The 2018-19 PGA Tour season has ended. All season long, discussion about the pace of play was a hot topic and the debate really heated up recently during the FedExCup Playoffs after a video of Bryson DeChambeau spending more than two minutes reading a putt went viral. You may recall European Tour star Eddie Pepperell called him an “unaffected single-minded twit” on Twitter.
Just look at Tommy and Justin, both looking completely bored. Slow players do this to their playing partners making the game less enjoyable. Problem is, the unaffected single minded twit in this instance, doesn’t care much for others.
— Eddie Pepperell (@PepperellEddie) August 10, 2019
Others, including Brooks Koepka and Rory McIlroy piled on, saying that slow play was an epidemic and something the PGA Tour needs to deal with. DeChambeau defended himself, saying he walks faster to his shots knowing he’ll likely take more time once he gets there. Everyone from Brandel Chamblee to Lucas Glover chimed in.
“Players have been bashing other players for years about slow play,” Glover said on Twitter. “It was just behind closed doors.”
Players have been bashing other players for years about slow play. It was just behind closed doors. Guess since it’s more out in the open now the @PGATOUR is going to “look into it”. How about put the cut back to where it should be and enforce the rules put in place…?
— Lucas Glover (@Lucas_Glover_) August 11, 2019
It isn’t any longer.
But there’s two sides to every argument.
Golf’s too slow—and it starts at the PGA Tour
Everyone who has ever played a Saturday morning round has a story about slow play, about that time when every member of the foursome in front of your group watched everyone else’s shot, didn’t play ready golf and took five hours.
The critics of slow play point to the PGA Tour (and players like Ben Crane, Kevin Na and Bryson DeChambeau) suggesting the plague of five-hour rounds starts at the top. This past weekend, DeChambeau took almost three minutes to line up an eight-foot putt that he missed, the only prompt thing he did in the entire sequence.
In Scotland, it is common to see signs saying something like, “Golf is a game that’s meant to be played in 3.5 hours. Keep the pace.”
Is golf too slow? Is it making it difficult for you as a player or a spectator watching on TV?
Pace is just fine—it is a deliberate game that takes time
Any debate on social media about slow play will eventually have someone chime in saying the game was never meant to be played too quickly. Just enjoy your time outdoors chasing a white ball and having fun with your friends. Life is too fast already, they argue, so why does golf need to mimic what we see in everyday life?
On the PGA Tour, many say they need the extra time. Professional golf, after all, isn’t about playing with friends—it is a world-class sport where millions of dollars are contested each week. With that in mind, the more deliberate players will take the extra time to grind over a putt if it is worth $500,000. Can you blame them?
The Debate
What side are you on? Is the game too slow, or are we trying to impose speed on a sport that was never meant to be fast. Are you frustrated by the pace of play at your course, or do you simply enjoy the time on the fairways with your buddies? Maybe you’ve turned your TV off in frustration over a player pacing off a long chip, or maybe that’s okay because the best players in the world are battling over millions of dollars each week.
Let us know what you think in the comments below!
The way I see it is that we need to adapt to changing times. If we do not play golf at a faster pace then we will continue to lose newer golfers of the younger generations. There is so much competition for the entertainment dollar. A lot of younger people do not want to spend 5-6 hours on a golf round including getting there, playing and stopping for a bite afterwards.
I wholeheartedly AGREE……..PACE of PLAY must be enforced. However, so many golf courses do not have enough Marshalls overseeing the ‘pace’, and also many golf courses refuse to ‘ruffle’ the feathers of your ‘weekend’ golfers and the monies they provide…..many golf course are barely staying afloat…..so the ‘rules’ don’t get enforced and the serious golf moves on….
It’s not just the “slow” player that’s competing for the big purse, but also his playing partners who are probably ready to administer 7or 8 Stone Cold stunners to the perpetrator. How can they be at their best when they’re losing their collective minds inside. They’re level of concentration must be only a fraction of it’s normal level when watching and being held up by said twits. When a couple of big names miss the cut because of being paired with a slow poke and inevitably playing poorly because of it, this will definitely have an adverse affect on the weekend gate.
There are fast Lanes on the highway so faster traffic can pass slower traffic, perhaps the PGA Tour could incorporate a Rory Sabatini lane.
If they don’t start policing it soon it will culminate into fisticuffs.
Golf is way too slow, especially on public courses. Players spend too much time watching their partners instead of lining up their putt or getting ready to tee off. Much too much time is spent looking for the missing ball which slows play even further. There is too much time spent on idle chit chat when they should be thinking of what club they will use on their next shot. A round of golf should not take more than 3.5 hours to complete. No wants wants to spend 5-6 hours on the golf course with all the other family commitments we all have today.
Perfectly said Lorne !
Why watch playing partner do his routine from fairway when you should be focusing on your own next shot.
