42 replies to this topic

[Mitch.Parker]

Sorry guys, I have to vent for moment. One of my occasional golfing buddies calls and tells me they have an opening for a fourth today (it was sunny and about 68), so of course I tell him "I'll take it"

It was a 3.25hr front nine. And, get this, there was NO ONE in front of us. These yahoos look at every shot as if it was the US Open. They agonize over what club to hit, then get over the ball then decide to look for a yardage, then agonize over what club to hit again. I quit after nine holes, I can't play golf that takes that long. When I get out and play first thing in the morning, I can play 18 in about an hour and a half. Oh, and it's not they are good golfers. They shot for nine holes, +9, +11, and +22.

Golf does not have to be that difficult. Grab a club and hit it.

Thanks for letting me vent.
Mitch

[HiSpeed48]

Jeez that's bad. Was there anyone behind you guys?

[sblack5]

Im sure we've all been there.....i played a tnmt last year that was a 6.5 hr round

[SullGolf]

Ask to play through or skip a hole.  That sort of pace is unacceptable.  

I walked 36 in a touch over 5.5 hours today.  I've also taken as long to play 18 on the same course before.  Winter golf gets a bad rap sometimes:).

[MarkFromTheUK]

I would have faked a back twinge and walked in after a few holes. 3 1/4 hours for 9 holes is horrific.

Normally I don't mind playing with slow players...it's when they are in front of you that it really starts to get on your nerves.

[Mitch.Parker]

We had to let FOUR groups through. They were that slow. I faked a back injury after nine holes. They continued playing. I'd rather do almost anything than play with folks that play that slow. But, whiskey is making me forget about the golf course.

[chasemyaccord]

On the opposite side of the spectrum, I hate it when groups behind you accuse you of playing too slow when there's a group in front of you preventing you from playing any faster. At our last outing, we were sitting about 150 out from the green and the guys in front of us were JUST walking off. Just as I'm about to hit my ball, I hear a "hurry the **** up" from the tee box. Ugh.

[Graymulligan]

to the OP, did you mention that you were slow?  I've found its always tricky to suggest playing faster to the US Open brigade when I'm stuck playing with them, but occasionally I've had luck.  

Rough day.

[Mitch.Parker]

Went home had some whiskey and forgot all about it. And, "Greymulligan" I thought about that, but, those guys would have taken offense to what I said. They would have told me that I play to fast and they play normal. Oh well, it's in the past now.

[RIRider]

Mitch.Parker, on 21 January 2013 - 06:04 PM, said:

When I get out and play first thing in the morning, I can play 18 in about an hour and a half.

Awesome........

[richard t]

Like OP said, if I get this I just skip a hole, come back later or forget it. Until courses have marshalls that REALLY enforce some slow play rules ( and they're not because they don't want to p--- folks off and loose revenue) we just have to bite the ole bullet. Watched a guy back in the fall, a single for gosh sake, hold up two groups as he floundered along. 7 to get on a 4 and he's lining up his putt. Hey, everyone has a right to play and score does not matter but... I play sometimes with a friend, good guy, can't break 100 often, but he moves along, picks up when he should and knows/follows the rules. Some people- well...

[richard t]

Like OP said, if I get this I just skip a hole, come back later or forget it. Until courses have marshalls that REALLY enforce some slow play rules ( and they're not because they don't want to p--- folks off and loose revenue) we just have to bite the ole bullet. Watched a guy back in the fall, a single for gosh sake, hold up two groups as he floundered along. 7 to get on a 4 and he's lining up his putt. Hey, everyone has a right to play and score does not matter but... I play sometimes with a friend, good guy, can't break 100 often, but he moves along, picks up when he should and knows/follows the rules. Some people- well...

[Hateto3Putt]

Mitch.Parker, on 22 January 2013 - 10:25 AM, said:

They would have told me that I play to fast and they play normal.

Typical slow player mantra.....

[stryper]

Hateto3Putt, on 22 January 2013 - 11:05 AM, said:

Mitch.Parker, on 22 January 2013 - 10:25 AM, said:

They would have told me that I play to fast and they play normal.

Typical slow player mantra.....

I'll take a hit for this, I'm sure, but...it's not necessarily their fault.  Some people just move in a different rhythm than others.  Some are faster, some are slower.  I'm a fast player myself, but I've got a buddy like this.  Frustrates the h*ll out of me too, but in 5+ years I still haven't been able to crack the code.

[Sean2]

Never heard of such a thing with no one in front of you. Wow.

ps: I don't think the guys at the US Open would have been that slow. :-)

[Ghost_Orchid]

I would have called the the pro shop to send someone out...I' d be so conscious of the slow play that I would play faster and screw myself even more.  I wouldnt fake injury either, I'd tell them they are slow as molasses and either play ahead by myself or just leave.

[qrispy2]

When I get out and play first thing in the morning, I can play 18 in about an hour and a half.
So you can play a golf hole in 3 or 4 minutes?
That seems like a bit of a hurry!

[jmck]

I'd have quit after 9 too--if I made it that far.  I played 18 in two hours yesterday and I felt like I was taking my time.  3.5 for 9.........I'd rather be doing something else.  When it gets that slow it's not golf, it's torture.  I really really really can't understand how anyone can play like that.  See ball, pick club, hit ball, repeat.

[Prog8r]

Played a local course two weeks ago and it was a 6 hr round.  I felt so violated when i was done that I did not know what to do.

[MrElculver2424]

I probably would have said, "I'm sorry guys but I have to be home at a certain time and I need to finish up quickly" and just played ahead of them. Couldn't stand a 3 1/2 hour front nine either.

I don't like to rush when I'm golfing, and since I usually walk it takes longer than it would with a cart, but that is way too long for 9 holes. The longest a foursome that I was in, walking, has taken 2 1/2 hours.

