“There are two
kinds of golf:
GOLF
and
TOURNAMENT
GOLF”

Bobby Jones

 

Slow Play in the USA

By Joe Gorman

I recently read a book about one of my pet peeves, slow play on the golf course. “America! What Have You Done to the Auld Game?” was written by W. Eric Laing (pronounced Lane), a “Grumpy Old Scotsman” who shares my thoughts on the subject. But he feels so strongly about it that, in 1992, he decided to write this book. He cultivated his love for the game in his native Scotland in the early ’40s when he was just a wee bairn. The book is intersperced with full-color golf course illustrations by Jon Mills and amusing cartoons by Peter Woolcock. The cartoons highlight some of the funny experiences the author encountered more than 50 years ago when caddying at one of Scotland’s most famous golf courses.

Laing has an infectious sense of humor but he’s very serious about bringing the game back to the true joy of a “quick eighteen.” A quick eighteen in Scotland takes three and a half hours to play; in the United States it takes four and a half hours. He blames slow play on a plethora of things but mostly on television and “plain, bloody bad manners.”

Taking Mulligans, looking for lost balls, betting and talking on cell phones don’t take much time individually. But there are 72 people on the course at one time and if all of them do these things, plus make courtesy cart purchases and take lunch breaks, it adds an hour to the grand auld game.

Section One of the Royal and Ancient “Rules of Golf” and the USGA “Rules of Golf” are entitled: “Etiquette – Courtesy on the Course;” sub-heading, “Consideration for Other Players.”

“Consideration for other players” is the first order of business. Bobby Jones once said, “There are two kinds of golf: Golf and Tournament Golf.” Amateurs watch Professionals on television and see the rituals they go through before each shot. They incorporate these idiosyncrasies into their games, with no idea why, and it just slows their play and the play of 71 players behind them. And that’s just “Plain, Bloody Bad Manners”!

Here is a survey of what some of the local professionals have to say about slow play.

Steve Scheller, the new Golf Pro at Seaview Resort and Spa says, “Some Marriott Resort courses have clocks at each hole and the foursomes know just how far ahead or behind they are.

“Our guests are paying a couple of hundred dollars for a room. We can’t just chase them off the course like some clubs do. If the course is crowded, we can give them a sleeve of balls and ask them to come back later to finish their game.”

A person who wishes to remain anonymous says: “Women waste time talking; men waste time betting. Don’t quote me; everybody who plays here will hate me.”

Other typical comments: “Our rangers do a good job of keeping things moving.”  “We have no problems with slow play.”

In a telephone interview, the author told this writer, “I sent 80 copies to important personages. …I sent a copy to all 41 PGA districts and not one person has replied. …It has to be the money.” I said, “I like what John Speary [Executive Director of Sun Country PGA] said about it: ‘This book is something that every golfer (especially those starting out) should have and study. Every golf instructor should make it a required reading. We need to emphasize the importance of playing without delay.’”

Laing said to me, “Someone with a name has to come out and say something about it. They [golfers] have to see it on TV.”