I agree with Lorne that 5-6 hours is too long for a round of golf. But it ends there. Suggesting that a round should only take 3.5 hours is not reasonable. If you have a foursome in which each person shoots in the low 80’s or better; if you have a booking sheet where there is ample room between groups so you are never held up by groups in front of you (which requires the cooperation of the pro shop); if you have forecaddies who will find your ball for you; if the rain never slows you down; if the leaves are blown off the fairways so you can see your ball when you get to it; if the sand traps are properly prepped so you can play them other than as ground under repair; if you can afford to use a power cart instead of walking in the hot sun; if the greens keepers clean up the fairways and rough so that overgrown trees from 30 years ago are thinned out and sight lines restored; if the yardage markers are clearly indicated so you don’t have to go looking for them; if the tee boxes are properly constructed and maintained so you don’t have to search for a decent flat spot; if the pro shop does not send out a twosome behind a series of foursomes; and so on, and so on and so on, ….. then “yes” maybe you can play in 3.5 hours, provided you’re willing to scamper like a rabbit with its tail on fire. Otherwise, it isn’t going to happen. But if these features are not covered off, you are stuck with longer rounds. And that’s just life. My groups play in 4-4.25 hours and rarely do we get out of position. And if the group in front of us is comprised of better players and if we have trouble keeping up, so what? What is the crime? They’re simply better than us. If you’re going to drive me like a sled dog, I won’t play. If my money for green fees isn’t good enough to allow me to enjoy a round of golf with friends, I’ll spend it somewhere else and you know what you can do with your golf. As for the professional game, yes, it is too slow. But too slow by how much? The tours should have rules that the players’ committees establish for slow play and then those rules should be strictly enforced. Period. Zero tolerance. Lets put an end to this protracted discussion that never seems to be resolved. As for TV, I pre-record all the tournaments and fast-forward when I get bored. I won’t sit through a 5 hour program with all its commercials unless it’s a major and I forgot to pre-record. Normally I’m not aware of slow play because the TV coverage moves around to other groups. I get frustrated when the TV coverage focusses on a feature group and I have to sit through bathroom breaks, stretching sessions, standing around on the tee boxes, delays while 25 people look for a lost ball (I’ve never had that much help!) players gabbing to their caddies and so on. Golf is a game. A game! It’s meant to be enjoyed, with friends. For the amateurs, let the national bodies set a standard and then leave it up to the golf courses to decide whether to invoke that standard or not. If the standard is too difficult to meet for the average player, we’ll go elsewhere with our entertainment dollar or we’ll find a course where the standard is relaxed, a little. And for those golfers who are so highly skilled, so competitive, so magnificent on the links, that they can’t indulge or tolerate the others, well, quite frankly, maybe you’re the problem, not us.
WELL SAID PHIL. I and the amateurs I play with do so to have an enjoyable day in the sun. We do try to let faster players play through when possible. I say if you go out with a time constraint already, maybe you should play on a different day when you are not in such a rush.
Denny
Golf should be played at a reasonable pace, two to three minutes for a putt is ridiculous!
This is not a new topic and will continue until the PGA enforces a one stroke penalty on the golfers. Until that happens, nothing will change.
No wonder participation in golf is on the decline. 5hours to play 18 holes is a joke.
We play at our course in 3:45 being the longest time. All the major sports are saying it takes to long. Basketball and football have timings in effect or penalized or lose possession. There is nothing wrong playing quicker. My god the wind gusts from 8 to 10 miles an hr. Better think this over
Slow play hurts the game . I play my worst when I play with a slow player as I find it so frustrating. I don’t know many players who enjoy playing a 5 hour round
The game has gotten to slow, I love golf and watching it but I am not willing to sit watching for five hours.
I and my playing partners play ready golf. Slow play adversely affects our rhythm. Rhythm is what allows us to play our best golf. The waiting and waiting as four players go to each others ball is unnecessary. I don’t want to be on a golf course for 5+ hours. Pros should not be penalized penalty strokes but a set percentage of their weekly earnings.
Playing ready golf means sizing up your shot while you were on your way to it and thinking about what club you need to pull out of the bag playing ready golf means being at your ball and ready to shoot next when it’s your turn. Playing ready golf is a lot about anticipation playing ready golf is a lot about anticipation. All of that said it doesn’t mean that you have to rush the game or not enjoy your friends and the sunshine all of that said it doesn’t mean that you have to rush the game or not enjoy your friends and the sunshine
It is to slow I see to many guys waiting on the group that’s 300 yards away on the green! No one on there best day is hitting a fairway shot 300plus yards! Hit your ball get get moving already!
Cutting 2 minutes off time one can search for a lost ball means nothing if a player can then spend 3 minutes over a putt. A comprehensive regime needs to be set in place to pick up the pace. Set a maximum time for all shots commencing when you reach the ball. Penalty stroke imposed after set number of violations per round.
I ensure I get the first tee time every morning in order to beat slow play. It is unfortunate because you must always play in the dew and adjust to maintenance staff.
Maybe the PGA on rounds 1&2 should put the slow players out together with fast players in front of them and then monitored and when they fall behind they get put on the clock so they learn how to keep the pace.
Your place on the golf course is directly behind the group in front of you, not directly in front of the group behind you. If Deschambeau is keeping up with group in front then he’s not slow no matter what other pros say. If he’s causing the group to fall out of position then one warning and next add a stroke. Enforce this and no more slow play.
Slow play is an aggravation for everyone. It isn’t fair for anyone too. Opponents don’t want to play each other’s game. There should be acceptable time for every shot, as there is in most games – penalties for delay of game. Fans and advertisers pay the players for entertainment and for the promotion of certain values that respect and honor the gifts of others. Four hours is enough for a competitive round.
The game has gotten to be unbearably slow the games know it all amateurs have gotten way out of control with there slow play have played the game for the past 45 years have stopped playing for the year and will not play anymore unless something is done.
It’s about time that the PGA enforced a “slow play” rule. Golf like many sports is a game of skill not a game of endurance. Look at all the other professional sports. They have a time clock; tennis is an excellent example. They to make big bucks for playing their sport. Come on PGA get with the program.
I believe continuation putting would speed up play considerably. For someone to read a putt and then leave it short, doesn’t require reading the putt again. It’s exactly the same for a putt that’s too strong. You don’t have to think about what you’ve already thought through, it’s ridiculous.
Golf at a good pace is still among the slowest of sports compared with hockey, basketball, soccer etc. So even at a fairly quick (for golf) 4 hour round paceit is already slow and does NOT need to be slower.
