I Hate Slow Play, But...

How do you deal with slow play? Do you get frustrated with the group in front of you that seem to be playing slowly, or do you take things in stride knowing it is a busy day on the golf course? I totally realize that time is very valuable, but playing the game of golf should be a respit from the hustle and bustle of everyday modern life that plagues us all. We are a busy people and expect things to happen NOW. Golf is a game that is to be savored like a fine wine. It should be enjoyed and not rushed. Golf is not a track meet, but by the same token it is also not a stopped traffic jam on a Los Angeles freeway, although it can feel that way on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon playing the local muni golf course. How long should an eighteen hole round of golf take time wise. The USGA has said that a round of golf on an average course of 6100 yards should take between four hours and fifteen minutes and four hours and thirty minutes. Of course, these are probably best case scenerios or times based on a normal day of golf. I have played eighteen holes in just over three hours and was not rushing. Have you ever played Riverside Golf Course in Fresno, California on a Saturday? Pack a lunch because it can be a five and a half hour round. It is a very busy course and you just have to understand that when you play on a weekend. Sometimes on the par three eigth hole there are three or four groups waiting to tee off. Just remember that it is a beautiful Saturday morning and the sun is shining. You are not at work, you are playing the great game of golf. Patience is a virtue, my friend. There should be a consistent flow of play. What would that flow be? I used to Marshal on a busy course and what was a good pace was one group would be on the tee ready to tee off and the group in front should be putting out and going to the next tee. There are slowdowns, especially when a group is looking for a lost ball or playing a shot from a hazzard. What normally happens though is that the group catches up as far as time goes soon after the issue of the time lost for looking for the lost ball or playing the shot from the hazzard. That is the nature of the game, so you have to allow for that. Do the ladies slow up play. I'm sorry gentlemen, but that isn't exactly true. I have to admit that yes, some women do slow up play. But, a lot of men play just as slow. I only have to look at my wife and the ladies that she plays with. Sometimes when I play with her and our friend's wife, I think I am wearing the wrong shoes. I should be wearing track shoes and not golf shoes. Most of the women that I have played golf with play quickly. In fact, my friend and I get rather annoyed when they try to hurry us up. He and I don't play slow, but don't want to be treated by the "bum's rush" either. What can we as golfers do to speed up play without rushing? Stay tuned because I will talk about that more specifically in my next post.

Don't Travel and Play Golf Alone: Bring Your Wife, Significant Other or Whomever

 How many of you have lived on this planet long enough to remember United Air Lines advertising campaign saying "Take me along if you love me"?  It was meant for guys who flew a lot on business trips, yes guys, to take their wives along with them on those business trips. United dropped this promotion because they found out that guys were bringing along a female companion but they weren't the guys wife. That lady didn't qualify for the "spouse" title, and the lady that he was traveling with, let's just say the guy was not legally tied to.  The result of this promotion was a rash of divorces, but that's a different story.

A majority of the time when I travel I take my golf clubs. I take them along because for the most part I love them most of the time. Yes, my wife plays golf as well and she normally is with me when I travel, as she does the driving. I love her to even more than my golf clubs. She loves golf almost more than I do, if I didn't take her along I would once again be sleeping in that dog house that I mentioned in my other blog, David Rallis Writes (https://davidralliswrites.blogspot.com-check it out). I do take her along most of the time because not only does she love the game of golf, but I love her and enjoy being with her especially to play golf.  She loves me-I think. I can't not take her along because as I mentioned before she does the driving. That's another story in and of itself but we won't go there right now. 

There are times when I visit my daughters, one lives in Las Vegas and the other in Spokane, Washington, that I fly and I take my clubs.  My wife does not come with me on these trip, but I do take my clubs. My daughter in Las Vegas is quite the golfer and when I am in Spokane I like to play a round with my son-in-law, and I should clarify that is a round of golf so get your mind out of the gutter, who used to be a Class A Pro at a country club. Life is tough, isn't it but golf is always on my mind when I travel. 

As we travel about the country, usually somewhere around the State Of California and we are driving to one of our timeshares, we pass some great golf courses. The timeshare is another story, but I will save it for another post.  When we travel on I-5 through the Los Angeles area we pass right by the courses at Griffith Park.  I haven't played much golf in the Los Angeles area but whenever we pass Griffith Park and see the courses on the right side of the freeway, I always say, "We should play there some day." Denise's reply is always, "Why?"  I must admit that she is the realist of the family.  Don't worry, we will get to play Griffith Park someday. The same is true with San Clemente Muni. 

I originally intended this post to be about how I almost always take my golf clubs along with me on trips.  It kind of morphed into how when I travel out of town and take my golf clubs, I am normally graced by the presence of my lovely wife.  All things considered I think that's a good thing. I guess that it can be said that in general when I travel I take along two very special things in my life, my golf clubs and my wife, not necessarily in that order dear.  Yes I do take her along because I love her, I really do and she does the driving.  

Golf IS For Couples

Welcome to Golf Is For Couples. You probably have read some of my posts on my other blogs The Golf Course Taravel Bag and David Rallis Writes. As you probably have noticed, I try to bring humorous insites into my observation of the game and of my more than 60 years of being involved with the game. Golf Is For Couples will be where I will continue to focus on golf and bring to you thoughts,opinion, experiences and travel with a main emphasis on matters dealing with couples playing golf together. Here goes and I hope you read and enjoy the content I will bring.