Golf Forums - 5 Hour rounds why?

I played the Hertfordshire and our group went round in 3hrs 35mins I know I am a quick player for those of you who have played with me and the others in the group were as well, but the next group 5hrs 5mins, this seems to be happening quite a few times and it is not necessary, WHY? oh WHY?

Who can come up with the best solution to stop slow play?

 David, to be fair, you should say that you were in a 3 balls and the other group was in a 4 balls, that makes a big difference , also were you giving each other massive 3 foot "social golfer" putts ?....... Have you played the course before and know the layout well enough to make a quick decision as to your shot? ....... Yes a 5 hour + round seems long, but it gave you more time to enjoy the 19th hole on this glorious summer weather...... The answer to slow play has already been covered in a previous topic.

Hi DJ,

Played South Herts in a 4 ball finished the round in 3.50 mins off the yellows a really hard course, see you can do it in under 4 hours!!!!

How about after 4 hours go to the bar

There have always been some contentious issues about speed of play - but nothing that cannot be learnt. 

I was with DJ in that 3 ball and we were 'stuck behind a very slow moving 4-ball'  and I do mean slow... (one of the 4-ball actually dawdled back to the snack bar from half way down the fairway, bought a cup of tea and then wandered back to his trolley. and by the time he got back the other three still hadn't taken their shots...)

One guy in a buggy - must have had it in very low ratio and the walkers were never more than a snail's pace...

We didn't give Social Golfer gimmes as there seemed no point...  To be fair they looked to be part of an 8-ball competition... so perhaps they didn't have to let us play through... we skipped a hole and escaped (playing the missed hole at the end of the round)...

Not the slowness of play - per se that was disturbing - but the fact that they turned around - saw us waiting a lot and then ignored us  -- still they were members... and I would have tought that course awareness wasn't an issue... but so so slow...

How to speed up play... hmmm  there was a suggestion ages ago that marathon running was a bit tedious, and some African dictator decided to make it a little more interesting, at the end of each mile he wanted to shoot the last 3 runners... hmmm perhaps a bit draconian...

Slow play should be something addressable by the golf clubs themselves... perhaps more course marshalls actively encouraging players would work (it used to)..

Best we can hope for is that everyone is ready to play when it is their turn...