Everyone has a pet peeve. As an enthusiastic golfer, two words
sum it up for me
– slow play. It’s not the women or senior citizens who are most
responsible for slow play on most courses. It is the
”
macho
”
men, those who feel the need to play from the tips without the
skills to back up their egos.
Everyone has a pet peeve.
As an enthusiastic golfer, two words sum it up for me – slow play.
It’s not the women or senior citizens who are most responsible for slow play on most courses. It is the “macho” men, those who feel the need to play from the tips without the skills to back up their egos.
I am a low double-digit handicap golfer who never plays from the tips. Why?
Because courses are designed from certain tees with specific golfers in mind. And the golf experience is best enjoyed when golfers of each level play from those tees.
This area is blessed with wonderful courses. Eagle Ridge and San Juan Oaks are as good public facilities as you’ll find anywhere. They are difficult tracks if you play them from the wrong tees.
Don’t get me wrong. This is not about length. It is about skill. And that is where men go wrong most often. Here’s an example.
During a round last fall at San Juan Oaks, I played with a father and son. They played from the back tees, which makes the course 7,133 yards. The father, a senior citizen, was negligibly longer than I was. But he was firing pars and birdies. He was obviously a single-digit handicap golfer, one who could enjoy the experience of playing from the tips.
His son, who could hit the ball 300-yards plus, was all over the course. He was a 20-handicap golfer at best. The pace of play was painful. I could feel the golfers behind coming up on us and I could hear mumbling. I could only shake my head.
Hey, I like a challenge like anyone else. But I also realize that length is overrated on the golf course. It’s not only the macho men who hold up play.
It is also those who grew up watching Jack Nicklaus and Bernhard Langer. You know who they are: those who spend what seems like a day-and-a-half addressing their ball in the fairways, then stand over a putt for an eternity.
If you want to take extra time, at least be at your ball preparing for your next shot when your partner is hitting. And if you are holding up a group behind you, be courteous enough to let them play through.
Be considerate of everyone on the course. With the recent siege of beautiful weather, South Valley courses are going to see more play. More people mean slower rounds. And yet it doesn’t have to mean 5 1/2, 6-hour rounds.
Whether you’re in carts or are walking, be at your ball when your partner is hitting, and be prepared to hit. Play “ready” golf.
Believe me, it doesn’t take the fun out of the game. If there is one thing that takes the fun out of the game, it is those inconsiderate enough to play slowly and act as if they are the only golfers on the course.
