Tell me how to deal with slow play, please!!!

[HTN2]

I really enjoy golf, but if I can't find an EFFECTIVE way to deal with the slow play of the majority of OTHER golfers out there, I'm going to have to quit this game.

Today I went out as a single, didn't tee off till almost 4pm, and I ran into a slow twosome in a cart on the 8th hole. Prior to having to wait for every damn shot, I was hitting the ball pretty well(two over through 8 holes...), relaxed and loose. As soon as I had to wait and wait and wait, I was tense and tight and just couldn't get rid of it.

My reaction to having to wait and wait and wait for rude, slow golfers is very detrimental to my game, tell me what to do when the rude slow players force me to wait and wait and wait and wait...please, I'm desperate...

[sillywilly]

i just played champlain.. it was so slow. 90minutes for 4 holes

[jvincent]

The best way is to avoid courses that don't deal with slow play properly.

That being said, just chill out. If it's slow, it's slow.

[Chambokl]

Play as a foursome... if you play as single you will always be waiting!

[HTN2]

The best way is to avoid courses that don't deal with slow play properly.

That being said, just chill out. If it's slow, it's slow.

If it were that easy, I wouldn't be asking for advice on HOW to deal with it.

It is impossible to "avoid" courses that don't "deal with slow play properly", as slow play is an epidemic in North America. The only way I can "avoid" it is to tee off first group of the day, and that is not always possible.

There must be others who are affected negatively by having to wait and wait and wait on the golf course, and some of you must have effective ways to avoid having these ridiculous delays ruin your concentration and/or your round. If you have any methods that you use to do this, please share them with me. Thanks.

[HTN2]

Play as a foursome... if you play as single you will always be waiting!

Thanks again for the suggestion, but that doesn't answer my question. Waiting and waiting and waiting on the golf course for rude, slow players is a constant, regardless of whether I'm in a foursome, twosome, threesome, or a single. I've come to accept that golf in North America is just a long, long, long tedious affair.

So I'm looking for methods to deal with this fact.

[adam]

Mental distractions, learn to bounce a ball on your wedge or bring an iPod in your bag if you need to take your mind off of it, otherwise just learn to relax and enjoy a nice day outside.

[jvincent]

If it were that easy, I wouldn't be asking for advice on HOW to deal with it.

It is impossible to "avoid" courses that don't "deal with slow play properly", as slow play is an epidemic in North America. The only way I can "avoid" it is to tee off first group of the day, and that is not always possible.

It is possible to avoid courses that are notoriously slow. I don't think I've had a round over 4:30 this year. That was with a course full of foursomes.

Courses that have ineffective marshals will be slow. Courses that cram groups in at 8-minute intervals will be slow.

If people stop playing because it is slow, then the courses will act.

[goochy]

I often play as a single because I often only get to play at a moments notice late afternoons (although I often team up with strangers at the course)...and yes, if you play alone of course you are generally faster. Even when people are polite and let you through (which I must say in my experience they generally are/do) then you will invariable run into another group on the next hole.

I think the real issue is just expectation...it is what is it...Golf..not a sprint. Accept that a round will take 4 to 4.5 hours most of the time and allot your time accordingly. If it takes much longer than this then yes it can be frustrating (I don't think I have had one round over 5 hours this year). If you expect it to take less than this may I respectfully suggest you revise your expectations.

[HTN2]

I often play as a single because I often only get to play at a moments notice late afternoons (although I often team up with strangers at the course)...and yes, if you play alone of course you are generally faster. Even when people are polite and let you through (which I must say in my experience they generally are/do) then you will invariable run into another group on the next hole.

I think the real issue is just expectation...it is what is it...Golf..not a sprint. Accept that a round will take 4 to 4.5 hours most of the time and allot your time accordingly. If it takes much longer than this then yes it can be frustrating (I don't think I have had one round over 5 hours this year). If you expect it to take less than this may I respectfully suggest you revise your expectations.

Thanks for the reply, but I think perhaps the purpose of this thread perhaps hasn't been very clear.

I KNOW I can't avoid slow play, it is epidemic.

I don't EVER expect to play a fast round, because slow play is epidemic.

I don't expect to deal with slow play by changing OTHERS, I want to change MYSELF, or at least, HOW I deal with slow play so I can accommodate all the slow, rude players who I know will never, ever change.

So please, if you have any suggestions about how I can DEAL with slow play better, more effectively, and in a way that allows me to continue enjoying golf, DESPITE the slow play of others, please, please don't hesitate to speak up.

One suggestion I had from a very good player was to not fidget with my clubs or even take them out of the bag till you can actually play a shot. This is a great tip, and it has helped me more than any other tip for dealing with slow play, but I've found lately even doing that hasn't been enough which is why I'm begging to hear about some of the strategies you guys have for dealing with slow play.

