Ready golf...

Hey guys (and gals), this may be my first thread to start, but I've got a serious question here. Is it appropriate to "teach" the aspects of ready golf to others on the golf course, specifically strangers that you are paired up with and/or the slow group ahead of you?

Let me fill you in on the story that prompts this. My three friends and I golf fairly regularly at courses all around Central Ohio. We always try to be one of the first, if not the first, groups out in the AM and always walk when given the option to do so. If no groups or players are ahead of us, as a foursome we can play in three hours, which is always find to be a very good pace, especially around here. Any one of us individually can walk 18 holes in 2:15 to 2:30, so obviously playing as a foursome doesn't add that much time to our play. In other qords, we play ready golf such as forgoing honor on the tee shots, hitting when ready tee to green and being aware of others and getting around the course quickly.

Yesterday, we played 36 holes knowing the second 18 would be slow. Teeing off at 2:40 in the afternoon at a local muni is always going to be slow and we know that. But, the group ahead of us was painfully slow. As an example, we were waiting on a tee of a par 3 for the group ahead of us to hole out. They finished and took their carts to the next tee, which is a the top of a hill behind the par 3 green. You cannot see the aforementioned tee from the hole we were on due to trees, brush etc. We played the par three and while we didn't screw around and all scored pars, it still took us 10-12 minutes to hit our tee balls, go up to the green and all chip/putt out. We then proceeded up the hill and found the group ahead of us waiting on the tee. From where we were waiting, we couldn't see the fairway, but we assumed the group ahead of them was hitting their second shots from the fairway. The four ahead of us noticed us waiting, got out of their carts, grabbed clubs, went to the tee box, waited a bit longer and teed off. After they drove off, we proceeded to the tee box to find that there wasn't a soul on the entire hole, much less a foursome ahead of them. They had apparently waited for the foursome ahead of them to leave the green before teeing off on this 390 yard par four (needless to say, driving the green wasn't what kept them waiting).

So, my question is this...rather than hauling off and hitting into them or waiting to find a ranger (who were off looking for walnuts, but that's another story), would it have been proper to calmly and politey catch up with these folks and explain to them how to speed up. A second example is that all day, the two guys in each cart would go to one player's ball, both get out, measure yardage, get the wind speed, talk about it, one would pull the club, take 20 practice swings, hit the ball 20 yards and then they'd go over to the other player's ball and repeat. Back to the first ball, etc., etc. Now, if they were playing the Master's, I could understand. But I'd say none of them broke 120 from what I saw and I don't know if knowing the yardage is 142 as opposed to eyeballing it to 140 by taking 10 yards from the 150 marker really matter.

How have others dealt with this type of slow play in their own group or in groups in front/near them? Any ideas?

Thanks...

I would say the polite thing to do is ask to play through. If you 4 guys walking are playing faster than 4 guys in carts, there's a problem and somebody needs to call a ranger. There's mothing more irritating than to be sitting on the tee box and watching the people in front of you take the time for measurements, practice swings and then hit 15 yard worm-burners. If you're a beginner, that's fine, but let the other people play through!!!

[QUOTE=Par-None]I would say the polite thing to do is ask to play through. If you 4 guys walking are playing faster than 4 guys in carts, there's a problem and somebody needs to call a ranger. There's mothing more irritating than to be sitting on the tee box and watching the people in front of you take the time for measurements, practice swings and then hit 15 yard worm-burners. If you're a beginner, that's fine, but let the other people play through!!![/QUOTE]

I agree with you 100% regarding beginners. We all began at some point, most of us have shot well over 100 during that process and the game needs to be learned. My point of frustration, and I guess what my question is revolves around the ability to educate our peers on the course. We could have asked to play through and may or may not have been allowed. But more importantly, is it necessary, relevant and/or courteous to address course etiquette and ready golf with complete strangers? Similar to the old adage about teaching a man to fish rather than giving him a fish, I'd rather teach others how to play faster rather than just play through and let the group behind us have to deal with the problem.

I hear ya man. Some people are just ridiculous.
They take 50 practice swings so they can duff it.
I despretly want a membership at a country club so I can play with real players.
You can suck and still play fast.
You should call them out on it. If you are polite and they learn they are playing too slow, then mabey they won't do it next time.

[QUOTE=Mikalion]I hear ya man. Some people are just ridiculous.
They take 50 practice swings so they can duff it.
I despretly want a membership at a country club so I can play with real players.
You can suck and still play fast.
You should call them out on it. If you are polite and they learn they are playing too slow, then mabey they won't do it next time.[/QUOTE]

I think you're right, the more I think about it. I mean, I'd be polite and what do I care if they take my advice or not. They certainly can't get any slower...

Regarding the country club thing...I am a member of a private club here in Columbus. There are plenty of "players" and there are plenty of slow folks, too, some of whom are the same. Ability to play well and shoot low numbers doesn't seem to equate to faster times. I swear my group of four that I play with has the highest stroke per minute average in the country. How many foursomes can shoot 85-95 per player and walk a round in three hours or less? Heck, I can shoot 100 in two hours or less alone...

I will say that at the club it seems like you can approach fellow member a lot easier and the rangers actually work to keep the pace moving, unlike our most recent experience at the muni.

I play at Muni's most of the time and my usual course does 75,000 rounds a year. Things do get stacked up. If there's a slow group in fron we ask to play through, If someone's behind us, we let them play through.