I HATE slow play and am stopping playing competitive golf if the tournament doesn’t enforce a slow play policy. Golf Canada tournaments are closely monitored for pace of play – they have 4 checkpoints during the round.
I believe that slow play is the ultimate act of selfishness. The slow individual thinks that their game is more important than the entire field. And of course… they rarely think they are slow. In Ontario – if you ask the rules officials who the 3 slowest players are – they all come up with the same 3 names – and yet hundreds of us play. Slow players – Speed up or find a new sport!
He is too slow like waiting paint dry
The pros should play at their own pace. If the fans stop showing up, things will change quickly.
As far as amateurs are concerned, more need to respect the etiquette of the game which will then speed up the round.
Of course recreational golf and pro golf are different but leave the Bluetooth player and the 12 year old behavior at home and the story telling for afterwards or at least for a wait time not when its someones shot and you are two holes behind! If you want to spend time “not actually golfing” please don’t do it on the golf course!
Professionals aren’t role models – they have the best of everything and they are missing 2 foot putts, fairways and bunker shots and duffing chips shots. Sure they have talent but mimicking them won’t help you play better anymore than waiting until your food is cold to eat it.
Slow play is killing the viewers and spectators appetite for the sport. The villains can say what they want about playing for the big bucks and everything else, but if they were playing my course they would told to move on or get off.
If the PGA Tour really is serious about slow play they HAVE to start penalizing players with multiple stroke penalties and fines. And not just the qualifiers, fine the stars who play too slowly.
At this point the only reason that I would quit the game and the club where I am a member would be slow play. I believe it to be the bane of the sport. All of my playing partners believe that it causes them to make mistakes.
Time taken by a slow player is time robbed from the rest.
I cannot bear slow play on my own course, and I am far from being a pro, or on the PGA tour. Our course expects the game to be no more than 4 hours and 15 minutes. Most of us, if we are not held up by the group in front, finish in under 4 hours.
Play is to slow players take far too long lining up puts it doesn’t take that long to line a put up and hit see too many players take forever and miss quit wasting time I hate 5hour games
Generally the game on TV is ok but them you get someone who grinds over a shot and never really gets back in rhythm. Next thing you know he is take to long over most shot. A marshal should be there to get players moving along. Keep up to the group in front of you and it will never be a problem. Sometimes you have to play quickly if pace of play has become slow, lost ball or hard to read putt. People need to understand that they are not the only one’s on the course, so respect the rest of the players and have a good day.
When watching golf on TV I don’t like to watch the slow players. Bryson is ridiculously slow and boring to watch. They are professionals and should be respectful of the rules and other players. For myself I mostly play at a resort course so I have to get into the slower, enjoy the day mentality or I would get very frustrated. My partner has to work on relaxing as he does get very frustrated being held up. That’s what the beer cart is for 🙂
let people play,if you have 3.5 hrs you have 4 if not stay home or don’t go to the 19th. and drink for 2hrs
I do not stand for slow play. If the group in front of me can’t keep up with the group in front of them and I’m waiting on every whole, I let the group in front of me know. Pick up the pace! Loud and clear.
It should be no different of the PGA Tour. What good is it if you warn players(put them on the clock) but never do anything about it?
We play at our own pace, drink some beers, laugh, and enjoy ourselves. Everyone’s paying and has the right to enjoy themselves within reason. And maybe it’s a southern thing but you’d get clocked yelling “pick up the pace“ on our course. Y’all need to relax or go buy your own course.
Slow play is irritating and frustrating and it only takes one group on the course to slow everyone else. Four hours is a very leisurely pace for any foursome and should be enforced by marshalls.
Slow play is easily ended with some brains and consideration.
Go to your ball and hit when ready, why do we all stand around watching each player hit. First to the ball, just hit. None of my shots need wait for an audience.
When someone loses a ball, go hit yours and then help them look.
In a cart drop the player at his/her ball, go to yours and then pick the other player up as they walk forward after having hit.
Have your conversation while walking riding, not on the tee box, while others are hitting.
Have consideration for others behind, move your cart and score at the next tee.
Geez this is so simple. No wonder we are losing players and courses. Golfers are part of the problem. I am sorry DeChambeau, no matter how fast you walk or Ben Crane takes to putt, consider others, you are the anomaly!!
We play like this and usually finish between 3.5 and 4 hours and never feel rushed.
Slow play is very disturbing,keep up with others.
De Chamb… took forever and still missed the. Putt. So A two minute allowance max should be fine then a stroke penalty aplied then for every 30 seconds after that, then another stroke etc If you have to think that much then an hour won’t help!!!
Slow play is generally most noticeable and occurs most often on the greens.
Perhaps the PGA and USGA could have timer clocks clearly visible on each green.
Determine the maximum time allotted for a putt and then start the clock when the player starts with his/her reading of the putt plus the address and stroke.
This would help all players in a tournament and be a great educational tool and reminder to all amateurs watching in person or on television.
Robb Jarvis Ashburn Golf Course Halifax Nova Scotia
I would definitely like to see the game speed up. 3 1/2 hours should be maximum. They should make the cup bigger by at least an inch on all public courses.
Everyone plays at their own pace but course etiquette is you offer the group behind to play through and that RARELY happens. It’s really frustrating. As for pro golf, a slow player can be penalized, so that issue is dealt with fairly.
I just record the golf and replay it skipping commercials and the players setting up, I just watch their shots.
Slow play is, and has been for twenty years, the biggest issue facing recreational golf. We have allowed the game to go from three and a half hours to four and a half or even more. Is it any wonder the game is in trouble? It is supposed to be a relaxed game but not a painfully slow game.
As there is two sides to this argument I believe that the group should not be penalized for slow play unless they are all slow Individuals should be put on the clock and penalized accordingly
If tennis and have a warning re the time to serve, then why should golf not have a warning re slow play. Warnings then lead to penalties, and thus reducing slow play if enforced.
