6 hour & 20 minute round at the Meadows

[leftylucas]

It is a new record for me. I have never gone past 5½ hours. UNBELIEVEABLE. We teed-off on time at 1:18 so it could not be that they were behind in starting. I saw the marshall at the 3rd hole tee ground (north, 2 very short holes) and explained that it was extremely slow, that we teed-off at the right time and that there must be an extrememly slow group ahead. He told me we were only about 5 minutes behind per hole. I replied 5 X 18 is 90 minutes, thats almost 6 hours and there are quite a few tough holes coming. He did not even answer me and went about his business. By the time we got to the 6th hole there were 5 groups on the hole, 1 on the green, 2 on the fairway and 2 more on the tee box. The marshall was sitting idly by watching this and he never once approached any group.

At the turn I went into the clubhouse and asked what the policy was regarding slow play because it had taken us 2 hours and 40 minutes and I could see that we had another 5-7minute wait on the 1 West. The clerk answered that's not too bad. I told him that I did not find his comment very funny, that it was not enjoyable golf. He offered me a 9 hole raincheck, I thanked him for his curteous offer but I reitereated that I they should respect some form of pace of play otherwise they would loose credibility.

I am planning to call the manager tomorrow as I am still upset that they were fine with cramming the course with golfers on a hot day and having no regard for the enjoyment of the experience of paying patrons.

[Chieflongtee]

One of the reason a buddy of mine joined Clublinks.

[spackler]

Wow, a 1:18 tee time and you got off the course at 7:40. That's BRUTAL. Almost 4 hours on the back 9? I've never heard of such a thing. You better be getting more than a 9 hole rain check. I've never played Meadows, but I've been meaning to due to the great reviews on this site. I hope you post the result your chat with the manager tomorrow. If there isn't some sort of meaningful apology and gesture made to you, and an assurance that it was a one time situation, I'm not ever going there. There are many other places to get an enjoyable round in.

[el tigre]

I played a twilight round at the course today after work (East & South) at 4:30. Starter said it was slow because they had 3 tournaments that day - two on East/South and one on North/West. That is a BIG problem with playing The Meadows in the afternoon. The book in all these tournaments and just let everyone pile up on the tees behind them.

Playing as a threesome walking, the first 4 holes on East took us an hour and half. Then we skipped over to South #3 because the tournament was finished and the entire South course was now empty! Played all of the South course (3-9 and then 1-2), then back to East #5 (now the East course was empty!) and got in 5, 6 & 7 before nightfall. So 1.5 hours to play the first 4, and just over 2 hours to play the other 12.

[jens]

There are a few things that bother me with regards to time being wasted on the golf course. I usually pull my sticks, but there are times when playing new courses that you end up walking 2 courses instead of one. In these instances, I will splurge for a cart. Why the need to put your club back right away? Why not drive with it to your next shot? You need to pull another club when you get there. The cart girls eat up lots of time. They always show up when the group ahead is in the fairway with the green open and I'm waiting on the tee.

All of these things add up to 6 hour rounds. When I first started golfing, I remember having a cheese burger platter at the turn and getting of the course in 5 hours tops.

[wantobegolfer]

Meadows have alot of tournaments. Unfortunatly for us, they want coin and tourneys is what brings coins in , then we green fees have to suffer (suffer, playing golf?) with the long wait of over crowded golf courses. Not sure you complaining to the manager will make a big difference but I suggest you do anyways.

Golf marshals?, when have you seen a marshal make a difference, really? I was on the short par 3, hole # 7 at Champlain, when the marshal...... pulled up to our tee box. I set my ball on the tee, and am about ready to tee off when all of a sudden, in comes walking off fairway #13 another golfer, in my fairway, he sets his bag down stands back and is checking to see which club to use next. I stand back and gesture to the marshal as if to say whats this... ...? here is the marshals reply. "Go ahead and hit,... ... just shout fore".

[NoBack]

You guys have to remember that the Meadows IS A TOURNAMENT course. Always has beeen always will be. It's advertised as such and they dont lie about the tournaments. I play there all the time on weekends and NEVER play more than a 4 hour round with 4 guys walking. YES we play early but thats why. It is a good track with great greens for a course that holds THAT many tournamnets. If you want to play the Meadows, play early or like el tigre said, play later.

