Quote:
Originally Posted by Northendzone
To me 2.10 on a Saturday is an acceptable pace for a foursome
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Not intended as a critique of anyone, just a pet peeve of mine.
Time should never be an indicator of good pace of play. Your responsibility is to stay in position on the course, which is a shot or two behind the group in front of you, even if that group has fewer players. I know this isn't reasonable at times, but that should be the expectation of your rabbits. Good course management pushes the pace of the first groups out to play as quickly as they can. If the first 4-6 tee times are slow, the course will be slow.
From a course perspective, a rule of thumb is to take the finishing tee time of the first group off the course, and then add one minute for every tee time on the sheet before noon. For most courses with an 8:00 start, this will be anywhere between 24-30 tee times, or 24-30 minutes. This number will usually be the pace for the golf course for play after your turn time (usually 2:00 or 10:00 am). So if your first round comes off in 4:00, you can expect a 4:30 round for your 10:00, and depending on length of your day, that can extend out beyond that. This is why it is very important to have good marshals on course to help manage play.
From a player perspective I always recommend that you take into consideration the other patrons trying to enjoy the course with you. Pick a tee reasonable to your skill level. Play from the tee most acceptable to your weakest player. Play ready golf. Don't make everyone putt everything out, unless you're in a tournament - gimmes help keep the game light and people less frustrated. Don't spend undue time hunting for balls, making you fall out of position. Recognize your own abilities, how far you can hit a ball, and keep the testosterone in check.
I think we can all agree that there is nothing more frustrating than following a group who is playing from the tips when they should clearly be teeing up from the middle of the course or further up. Or how annoying is it to watch a group wait for each other to hit in turn, then take 15 minutes on a green to finish their putts, especially those 18 inchers. I think we also all can feel the pain of standing on a tee box while four players hunt in the woods for 15 minutes for a $2 Topflite, or waiting for someone to hit their second shot into the green on a par 520 yard par 5 when they barely hit it 200 off the tee. Imagine how much quicker and more enjoyable a round would be if we all just didn't do this stuff?