[tmacgolf]

Beer.

[goochy]

ahhh...apologies...I understand better where you are coming from now. A friend of mine went to the PGA Transitions event in Florida this year and said he couldn't believe how good the players where at switching on and off. Obviously pro rounds can be slow and he said there was one time when there was a group on the green, a group on the fairway and 2 groups on the tee box. He said while they were waiting they would just chat away with each other or their caddy of make notes etc but when it was time to hit they could just switch back on straight away.

During a slow round I think it is impossible to focus on your game for every minute. you need distarctions. I jot things in a flip note pad....ideas, things to work on, good shots etc. the ipod idea seems good too. as long as you have a rock solid pre-shot routine so you can switch back on again when it is time to hit.

[justsomeguy]

When it gets really slow I like to practice my short game on the tee box.

Chip from one end to other, hit flop shots from the rough to the tee markers, whatever. I never seem to have enough time to practice this stuff at the driving range, so...

[Brewcee]

I too have trouble dealing with slow play and it normally completly messes up my round, this becomes especially true when playing in tournaments, but I digress ... one thing that helps me out is the mental distractions spoken about above, bouncing a ball on my wedge, I taught myself to juggle (that one took a couple rounds), etc. One thing that I would suggest is having a way to transition back into the playing mindset, something that has helped me is working on a longer pre-shot routine (visualizing behind the ball, get to ball, line up, two practice swings, two waggles, couple seconds over ball, then hit). When no one is a around I can still get through a round in no more than 2.5 hours, but when it gets slow and or when I am playing a competitive round I have gotten good at transitioning into a more thought out (and hence longer) pre shot routine, which has helped the transition from waiting to playing. This has also helped the round seem less slow since I myself have slowed down my pace of play to just above a crawl.

Also, playing late afternoons with no one behind me but slow in front I take the time to practice on the greens, re-hit miss hits, chip around. Basically anything to keep me busy instead of standing around.

Crazy thing is, we should consider ourselves lucky, PGA tour rounds take over 5 hours. Qualifying school rounds can take 7 - 8 hours long. I guess I would take 5 minutes per put too if it was worth a couple thousand dollars.

Hope this helps, if even just a little,

[HTN2]

Hope this helps, if even just a little,

It does, and the suggestion of having a slightly different routine for when its slow is a very good idea.

Maybe add something that allows me to RE-focus in a way that isn't filled with tension, a few slow breathes with a couple deliberate, easy, loose swings...

Cause with me, its the building tension that waiting causes which wrecks my game. My swing relies on a fairly strong release, and if I'm too tense its a hard pull or a big block...

[Adska]

I really sympathize with what you are saying here. Being a notoriously impatient person when it comes to things out of my control (i.e. traffic jams, medical tests, slow rounds of golf), I've recently come to notice that my frustration has a detrimental impact on my attitude and approach to the game.

In your brain, things that elicit fear/anxiety (not the same thing), AND frustration all activate the same physiological response. As an extreme example, picture trying to carry the water on 18 at Eagle Creek, or roll in a downhill, breaking putt on lightning fast greens if someone told you that your families' lives literally depended on it. How would you feel? Would you be focused on the shot, or would you be trembling with fear?

Something I try to reiterate to players all of the time is the fact that even slight apprehension elicits a highly similar physiological reaction to a catastrophic event. As mentioned above, frustration is essentially the same thing. Our brains are sensitive to fear-provoking (immediate danger), anxiety-provoking (potential, but uncertain danger), and non-reward stimuli (reward expected, but not received).

Regarding the issue of slow play - people who have the ability to play a fast round have a pre-conceived expectation in regards to how fast they are going to complete their round. As a result, plans are scheduled accordingly (e.g. Finish 18 holes in x-amount of time, get my oil changed, go to the grocery store, and still have time to...). When the expected result is not obtained, those who are highly prone to frustration start themselves in a cognitive loop that can be disastrous - eventually leading to bodily state that is similar to playing for your families' lives. This also applies to situations where we don't execute a shot that is routine (e.g. skull a 100-yard approach, bogey an easy par-5, etc.).

Often times, an awareness of our internal state and recognizing how we feel is enough to combat the tendency to spiral downwards. However, this is where the importance of an EFFECTIVE pre-shot routine comes into play. Most golfers have a pre-shot routine that really wouldn't deviate in regards to the length of time it takes to perform. What most golfers DON'T have is a routine that mentally prepares them for the task at hand. Tapping your club two times on the ground, adjusting your shirt collar, waggling your club, shimmying your hips are all 'routine' behaviours - however, if they aren't contributing to: shot-analysis, shot-decision, target selection, relaxation, alignment, and rhythm then they are essentially useless (note: not detrimental, just useless) behavioural 'ticks'.