[fireice]

If they are advertised as a tournament course, then it seems from the posts they have to get better at advertising to golfers to expect long rounds during the middle part of the day. For a person who doesn't now this I can see it being frustrating.

[NoBack]

If they are advertised as a tournament course, then it seems from the posts they have to get better at advertising to golfers to expect long rounds during the middle part of the day. For a person who doesn't now this I can see it being frustrating.

I agree with that too. I hate longer than 4 1/2 hour rounds just like the next guy. IN fact I have walked off The Meadows because of slow play after 3 holes. AND THIS was in the morning. After a $30 cab ride home it was a very expensice 3 holes.

[covanant]

What i hate is when you call to book the tee-time,no warning telling you that you have booked right behind a tourny.

Booked irish hills once, get to the course and marshall explains how its slow due to a tourny.
5 and a half hours later on the 16th,had to pack it in due to lightning.

[leftylucas]

I certainly had no warning of slow play. The teeoff was on time so I had no way of knowing before hand. I asked ealrier on in the week and they told me about the tourney but said ti should not affect me. HA, I say!

[dbleber]

Happens all over the place. Oaks of Cobden twice this year toook our tee time without telling us that they had events and ended up being 5 1/2 - 6 hour rounds. Got a free round out of it when we complained once but when we used the free round to have it happen again we just decided not to play there unless it is early in the morning on a week day. And you are all right marshalls are useless. Why they have them is beyond me because they will not help you, unless like at my club your shirt comes on tucked when you have just taken a shot, then they are all over you! What can you do.

[Shivas Irons]

Not to bash Meadows, the course is a good value, but I think for them to keep the green fees at the price they are, they need to cram lots of people on the course.
I'll pay a little more & go elsewhere after having this same experience.

[Law]

Playing Meadows tomorrow at 9am, hopefully early enough to avoid those 5-6hr golf games.

[Hank Hill]

I feel your pain man. 6h round at Links O Tay last week. Marshalls did jack all, 2-3 groups at every tee box. I hate that because I am a relative beginner and get nervous in front of onlookers.

[Shivas Irons]

Although they could do more to speed up play by assisting with locating errant shots, I don't think the marshalls should take the brunt of criticism for an over booked course.

[Kilroy]

I have said it before and will say it again...

Slow players are the reason for slow play. It can happen at any course, but usually at public courses where occasional players are far more common. That is compounded when "office" tournaments are involved where many players have never even swung a club before or only play at that event (party) every year.

7 & 8 minute tee times are the standard. You cannot put more people on the course than you can launch off the first tee. If all runs smoothly, on a busy day at a private course where everyone plays efficiently, rounds are almost always complete in 4:15.

Think about it. How can you "overbook" when there are only so many tee times available? SLOW PLAYERS are the problem. Not the courses overbooking.

Marshals can be more effective, as they are at courses like Stonebridge. However kicking people off the course is not always a good idea, especially if they are playing in a tournament. It upsets people.

[EDSGOLF]

Maybe tee-time intervals should be increased to 10 minute tee-times if there are so many "slow players" out there. But that won't happen because courses will lose money. When darkness rolls around, everybody finished their round and the course was able to collect as much $ as possible.

[Kilroy]

I have played plenty of times on a full course with 7-8 minute tee times, behind a large number of people, when it took about 4:30 or so which is acceptable. Under that is very good. The only public courses I know of in this area with 10 minute tee times are top $$ so you pay for it.

My point is, it's the players that cause the problems.

[Shivas Irons]

Think about it How can you "overbook" when there are only so many tee times available? SLOW PLAYERS are the problem. Not the courses overbooking.

A course certainly can be over booked if there are more than 18 holes and adequate space is not left for the cross-over of groups playing their second nine.

[Kilroy]

Poorly timed crossovers can be a problem for sure. however it is usually caused by slow players on thier front nine backing things up. If the other nine is running smoothly they can colide at the turn. Also playing the front nine faster than expected can jam you up at the turn when you arrive early. That can make a back nine feel pretty slow.