Players could deliberate their clubs and shots before it’s their turn to hit and they’re not doing it. The line on the ball should have been left as a teaching aid. Even on short putts, there’s infinite fiddling with the ball. And now the pros have access to more information in their booklets on the slope of the greens. In my opinion, just hit the damn ball and play the game the way it was originally intended to be played – relying on one’s instincts and natural talent.
Give them the penalty stroke they deserve! Slow play is bass for the game!
Golf got slow when it became a big TV thing. Bad habits about pace of play has evolved ever since. Some of the viewers think their Saturday round is the Masters plus they have these “money games” going. Who cares who has the honour on the tee. First to putt out heads to the next tee and puts a peg in the ground. Nothing worse than watching the 4some ahead with the hole surrounded with 15-20 footers and they all mark their ball, putt in order of who is away, they all stalk around their putts like prowling tigers, take 5 practice strokes behind the ball, then putt blowing it 6 ft long, mark it, and the charade starts with the next person who by the way wants the pin in as the previous guy wanted it out!!
Golf on TV is hard to watch when you see player after player take 2 minutes to make a put. I record it and skip the ahead. The players should also be prepping for their turn while the other player is making a shot, get ready instead of just standing there.
There is lots of time to talk with buddies in a 3 1/4 hour rd and then at coffee etc after. I have played and the group behind is 3 holes behind. Somewhere there is a happy medium on pace of play. Golf should never be over 3 1/2 hours. If you are longer then that what are you doing out there.
I played a round yesterday with 2 gentlemen that were paired up with me at the golf course. We were all carting it but we were falling behind the 4-some ahead of us as these guys were imitating what they see on the PGA.
They were lining up putts from in front and behind the hole and checking the lay of the green from beside the putting line. It was brutal. They both had rangefinders and GPS watches. When they drove out to their balls, they would drive out to both balls and rather than drop one guy off with his clubs, they would both drive back to the first ball, have that guy check his yardage with both his GPS and rangefinder, take a couple of practice swings and finally hit the ball. Then they would drive to the other guys ball where he would repeat the same process. Finally on the 8th tee, the Marshall came by and told us to pick it up as we were a hole and a half behind.
My front 9 score was about 5 or 6 strokes worse than my average score as i was fuming inside. Once we picked up the pace, I finally started playing well.
Another pet peeve of mine,and I ran into it thia few days ago, is very long rough on public courses. How are we supposed to play fast if we have to hunt for every ball that just rolls off the fairway? The tour has spotters up front leaving markers next to the ball…we’ve got nothing.
When I play with my brother in law, we play ready golf…no honours. We play early and are done in about 2.5 to 3 hours and I’m usually home by the time my family is getting out of bed!
I think golf takes too long to play. I have gone to playing 9 hole rounds rather than 18 because I don’t want to spend between 4.5 and 6 hours on a course any more.
At the pro level where each shot could be worth several thousand dollars it’s hard to criticize in the same way, but extreme examples like deChambeau can be criticized in any forum as they are far beyond any reasonable justification.
Golf is no more a deliberate function, game or not, than many more things in our lives that some people think should be deliberate.Being a game, it is supposed to be first and foremost fun…..FUN , I’ll repeat. Yes, the almighty dollar sign adds an asterisk to the question for the pros. But should it really? Many pro players have been heard commenting about going out there and having fun.
C’mon, speed it up guys!
Putt the damn ball Bryson!
Slow play is a big problem and there is no evidence that playing slow is playing better. It’s bad enough that the pros do it but ordinary golfers watch tv golf and think if a pro does it it must be ok.
I believe all PGA players should be timed in all tournaments. They should be allowed no more than 4 hours and 50 mins to play. The walking time at 2 mph for the course length should be deducted so what is left is their thinking time. Each players clock should start when it is their turn to start and stop when they take their shot. Anyone who goes over their time should have one stroke added to their score for each 2 mins over.
It’s always a few that spoil it for the many. Marshals need to be proactive why piss off 4,5 or more groups when’s one group is holding everyone up. Our club championship was a prime example of one or two players adding at least 1 hour to a round of golf by walking off shots looking at notes etc… spoiling it for the rest. Golfers looking for lost balls way too long. Keep the group in front of you in sight go to your ball as long as your not interfering with your groups line of play and be ready to hit.
the simple solution at public courses is the proper use of marshals they can and do at some courses ask you to pick up the pace,or move to the next tee if you are really far behind. The PGA has a rule in place enforce it or shut up about it.
I like the Scottish time to play. No room for slow play at any level. Players should know what and how they want to play a shot as they approach their ball. As for putting their caddie knows the breaks so analyze and putt
I don’t want to run around the course but I don’t want to meander like a turtle either. It’s a fine line. There’s lots of time for talk on the course. Play ready golf. Be ready to play when it’s your shot. Be assessing what you are going to do before you get to your ball. Read your putt while others are putting. Make a decision quickly and make the shot. It will be better for you, better for your playing partners and better for the group behind you.
I am currently a bogie golfer who believes a round of golf should not take any longer than 4 hrs. When I first stated golfing I played with buddies that were (are ) 1- 5 handicaps. If I at the time who took anywhere from 110 to 125 shots did not keep up to the pace of play, they would not have invited me back again.Young people do not want to invest 5 hrs in a round of golf.
I do believe the pace of play of some of the Pro’s is to slow. (They play in threesomes and twosomes with caddies that advise them as to where and what to hit and putt. )It shouldn’t take that long.
The PGA has a time limited but don’t have the balls to use it this guy would not be a big lose if he was suspended and besides he is cheating as far as I’m concerned with anchoring the putter handle. Penalize these slow players.
