It was match play, so loss of hole (which makes it a little less dramatic).

What so many golfers don't realize is that 90% of pace of play has nothing to do with how long people take to play their actual shots.

Playing ready golf, being prepared to take your next shot, walking ahead of the next guy to hit when you're on deck, leaving your bag/cart in the right spot off the green are all huge factors in pace of play.

I remember we were complaining about pace of play during a Saturday morning round last year, me, 2 buddies who are all single digit handicaps and my wife. Group ahead of us had a full hole plus a little bit empty in front of them, we were walking off the green and towards the tee where they were just getting off. We mentioned pace of play and they said "Well, we're not very good at golf what do you want us to do?" and my wife said "I'm a 44 handicap and I keep pace just fine, what's your excuse?". The Chicago suburb middle aged dude did not like that a whole lot and just drove off.

They never got close enough to us to actually ask them to play through. Closest they got was on the tee while we were hitting our second shots. So some holes it looked like they waited ~2 minutes before hitting but not every hole.

These are county courses too, not like private country clubs. Isn't it understandable that you would get people who aren't as good on county courses?

I can totally see this. I LOVE playing fast. I wish golf was way faster. I walk with a push cart, go right to my ball and hit within 8 seconds of getting there. Maybe one practice swing and let it fly. The longer I stand over it the worse result usually anyway. I've gone out in twilight/winter/rainy days and played 18 holes in 2:30. I can rush. I love pushing it.

What sucks is when you get someone in your group who thinks it's the PGA tour. They'll spend 5 minutes looking for a ball you know they're not gonna find. I give a quick look and drop and don't take a stroke if I think it's in a reasonable area. People will stand over putts and walk to the other side of the green to read it. They never make it. It's maddening. What is most maddening of all is when this a random person you're paired with. I get legit agita and anxiety when people talk and take forever in my group. I feel pressured and rush way too much

I started playing with a couple of guys that have been terribly slow. The funny thing is that 1 of them complains when he gets stuck behind a a group saying this is why I hate playing golf.

Sometimes I feel a bit awkward playing with them cause I normally walk ahead of them and just feel a bit rude, This is so I can set the pace and hopefully they can catch on and follow. 1 thing my friend does as well when we are all on the green and like not on each others line, He wait till it's his actual turn to start looking at his line and then line his ball up.

Then he'll do his usual stuff and sort himself out by the green once done putting, I'll mention it to him if he doesn't catch on soon, he's playing his best golf right now though so I don't really want to get in the way of that.

Oh man! I do that too. I'm terrible and I'm on the green when some guys are still like 200 yards out. I just walk up to my ball and hit it regardless of position when guys are being painfully slow.

And yea I guess there is a respect thing on the green where you can be on other peoples shadow or behind them but like ****, just go up and look at your putt while I'm putting. I don't need to do all that and I don't care what you do while I'm putting so just go. I definitely feel the pressure of all the unspoken rules though too so I get it.

I disagree with some most of the stuff you say here, but it really depends on what you want from golf. If your there for a social aspect or just to play golf I get why you do what you do.

Personally, I'm wanting to get better. So playing this speed golf probably not the best idea. I think I just take the expected time to take a shot. I wouldn't spend 5 minutes looking for a ball but maybe 2 or 3 minutes, but then again if I know I'm going to be looking for a ball I'll get to it a bit quicker.

With the putting again it depends what your goals are I guess I don't personally walk around the green but in situations I can see it helping, but just do it whilst your playing partners are preparing themselves don't wait till your turn to do it all.

I think it just comes down just be aware of the other people on the course. If you don't have anyone close to you then probably take your time. If someone is hitting up your ass then better get a move on.

My usual group (10-20 guys every Saturday and Sunday) is big on public ridicule for slow play. The guys who tend to play slow never hear the end of it, and tend to pick up the pace a little bit.

18 holes
save 2 minutes per hole (120 seconds), that's over 35 minutes per round
average of 5 strokes per hole for someone who shoots 90, that's 24 seconds on average per shot. this is easily accomplished by being ready to tee off when it's your time, walking forward on the fringe of someone else's view to get closer to your ball while they are walking up to theirs, not having an elaborate preshot routine (or starting it while someone else is shooting if they can't see you), leaving your bag on the correct side of the green (towards the next tee), actually looking at your putt for the first time before it's your turn, bringing multiple wedges and your putter with you if you're in greenside sand, etc.
this **** isn't hard to figure out folks.

edit: as for Porter's comment, we will constantly shame anyone who continues to tell a story either on a tee box or after driving while it's their turn to play. your story can wait.

41-45-86. No birdies, 2 double bogeys, 1 triple bogey. 70.3/133/6100 yards

American Dunes GC, Grand Haven, MI. Brand new Jack Nicklaus design, just opened this weekend. It's not right on the lake so it doesn't have the views of Arcadia Bluffs but still, pretty spectacular in its own right.

