When I was in high school I got into golf in the late 80's. For the most part it was fairly unrushed, you could take your time and enjoy a beautiful day at a course. Then it seems like Tiger Woods came along just a couple years later and reinvigorated the sport. Alot more of use younger generation were getting into the game and more and more courses were built to meet the demand. But what happened during this time? I think in the mid to late 90's you would occasionally run into some rude prick that you want to flip into a water trap but after 2000 it seemed like there was one of those guys on a course at any given moment. It seems "Ready Golf" is giving way to a more rushed form of golf as courses cram more people into the schedule every day. I remember a year or two ago where an altercation wound up with an elderly man dying after being punched in the face. Is this kind of attitude exist on just public courses or are the John Daily wanna be A-holes on the private courses rushing everyone as well?

My experience has been that most players are considerate and non-confrontational. There are always the exceptions to everything but I rarely experience it.

On a crowded course, most of us only ask that the group in front of us keeps up with the group ahead of them. If a group gets out of position, it is their responsibility to do what is necessary to close the gap. Letting people play through is not the solution in most cases. If the group is slow, constantly letting others play though just disrupts the round for everyone. Pick up the pace or pick up your ball.

On a less crowded course, it makes more sense for a 4-some to step aside for a 2-some if the faster/smaller group catches the slower/larger group. Sometimes people consider allowing a group to play through as some sort of insult ("We are not THAT slow ... let those SOB's wait!!). I look at it as common courtesy and hope it is reciprocated some day when I am in the smaller group.

Finally, if you are taking beginners out, consider doing so later in the day and play 9 holes (18 holes is a looooong time for an inexperienced golfer). I typically play a scramble with the grandkids. We all hit from various tees and then take the best shot. It is fun to see the sour faces of the group behind us when they note the kids teeing it up. Then we take off with our scramble and no one can keep up.

I hear ya. I'm just seeing more guys getting frustrated openly on the course not always at us but at other golfers as well. The thing is some of the guys are regular members that clubs tolerate due to deep pockets of the guy to the course or they simply do not want to confront the guy. I've been to several courses where the club is well aware of some of the problems but rarely choose to do anything.

I generally don't get agitated with slow play anymore. it's the EXTREMELY slow play that gets to me, especially if i'm having a particularly good round. It's one thing to take 8 shots on a hole, but it's another to take 8 shots and only be half way to the cup. That's really my only agitated time. The way i see it, I paid money to be on the course and i'm going to get my money's worth of scenery and fresh air/manicured grass/ and fun.


Last time i really encountered the type of guys you were talking about it was late in the season last year. They were constantly riding me and the people i met on the course so we let them through and stared them down as they hit shot after shot and held us up because their roll ended and they went back to being 90 shooters (no offense). I think you're right - a lot more people are in a hurry these days and i don't know why.

I haven't played alot of different courses, but the ones I find myself going back to frequently are the ones that are either rarely busy, or are fairly strict on pace of play. Those that are strict have rangers out on the course and they will ask you to get back into position. If they come back by and you're still out of position they will be a little less polite about it. If a third request is required, it's not to get back into position, it's to leave.

mjaber, I'd like to play on courses like that more often. I'm just the type of guy that likes to take golf semi-seriously, and I have fun when the pace of play is brisk. I have no problem with 4, 4.5 or even a 5 hour round... but it's when marshals do nothing to speed up those 6 or 7 hour rounds, and when the pro shop over packs the course and starts foursomes every 4-6 minutes on the first tee.

bah, frustrating!

you know, those marshalls are a double edged sword.

I played a 3 hour 45 minute round a few weeks ago in a foursome. There was no one in front of us, and the group behind us was generally just getting up to the tee box when we were moving out of their range. They had maybe a minute or so wait on some holes. No wait on others. And then there were two holes where we all struggled. And guess when the ranger passed by? On those two holes.

Our entire round took three hours and 45 minutes as a walking foursome. We weren't holding anyone up. But the perception was that we were. I talked to the group behind us in the parking lot afterwards. They were fine with our pace of play.

This has happened to me more than once. But when I'm on the course with groups in front of me holding me up, where is the ranger then?

Bryan K wrote:

you know, those marshalls are a double edged sword. I played a 3 hour 45 minute round a few weeks ago in a foursome. There was no one in front of us, and the group behind us was generally just getting up to the tee box when we were moving out of their range. They had maybe a minute or so wait on some holes. No wait on others. And then there were two holes where we all struggled. And guess when the ranger passed by? On those two holes. Our entire round took three hours and 45 minutes as a walking foursome. We weren't holding anyone up. But the perception was that we were. I talked to the group behind us in the parking lot afterwards. They were fine with our pace of play. This has happened to me more than once. But when I'm on the course with groups in front of me holding me up, where is the ranger then?

A 3h45m long round is perfect! I can see what you mean about them being a double edged sword though.

3 hours and 45 minutes in a 4-ball? That is pretty quick!
A good marshall recognizes fast groups based on their overall speed on the timetable, not on 1 or 2 holes. I know many that play badly when a marshall is in sight. A good marshall is invisible until his presence is needed.