Slow play is unacceptable. While occasionally a lie or a put can be difficult to read, it is rare that the excess time taken improves the outcome. A few practice swings or a once around the putting line should be enough. I have stopped watching live and record everything so I can fast-forward through the tedium.
I blame tv for slow play at the local level.People see the pros walk around the green taking all kinds of time to putt and then they think they have to do the same
But I do understand that the average golfer does not hit as far as the pros and then it takes longer to get to the green if only people would realize it is ok to play from the forward tees it actuay changes your game plan if you try it.
Give the caddies a range finder, that is the only information they give the pro. We donot need the caddy and pro stand there and talk about the wind, the grass, and all the little things. The pro gets to the ball ask for a distance and club then hits the ball. All the talk about playing for the big dollars should not mean that it takes 6 hours to play a round of golf. Me wife and I play 18 holes walking in 3 hours or less (7000 yard course) with lots of time to look for golf balls and enjoy being outside. Space tee times to 15 minutes there should be no reason a group is waiting for the group ahead. Max time to play is 3.5 hours let’s get moving! Penalty should DQ.
I play with a buddy and we play in 2 1/2 hours walking as a twosome. 18 holes and we both regularly shoot in the 70’s, we both have jobs and don’t have time to practice a lot. How can someone who plays golf for a living and have all day to practice take that long to play. And it is the trickle down effect from pro’s to the public, as every wannabe hacker takes too much tome lining up putts or standing over their shot because that’s what the pro’s do.
Speed it up already! While we’re young folks!!
Play is definitely too slow. The Golf Channel personnel keep referring to we weekend players well it’s got to start at the top. Have the professionals speed up their game then maybe we weekend players will follow their lead. Definitely too slow
I’ve played golf for 40 years, and the last round I had, used up 39 of them.
Few have the time to spend more than 3 hours watching a game or playing one. To speed up
a) televised games, assess a one stroke penalty for slow play, and
b) fun rounds with buddies, strive for 3.5 hours, insist on leaving the flag in, and encourage marshals to hasten slow groups.
I am a 28 handicap, but I rarely lose a ball and if I do put one out, I’ll quickly look for it and if not drop.
If I’m playing alone, with no one in front of me, I can get around my clubs 18 hole 6600 yard course in 2 hours and 30 minutes, and I frequently do preferring early morning rounds. If I shoot a rare 91 or a 107, the pace is just about the same.
If I’m on the left of a wide fairway and my playing partners are on the right, I can quitely walk to my ball, stop walking and watch their ball when they have gone through their routine and are ready to hit, and then continue walking to my ball, decide my distance on the way, plan a shot, laser it if I need to when I get there, and hit right away.
More often than not I end up paired with much lower handicaps on paper who do nothing to increase pace, hit just as many errant shots, not give themselves proper penalty strokes, and worst of all line up their putts from every damn angle and still miss them by a mile and then repeat the whole process again. And while the other person is lining up their putt, just waiting, not looking at their line, not looking at the pace of the green, just waiting for their turn to start.
It isn’t rocket appliance.
3.5 hours is plenty of time to play a round. The mindset of all players need to get back to that of the way the game was designed in Scotland!! Hurry up slow pokes! You are turning people off of a great game because everyone doesn’t have a whole day to waste playing a game!! I want golf to remain an 18 hole game.
Watching slow players is comparable to watching paint dry. The PGA Tour needs to get serious about slow players.
Slow play is definitely a problem. Played this weekend in the club championship. Saturday tee-offs were A class men, then B class then the Ladies. It took 3 hours to play the first nine holes. Five and half hours for the eighteen. Painful!!! For the second round Ladies were off first. We were in in just over 4 hours. The b class men said the ladies need to be lead off next year. One problem is the flag in/out rule. One wants it out the next player wants it in and so on. It should be either in or out for the foursome. Come on PGA get it right next time.
There are so many little things people can do to speed up the game without rushing. Why do players feel they need to let the furthest from the hole play first if they aren’t ready and you are. It is so frustrating to be ready to play and watch people on the green taking endless amounts of time putting over and over, waiting for their turn, missing the putt etc etc. Players need to understand there is no rule against playing when you are ready, even if someone else is farther from the hole. You may think it is fine to be slow and deliberate, but have some consideration for all the people behind you waiting.
Slow play should not be tolerated, all the players hit it roughly the same distance and have reasonable short games, getting to the green should not be a time consuming ordeal. What separates the top players is putting, most players play practice rounds and have caddies that help read greens an average putting time should be determined and players put on the clock.
Club players watching the theatrics used by pros bring annoying habits to the golf course thinking the extra time to read putts is the standard.
You can’t play a 7600 yd course as fast as you can a 6000 yd course…that’s obvious. Every course has different characteristics which lend themselves to what should be an ideal pace for that course. The ideal pace should be posted on #1 tee. My course has a 4 hour sign and everyone is expected to play to it. We usually play in a foursome and usually are well under the 4 hr limit……….so…………tour players playing in twosomes and taking 5+ hours??? Why??? 2 stroke penalties are the only solution and the sooner that’s implemented, the better.
PGA tour players are the best in the world and they cannot play a round of golf in 4 hours?
Slow play is killing the game, particularly at the club level where 5 hour rounds are common on weekends. People want to get their money’s worth but it is chasing others away.
At the professional level, I would like to see caddies eliminated so that players had to make their own decisions. I doubt I will ever see that as we are now have players talking about their “teams”.