Also played a bonus nine at another course in the area and shot 43 with nothing notable. Just missed every putt I looked at.

This is my kind of golf!

What'd you think of the course? I loved it when it was Grand Haven Golf Club but only played there once or twice. Just thought it was a really cool piece of land and it reminded me a bit of Augusta where there are trees lining both sides of a lot of the holes, but they were relatively sparse trees with pine straw so you still had opportunities to shape your rescue shot rather than just being forced to punch out if you missed the fairway.

On the pace of play subject, I pretty much insist on playing ready golf with whatever group I'm in. I probably play slower on the greens than a lot of golfers, but I think the lower your handicap, the higher the % of time you spend on and around the greens (I'm a 6.8 at the moment). I agree with LFC that everyone should be lining up putts when their partners are putting. I personally don't mind if someone places their ball on the mark while I'm standing over a putt or it's on the way to the hole, as long as it isn't within a couple feet of my direct line, everyone should be free to do that.

I agree with every one of the methods mentioned for saving time, but even with the impulse and desire to do them I often hesitate for fear of distracting other players. I think I should just do what I think would be reasonable and then if someone ever feels otherwise, they can let me know.

However, there still seems to be one particular instance that hasn't been covered here and that is whether it is correct to walk toward one's ball while someone else is actually hitting but you are way out of their line and far enough so that they likely won't be distracted by any noise you make. Should one at least try to glance at another player when they hit, so they aren't completely ignoring their round? Or should one come to a complete stop for that brief moment?

Yesterday I shot +19 (+8, +11). Great start of par, bogey, par. The first hole par five I almost got on in two. If my 3-wood approach was slightly more left I likely would have rolled onto the green for an eagle try. Fourth hole par 3 I tripled because I didn't respect the wind. Hit a very solid 7-iron, where I often hit an 8-iron, but was still shocked to see it land in the water.

I had the most bizarre optical illusions on two par-4's for a course I've now played many rounds at. On both occasions I saw groups of trees to be much closer than they really were. In each case I hit great drives with my driver (rather than my typical 3-wood), yet I was pessimistic because I thought trees that were on the opposite side of the fairway were on the nearer side and could have given me tree trouble. In both cases they appeared to be extensions of tree lines that were on the nearer left side of the fairway. The second instance was particularly extreme as I saw trees to be about 200 yards closer than they actually were! But I was so relieved they weren't because a smashed my drive 290 yards practically down the middle with barely any tailwind, but a lot of side wind. Unfortunately I butchered my wedge approach into the trap and subsequently overhit my bunker shot, so that I didn't quite drive for the dough as they say.

I played this round with one of the regulars who is a great guy. He's like 80 years old but keeps good speed, always hits consistently well struck shots, and loves to complement me when I hit good ones. On the par-5 9th, which I played really well with a great drive and a fantastic 6-iron from 165 that landed on the green, he was just as excited about my eagle opportunity as I was. He enthusiastically told me "you have a chance for a big bird, not an albatross, but an eagle!" I fudged the putt, but fortunately sank the 10-footer coming back for a little birdie! I like holes where nearly every shot is a good one, because that's how you shoot low!

41-43-84

I feel cautiously optimistic about this season. I feel like I'm swinging better right now than I ever have. Still make some dumb mistakes off the tee (2 topped drives yesterday which are essentially penalty strokes, since they hardly went anywhere). Also putting still pretty bad, way too many 3-putts. Clean those things up and I legit think single-digit handicap is not out of the realm of possibility (I've been playing to around 14-16 most of my playing life).

Also noticed ball washers and rakes were back yesterday for the first time in a year, nice sign of Covid progress!

I always liked playing at GHGC, I'm sure lots of people hated the trees but I enjoyed the challenge.

The new course is completely different and i found it hard to believe it's the same property, though it is (they did reverse the nines). It looks completely different with almost all the interior trees gone. Lots of exposed sand, the elevation changes are more noticeable. We'll see what it's like in a couple years when it's all grown in and mature but for now it played super firm and fast -- completely the opposite of the massively over-watered GHGC.

Would definitely play it again, though at the price point ($150) it's more of a destination/special occasion round than a regular in the vacationland rotation for me.

I'm quick everywhere, but I do tend to stand over lag putts longer than others while I think about speed, but even then, certainly no more than five seconds, and I always line it up before it's my turn.

On an only partially similar note, one of the guys I play with regularly has an odd putting style/routing: he has a hitching motion, and repeatedly stops his stroke right before actually striking the ball. Sometimes it's two hitches, sometimes, three, sometimes four. When I play with him I'm constantly starting to walk right when I think he's about to make contact and have to stop myself.

He's a surprisingly good putter, and an 8 handicap. On putts shorter than four feet he does this one-handed side putt, and he does it quite well.

