While We're Young

[whiskey golf]

For those who are watching the US Open, is anyone else annoyed with these stupid commercials?

 

Here are some examples:

 

 

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

I dunno, they're starting to grow on me...and you can't argue with the message. Took me about 47 viewings to realize they were referencing Rodney...

[HighFade]

I like the one with Clint Eastwood. With the exception of that one, the commercials only prove golfers can't act.

[whiskey golf]

I like the one with Clint Eastwood. With the exception of that one, the commercials only prove golfers can't act.

 

I haven't seen that one yet.

[Mr_Theoo]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpUK47pnTMA

 

by far the best one. they are growing on me as well.

[hckymeyer]

A couple of them are OK, and the message is good, but personally I think it's a waste of money and isn't really going to effect the pace of play at all.

[wade410]

The one with the girl is the absolute worst in my opinion I just fond get that one

[Mr_Theoo]

A couple of them are OK, and the message is good, but personally I think it's a waste of money and isn't really going to effect the pace of play at all.

 

Nope. Only thing that can effect pace of play would be a discount if you finish in a timely manner

[hckymeyer]

Nope. Only thing that can effect pace of play would be a discount if you finish in a timely manner

 

Now that is an interesting idea!! $5 off per round for every 15 mins under 4hrs you finish in. Or better yet instead of a refund it's in the form of a voucher good towards your next round.

[Mr_Theoo]

Now that is an interesting idea!! $5 off per round for every 15 mins under 4hrs you finish in. Or better yet instead of a refund it's in the form of a voucher good towards your next round.

 

That's what I was thinking. It's win-win cause you save money on your next round and the course gets more return business cause it won't take a fortnight to play

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

Our course ha a deal today - finish in under 4 hours and you get 2 free rounds per foresome. We were doing well until the back 9 when it backed up. We finished in 4:10. Damn!!

[Super Tuna]

Nope. Only thing that can effect pace of play would be a discount if you finish in a timely manner

 

I seriously doubt it. Those who tend to be playing slow aren't going to give a fiddlestick about $5 off their round at the end for coming in under 4:30. That will barely cover the cost one of the 15 beers they've consumed on the course.

 

Not watching Furyk or Tiger on the greens on TC would be a good place to start. Though, at least Villegas isn't on the main line Tour so I don't have to wait for people to try that position and pull something.

[furu]

We have to be careful not to make a huge problem out of this. To much focus on slow play is negative. Beginners and those who are thinking about starting with golf can actually get scared by the pressure to play quickly. Do we need focus on positive things in golf or our problems?

 

I never play golf to get it done. It doesn't have to be over as soon as possible.

 

There are so many other things that can be done before we start chasing people around the courses.

[Shambles]

Couldn't agree more on both counts of wasted money and zero impact.

 

They must have money to burn

 

 

Fairways & Greens 4ever

 

 

I disagree.

 

It's going to take a long term campaign to change the image of golfers who take leisurely walks and are slow to decide into golfers who move more efficiently and are better organized. Not necessarily the hustle and bustle of New York City, but more like the walk to the neighborhood grocery for a snack or some other non essential.

 

Too many players act as if they are on stage when it's their turn to swing.

 

 

Shambles

[apprenti23]

Pace of play will always be an issue as people and society keep trying to be now, now, now instant this and instant that. Golf takes awhile. It always has and always will. They'll never fix pace of play on the PGA tour or the local amateur manure tour.

 

I wish they'd stop trying to convince people that the number one issue in golf is pace of play.

 

Pace of play is not why golf courses are closing.

Pace of play is not why golf shops are closing.

Pace of play is not why private clubs are closing or switching to public.

Pace of play is NOT causing people to quit golf.

 

I'm so tired of hearing this, it's a total joke.

[whiskey golf]

Pace of play will always be an issue as people and society keep trying to be now, now, now instant this and instant that. Golf takes awhile. It always has and always will. They'll never fix pace of play on the PGA tour or the local amateur manure tour.

 

I wish they'd stop trying to convince people that the number one issue in golf is pace of play.

 

Pace of play is not why golf courses are closing.

Pace of play is not why golf shops are closing.

Pace of play is not why private clubs are closing or switching to public.

Pace of play is NOT causing people to quit golf.

 

I'm so tired of hearing this, it's a total joke.

 

I couldn't agree more with this. The USGA acts like slow play is the worst thing to happen to golf.

[GolfSpy Dave]

I have been watching the feed online and I didn't even see these. Ironic that Tiger putts the same way at the mini golf course as the open today. Tough to watch...

