Do playing partners/speed of thier play affect your game?

Iv always wondered this and a round with a couple of clients this week prompted me to post.

First of all I want to state that I am in no way a golfing "snob". I my regular group is comprised of 25 golfers (we all draw cards on a sunday morning) with handicaps ranging from 18 down to 1.
However I played in a charity golf day this week and I was out with two 26 handicappers and a 28 handicapper. (My handicap currently standing at 4)
I started the round well with a few pars and a birdie to stand -1 on the 6th tee. My playing partners had amassed a collective total of about 10 stableford points by then but we hadn't been particularly slow apart from waiting on a couple of tee shots.
On the par 3 6th tee we waited about 10minutes for the group in front to go. I played ontot the green about 20feet below the hole. My partners then proceeded to do the following..
Golfer1.) topped it about 3 feet then thin-shanked it onto an adjacent fairway
Golfer2.) fatted into the bunker short
Golfer3.) near Air shot to move the ball just off the tee followed by a wild hack into the knee high rough left of the green.
We spent about 5 minutes looking for his ball (which was a waste as you couldn't find a beach ball in there) then he decided to drop one to the side of the rough and hack it up to the green in another 3 strokes.
Player 1 then thinned through the green and pitched to about 30ft, player 2 took many swipes in the bunker before shouting a few expletives and picking up.
I eventually got to my 20footer and knocked it 5 feet past and missed the return for a bogey. The remaining 2 did whatever on the green and we eventually got to the 7th tee a full 35minutes after we had arrived at the 6th.
From there on my game fell away a bit - nothing terrible but a couple of dodgy drives, missed greens and rushed putts meant I ended up with 31 stableford points from what could have been a very decent round.

I will spare you the details but it took us over 5 and a half hours to play the round and my playing partners scored 9,15 and 22 points respectively. We looked for balls on every hole, waited for ages on each green/tee when they had left their bags elsewhere and despite there being no one behind and no point (with the rough being knee high) they insisted on looking for a minimum of 5 minutes for each ball that strayed off the fairway.

Now, a bad workman does blame his tools but I have been in good form lately and started that round well. I played the last 10 holes or so quite poorly and I can only put this down to not being able to focus with the chaps I was playing with.
I couldn't find a way to address the matter of how long it was taking us to play with them without being rude (as they were clients, upsetting them wasn't on the agenda)
Iv played slow rounds before and iv played with "occasional" golfer's before not on this scale. I actually shot my lowest ever round during a midweek medal with a couple of mid twenties handicappers - perhaps because I was very relaxed and not competing with them

Has anyone got an opinion or anecdote on how slow play / poor play affects your game.....?


Oh, and in the bar one of them had the cheek to say "struggled with that back 9, couldn't get it going really could you!!!!"

longgame wrote:I will spare you the details but it took us over 5 and a half hours to play the round and my playing partners scored 9,15 and 22 points respectively. We looked for balls on every hole, waited for ages on each green/tee when they had left their bags elsewhere and despite there being no one behind and no point (with the rough being knee high) they insisted on looking for a minimum of 5 minutes for each ball that strayed off the fairway.

That sounds like hell, and you would have to be incredibly mentally strong for that not to have affected your game. Perhaps the only way to get something positive out of a round in these circumstances is to embrace the challenge, and somehow try to enjoy the mental test however exhausting it might be.

In some ways courses with a lot of thick rough are asking for the kind of round you describe. It is amazing how quickly a round can go when you remove the need to spend time searching for balls. The pace of play, regardless of ability, on some of the "lesser" links courses is quite rapid due to fast and firm conditions and light wispy rough that makes it very easy to find even the most wayward drive and provides conditions which iron out some issues in the lesser players game.

Scratch 4somes game on Monday. One of the oppo (who was mustard from 100 yd in, and also on the green) was horrendously slow over each shot. We were 2 and a half holes down on the match in front of us by the 10th. I just wanted to go home and didn't give a sh1t where my ball was going after the first 4 (about an hour). Blessing when we finally did get battered.

Pleasant chap but, f**k me. Never again.

So, yes. It does affect me.

Jeez, that sounds like hell on earth. I have noticed that the time taken for rounds on my home course has crept up (roughly in line with the growing depth, thickness and overall severity of the rough). Excellent growing conditions (and a couple of green keeping retirements) have made it especially bad this year. That being said it sounds like that was only a small part of your problem. You can encourage them to play provisionals & pass comments after a minute or so looking along the lines of l "Christ I don't think I'd want to try and play my ball in the unlikely event of me finding it in this Poopie!!"

