Reprinted with Permission from Play240golf.Com

Reprinted with permission from play240golf.com The Slow Play Conundrum Did you know that if you were asked to rate your own pace-of-play….You and not a single golfer would think that you were slower than average. Yet, if you were asked if slow play is a problem on the course 90% of you would say yes.

So…..If a golf course has no slow players…. why do rounds of golf take considerably longer to play than 4-hours? The answer is simple. Slow golfers do not know they are slow!

Try to tell a slow golfer he is slow? They will deny it and claim they are not slow. Tell them to pick-up the pace and the slow golfer will always fall back into the bad habits that cause slow play.

The question is…… How can golfers understand and rate their own pace-of-play accurately? By educating golfers into a program that for the first time quantifies and clearly defines slow play. Golfers that consistently take longer than 30 seconds to complete their golf shot are slow

The reason golfers take longer than 30 seconds to complete a golf shot is they are not ready to play when it’s their turn. The reasons for not being ready are bad habits and poor golf etiquette.  Not having your golf glove on before it is your turn.  Not having a club in hand  Multiple practice swings Combine these bad habits and the golfer has taken much more than 30 seconds.

A golfer’s turn begins when the player before them strikes their ball…..or when the group in front has cleared. This is when your 30-second time frame begins.

Pace-of-Play is a Math Problem

You won’t find this question on a SAT exam. The answer however, is for all golfers interested in helping a “slow golfer” improve their pace-of- play. Consider the following;  Your foursome, all walkers, finishes a round of golf in 4-hours. Exactly 240 minutes (14,400 seconds).  The average score of all four golfers equals 90 (360 total shots).  The total yardage you walked during your round was 7,480 yards even though you played from the 6200-yard tee box. The total time spent walking was 80 minutes.  Your group made a stop at the turn spending 5-minutes  Your group spent time waiting on the group in front of you and searching for errant shots. The total search and wait time was 15 minutes.

QUESTION How many seconds on average did each golfer take to complete one shot WHEN IT WAS THEIR TURN? Activity Minutes Seconds

Walking Time 80 4800

Time at the Turn 5 300

Time waiting on the group in front and searching for errant shots. 15 900

Time Left 140 8400

Total Time 240 14400 Divide ‘Time Left’ in seconds by total number of strokes taken by all four golfers. In this example that is 360. 8400 divided by 360 = Avg. of 23.33 Seconds Per Shot

1. 45 seconds 2. 40 seconds 3. 31 to 39 seconds 4. 26 to 30 seconds 5. 20 to 25 seconds 6. Less than 20 seconds The answer is 5 (20 to 25seconds) It is interesting to note that you can change the number of strokes taken and the answer is still 20 to 25 seconds up to an average score of 105 and down to an average score of 84. Foursomes comprised of golfers scoring below an average of 84 do have the luxury of taking a few more seconds per shot if needed but never more than 30 seconds on average. A foursome of exceptional golfers with an average score of 70, also need to comply. 8400 divided by 280 equals 30 seconds. Courses with slope rating above 130 may require more time for walking and or searching for errant shots. The rule of thumb is to add one-minute for each point above 130. A course with a slope rating of 145 may allow an additional 15 minutes to complete the round. Keep in mind also the poor use of the golf cart. It often slows rather speeds play. Both players should be getting ready to play their shot at the same time. Drop one rider off (remember to grab multiple clubs if club selection is critical) and hook up again after both have played their shots. Now you know how to spot a slow golfer and let them know a simple golf etiquette rule. “Be ready to play your golf shot in less than 30-seconds when it is your turn.”