There is a lot of things going on under the surface in our bodies and minds that we can never be conscious of, no matter how hard we try (think of how we heal, how we breathe, digest, etc.). Having an understanding of how thoughts, feelings, and behaviours all are highly linked will definitely help a lot of people when it comes to performance in golf, or any situation for that matter.

[Hacker]

I'm very impatient with most things, including pace of play on the golf course. I find the #1 thing that helps me deal with it is NOT to focus on it. Don't stand around cursing the slow players in your own head or *ing about them to your playing partners etc.

You need to distract yourself and there have been some great ideas already presented for that:

• Ipod
• bouncing ball on wedge
• chipping

Another distraction would be to take some practice swings, practice your swing positions (i.e. half back, full back, contact, half follow-through and full follow-through positions). You can also work on your flexibility by doing some stretching. Golf town has a "Tension Towel" on sale right now which would let you do some basic stretching as you wait......

The bottom line for me is that I have to stop focusing on the offending slow players and focus on something else.

[little brit]

A marshal I know, when it is slow, plays two balls. Use two scorecards and play two games at once. You won't get to the tee box so quickly that way.

[Slicer&Dicer]

The best thing to do is something you enjoy like already suggested, making chipshots or flop shots on the tee ground, stretching, eating, joking around with others, cleaning your clubs, etc.

The worst thing is to watch every shot of the group in front, since then you are more and more frustrated with each bad shot they hit and you end up mentally playing their round not yours. Does it really make that much difference to you if they score a 4 or a 5 on the par 3 in front?

Also, in defense of marshals, sometimes there is little they can do if the course is jammed up solid and if there is an openning sometimes it takes a while before all goups can catch up if ever. If you feel the group in front of you is taking more than 4.5 hours ask the marshal who will check into it but as a single you will likely wait most of the day unless you entertain yourself and you might as well expect this before you even leave for the course. If the group in front is slow, then sometimes just the presence of the marshal makes them speed up a little if he watches them for one whole.

The better/faster players seem to play a lot in the mornings but that is not always practical for someone who works. At night I go to the cheapest green fee course I can find since you will not always finish 18 and if playing alone I practice around the greens if I am wating for the group in front and no one is behind..

We all need to share the course and the less perfect golfers need to play somewhere. As a former marshal many years ago, I once had a twosome play the front nine in 1:45 and then they hit traffic on the 10th (no kidding) and then they basically lost their cool because they were slowed down. Imagine, others on the course. I checked the times of the groups in front and told the two guys that they would have to be patient as the group in front was playing for 4.5 hours which is highly normal on a weekend afternoon.

Unless we win the lottery, there will be always others on the course, which our favourite courses need to stay open.

Also, one more thought, is that if you play at night and can get through the front nine in decent time, you can consider playing the front nine again since there might be less folks on it at that time in comparison to the back nine. Just a thought.

[Sparkplug]

Two excellent comments noted;
1) Beer
2) Play two balls. I play 1 conservatively and one aggressively. It really opens your eyes as to how much course management plays a part.

Alot of other good suggestions also noted.

One of mine i to be a little more bold and directly ask if I can play through, I play the hole with the group ahead and just pass right through.

That being said I play a Sunday afternoon round every week that I know will be slow (5 foursomes ahead of us play as a weekly group so there is no playing through), my playing partners and I accept it and really enjoy these outings as we have lots of bets and side games going on, drink lots of beer, play the back tees and relax.

[1800Duffers]

I've skipped a hole to get ahead of a group.

[big mac]

Don't play alone---stay away from courses that don't have marshalls--skip a hole---but as a single you may skip most holes---ask to play with someone--play 2 balls--maybe a third ---look for a playing partner (arrange a game thread)

[Husband]

So did you create this thread for an actual answer or are you just complaining about "north american golf" (your words).

I think you really need to refocus on your frustrations in life. If golf makes you that tense, then I wish I only had your problems!!!

Just chill out, take a deep breath and enjoy the scenery.

[little ry]

Cigars and sandwiches always take the edge off of the slow party blues. Especially if you're playing behind beginners, be patient we were all there once.

[HTN2]

So did you create this thread for an actual answer or are you just complaining about "north american golf" (your words).

I have been perfectly clear about my purpose for this thread, I am seeking a method of dealing with a situation which is unchangeable, and detrimental to my continuing to enjoy playing this great game. I enjoy playing golf, quite a bit in fact. Playing golf doesn't make me tense or upset or frustrated at all, the only facet of golf that is detrimental to my enjoyment stems from how OTHERS interpret their rights on a golf course shared by many, many golfers.

I realize I can't do ANYTHING to change these other golfers, nor course owners, and I also realize marshals have no options whatsoever to deal with slow play, it is a simple fact of golfing life. Those are simple facts, not "complaints".