Golf is a game that can, and should be, and for years was played in less than 4 hours. Certainly the PGA example has done much to lengthen the time taken. The PGA has rules to speed up play, but seldom if ever bothers to enforce them. Lots of PGA players are ready and can play their shots within the allotted time. What makes the Kevin Na’s and the JB Holmes and the de Chambeaus so special that they need or deserve twice as long to hit a shot? Last year Padraig Harrington took more than 10 minutes to hit a LAYUP shot to a par 5. The exchange with his caddie revolved around every aspect of a golf shot, including whether he wanted to end up at 85 or 87 yards out! Seriously? I wanted to throw a glass through the television! And then I end up playing with people who emulate his precision(?) because obviously he must know how to do if. No excuse PGA. ENFORCE THE RULES! And be an advocate for speeding up play at all levels. The tennis tours have introduced a shot clock for serving, and the slow servers have adapted. Billiards has a shot clock that players seldom notice and two extensions for tricky shots that require more thinking. Current system is not fair for the golfers who are falling asleep waiting for their opponents.
Slow play is bad for the game. Let’s treat this as a sport, not a stroll in the park. The good players are quick players i.e. Brooke, Rory, Justin. They all won tournaments. No one needs five minutes to read a putt especially the pros. Keep to pace up golfers.
I’m on the side of ‘ready golf’, not the suppose of courteries of who shot best on the last hole goes first on the next hole etc….it’s golf after all said and done…..an outing of tackling the course elements, the weather at times, your personal golfing style….and certainly d r a g g i n g out the time elements is totally not necessary, in fact it is rude ! PACE of PLAY must be ENFORCED !
Far too many times I see ‘amateurs’, or weekend duffers, hacking away…playing more than one ball, spending far too long looking for lost balls, fooling around, influenced by alcohol, and just ignorant about their surroundings and others who want to play GOLF and may, just may, want to finish their round reasonably and have other things to do than waste 5+ hours @ golf.
We have used ready golf for years. We also have played a number of scrambles but some of the guys don’t like it.
Leaving the pin in is also helpful.
The really slow players are not asked to join us. Anything over 4 hours is an unacceptable pace.
There is no reason for slow play As Julius Boros used to say, “Study the hell out of it for 2 seconds and hit it”. The tour pros are setting an extremely bad example for everyday golfers. There is no reason that an 18 hole round of golf should take more than 4 hours and this is by walking not taking a cart. The club golfer sees the pros look at a shot/putt every which way to Sunday and think they have to do the same. Come on! See the ball, hit the ball. You’ll probably play better. Go to Scotland. if a foursome plays in longer than 4 hours, you’ll here about it. And yes, take your cell phone an leave it in the car. You’re there to play golf, not answer phone calls!
They are professionals so it should not take that much time to hit a shot. If they were ready when it was their time to hit there would be no problem.
Golf should be played in a reasonable time 3.5 to 4 hours when there are players standing over there shots for extended times that affect all players on the course it becomes frustrating to those with that player and all behind play I’ve played at one course were they have a clock at every other hole to keep play in line so if you started at 10 you finished the 18th hole at 10 by there clock it helped keep control of play was a good game didn’t need someone to tell you to move faster
They should put a clock on each individual and be penalized one stroke for each ten minutes over four and a half hours
Golf is primarily a mind game
Surely one can relax for a few minutes while your companion gets focused
So name another pro sport that doesn’t have a time clock. They also play for millions each week..
I agree that the pace of play has become slow on a lot of courses however there are some circumstances that come into play on public courses. You may have first time golfers or those who have never played the course before. You also have players who don’t know golf etiquette. My son and 9 year old grandson played a round a couple of weeks ago. They played the front 9 in 1 1/2 hours and were having a great time. They got to the back 9 and were behind a foursome and it took 1 1/2 hours to play 4 holes. The group in front would not let them play through so they skipped a couple of holes and went ahead. Not a marshal in sight. They said they would never go back to the course. I am 69 years old this month and try to play as quickly as possible. If I hit a ball that I even suspect I may not find I hit a provisional. I don’t know how many times I have seen my friends walk all the way back to the tee. I have plantar faciitis and it is very painful but I still manage to play in 3 1/2 hours or less.
I am a weekend duffer. This is only the second season I have played. The very first thing I learned was that if I could not play well, at least I could play fast. There is nothing I hate worse than following golfers who spend 3 minutes lining up their shots and then consistently slicing it into the woods. The last round I played, neither of the twosome in front of me had hit a drive more than 150 yards all day. On a 295 yard hole they waited until the green cleared before they teed off. On another hole, 3 times they spent 5 minutes looking for lost balls. The round took 5 hours. There was not a Marshall in sight the entire round. As much as it would bother me to be confronted by a marshall, I would rather take that chance than to have no solution for slow play.
I’m on the side of play is far too slow. Regardless of the fact that they’re playing for money, it shouldn’t take 2 pros who together hit about 90 shots and 50 putts between them, with Marshalls finding the infrequent lost balls, 4-5 hours to play.
4 amateurs hitting over 200 shots and 130 putts, and looking for their ball, are expected to play in 4 1/2!!
Slow play by weekend golfers is a by product of those emulating players like Dechambeau thinking that it’s acceptable because that’s what the pros do. As Arnold Palmer has said when he played with slow player he reportedly said “In our lifetime “ to hurry them up. Maybe all players should heed Mr Palmer’s words.
I’m fairly new to golf and am wanting to watch my partners and enjoy the whole endeavour. If I pay $85 for 18 I hate to be rushed. I’m happy to spend 5 hours playing. If I wanted a quick game I’d do something else.
There is a absolutely no reason a round of golf should be more than 4:15 the pga has rules but seem reluctant to enforce them it is the same at our club management is very reluctant to discipline slow play – remove them or have the slow group miss a hole to get back in place
I like the comment often seen in Scotland. ‘ your place on the course is immediately behind the people in front of you not immediately in front of the people behind you.’.