["Richard"]

We started at 4:40 and we were stuck behind a really slow group but we didn't really mind. We didn't expect to finnish anyway but we got all the way to 16 before it became to dark to play. Had that group not been infront of us we would have finnished for sure. I can see how earlier on in the day it could be really slow. I'm playing twilight there on monday and the guy was nice enough to tell me that the course would faster than usual since I'm the first group after the last group in the tourney tees off. He said they are all pretty good so pace of play shouldn't be an issue. So I think we will be ok for monday. I'm playing glen mar on saturday in the AM. I like that course. Its never over booked, I love it

[Shivas Irons]

Poorly timed crossovers can be a problem for sure. however it is usually caused by slow players on thier front nine backing things up. If the other nine is running smoothly they can colide at the turn. Also playing the front nine faster than expected can jam you up at the turn when you arrive early. That can make a back nine feel pretty slow.

Agreed.
However, beyond telling groups to keep up with the group in front of them (that should be happening without prompting from the marshall) the marshall's are pretty limited in what they can accomplish, but still take the brunt for of the criticism for slow play.
It's up to all of us to keep the pace.

["Richard"]

What is the procedure with trying to pass a group? I wanted to pass the group yesterday, we were a threesome and they were 4 and it was pretty open for 1 1/2 holes past them. Do you just walk upto them and ask them to let you through? do you try to catch them? How do you catch someone when they are in the fairway and you are waiting for them to get onto the green or out of your range so you can tee off?

[Law]

My 2 cents...I would recommend trying to catch them on the following tee and ask nicely if they would let you play through. If they refuse, use your discretion.

[Keithsguy]

I agree. And I don't think we should be prejudice on the different skill levels of players on slow play. I have played behind and with players of all skill levels that 'lullygag'. People that are just too ignorant to understand that not being prepared for a shot or their constant chitchat is going to have a domino effect are out there. I try and play before 8:00am because of this and you typically get the golfers that understand pace of play. However, there are instances that occur where golfers that should know, 'lullygag' and play like they are winning the Masters or catching up with old buddies and bottleneck the whole course.
Players should have to pass a test on 'shot prepration' before being able to play on public courses. We are all out there to play a 4,4.5, 5.0 hour round. Then I wouldn't have to get up at 6:00am on the weekend!

Just for a discussion topic, I don't find the marshalls in Ottawa do much for pace of play.

I have said it before and will say it again...

Slow players are the reason for slow play. It can happen at any course, but usually at public courses where occasional players are far more common. That is compounded when "office" tournaments are involved where many players have never even swung a club before or only play at that event (party) every year.

[larry]

Our office tournament is Friday afternoon at Pineview. If you don't like 6 hour rounds, stay away. Come to think of it you may wish to avoid early Saturday as well.

[oldmaninblack]

It has nothing to do with skill ...

I got a lesson in faster play when 2 middle aged (younger than me) ladies played through on a 540yd par 5.

I had hit a great drive and was waiting on the fairway, 3-wood in hand for the green to clear when I heard "Can we play through?".

I was a little surprised but said OK.

Neither of the ladies could hit the ball more than 120yds, but they cleared the green less than a minute after the group that I had been waiting for. They finished their round in 3 1/2, I finished mine in 5 1/2.

They didn't mess around ...

[Shivas Irons]

It has nothing to do with skill ...

I got a lesson in faster play when 2 middle aged (younger than me) ladies played through on a 540yd par 5.

I had hit a great drive and was waiting on the fairway, 3-wood in hand for the green to clear when I heard "Can we play through?".

I was a little surprised but said OK.

Neither of the ladies could hit the ball more than 120yds, but they cleared the green less than a minute after the group that I had been waiting for. They finished their round in 3 1/2, I finished mine in 5 1/2.

They didn't mess around ...

So let me get this straight...you are playing alone & waiting for the group in front of you and a twosome asks if they can play through? Very nice of you to oblige, but did you not think it strange a twosome was asking to play through when they could see you were waiting? I guess they thought their time was more important than yours.

Poor play is not the main reason for slow play but it is a contributor to it. Let's face it, it takes longer to hit the ball 150 times than it does to hit it 75 times.
This is one reason many courses around Europe make you provide a handicap card to prove your skill level. Not every golfer can play every course, it depends on skill level.

["Richard"]

I think that is a great idea. I hate playing a course when there is a really good group of players behind me. I feel like I'm am slowing them down (I usually am) and I let them pass me by hitting on the par three whenever we are on the green. It kinda makes me nervous to playing infront of someone who is really good. I rush putts and make a lot of stupid mistakes