at least let groups play through. I have no issues with it.

No problem with them in concept, but I expect a group that goes out as a 5 to play ready golf and keep the pace. My club only allows 5's during the winter and early spring months.

My course allows 5 somes.

I'll be the voice of reason here I suppose:
We haven't gone to the lengths of allowing 5somes here. (Thank God). The odd time when a 3 and 2 join, or a 5some sneaks out together, there is a minor jihad. I for one do not want that policy to become the norm. Sure, a quick 5 can play and keep up, but the minute that it becomes policy, the slow ones are going to permeate as well. Next thing you know, we are playing 5 hour rounds or worse.
So, yes. I report and raise a stink about it.
Y'all can keep your 5's and get ready for 6'somes.
No thanks.

I have no issues with it as long as they play at a good pace. In fact, I was stuck behind a 5-some a few months ago and I ended up catching up to them on the 5th tee box as THEY waited for a 2-some to get out of the way. I went out at 3p twilight and was unable to finish my round due to darkness around 6:30p. Of course there was no marshall. That was one reason I am completely against allowing tourists to play on military courses. Half of the time, people who actually WORK in or for the military cannot enjoy the round or are unable to go out because a group of tourist hacks have to take 5000 pictures during their round.

In fact, the only time I've ever seen a marshall on that particular course was during intramural play when we (a group of 4) were told we need to keep up with the group ahead of us (group of 2). Friggin frustrating!

As a club pro, this is how I approach it and would like for my guests to approach it. Call the shop and politely ask if the course allows 5. My club does not allow 5, but on more occasions than I can count there are groups that will join up and play 5 after they are away from the club house. I APPRECIATE these calls. Don't call up being a jackass, just ask the shop if the course is allowing 5-somes, if they say yes, too bad. If they say no, then advise them that there is a group on hole X playing 5.

I play in a traveling skins game and we often play in 5's. Most courses allow it, they are packing the course with as many players as they can. They could give a F*** about pace of play. They post signs, put it on the scorecard and have the starter say " Our pace of play policy is 4.5 hours"

BS

Why do they book times 8 minutes apart? Let people play from the back tees when they have NO business playing at that length?
Send Marshalls/ Player Assistance retired guys out on the course to look for balls?

Our 5's play faster than 75% of the groups on the course. The only thing slowing us down is the group in front of us.

What a shame that the taxpayers who pay for the military course are allowed to play on them!

What?

Who said anything about military courses?

+1 he's spot on.

which makes my laugh because I was in a 5some 2 weeks ago and we pushed a 2some so bad, they let us pass.

Although I don't think a 5some should be sent out I don't get upset as long as they keep up. At the same time... ANY size group that doesn't keep up inspires a call to the club house and hopefully a visit from the Marshall.

What a shame that the tourists I am referring to aren't from this country.

IMO allowing 5somes is a slippery slope that could lead to 6 hour rounds. I have yet to see a 5some that can keep up with the group in front of them.

I am with people here who question if 5Some can really keep up pace. I believe the members who play 5some and say they keep the pace of play. That is the exception than the norm. You can play ready golf and play pretty fast on the fairways. But it invariably slows down near or on the putting green as the number of golfers increase and they are keeping score. Simple things like watching out for other people before you hit the deep bunker shot or pitch shot from behind the green just add up. More mistakes happen around the green and just takes time. I am generally very patient on the course and rarely call the clubhouse unless there is an emergency. So if a Marshall passes by, I might just point it out and leave it to them to worry about it. But the probability of me playing there again would decrease considerably.

I don't mind larger groups, as long as they keep moving.

I know I'll be in the minority here, but guess what I don't care What gets to me more than a little bit of slow play, are the 3-4 singles IN A ROW that couldn't possibly be grouped together. If my group is slow, we'll let you play through, but expecting us to let 3-4 singles (again not playing together) though in a row is BS. The seas should not part because you are a single, either make some friends with the singles behind your or keep your pie hole shut

If all 5 are 80 shooters and below no issue. If you got some duffers in that group you might get some warning shots headed their way

I got stuck behind a 5 some and another 5some in front of them. I think it was two 3 and 2 some that combined but it took 5 hours to play 11 holes, hence to say i got a 50% discount on my next round because it got dark by time we hit 12th tee... that was by far the most irritated i have ever been on a golf course due to slow play. if you keep up with a target 18 hole round of 3.5-4 hours 4.5 at the worst, im fine with any amount of players...