Anyway, the online feed is all about the Ping ads with Hunter, Lee, and Bubba. They make me laugh

[furu]

Pace of play will always be an issue as people and society keep trying to be now, now, now instant this and instant that. Golf takes awhile. It always has and always will. They'll never fix pace of play on the PGA tour or the local amateur manure tour.

 

I wish they'd stop trying to convince people that the number one issue in golf is pace of play.

 

Pace of play is not why golf courses are closing.

Pace of play is not why golf shops are closing.

Pace of play is not why private clubs are closing or switching to public.

Pace of play is NOT causing people to quit golf.

 

I'm so tired of hearing this, it's a total joke.

 

Excellent post Couldn't have said it better myself.

[ZenGolfer]

I find them to be annoying and rude, especially the one with Annika. Its kind of hard for them to preach, "while we're young" when tour pros dont embrace this practice.

[BIG STU]

Couldn't agree more on both counts of wasted money and zero impact.

 

They must have money to burn

 

 

Fairways & Greens 4ever

As usual I concur with you especially down here in a resort area. I have heard it too much from staffers at various courses down here "we pay our money we will take as much time as we want and we are on vacation and if it was not for us tourists you would have no good golf courses to play on" What a relief I got an invite to play one of the areas top PRIVATE courses Sat We played in 3 1/2 hrs and it was great!!! No obnoxious touron drunks. I know not all out of towners are like that but the vast majority are that's why in the "season" I tend to play the lower tier courses that are not on any motel or golf packages

[silver & black]

Pace of play is not why golf courses are closing.

Pace of play is not why golf shops are closing.

Pace of play is not why private clubs are closing or switching to public.

Pace of play is NOT causing people to quit golf.

Exactly. Pace of play rules are definitely a reason I don't go back to certain courses, though.

 

I'm not a "good" player, but I can get around a golf course without too much trouble. I play with a few other guys that, to be kind, aren't what you would call even fair players..... they kinda suck. It takes us a little over 4 hours to play 18 holes. I think that's about average for "most" foursomes that play once a week (I play more).

 

You'd think we were killing people out there the way the marshal hounds us! That is the kind of thing that keeps people from playing. Why would you want to spend hard earned money to be hassled and made to feel unwelcome at a golf course? Face it.... "most" people on a golf course at any given time are NOT very good. If the course wants to stay open and make money, it would be in it's best interest to figure out how to cater to the majority of players out there.

[revkev]

Bless you my son for starting this thread - I was chomping at the bit watching these commercials on Saturday during the course of a five hour plus round in the USGA's premier event - they're having this commercial and allowing that abomination to go on?

 

Either the players were taking too long or the course set up was too difficult for them -

 

As to the notion that Pace of Play doesn't effect golf I respectfully but most strongly disagree - It is by survey the second largest factor inhibiting the growth of the game and also causing people to give the game up.

 

The obvious number one reason never gets talked about and that's cost. But there is a cost to slow play also because time is you know what.

 

Young people and people who have hectic schedules do not like to go to a golf course to sit around and wait - They simply won't - Frankly I can't understand why a round of golf ever, ever takes more than 4 hours and 3 and a half should be the norm. I play with plenty of beginners and higher handicappers - I coach middle school golf for crying out loud - there is no reason why beginners can't play quickly - In fact many of them play quicker than some of my better playing friends because if you teach them that a round should take three and a half hours, if you teach them to take two clubs or if walking put your bag on the side of the green towards the next tee and to start reading putts as they approach the green and all that stuff - guess what?

 

That's what they do.

 

Those ads were a joke because the pace of play in the US Open on Saturday was a joke. Five and a half hours for the best players in the world playing as threesomes? And no slow play penalties were called - I don't even know of anyone going on the clock.

 

Does anybody recall that the US Opne playoff at Winged Foot between Fuzzy Zoeller and Greg Norman took a tad over three hours?

[wade410]

If they really wanted to speed up the pace of play on the tour start charging them a stroke for every ten minutes over the time limit. As for the weekend warrior, if the people are actually trying and not being obnoxious about it aka letting groups play thur and such I really don't see the problem. Now the golfer who being obnoxious and holding up the whole course should be dealt with by the marshals.

 

The commercials are just a waste. They actually have to have a commercial explaining a different commercial. That was really bad advertising.

[silver & black]

The other factor that contributes to slow play and having to wait 10 minutes on every tee box is that courses (at least in my area) put way too many groups on the course at the same time. Common sense tells you that there is going to be a log jam with so many out there at once.

[Super Tuna]

The other factor that contributes to slow play and having to wait 10 minutes on every tee box is that courses (at least in my area) put way too many groups on the course at the same time. Common sense tells you that there is going to be a log jam with so many out there at once.

