\tAnd standing around waiting on every single shot is extremely challenging<\/a>, especially in cold and wet weather. It seems that waving people through has become a thing of the past.<\/p>\n \tThere is clearly a difficult balancing act to be performed around pace of play but I am certain nobody would consider five hours and 20 minutes to be acceptable.<\/p>\n \tI am a member of a parkland course and that means that come autumn we have to cope with leaves – thousands of them – and of course this makes finding golf balls more difficult, and slows play down. Three minutes to look for a ball? In our dreams. We have considered introducing a local rule whereby golfers would get a free drop if they lose a ball among the leaves but ditched the idea because it is quite clearly open to abuse.<\/p>\n \tHand in hand with slow play comes etiquette – or a lack of it. When I was first taught to play the game the subject of etiquette was drummed into me. I knew to make way for quicker players, I knew to replace divots and I knew to repair pitch marks. Just the other day I fixed 16 pitch marks on TWO greens.<\/p>\n \t \t(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography<\/a>)<\/p>\n \tSome Golfers Are Concerned About\u00a0Slow Play<\/p>\n \tHere is what just a few of you had to say about slow play:<\/p>\n \t\t\t“Pace of play is appalling now. I’m 60+ yet our fourball can get round comfortably in 3.5 hours, yet so many groups take close to five hours to get around and refuse to let much faster groups through.”\t\t\t“Slow play and older players not letting you through is frustrating.”\t\t\t“Slow play is worse year on year, and there is a lack of etiquette.”\t\t\t“Pace of play seems to be getting slower. It is good to see more women and juniors playing, but standards of behaviour need reinforcing.”\tBut Other Golfers Defend a Relaxed Pace of Play<\/p>\n \tBut not all of you agree. For many, just being out on the course is something to be celebrated<\/a>. Here\u2019s what you had to say:<\/p>\n \t\t\t“Golf is a hobby not a race – too many players want to run round. I\u2019m single figure and enjoy golf and want to improve even at age 67.”\t\t\t“I don\u2019t like slow play but it seems to me that some would like us to run round.”\t\t\t“Too many people are obsessed with speed – I just enjoy being out there.”\t\t\t“Seniors golf should be celebrated. I am 77 and play three times a week – we are not in a rush.”\t\t\t“Golf should be enjoyable first, competitive second.”\tHave Golf\u00a0Etiquette Standards Fallen?<\/p>\n \tYou will all know that golf at club level has enjoyed a boom. It has seen former players returning to the game and people picking up golf clubs for the first time – and that has caused its own issues<\/a>, namely on the subject of etiquette:\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t“Basic golf etiquette should be mandatory information provided to each new member –\u00a0raking bunkers, pitch marks repaired and letting faster groups through.”\t\t\t“New members with high handicaps slow the pace of play –\u00a0but they are the future of the game, so we must help them learn.”\t\t\t“There should be more marshals to educate, not just penalise.”\t\t\t“The etiquette gap between experienced golfers and newcomers is widening.”<\/p>\n \tAs I have already recorded, pitchmarks continue to be an issue – and I promise you that most offenders are NOT new golfers. Experienced golfers are also just as guilty of not raking bunkers properly.<\/p>\n \tCould Shorter Golf Formats Solve Problems?<\/p>\n![\"Golf](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Golfshake_-_Slow_Play_KD_1_lxrpd7.jpg\")
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