I once played, walking, Muirfield in Scotland in three hours, twice in the one day. Magic.
A great game diminished by slow play. No one likes a 5 hour round.
Use the clock! If a group falls behind according to the clock leaving a hole or two, move them up. Slow plays penalty is loss of hole [s]
Play ready! When you get to your ball, hit it.
A round should take 4 hours—max.
Let’s get a move on.
Professional golf can police itself, if viewers want to watch 6 hour rounds of golf that is up to them. As for playing recreational golf, rules of ready golf coupled with relaxed rules should result in rounds of 4 hours maximum on any given course on any given day. in fact most recreational golf courses should see rounds of 3.5 hours or less.
The trouble with many recreational golfers is lack of knowledge of the rules, not adhering to ready golf and emulating the pros which result in far too much waiting and watching instead of playing the game.
Learn the rules and play ready golf! Even if you are playing for bragging rights or a favourite beverage of choice. Keeping the game in motion will result in greater enjoyment of the game and more participation.
I think if they were ready to play their next shot when its their turn instead of waiting til then it wouldn’t take so long I know we as ametuers only take four and a half hours most of the time when we play some times less and a little more at times and we take a lot more shots than they do I know we don’t play for a lot of money but shouldn’t matter also lf they enforce the rules on it like they do all the other rules it would help a lot
NBA has a shot clock, Football has a play clock… if they are such professionals then they shouldn’t need as much time as a recreational golfer, IMO.
They need to be held to the playing rules. Golf is a game of honour, time for the players to honour the rules.
it is a problem. Lets put a time limit on when a player has to make the shot, say 45 seconds when he reaches his shot. Of course this time limit does not apply if a ruling is required. The player and the caddie have plenty of time to assess wind, etc. before they reach their ball. Distance takes no time. Also get rid of the green reading book. This slows everything up and what happened to the skill of being able to read the green without assistance other than from your caddie. The penalty for slow play must be a stoke charged as a monetary fine is useless.
Slow play is one of the reasons I record a tournament. Fast forward works wonders in speeding up play.
Pace of play on the Tour could be improved considerably if yardage and green info books were eliminated.
The European Tour experimented with a timed shot clock which kept pace of play moving.
There are options if only the PGA and the Tour would buy in. The problem at clubs is that amateurs see the pros taking extended time over shots and they believe that is how the game is played. READY GOLF !
For the most part the pace is fine. It’s just a few who seem to make it an issue. This trickles down to the recreational golfer who tries to be like the pros. A normal round for us should be 4-4 1/2 hours. We don’t play for that kind of money, have crowds following us around or have tv cameras watching us. Keep it moving by being ready when it’s your turn.
Golf is a sport requiring you as a player to have consideration to your fellow competitor/player. Slow play is a major violation to this rule.
Pace of play is as much to do with everyone on the course not just those in your group and in particular the ones behind you. Ready golf is a great solution an d truely doesn’t take away from group experience.
Pace of play is too slow. My foursome plays early in the morning and this summer, we have asked to play through more times than ever. Three weeks ago, we played through a foursome that soon fell 2 holes behind us. Shameful.
Slow play is definitely a problem. The guilty players should be penalized with added strokes not fines. These players already have more money that they need.
I also think that the green reading books should be disallowed. The players should be able to read the greens themselves (with the assistance of their caddy if needed).
Yes I have seen golfers wait until buddy has putted or hit from fairway when they could lining up or getting yardage to hit .When they are not in line of play get ready. If the time limit per is say 15 minutes the pro who is causing this should be charged one stoke ,if they do it again 2 stokes .Third time DQ. Do not charge both as this usually only one pro as with Rory Sabatini when his play partner took so much time that they were ,I think ,two hole behind .Rory was so mad that he was fined that after he holed out he left his partner to continue playing on his own. Fines for the pros do not work but you take stokes away this will hurt them more and they continue do this in other tournament the tour should take away their card. Slow play is not a right it get others mad.
Yes slow play wrecks the game for others.
I think the change should start in the college ranks, developing proper etiquette & time management in their games. I understand that college golf is also big business but if corrected at this level, they will be indoctrinated by the time time they get to the big tour.
I agree the game is too slow. Penalize them immediately as they are also effecting their playing partners. Another way to speed things up is to have the players read their own putts. Don’t allow caddies on the greens then we will really see who the best golfer is not the golfer who can afford to pay the best caddie
this is real simple-just put the $ number of the value of the putt on the screen and then the real number…what the player likely keeps (probably 35%) an dthen what that number is relative to his total income in that year…That way we can compare the impact on his or her life of making or missing that putt because we can make it relative to our lives …and the impact that amount of money would make on our lives…Of course then the player would have to disclose how much money they actually made and how good their lifestyle is compared to the average putz who watches …Also they would have to disclose the fact that they get paid for the amount of seconds they are on tv wearing and showing sponsors colors and we are forced to watch it..and how much they get paid per second …
At the PGA level, players are given too much information to digest. Take away yardage books and green charts, allow them to use distance lasers (including elevation calculations) provide pin sheets. If a group is out of position, then the clock is set and penalties are imposed as established by the rules. It doesn’t take three minutes to read an eight foot putt, use eyes, use your feet, consult with your caddie (if needed) and hit your putt. Period
For the record our Club expects us to play 9 holes in 2 hours, failing that we are put on notice. In fairness we are not playing for money but the pros can drive the ball further than my second shot. Sorry pros no excuses for slow play.
I’ve been a golfer for 35+ years.
The number one thing that irritates me are slow golfers.They are either so busy yapping to their playing partners without a care about who is waiting behind them, or lining up that putt as if they were putting for the green jacket(even though I estimate that sinking it would be for oh I don’t know AN 8)
Then there’s the ones that don’t grasp the concept of ready golf.
