Observation from the 19th hole today

Played 18 this morning and while having lunch on the deck looking over the finishing hole, a good par 5, I noticed it was getting a bit backed up. Note: this was the front nine today as they started everyone on 10. It wasn't bad but it had a real chance to get ugly on the back nine for the people out there. 

But what struck me was this: most of the people I observed this morning were dawdling along. No real sense of urgency to get to your ball and be ready to hit. And it was easily 4-5 groups in a row that just kind of took their time. The best were the ones in carts who simply couldn't be bothered to get out at their partners ball and walk 20 yards over to their own. No, they needed to wait and then be driven to 5 feet and start their pre-shot routine.

Granted this was a nice Tuesday morning but the "hands on hips, hurry the *fudge* up look" on a couple of golfers made me glad I had finished.

Oh well. The course has good rangers and typically doesn't get out of control. And although this was admittedly a snapshot in time and a small sample size I'm more convinced than ever that slow play has nothing to do with whether you shoot 75 or 125.

 


Not good. Slapped it around for an 85. Felt like 105.

The burger for lunch was good though.

I hear what you're saying Fuzzy, but once one, or two, or three, or four groups run into THE slow group, what is the point of the four groups behind the slow group to play fast?  Wouldn't they just be hurrying up to wait, as they can only go as fast as the slowest group in front of them?  When this happens to me, I really have to consciously slow down, and in essence dawdle out there, or the wait really gets to me.  There doesn't seem to be a point to hurrying up, and in fact if I do, I really start to play poorly, once my group runs into the inevitable wait on every shot associated with a group of slugs in front of you.

On the upside, I've really gotten good at bouncing a ball on a wedge while waiting to hit, and it gives me the chance to examine, in excrutiating detail, the annoying habits of my golfing buddies that speedy play usually covers up.  That is all.