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.