I have seen groups where all four golfers go to EACH BALL and wait till it’s hit, then move to next closest etc.
Seriously?
I play a lot better when I can get into a rhythm.Having to follow behind turtle golfers totally screws up my game.
Who’s with me?
I was taught that we have 50 seconds per shot when any time hitting the ball, it just should be unforced no exceptions.There are only a few golfers that prepare for their shot while waiting for their turn and just walk up to the ball and hit it. Slow play to me is the camera following pros fault it’s like they want to put on a show for the audience just play people.
Pick up the pace. Your position in golf is directly behind the group in front of you, not directly ahead of the group behind you.
I believe that some professionals play slow to aggravate the rest of their fellow competitors.
Once on the green a player should be given a reasonable amount of time. When the first player putts the clock begins for the next closer to the hole.
Get rid of slow play!!! No more looking at the putt from all sides and then discussing with the caddie. No more walking up to the green to scout it out??!! No more waiting for the slight breeze to change. Those details are what the caddie gets paid for, and welcome to the real world – assess the situation and make a play – quickly.
I think it is the responsibility of the PGA to set the timing guidelines and stick to it. A individual player should be put on the clock and if at the end of the round he is over the time limit the PGA is going to have to enforce the rules.
Once they do this the players will have no choice but to comply with the rules or be penalized strokes.
Golf is really slow nowadays. It starts from the televised
aspect and PGA rules. One stupid one is dropping ball from knee, a waste of time just place it and get on with it as they end up doing anyways. Lining up puts there needs to be maximum time and the same when approaching shots on the course and there’s no reason for them not to play ready golf. When I play think about my upcoming shot while on the way to ball. I’m looking at my put while waiting . Harder for me as I don’t have all the insight the pro’s have.
The pro game is ridiculously slow. It’s interesting that two of the fastest players are 1 & 2 in the world. The rest should try speeding up they may play better
Get rid of the line on the ball and green books that some players take too long to read and then their caddie has to read it too. It really gets ridiculous at times.
I just played 18 holes of golf that took 5 hours. Ridiculous, and it’s killing the game. Nobody wants this. Enforce the rules of the game and solved! Why aren’t we?
I think the pace of play is way to slow. 4 hours is more than enough time to play around of golf.
“Being ready to play” doesn’t mean waiting until your playing partners have hit their shot and THEN going through your routine. Similarily, if one of the group is in trouble I would always recommend playing your ball first, then going to help locate their ball. Small actions like these will help improve the pace.
There is an old saying “golf is played behind the group in front , not in front of the group behind.”
Lets keep the pace good.
Things change. Once golf was a game for the select who owned the course and had all day on an uncrowded course. As the industry grew the game for financial gain the number of golfers grew. The manager of my local course tells me he constantly worries about getting enough players and clubhouse patrons to remain solvent (I have read that one golf course closes each week). But crowded courses make for slow play: increased numbers of beginner, novice, elderly and others prone to slower play affect pace, as well as those who have not yet familiarized themselves with the etiquette of golf. Having marshals run people off the course for falling behind is problematic unless the course plans to reimburse them their green fee and accept that less will be spent in the clubhouse and/or pro shop. The idea of separate sets of rules for different levels may be valid. The suggestion recently of reducing the number of holes in a round may also carry validity. A friend suggests different times of day access or access to championship courses in favor of nine-hole courses depending on handicap. Personally, I would support making a rule of no mulligans and “do-over” shots along with a hard and fast rule of two over par max strokes per hole for recreational play. Or we could just return to the days of private courses (country clubs) for elite groups of “players”.
As for the PGA (professional play), you’d think a professional would know his/her job well enough to just walk up and hit. Speaking of walking up, that’s when the player should be planning the next shot and not wait until they are standing over the ball. Reducing the size of purses might reduce the size of the field–problem solved; Reduce the number of players who can qualify for any particular tournament; Drop the three minute search — if the ball isn’t found by the time the player reaches it then it’s a compulsory immediate drop; groups have scorers — give them timers too; No being “put on the clock” — players keep up or are immediately penalized (making them responsible for keeping track of the pace instead of some course official); Better yet, if marshalls can run rec players of a course then at the pro level players should be immediately disqualified.
Absolutely, slow play on the PGA Tour is impacting the general pace of play in the amateur game. I see very young players emulating every mannerism of their PGA idols. Other golfers just don’t realize that they’re taking too much time because that is the example they see every week on TV. I don’t care if a pro’s putt is worth a ton of cash, they have the extreme good fortune to be playing out there and should feel an absolute responsibility to give back to this great game by setting the correct example for all of us.
I feel that there are certain circumstance where it may take longer to play a shot, however when they are playing shots from the fairway / rough/ bunkers/ sand traps which are of the normal in golf they should be able to play within the timelines as they have all the yard ages in there books and a Caddie to assist them in making their decisions in a timely manner. This also includes putting in timely manner, not in the time frames demonstrated by many golfers.
We try to implement a round of golf in 4 hrs and 18 mins
. Most of our members will play in 4hrs or less. Why not the professionals.
Here’s the way I see it. If I’m playing a local course that gives you the option of walking ( which I prefer ), but 80% of the people that day choose a power cart, I don’t want to be criticized constantly by the course marshal that our group is holding everybody up. That really upsets me. However, the professional level of golf creates a much different scenario. Everyone on the course is walking, the caddie is doing most of the work and the pro has so much experience with every type of shot, that his decision making should always be swift and quite accurate. If it isn’t, how did he ( or she ) get to that level of play in the first place? The only things that should slow them down are washroom breaks, on course interviews and any injuries that may occur during play. They are human after all.