But, with some of the great suggestions here about what to do to COPE with this epidemic, I hope to be able to continue enjoying a great game.

I love the suggestions, some are very thought provoking and will be very helpful I'm sure.

For me, I would hesitate to indulge in practice while on the course, personally, I find that practice and play are so different in my mind that to use the time to practice will change my focus in a way that may not be beneficial. It becomes too easy to get wrapped up in "technicalities" which can distract me from concentrating on making good shots.

I really like the suggestions to change my focus from the source of frustration to something else, pretty much ANYTHING else. Something that I've been trying is thinking about an eggshell(or a plain painted wall) and really examining that object mentally. Its amazing how absorbed one can become with such a simple mental exercise....It works, somewhat, maybe more practice is all it will take...

BTW, I do not in any way begrudge beginners, not at all, not in any way whatsoever, many days, I still play like a beginner myself.

Thanks again to everyone who's posted the methods they utilize to deal with similar situations...

[HTN2]

That being said I play a Sunday afternoon round every week that I know will be slow (5 foursomes ahead of us play as a weekly group so there is no playing through), my playing partners and I accept it and really enjoy these outings as we have lots of bets and side games going on, drink lots of beer, play the back tees and relax.

Strangely enough, one of my best rounds this year started after my group had to wait for the group ahead of us ON THE FIRST TEE ! They were ALL late for their time, and one of them sat on the tee IN A CART, while the other people in the group walked leisurely from the pro shop. The first hole took almost 20 minutes for them to play, AFTER they were almost a full time LATE !

It seems, a sudden CHANGE in pace of play is MORE detrimental than a steady pace of play, be that pace slow, fast or average.

Perhaps expectations and/or feelings of frustration cause the poor play that follows sudden changes in pace of play, but I *hope* there are methods of dealing with these things which will allow me to minimize, or even eliminate any negative impacts.

[tmacgolf]

I agree about the practicing during the round. I don't mind bouncing a ball or fun little things like that, but I too avoid focussing on the technical aspects of the swing ect. during an actual round. I saw a guy the other day reading between holes. He didn't do it on the actual "hole" but would take out what looked like a magazine before teeing off each hole while waiting.
I also, like many of the other posters, have started to take out my iphone (ipod) on the course. I would never use it if others were with me, but I play a lot of rounds as a solo, and have enjoyed having the musical distraction while playing. I found it had both a calming/distracting effect and helped regain focus when neccessary. I noticed that I spent less time dwelling on previous shots when listening to music.
I agree with whoever mentioned not paying attention to the shots of the group in front of you.

[HTN2]

However, this is where the importance of an EFFECTIVE pre-shot routine comes into play. Most golfers have a pre-shot routine that really wouldn't deviate in regards to the length of time it takes to perform. What most golfers DON'T have is a routine that mentally prepares them for the task at hand.

Agreed.

So tell me how to establish an effective routine, what should it contain ? How many parts ? What are the keys which allow one to be REALLY ready to hit their best shot ?

My current routine works fairly well, but only if my mind is clear to start with. When I hit my best shots, I have realized that I'm not actually thinking about ANYTHING...

I need to add something which will CLEAR my mind in those times when I become pre-occupied with something(be it slow play, noises, bugs, the pond in front of me, whatever...).

[bentgrass]

Here is a game you can try (if you are a single and want to play at the pace of play of most courses):

-Play 2 balls off the tee

-From the location of the best of the 2 shots, play 2 more shots, keep the best of the 2 and keep repeating this until you hole out.

-From the worst of your 2 tee shots, play 2 more shots, keep the worst of the 2 and keep repeating this until you hole out.

You will end up with 2 scores that will give you some insight into your potential to play very well or very poorly. I find it's much better than just hitting a lot of practice shots or just waiting or hoping/asking to be waived through. It should also give you some new perspective on the risk/reward probabilities of different shots and shot selections.

You can always pick up your worst ball if you reach double or triple bogey otherwise people may asking you to let them play through.

I've only played this twice. As a 12 HCP I shot a 68 and a 96. When I was closer to an 18 HCP, I shot 39 and 56 for 9 holes.

If anyone reading this tries or has tried this game, please post your scores and handicap, I would be interested to know.

[Seanemmetttimot]

The best thing to do is grip the club as tight as you can and swing as hard as you can and hit driver on every hole.........

Having played with you a few thousand times now.........I have a suggestion.....bring along a yoga mat and do yoga in between shots........or a stretch cord or some dumbells.......or running shoes..........wouldn't hurt you to do some running while waiting........

Get the heart going.........improve the body and mind at the same time......

or just do the beer thing.....that seems to be a pretty popular answer........as long as you are not a mean drunk.......