Pace of Play – How to Improve for Metro Seniors

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Pace of Play on the golf course is almost always a hot topic.  Everyone wants a speedy rounds.

And we can easily see the problem as “the other guys” in the group right in front of us.  Remember the group immediately behind you can only see you.  So maybe we are all part of the problem.

SLOW PLAY is the real sore point.  What causes SLOW PLAY?  There are many contributing factors.  Metro St. Louis Seniors Golf has to work with all the factors to give members the best possible experience.

  1. Course Conditions, Rules, and Equipment
    1. Course Design and Difficulty
    2. Course Maintenance
      1. Long Rough
      2. Leaves on Fairway and Rough
    3. Slow Carts or Bad Cart Paths
    4. Rain Delays or Wet Conditions – Path Only
  2. Tournament Conditions and Rules
    1. Individual or Team Competition (Scrambles)
    2. Tees Selected by Metro Sr and by Individuals
    3. Shotgun or Tee Order Starts
    4. Out of Bounds and Lost Ball Rules
    5. Number of Golfers
  3. Player Ability
    1. Short Hitters = More Strokes, More Time
    2. High Handicaps = Higher potential for lost balls, searches, penalties
  4. Player Behavior
    1. On Course Time Management
    2. Ready Golf
    3. Time Wasters
    4. Player Etiquette

What does Metro Seniors do to improve tournament pace of play?

  • Select Courses With
    • Design, Distance, Difficulty that mesh with Members’ Capability
    • Reasonable and Consistent Maintenance
    • Good Management
  • Set Rules that help maintain Speedy Play while offering Fair Member Competition
    • Tees Selection (Distance, Rating, Slope)
    • Division Number and Size – Smaller number of golfers for each tournament
    • Tournament Rules for Lost or OB Balls or special situations
    • Start Type – Shotgun or Split Tee Starts (#1 and #10)
    • Monitor Tee Group Times and Separation Gaps on Scorecards
  • Set and Communicate Metro Seniors Pace of Play Targets and Standards
    • Weekly Tournament and Special Events Targets
    • Course Pace of Play Targets
    • Measure and Communicate Member, Division
  • Encourage Pace of Play Improvements 
    • Record Scores, Calculate Handicaps, Flights
    • Encourage Short Hitters and High Handicaps to “Move Up”
    • Educate and Promote READY GOLF
    • Recognize “Model” Players and Groups
    • Mentor New Members and SLOW MEMBERS
  • Enforce Pace of Play Rules and On Course Corrections 
    • Slow Group Notification, Penalties on Course
    • Slow Group Weekly Warnings
    • Apply Board Sanctions
  • Monitor Tournament Play for the Season
    • Member Survey for Good/Bad Courses
    • Member Attendance, Times, Scores
    • Course Feedback

Member Ability/Behavior is the “last” and probably the most visible element of Pace of Play.  It is very important.  We are all involved.  AND we can all contribute by helping, encouraging, and modeling good behaviors for slower players.  With everyone’s cooperation we will improve everywhere.

Metro Seniors will act fairly and consistently to enforce our rules for Slow Play when significant and consistent problems are identified.

 

 

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