I've never actually been in the situation where all 3 others in a 4ball are complete & utter mince. In a 2 decent, 2 hacker type 4ball I'd try to focus on my own game and watch for the other decent player cracking first!!

Golf is supposed to be enjoyable. Everyone can have a bad day, a bad 2 or 3 holes maybe but it sounds like you got dumped with the 4ball from hell. Mac touches on a good point too. Whilst everyones golf is ultimately their own responsibility, course designers and greenkeepers have a part to play in making sure the playing environment makes enjoyment possible.

If rubbish players actually watched their ball instead of turning away it would help.
If they don't even look, I can't be bothered to help them. Funny how they always look 100 yards further than they've ever hit a ball in their lives too.

How did you interact with the hackers, ive played with some who are much better then me, they just roll their eyes, tutt at bad shots and treat you like a leper. Others understand you may be erratic, but still try to enjoy it, have a laugh and joke. It makes the whole thing more relaxed, and therefore a bit more enjoyable.

I don't mind whether you are +5 or 28hcp, you don't need to be slow, you can always keep an eye on your ball and you can always be ready to play.

I suppose it's an expected result of playing in a charity event or entertaining clients where you have no control over who you play with

I'm playing a big charity event at Bearwood Lakes tomorrow (4BBB Stableford, men and ladies, with a very mixed standard of entrants and shotgun start). I can see that being EASILY a 5 hour round but I'm going into it with that expectancy.

And yes, higher handicappers do take more shots and are more likely to get into troubles, but pace of play is far from being about handicap level - I'm a higher handicapper but known as a reasonably quick player, hit provisionals where necessary, move quickly between shots and don't have an overlong routine. More than once I've played with lower players who I've felt have been holding me back!

There are certainly different types of slow play Davie that's for sure. Yes, better players do tend to take more time around the greens (probably a lot to do with why their handicaps tend to be lower). If in such a group or waiting behind then it will look slow but overall if they do the other things you do i.e move quickly between shots and other things like filling in scores as your partners are taking their next teeshot etc. Then they won't necessarily be slow.

You can get quick higher handicappers who by and large hit it straight but can't putt for toffee but because they are always on the fairway they aint slow. The problem slowies are the ones on tight courses with thick bundai whose ambition overrides their ability (whatever their handicap!!), in a nutshell...the ones who chose not to exercise any Course Management.

Without a doubt it affects your game. One of my playing partners is slooooooooooow, rarely ready for his shot after he sees 2 others play before him. Think that being ready for your next shot is the least expected on the course. Sometimes I look at where the groups in front and behind are and feel rushed to compensate for someone playing slow.

Too right, hate waiting for slow coaches in front, but equally hate being rushed from behind because someone in your group is holding everyone up.

super_realist wrote:If rubbish players actually watched their ball instead of turning away it would help.
If they don't even look, I can't be bothered to help them. Funny how they always look 100 yards further than they've ever hit a ball in their lives too.

Offering advice is fairly pointless anyway. Practice is for the range.

GunsGerms wrote:

super_realist wrote:If rubbish players actually watched their ball instead of turning away it would help.
If they don't even look, I can't be bothered to help them. Funny how they always look 100 yards further than they've ever hit a ball in their lives too.

Offering advice is fairly pointless anyway. Practice is for the range.

What do you mean? People should practice looking where there ball has gone on the range?

I'm talking not about technique, but simply watching the ball to see where it finishes in order that you might find it easier. Bad players in particular often turn away after a bad shot so have no idea where to look for their ball.

super_realist wrote:I don't mind whether you are +5 or 28hcp, you don't need to be slow, you can always keep an eye on your ball and you can always be ready to play.

Absolutely right.

The number of times you see someone surprised when it's their turn to hit a shot. "Oh, it's me. Sorry, I wasn't concentrating..."

It's amazing. They go out for a game of golf, and it comes as a surprise when they have to hit a shot. What can they be thinking about since the last time they hit a shot? And under what circumstances would they not have to hit another shot?

Some of these people need to have a caddy with a cattle prod.

super_realist wrote:If rubbish players actually watched their ball instead of turning away it would help.
If they don't even look, I can't be bothered to help them. Funny how they always look 100 yards further than they've ever hit a ball in their lives too.