Usually there's no place to go. When that happens, we relax, have a beer, smoke a cigerette & swap stories with each other or the group behind us (if its really bad). I've found a new playing partner that way. He's OK except for being left handed and doesn't realize that he stands on the wrong side of the ball.:-)

Thats a really good, question, I think the answer is to either politely ask to play through or (or if denied a play through) pick up the ol cell phone and call the clubhouse, they'll send a marshall out lickity split Im sure :)

On a side note, My usual group of 4 is guys from work, one shoots 105-110, I shoot 95-100 one shoots 82-95 (he can have bad days thus the large spread ;) ) and one is a very good golfer...low to mid 70's we like to take our time have fun and shoot the S*it, however, there comes a time when you gotta pick up the pace a little, if someones catching up to you, speed up. I like to take my time and enjoy the game and my friends, but you have to be polite. we usually play 18 in about 4 hours

The other group is just me and my old lady, she is just learning, and even when playing ready golf we are slow because she has many worm-burners shanks, ETC, but we all had to start learning at some point, and she hates to be rushed, she likes to concentrate on doing things right to get better, but again, if someones catching up, her and I will sit at the next tee and offer to let them play through in order for us to be able to play slower. It takes her and I alone 3 1/2 for 18 holes, but we have great fun hanging out together and golfing.

Its all about respect, and most people just dont have any for anyone anymore, and its sad.

I have thought about this a lot because there are a lot of local courses around here where the six hour round is not unheard of. I don't think it has anything to do with how many strokes you take. Sure a guy who shoots 100 will take a few more minutes to play a round than someone who shoots in the 70's. I think it has more to do with basic ettiquette and common sense. How many times have you seen the group in front of you looking for balls in the creek, even when no one from the group has even hit one there. There has to be some way to educate people but I haven't figured it out yet. There are a lot of basics about driving a cart that some people just don't know, like dropping your partner off at his ball, then driving to your own. If people would just do this consistently it could probably chop a 1/2 hour off the round. How many times have you seen a group 300 yrds out from the green wait for it to clear, then proceed to hit wormburners about 50 yards. Everyone seems to think they are Tiger Woods out there. It is definitely a pet peeve of mine, and the only answer seems to be have stricter Rangers out on the course. They could be more educational than confrontational though. Perhaps watch a slow group for a hole, then point out a few pointers to speed them up on the next hole. Just my two cents.

[QUOTE=tgrad]I have thought about this a lot because there are a lot of local courses around here where the six hour round is not unheard of. I don't think it has anything to do with how many strokes you take. Sure a guy who shoots 100 will take a few more minutes to play a round than someone who shoots in the 70's. I think it has more to do with basic ettiquette and common sense. How many times have you seen the group in front of you looking for balls in the creek, even when no one from the group has even hit one there. There has to be some way to educate people but I haven't figured it out yet. There are a lot of basics about driving a cart that some people just don't know, like dropping your partner off at his ball, then driving to your own. If people would just do this consistently it could probably chop a 1/2 hour off the round. How many times have you seen a group 300 yrds out from the green wait for it to clear, then proceed to hit wormburners about 50 yards. Everyone seems to think they are Tiger Woods out there. It is definitely a pet peeve of mine, and the only answer seems to be have stricter Rangers out on the course. They could be more educational than confrontational though. Perhaps watch a slow group for a hole, then point out a few pointers to speed them up on the next hole. Just my two cents.[/QUOTE]

I don't remember all of the details, so hopefully one of our European friends here can add something. I was told by one of my regular golifng buddies that he met a man from Holland, Denmark, Sweden, somewhere along those lines, that in order to golf on a course, you have to take a series of tests that measure you golfing ability and understanding of the rules and etiquette of the game. When you pass these tests, which boiled down to shooting 36 over par or less for a round (double bogey golf) and the written/verbal test regarding rules and etiquette, you got a green card to play courses. If you try to play golf in this country, you cannot play ANY course without this card. It's as simple as that. Imagine how nice that would be that every one of your fellow golfers on the course had at least a fair and basic understanding of the game.

Of course this will NEVER happen here. Based on the number of people that couldn't pass the skills portion of the test and break 108 on a par-72 course, imagine the percent of players that would be unable to golf. Courses, manufacturers, retailers and every other golf related industry would cry foul. But, what if there were some courses that did institute this type of measure? I can tell you, those courses would be the ONLY courses I would play. It would be like a mini-monopoly on fast play. And, for someone out there that thinks this is what a private club is all about...it isn't. I see the same crap at my club that I see on the local munis.

[QUOTE=gbel75]I don't remember all of the details, so hopefully one of our European friends here can add something. I was told by one of my regular golifng buddies that he met a man from Holland, Denmark, Sweden, somewhere along those lines, that in order to golf on a course, you have to take a series of tests that measure you golfing ability and understanding of the rules and etiquette of the game. When you pass these tests, which boiled down to shooting 36 over par or less for a round (double bogey golf) and the written/verbal test regarding rules and etiquette, you got a green card to play courses. If you try to play golf in this country, you cannot play ANY course without this card. It's as simple as that. Imagine how nice that would be that every one of your fellow golfers on the course had at least a fair and basic understanding of the game.

Of course this will NEVER happen here. Based on the number of people that couldn't pass the skills portion of the test and break 108 on a par-72 course, imagine the percent of players that would be unable to golf. Courses, manufacturers, retailers and every other golf related industry would cry foul. But, what if there were some courses that did institute this type of measure? I can tell you, those courses would be the ONLY courses I would play. It would be like a mini-monopoly on fast play. And, for someone out there that thinks this is what a private club is all about...it isn't. I see the same crap at my club that I see on the local munis.[/QUOTE]

I can also attest that the phenomenon is not limited to public courses/munis. I see it at my club also...