I live in Toronto, and will often play a round at one or 2 of the city public courses.

My issue is this: I am paying $54-65 to play a 6h30m long round of golf on a 5400 yard course that is poorly maintained (too many divots, and ball marks/craters on the greens). When I complain to the head pro he goes on to justify that 6 hours is normal for a busy Friday.

Don't get me wrong, I love nature and going for a stroll, but I like to play golf at a reasonable pace. Otherwise I would just go to the park.

I find that on all the city courses, people are jammed on to the first tee as soon as they get there, with maybe 4-6 minutes between groups. The city is so concerned with making as much money off green fees as possible that they lose sight of creating a pleasant experience for the golfers. Waiting 10 minutes to tee off at each hole sucks, and it throws off any flow or rhythm one might get in to.

Something should be done about this, but I know that it will only get worse. Everything in this damn city is so expensive. Oh well time to move and play golf outside the city I guess...

Fortunately, I am able to play mid-week so while I answered the poll as "5 Hours", I usually manage to get around in under 4 hours except weekends. My recommendation is to vote with your feet. Go somewhere that they appreciate your business and get you around the course in under 5 hours, even if it costs a bit more in time and greens fees.

bkuehn1952 wrote:

Fortunately, I am able to play mid-week so while I answered the poll as "5 Hours", I usually manage to get around in under 4 hours except weekends. My recommendation is to vote with your feet. Go somewhere that they appreciate your business and get you around the course in under 5 hours, even if it costs a bit more in time and greens fees.

I guess I should know better than to expect a reasonably paced round on a weekend, even during the day on Friday. Typically when I play during the week I get a round in around 4 hours as well, but weekends are just ridiculous... the prices go up, the experience is generally worse, and the pace of play is much longer... bah.

Four hours is a long round to me. If my round takes that long, I consider the course to be slow. I don't mind four hour rounds. Don't get me wrong there. I actually prefer the round where I have about a minute (or so) to wait on each hole. But when that round gets up into the four and a half hour range, I will start to get a little bit frustrated.

I voted 4, but I have been stuck in 7 hour rounds before. Yesterday the course was SO BUSY that it took 7 hours!

I play every Friday morning. As a 2some, we get 18 done in 3 hours, 3 1/2 hours is when someone in front is holding us up. So I voted about 4.

Matt

When all other things are equal, and a course isn't overcrowded, the length of a round has as much to do with a golfer's skill level than anything else. Obviously it takes a lot more time to shoot 105 than it does 85. My typical round is about 4 hours, but my better rounds are less. I've also found that if I try to play faster, I play worse and have to spend more time looking for wayward balls.

SteveMM wrote:

When all other things are equal, and a course isn't overcrowded, the length of a round has as much to do with a golfer's skill level than anything else. Obviously it takes a lot more time to shoot 105 than it does 85. My typical round is about 4 hours, but my better rounds are less. I've also found that if I try to play faster, I play worse and have to spend more time looking for wayward balls.

I don't have a problem with people taking their time to get the right angle or line their putts up... just courses that jam too many people on too fast, while overcharging for a course that should be worth half as much. They seem to think its ok to charge 150-200% the cost their course is worth just for the convenience of being located in a major city. I think I'm just fed up with living in this very expensive city... everything is overpriced.

Played a five hour round yesterday. It was excruciating.

Played a three hour round today.

I can play in less than 3 hours when it's just me. I have the luxury of living in rural Alabama. It's so beautiful down here and so many golf courses. I'm a teacher, so during the summer weekdays the courses are nearly deserted. It's wonderful. Now....with a friend coupled with us both losing balls and such ...it's over 4 hours.

I have had rounds where I've been able to get back in my car in under 4 hours. There have been days when I feel like I've spent the entire day on the course.

Average around me (NE MA) is about 5+ on the weekends, if you get on a course that has no marhsals and cares nothing for pace of play.

There is really no way to tell how long a round will take. A couple years ago, I was in AZ on business. I brought my clubs, figuring I could get a couple rounds in after work. I managed to play 2 9-hole rounds at the same 9-hole muni on consecutive days.

Day 1, I got there about 5, teed of by 5:15 and was in the car heading back to the hotel at 6:15. I walked the 9 by myself, and the round literally took my about 45 minutes.

Day 2, I got there about the same time. I caught up to a pair of high school kids on the 3rd hole and was invited to join them. I didn't get back to the hotel until almost 7:30, after one of the most excruciatingly long 9's I have ever played. The same course that I walked in 45 minutes the day before took almost 2 hours, and we barely finished, as the sun was just dipping below the horizon as we teed off on the last hole.

bo_ruz wrote:

I live in Toronto, and will often play a round at one or 2 of the city public courses. My issue is this: I am paying $54-65 to play a 6h30m long round of golf on a 5400 yard course that is poorly maintained (too many divots, and ball marks/craters on the greens). When I complain to the head pro he goes on to justify that 6 hours is normal for a busy Friday. Don't get me wrong, I love nature and going for a stroll, but I like to play golf at a reasonable pace. Otherwise I would just go to the park. I find that on all the city courses, people are jammed on to the first tee as soon as they get there, with maybe 4-6 minutes between groups. The city is so concerned with making as much money off green fees as possible that they lose sight of creating a pleasant experience for the golfers. Waiting 10 minutes to tee off at each hole sucks, and it throws off any flow or rhythm one might get in to. Something should be done about this, but I know that it will only get worse. Everything in this damn city is so expensive. Oh well time to move and play golf outside the city I guess...

I feel for you having to play in these conditions. I can play great little rural courses around here during the week for 15$ bucks and like 25$ for nicer courses. After twilight ....the deals are even better.

I once got the 1st tee time of the day by myself and played 18 in 1 hour 45 minites.

Alone, during weekday afternoons, it takes me 2.5 to 3 hours -- taking my time, practicing short game shots and putting. I've played 36 in 5 hours often (twilight rates, finish before sunset) in no hurry.
It bugs me that courses encourage people to play in 4.5 hours -- that's too slow. A foursome should be able to play in under 4 hours.

me & my buddy play in 3.25 to 3.45 hours depending upon how many of my balls we have to search for. We dont really ever pay attention to the time though and routinely get passed by a pair playing speed golf. There is always one group that races around the course.

Speaking of racing, I have played 18 on an empty course by myself in under 2 hours without hurrying.