Like almost everyone else, as long as pace of play is kept up, I personally dont mind. But i have also seen 2somes cause an hour or more backup due to poor and slow play, coupled w/ a no play through attitude and rangers who could care less.

You're off your rocker. The difference between a foursome and fivesome is nonexistent. I would rather be behind a group of 7 if they could play and actually understood how to get around a golf course, than some of the groups I find myself behind. How on earth can you take 5 1/2 hours to get a round a golf course in a threesome?

There's a golf course in southern Jersey where you get clocked for play. You get 2 strikes for infractions. On the 3rd strike, you lose your membership. Period. My kind of place...

As long as they keep pace good,if not let faster groups play through. That's more annoying when a large group acts as if they own the course and ignore you completely.Then I'm with WSC04foever"Take them out!!" !!!

We had the same guy in front of us one day. After about the 3rd hole, as we are backed up and waiting for the group to hit, this guy goes to tee it up. Now we've seen him since the 1st tee. As he is standing over the ball for what seemed to be an eternity, I can't take it. "WAKE UP" I yell. All 7 of us were just rolling! His partners were bent over! It was hilarious.
Keep pace and I don't care how many u play with. I've played with 50 HC's, or so it seemed, and as long as they keep up, game on.

This makes no sense at all. So wait around for 2 holes so we can group up. Are you retired? U obviously have way too much time on your hands. Wish I did. My time is valuable. Last thing I want is some guy with an axe to grind because thay play slow, or take it ou on you because your a single.
Almost every course I've been to has a disclaimer saying" Let faster groups play through".
I guess you throw golf etiquette out the window whenever is convenient?
I suppose you've been hit into how many times?

What doesn't make sense? I have no axe to grind, but why do you think it is ok to make a group wait for single after single to play though? I completely understand if it is 1 single, but come on... there is no reason 3 singles should go out back to back to back.

No where have I read that a person is guaranteed a 2 hour round. Some singles (you sound like you might be one) believe that they deserve such a guarantee. You response sounds like you believe you are entitled to move around the course at your pace, unfortunately that is not the way it works. I'm happy to wait, or move to the side to allow a single through. If you're just popping your head up at the tee box when I'm setting up for my approach shot... sorry you're out of luck. You're not pushing us, and I shouldn't have to wait 10 min for you to tee off and move along. Multiply this x3 and I'm sure you'll see how this is a problem.


I'm happy to hear that your time is valuable, so is mine. Pretty bold of you to assume that your time is more valuable than mine, or any others.

Now you were the one who made the bold statement, saying you would be the minority here. You knew, before you wrote it, that you were going to rub some people the wrong way. I'm fine with that. You can't please everyone. But you said you expect singles to "group up" and, or, "close your pie hole".
Do you think I care, or do a survey of the people behind me. Have you never been taught proper golf etiquette? Read the book? Had someone smack you on the back of your head and said" Let them go through, whats wrong with you?"
I never said my time is more valuable tham yours. But you seem to be one of "those guys" who can't follow simple golf rules, simple golf etiquette, that states to allow faster groups or players through.
Now I'm with you on the whole, I just got to the tee scenario and your hitting the approach. I'd do the same thing myself. I've been frustrated that I had to let a single thru, then 2 holes later a 2some. But guess what? SUCK IT UP! YOURE SUPPOSE TO! It's golf, it's called golf etiquette.
I never think these guys are stopping me from a 2 hr round. I think if I'm on your tail and there's room in front of you, only selfish, inconsiderate, non-etiquette applying golfers, will not let you thru.
U want to make the next single wait a hole, sure. If I have what u describe happen, let the next guy tee up with you. Let him play the hole to the green and tell him to finish up first so he can move on. Why should we keep him waiting if there's room in front? Thus the axe I spoke of. Ok, maybe not an axe. Just a long needle.
Hopefully you get my drift. I go out alot by myself, my schedule dictates that. I constantly run into people. Most of the time, I will join the group if available. But if there is no room, I dont think it is right for people not to excercise a little "common courtesy" for their fellow golfers.
Half the time, you'll find me with the group 2 holes in front of you enjoying some new golf buddies and the round. Not to mention a couple of cold ones in the clubhouse afterwards.