[MetalManic]

"It was a 3.25hr front nine."   Now that's ridiculous!   To be honest, I've found the impatient "don't slow ME up" types hitting up on on you more trouble on a few of the  public golf courses I've played, but OMG I could almost understand it at that pace.      I wonder what happens when these guys play on a busy day?  Must cause some agro..

[bmellisen]

If you were playing in nc and itwas saturday, i was the twosome behind you that you didnt let through that skipped you guys at turn.  Played the back nine in 1.5. If that wasnt you, my apologies.  But those guys sucked.

[fore_life]

Why didn't you say something to your friend who invited you? You don't have to be rude, just say hey maybe we should pick up the pace, we're in course for a 7 hr round.

[Mitch.Parker]

Nope, this was in good ole Texas. As far as why didn't I say anything? He played slower than ever. I think he thought, "well, since these guys are slower than Christmas, I might as well be slow too". And, the worst part, the beer girl took the day off.

[Kaysquare]

Mitch.Parker, on 21 January 2013 - 06:04 PM, said:

Sorry guys, I have to vent for moment. One of my occasional golfing buddies calls and tells me they have an opening for a fourth today (it was sunny and about 68), so of course I tell him "I'll take it"

It was a 3.25hr front nine. And, get this, there was NO ONE in front of us. These yahoos look at every shot as if it was the US Open. They agonize over what club to hit, then get over the ball then decide to look for a yardage, then agonize over what club to hit again. I quit after nine holes, I can't play golf that takes that long. When I get out and play first thing in the morning, I can play 18 in about an hour and a half. Oh, and it's not they are good golfers. They shot for nine holes, +9, +11, and +22.

Golf does not have to be that difficult. Grab a club and hit it.

Thanks for letting me vent.
Mitch

I'm afraid I would have HAD to say something to them.  Like.....guys we just play the front nine in 3 hrs....that is totally unacceptable in anyone's book. And if  it made them mad, so be it.  But I could not have continued with them at that pace.

[Andy L]

Kaysquare, on 22 January 2013 - 06:46 PM, said:

Mitch.Parker, on 21 January 2013 - 06:04 PM, said:

Sorry guys, I have to vent for moment. One of my occasional golfing buddies calls and tells me they have an opening for a fourth today (it was sunny and about 68), so of course I tell him "I'll take it"

It was a 3.25hr front nine. And, get this, there was NO ONE in front of us. These yahoos look at every shot as if it was the US Open. They agonize over what club to hit, then get over the ball then decide to look for a yardage, then agonize over what club to hit again. I quit after nine holes, I can't play golf that takes that long. When I get out and play first thing in the morning, I can play 18 in about an hour and a half. Oh, and it's not they are good golfers. They shot for nine holes, +9, +11, and +22.

Golf does not have to be that difficult. Grab a club and hit it.

Thanks for letting me vent.
Mitch

I'm afraid I would have HAD to say something to them.  Like.....guys we just play the front nine in 3 hrs....that is totally unacceptable in anyone's book. And if  it made them mad, so be it.  But I could not have continued with them at that pace.

This is exactly what you needed to say.  And anyone that thinks 3 hours for 9 holes is okay should sell their clubs and never return to a golf course.

[kevcarter]

Ghost_Orchid, on 22 January 2013 - 02:47 PM, said:

I would have called the the pro shop to send someone out...

Calling the shop to complain about my own group would never cross my mind. Different strokes...

[Newby]

Has anybody got anything original to say on this topic? Will anything posted on this topic on this forum really change anything? What a waste of bandwidth.

[myspinonit]

Mitch.Parker, on 22 January 2013 - 10:25 AM, said:

Went home had some whiskey and forgot all about it. And, "Greymulligan" I thought about that, but, those guys would have taken offense to what I said. They would have told me that I play to fast and they play normal. Oh well, it's in the past now.

I can see you felt you were between  a golf ball and a hard place, but take offense or not, buddies or not,  I think you should have politely but forcefully told them. Several times if necessary to get them moving and/or to pick up and go to the next tee.  People need to be taught what is acceptable course behavior. You obviously felt strongly enough about it to complain about it here. And being part of that foursome, you will be tarred by the same brush by the folks behind you, even if they eventually played through.

If you had  strangers playing ahead of you so slowly, would you have taken it in silence?

Aside: The slowest round I ever played was way back in 1979. It was Labour Day, and a vainglorious day, with the warmth of summer, a tease of Autumn scent in the air. Everyone that had ever had a golf club in their hands in Vancouver apparently decided to play the last round of summer that day. And the public course we were on kept pumping them out. It was painfully slow, but we decided to see how long it would take, and sat down patiently at each tee and talked about all manner of things, making it more than a social discourse than golf.

Our patience finally gave up. We finally quit after 14 holes and .....drum roll please....7 and a quarter hours.

Edited by myspinonit, 23 January 2013 - 08:56 AM.

[nfinch10]

kevcarter, on 23 January 2013 - 07:59 AM, said:

Ghost_Orchid, on 22 January 2013 - 02:47 PM, said:

I would have called the the pro shop to send someone out...

Calling the shop to complain about my own group would never cross my mind. Different strokes...

Played in a 4-some behind a 3-some a few weeks back.  It was a busy day at a public course so we knew we weren't going anywhere, but 2 of the guys in the group in front were just like the players the op described.  They started losing ground quick, which was hard to do on a day like this. Finally saw a marshal around the turn and went to say something about. He told me that the 3rd in that group had already reported that they were slow and he (marshal) would speed them up. Slightly different, but reporting ones own group can, and sometimes should, be done.

Edited by nfinch10, 23 January 2013 - 08:01 PM.