To a certain extent, it is the responsibility and role of the other players in the group to watch the ball so it can be found, but you're right - turning away in horror/shame/embarrassment/anger is a common mistake and compounds the problem. However, I always help them as if you don't, then you're just as guilty of slowing the game down.

I hear a lot of people talk about slow play "knocking them out of their rhythm" but really I find it just breaks my concentration (if I let it), and then I get annoyed for letting it and it can spiral really badly.

super_realist wrote:

GunsGerms wrote:

super_realist wrote:If rubbish players actually watched their ball instead of turning away it would help.
If they don't even look, I can't be bothered to help them. Funny how they always look 100 yards further than they've ever hit a ball in their lives too.

Offering advice is fairly pointless anyway. Practice is for the range.

What do you mean? People should practice looking where there ball has gone on the range?

I'm talking not about technique, but simply watching the ball to see where it finishes in order that you might find it easier. Bad players in particular often turn away after a bad shot so have no idea where to look for their ball.

Sorry thought you meant keeping your head down and eye on the ball when you strike the ball rather than where it ends up. My mistake.

Ive played with some short sighted people who always need help finding it. I dont mind though.

Its bound to affect your game.
I play with a medium sized group of players and theres a couple of real slow players (at times)

If we have players waiting for us to play, i will invariably play too ast to try to make up for others who are less considerate.
Also, should a ball of mine go in the rough .. as if .. i fell i have virtually no time at all to look for it.. and will just continue (unless its a comp of course - but even then you fell increased pressure to decide what your doing)

ironically, its is always them who come out with the comment ... ooh were a bit behind, we'd best get a shift on !!.. YES I KNOW ... its you, you slow ****

Had a real hacker in my group yesterday, very slow and even though it was a stableford had to be told to pick the ball up if he can't score. He was putting for a 9 on the third when I told him. Didn't take it well, but with people waiting to play behind, not sure why he took the hump.

Always felt sorry for whoever played with me, forever looking for lost balls. That said Id always hurry up as best I could and on the plus side, any partner of mine would feel like they were Tiger Woods in comparison to me so that would be a confidence boost.

im fine with lost balls.. its slow play that annoys .. theres a difference.
I hit plenty of rubbish off line shots, but i do try to look where theyve gone ! and will play provisional if it looks dodgy ..
these guys are just wondering round aimlessly, never ready , many practice swings - but only when its thyre turn to play , including practice swings when putting .. drives me mental !

I find that slowness can really affect me if I'm not playing well. It ruins my concentration and rhythm and I struggle to find that groove for every swing. Last week we teed off an hour behind a society. We caught them at the turn and the back 9 was horrific - my swing disintegrated and both my mates and I lost interest towards the end. If I'm "in the zone" I seem to be able to block it out, and adjust my own pace of play to reduce waiting time (e.g. spend longer lining up putts, measuring distances, thinking about club selection etc).

Pace of play is a habit / culture that varies from course to course. At my old club I never had a round longer than 4 hours, normally 3:30 for a 3ball in comps, because it was a private club with small membership and everyone just got on with it, without rushing.

Just remembered something...

A long time ago, I once played in a comp with a guy who had obviously been watching too much golf on TV. He was a relative beginner, but had the idea that he needed to look at every putt from both behind the ball and behind the hole.

We got to the par 3 7th, already a hole behind, group behind waiting on the tee, and he was at the front of the green with a 100 foot putt to the back of the green. We were all standing waiting for him while he lined up his putt, and then he strode all the way to the back of the green to see the putt from behind the hole. I thought the other guys in our 4 ball were going to explode! Never saw him again for some reason...

Christ. 100ft, should have just handed him a 7 iron and told him to tw@t it!

Did he get anywhere near?

I played with a guy on Sunday who spent about a minute looking for a tee, I told him not to worry, someone will hand it in.

No joke...

I played with a guy who had a big tee...with a piece of string tying it to a smaller tee. When he drove the big tee would be anchored to the little tee so he didn't lose it.

Actually I guess it saved time in picking his tee up but.. you know.. really?

dont you guys have a 'lucky' tee ??

I did find a tee once that had been repaired with Sellotape   

  

Davie wrote:I did find a tee once that had been repaired with Sellotape   

Sounds like my scorecard.