Pace of Play in Golf

I was reading a thread the other day that got me thinking. This board was discussing pace of play on the golf course. There are a few schools of thought on this topic and it can depend a bit on where you are. I happen to live near the slowest course in the entire country, maybe the world. Rancho Park is notorious for 6-8 hour rounds but remains extremely popular.

For those of you who aren’t in the know, a golf round of 18 holes should last about 4-4.5 hours. It is generally frowned upon if you are lollygagging your way around the course or rushing the group in front of you. Some folks get more worked up about it than others. It becomes a test of patience and an example of human nature. For example, I’ve heard horror stories of golfers who were apparently running a race of some sort. A group would be in the middle of the fairway and an impatient group behind them will hit off the tee right into them. Not cool.

Personally, I’m on the golf course to enjoy myself. Being out there is really relaxing for me. All I am concerned with is making par and continuing to improve my game. I’m fine to wait a bit for the group in front of me. It gives me time to reflect and visualize my next shot. Sure, it’s a drag if they are blatantly being slow. I usually chalk this up to their need for attention and feel sympathy for them. A conscientious group will let you play through if they are far behind pace. What is really a drag is an impatient “world record holder” behind me. I’ll let them play though every time. I’m quite nice about both situations also. There really is no reason to get worked up. I mean seriously - you’re playing golf. Would you rather be in the office?

What are your thoughts on pace of play?