A couple of years ago was going on a round as a three, and then one guy joined. Looked like he could be up there in years yet still not looking really old. First green he four-putted and i wasnt paying attention, but something felt funny. Then on next green I watched as he was lining his putter face on a 20-footer. I was waiting for him to then turn to the ball but he just gave a whack at it. I think he played approx 95 with 45 putts. A really nice guy too, none of us really knew if we should say something, and did not. Later saw him around the club and had fun chats, a couple of times he was complaining about his putting. Then month later heard that he had shot his age of 77, and yes he had changed his putting.

I follow the golden rule: don't give advice unless you're asked. That said, I'm not above a quip. E.g., there's a new guy who started playing with us and his putting is horrible because he's horrible at lining up putts and has the most inconsistent putting stroke I've seen. Yet, he's always complaining in disbelief when his putt goes a different direction than he had planned. We've hit the point where if he complains, "how did it break that way," I'll say something like, "well **** Al, your putter hit the ball at 45 degrees."

This is also the guy I've complained about who is horrible, but feels the need to comment on every player's mishits and putts.

it's pretty simple to ask people what they are comfortable with in regards to pace of play, especially on the first tee box when paired with strangers. there's no need to guess when you can just ask before the round starts. let them know how you like to play and see if they are comfortable with it, if not then adjust.
there are things you may not cover on the first tee but have to ask later...say my ball is on the green but inside of someone else and off to the side: i'll ask them if they're ok with me leaving it down after marking and cleaning. some say yes, some say no. either response is acceptable.
if my ball is close to their line i'll ask if they want my mark moved before i actually mark the ball. some say yes, some say no. either response is acceptable.

Yea sometimes had some pace of play struggle with strangers, but then when started to bring it up casually on first tee its rarely been an issue.

Temp has been in the 40s here and you cant get a tee time lol, the covid boom.

I was off in the dew this morning. I could tell I was 2nd out by the near pristine first tee box that only had two 4 inch stripes down the side from a pull cart.

Finished the first two holes +2 with 2 footers. Usually I play much worse so I had temporary delusions that it could be a well played 9. That was until the 3rd tee...

Par on fourth hole. Decent 2 iron to center fairway on 5, made bogey. Double on 6. Bogey 7. Par 8. What 9th hole? I have No recollection.

9th is about 380 yards. Trees on the right all the way from teebox to the top of a ridge that crosses the fairway about 200 to 220 yards from the usual tees. There is one final large tree along the right side on top of the ridge that you need to get by with a left to right ball flight in order to get a good lie in the fairway away from the downslope on the other side of the ridge, where the fairway takes a sharp right turn. Theres really only a small portion of the fairway landing area that offers much chance of birdie. If you miss the fairway left long through the dogleg then theres a large pine blocking your shot. Even if you hit the right side of the fairway, theres a tree that hangs in front of the green from the right blocking your shot. If youre short but in the fairway, you have a downhill, right to left slope that I still havent figured out how to hit off. So you got about 15 paces from left rough to middle fairway about 240 to 260 yards away from the tee type area to work with. Going with driver to get closer just magnifies any left or right errors. Ive never seen anyone closer to the green here than maybe 120 yards. Then theres a river in front of the green and a sandbox on each side. Oh and dont go long ! Lolol what the ****.

Usually after putting one in the river I'll play the bunker up and down challenge. Today I just walked right by the green.

45. No birdies, 1 double, 1 triple.

Played nine this afternoon and it was ****ing cold.

Howell Park 49-48-97 3 pars, 2 triples

This was a massive round for me. Breaking 100 is my goal and this course gives me trouble. The first 3 holes are in my head here and I went double, triple, double on them and rebounded for a pretty decent round. Had a 5 hole streak without anything greater than bogey which is the best streak I've ever had.

We had a 3 some and got paired with the most annoying ****ing person ever. He was clearly an old miserable bastard and he wouldn't shut the **** up. I don't mind people talking, but this guy was like trying to insert every miserable opinion he has on how miserable everything is and would repeat himself. I started doing the uh huh then not even responding and he'd keep going and asking a question to get you to agree with him. Thankfully he left after 9.

I still can't get off the tee, nothing new, but that's encouraging that I'm getting below 100 without being able to get off the tee. Really took advantage of any holes that didn't require driver, but still committed to hitting driver on par 4s and 5s.

My hybrid, which is my best club, is now going 30 yards further that it was before and straighter than it ever has. I was hitting it 180 at times yesterday from the fairway. Huge confidence club. Game is fun. Can't wait to get out again.

Played a small 9 hole course today 6 over, Nothing over a bogey on any holes, Every tee shot apart from the 9th was hit pretty short, Something I've always struggled with. Putted pretty decent. The greens on the 9 hole were actually rolling better than the 18 hole (Played it the other day)