by JIMML
In my 45 years of playing golf I have experienced the following.
Living in South Florida in the late 70s the weekend rounds were starting to take six hours. I found myself playing less and less until I almost quit playing.
In the early 80s I moved to Colorado and built a house on a course. Three of my buddies and I would get the first tee time on Saturdays and Sundays and each having our own cart could whip through three and a half hour rounds with no problems.
I now play at public courses and find myself going to one in particular because in nine out of ten rounds I can walk the course in under four hours. This is mostly due to a knowledgeable, hard working ranger staff and their ability to keep them goobers moving.

by Eric Neuschwander
Traditionalists (and I consider myself one of them) would argue that golf is meant to be experienced and enjoyed by walking the course. The reality though, is that times have changed. Course designs have grown longer and the popularity of the sport has exploded. Marketing of equipment has led "Joe Duffer" to honestly believe he can hit it like Tiger, and will drop his $60 green fee every single weekend to prove it. More people, bad players, are now gobbling up tee times.
Slow play characteristically is a result of poor play, to be sure. But "Joe Duffer's" ignorance of the etiquette of golf, has only made matters worse.
People have to get SMARTER, and drop the 'me first' mentality that is so prevalent in society today.
However, equally to blame for the problem are indeed the golf courses themselves. Stacking up tee times, and sending groups off 2-4 minutes apart is a major problem. I don't think any number of golf carts on the course is going to help cure that problem.
In addition, many players would choose to ride to help speed up play, yet face insanely high cart fee rates. Courses be reasonable!
I have heard of the single cart proposition and I love the idea.
But I can see it now - double cart riders split the $40 fee. Single cart riders pay $30. The trouble is the golf cart, which was originally intended to help speed up play, has become a 'cash cow' for greedy course managers.
Courses have to get SMARTER, less greedy and make costumer satisfaction priority one short term, to secure long term profits.
Finally, I believe the single biggest factor of slow play is the "hit and seek" golfer. Looking for wayward balls is the single most frustrating factor the slows pace of play down. I've often thought, wouldn't it be a great summer job for students to sit on a fairway in the bright sunshine, spotting balls for wayward golfers - perhaps manning a cooler offering cold drinks to offset costs.
Any course clever enough to consider it, give me a call. I might even be able to get a round in and not be late for work.

by JB
single carts, a solution? how about more congestion?
as someone who routinely walks 18 holes in an easy 3.5 hrs, I have a couple of thoughts. have rangers/starters pass out discounted lesson coupons. slow play is usually the twin of poor play. and lesson one: etiquette!
lesson two? a pre-shot routine that begins when one gets to the ball, not when its ones turn to stroke the ball! next thought? how about understanding that golf is a paced walking game as it was designed! and as such, come to walk, walk briskly, play your shot, and keep moving.
for courses where carts are the only means to trek some 7 miles of terrain, improve slow play by esatblishing local rules over waste areas, that quickly keep people moving vs. searching and hitting.
Or, one can also promote a play/pay by the hour. for those that can get 18 holes in by 4 hrs, fee is X. for those taking longer, they pay X + an penalty fee.
and for those very slow folks who just refuse to believe they need to maintain speed as courtesy, another rate of a dimension that covers the cost of two rounds!