Very interesting interview with slow play consultant Bill Yates

[Kilroy]

Very interesting interview with slow play consultant Bill Yates
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/interviewyates.html

[BullDog]

Thanks for posting that, Dan - it was a fascinating read that should be core curriculum material for all golfers!

[Baxter]

Thanks Dan for the post.....
Perhaps we can ask the players here...Do you think you are a slow player or do you think the people in front of you slow you down.

I find it hard to keep the same routine all the time if people are waiting at the tee blocks for me to hit and move on. The same on the green. I like to read my putts for a better chance of making them. But it does seem like the guys in the fairway just want to hit the ball and hit me in the head...What is a fair amount of time to read a putt and hit it..20 seconds?? Longer or shorter...Say a 8 foot putt for this question..Guys feel free to post what you think is a fair amount of time for longer putts...Are the average players wasting time reading greens? and should just hit and move on? Let me know what you think and maybe it will help all of us...

Thanks
Dave

[TourIQ]

Very interesting interview with slow play consultant Bill Yates http://www.golfclubatlas.com/interviewyates.html

Pretty good long read Dan ... lots of information to help any course.

[cdnputter]

I'm pretty sure I'm not a slow player, 2 weeks ago I was out with 3 others and we walked 6000 yards and finished just over 3 hours. Mind you there wasn't anyone else near us for 2 hours, but that's exactly how golf should be played.

One of our four-some is from Scotland and he was telling me that medal play/stroke play is one thing they don't/won't play on a weekend back home. He said they'd be playing pairs better ball. That sounded great to me, a little friendly competition, not having to grind over every putt, if your team has lost the hole, pick up and move on.

[jeffc]

there are lots of little things courses can do to speed up play. Some, like Loch March, put the distance to the middle of the green on the par 3's so you are not pacing it off or trying to find that elusive marker on the tee box. Lots of marked yardages on the fairways help. Cutting down the under brush along the fairways helps. Keeping the rough to a reasonable length helps. Marker posts in the middle of the fairways help. Signs on tricky holes such as par 4's and 5's where there is trouble helps - e.g. 225 yds to creek, end of fairway, etc.

There are a myriad of things that courses can do to help speed up play. Of course, this is 1/2 of the entire equation.

[Mulligan]

I'm sure most people find me to be a slow player. I check yardages, wind, try to set up for different shots, take a practice swing, and go. I help others find their balls when I'm nearby.
I rake bunkers and fix ball marks, I also stand still and quiet when others are playing their shots. I like to read greens (briefly) and try to give all putts a chance. I putt the ball all the way in and hardly ever take a gimmie.
I'm sure that drives you all nuts!
But what I see out there is a lot of non-golf. Foursomes of guys racing around on carts, never putting out, or being quiet enough for their own foursomes, let alone all else around.
I hate that when I'm playing at a sub 4 hr. round, I have people on my ***** right after the first tee shot. I usually let players through who are in a big hurry and I can see what type of players they are. I realize most players' best golf is behind them, but everyone has to realize there are still some real golfers out there.
p.s. despite the name _ I don't take mulligans either _ I'll bet you hate that too!

[Kilroy]

Mulligans Otherwise known as "hitting 3"

[btasse]

Another thing that is slowing down play are these guys with the yardage range finders. Half the time these guys:
1. cant get a reading
2. do it twice just to make sure cause they dont beleive the # yards displayed
3. dont know how to operate it
4. dont know if it's operating properly

Then they make the shot and 90 percent of the time they are 20 yards outside the pin........... nice.

The worst are players with these devices that play the same course day in and out, the course is properly marked and they use the yardage device on every shot anyway..... Like the course yardage changes every day....... come on.

I can see the value on some shots some time (but not all the time), courses with no markers or a course you have never played before (again with a need to use it) .

[Kilroy]

Another thing that is slowing down play are these guys with the yardage range finders.

I disagree. Perhaps some struggle with them but for the most part they are easy to use faster and more accurate than than pacing off yardages.

Of course just guessing, pulling a club and swinging may be a few seconds faster, but IMHO rangefinders are not slowing things down out there at all.

[Pinshark]

Very good read! Thanks Dan.

[Hacker]

I disagree. Perhaps some struggle with them but for the most part they are easy to use faster and more accurate than than pacing off yardages.

Of course just guessing, pulling a club and swinging may be a few seconds faster, but IMHO rangefinders are not slowing things down out there at all.

I'm with you Dan, IMO range finders don't contribute to slow play.

Personally I shoot my distances when my FC is playing his shot so that when my turn comes up I'm ready to pull the trigger

I may still come up 20 yards short, but until courses start requiring players to meet an established competency standard (i.e. meet or beat a posted index) I don't think you can complain about "bad" golfers slowing everyone else down because IMO slow play isn't related to how good or poor a golfer you are.

[Kilroy]

GPS is still better when you have the course on our unit. It's accrate and no fuss at all.