 

Indeed. Don't be confused about why it's slow out there when tee times are spaced 7 minutes apart

[Kor.A.Door]

I know plenty of golfers how will shoot 100 plus I their round and it doesn't take them 5 hours to play the round.

 

The point is that change the pace of play their needs to be some kind of incentive to do so, but even then you've got all these old timers with crazy money that just don't care, at my club, those are the ones that hold up play, and because they have the money, and are well known at the club, the ranger won't tell them anything, and if you hit into or anywhere near them they call the club house and they come out and talk to you, never mind that we are only on 12 and we have been out there for almost 4 hours already and there are 4 open holes in front of them.

 

Slow play is a big issue, if you

 

Want to play any type of tournament you have to establish a handicap, and I don't care who you are, it is difficult to sit and wait for 5 minutes for every shot and still go on to post a respectable score.

 

They chafe this campaign "while we are young" but no one has come up with any way or actual program that will help with speeding up play, it has to come from the individual who is playing, and if that person don't give a crap, then it won't change. They need to come up with an actual plan to help. Affect the speed of play, not just slogan that sounds good.

[wade410]

Played 9 behind a group of 6 today and this issue came up today again. It will never happen but if they charge a floating fee, like a rental agreement. 3 hr the an extra two or three dollars ever 15 min you are over charged to the credit card used to hold the tee time. That might speed things up some. But like I said it will never happen

[apprenti23]

Has anyone quit the game because of pace of play? Anyone on here? I didn't think so - they keep telling you p.o.p. is a major factor inhibiting growth of the game bc they're not going to admit that the game is too difficult, too many rules, too expensive, etc. They're the governing body. They determine how difficult it is and what the rules are. Pace of play is a facilities issue. They're basically saying the blame lies within the facilities; who have already cut budgets, costs, staff, etc. to keep heads above water during this depression. While they continue to change rules to make the game more difficult for the masses.

 

Our whole world is instant this and now that. Golfs not meant to be played quickly. Never has and never will.

[Shambles]

Has anyone quit the game because of pace of play? Anyone on here? I didn't think so - they keep telling you p.o.p. is a major factor inhibiting growth of the game bc they're not going to admit that the game is too difficult, too many rules, too expensive, etc. They're the governing body. They determine how difficult it is and what the rules are. Pace of play is a facilities issue. They're basically saying the blame lies within the facilities; who have already cut budgets, costs, staff, etc. to keep heads above water during this depression. While they continue to change rules to make the game more difficult for the masses.

 

Our whole world is instant this and now that. Golfs not meant to be played quickly. Never has and never will.

 

 

I did about 10 years ago, maybe a bit more, though admittedly it was only part of the reason. Mostly it was boredom as I lost any ambitions for a better game and had become repetitive. The PoP was just the catalyst.

 

The game isn't all that difficult but some of the rules are excessively punitive especially the way new guys interpret them and hold them so sacred. I only follow the rules during competition and tournaments and only for as long as I have a shot at some prize. Otherwise I just try to stay out of the way of others. The game is expensive, but it has always been expensive. It's a rich man's game created and formalized by rich men who liked what they created. Not all that different from Polo, Dressage, Yacht Racing or other rich man's forms of entertainment. Lucky for me that golf has become cheap enough for me to play at. I've been refused entry at some clubs, and am still refused membership at a few. That's alright. I could not afford them anyway or would not easily spend the money to play them and still enjoy myself.

 

The clubs that are having trouble are the ones who have a membership that cannot or will not spend the money to take care of the club. They went into business and have encountered bad times that caused them a market depletion. There are others for whom bad economic times is just a bump in the road and after the obligatory harrump they go ahead and pay the added cost. I know they are all over the world but am equally certain I will be refused entry to them even as a visitor. They can afford to protect and preserve their private space and truly spend the money to do so.

 

Pace of Play is a real problem for public courses and courses that depend upon walk in's for their financial health. These facilities cost a lot of money to maintain and operate and if the green fees do not go up, they can only make up the difference by reducing the quality of the facilities and service or having so many walk ins Pace of Play suffers from the few that insist on playing even when they are so incompetent that they cannot make a quick decision or be organized about how they play the game. Slow players not only consume the pleasure of those unlucky enough to be behind them, they also endanger the financial health of the clubs they play in.

 

 

Shambles

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

Maybe we're thinking about pace of play all wrong. Maybe it has nothing to do with whether the golfer quits the game, but rather more to do with how profitable the course itself is. How many more rounds could a course get in per day if the pace of play was 4 hours instead of 4.5 or 5 hours? That adds up over the course of a year and could make the difference between turning a profit, breaking even or losing money. If courses close down, you can't grow the game...

 

Just a thought,...