Ron Mon - Latest Comments on Myths about golf that must be accepted as truth

NothingMan [Visitor] in response to: Myths about golf that must be accepted as truth

NothingMan [Visitor] — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 20:05:57 +0000

whew! brilliant. You must have just gotten done playing a 6 hour round behind a group of women.

What about these:
--You will NEVER see the marshal when you want to tell them about the slow group ahead of you, but you will ALWAYS see the marshal a the exact time you deliberately do something you know you should not be doing.

--The beer cart girls will only come by if you already have a full cooler and will never come your way when you're out. Proceed to the clubhouse and restock if you want to see them again.

--You have a much better chance of having the game of your life when you go out and play a quick 18 by yourself than you do if you go out with friends and play for skins... guaranteed long drives, birdies, and a good chance of a hole in one.

Kiel Christianson [Member] in response to: Myths about golf that must be accepted as truth

Kiel Christianson [Member] — Fri, 17 Mar 2006 20:14:38 +0000

I have to agree with the Euros: A foursome with good caddies can play ANY course in Scotland or Ireland (as long as it is not over-crowded) in less than 4 hours stroke play, even the Old Course. I've done it myself.

And when playing alone, I can play 2 balls, take notes and pictures for a course review, and smoke a cigar in 2.5 hours. Faster with one ball, no notes, and walking.

Bill Yates [Visitor] in response to: Myths about golf that must be accepted as truth

Bill Yates [Visitor] — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 06:33:29 +0000

Todd,
I don't disagree with you. Of course players can be horribly slow, if course managers let them get away with it. And I strongly agree with you on educating players. The PGA did a study and found that the slowest players were the ones that were new to the game.

My point is that even if everyone were educated and played faster, the major cause of waiting on the course is because of congestion. And the responsibility for that rests solely with course management.

There's a constant daily struggle between the impact of congestion and slow players. Management is faced with the difficult task of having to consciously manage both, from sunup to sundown. And it's a tough job.

ToddCommish [Visitor] in response to: Myths about golf that must be accepted as truth

ToddCommish [Visitor] — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 22:22:03 +0000

I disagree with Bill Yates' Mythbuster #2 - the main cause of slow play is that people are spending too much time emulating their favorite pros (i.e. plumb-bobbing, throwing grass, studying each shot for 3 minutes). The best way to speed up play is to EDUCATE the crappy players of the world. Teach them how to walk to their own ball rather than congregating behind the short driver, take two or three clubs when riding in a cart, line up their putt while the others are putting, mark behind the ball properly, and simply being ready to play when it's their turn, you wouldn't have slow play. You might still have BAD play, but it wouldn't be slow.

One-Putt [Visitor] in response to: Myths about golf that must be accepted as truth

One-Putt [Visitor] — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 22:19:13 +0000

Gambling has become the biggest factor in slowing down the pace of play.

The gamblers will search forever for a lost ball or agonize for fifteen minutes while they line up a three foot putt. Then promptly miss the damned putt.

A couple weeks ago I was particularly annoyed by a group in front of mine, so I told my playing partners I was going to hit one off one of their golf carts in front of the green. Of course I was kidding all the time the hole was a 375 yard par four.

Somehow I found a hidden screw in the face of my new 425 and hit the drive of my life, a one hopper directly into the side of one of their golf carts. We could hear it hit back on the tee box. I bent over, picked up my tee and said to the group, "Damn, good thing that golf cart was there or I would have been over."

Golf carts have become my new aiming point. Hey, maybe it wasn't luck.

Ron Mon [Member] in response to: Myths about golf that must be accepted as truth

Ron Mon [Member] — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 21:45:53 +0000

Thank you. The euros crow about sub-4 and sub-3 hour rounds, but the reality is, they play alternate shot, so only two balls are in play at any time. Condescending lot they are.

Bill Yates [Visitor] in response to: Myths about golf that must be accepted as truth

Bill Yates [Visitor] — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 19:31:18 +0000

Myth buster #1 - The USGA has a Pace Rating System to objectively measure the time it should take to play each hole and the total 18. I've used it hundreds of times in my work with courses and only have found one course so far that measures to a 4-hour pace. The Old Course in St Andrews measured at 3:57.

Myth buster #2 - I've looked for and studied the causes of slow play for about ten years and found that the waiting we hate, and define as "slow play," is primarily caused by overcrowding the golf course not by players playing slowly.

Ron Mon [Member] in response to: Myths about golf that must be accepted as truth

Ron Mon [Member] — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 17:56:35 +0000

Nice additions, Bill. What are the myth busters?