Slow play is hardly a new topic in golf. In 1950 at the US Open in Merion, Ohio, the USGA put a notice up in the locker room decrying how in the previous year at the US Open in Medina, they were playing threesomes in three hours and 37 minutes, and how it was unacceptable and how it was going to ruin the game.
In recent months slow play has crept back into the general consciousness of golf worldwide with a couple of very well documented cases on the PGA Tour.
JB Holmes is well known on the PGA Tour as one of the slowest players on Tour. At the Open Championships, he earned the ire of Brooks Koepka, his playing partner at the time. Koepka said after the game that, “They need to actually penalize someone…. It’ll never be a big deal until someone gets penalized and loses a tournament by one and it’s a big thing.”
Prior to this, at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, Holmes took over four minutes over his second shot on a par five before laying up. This angered many of his fellow pros who felt bad for Holmes’s playing partner Alex Noren, who was in contention to win. Noren was clearly affected by Holmes’s antics and missed his chances for the win.
Then there was Bryson Dechambeau at the Northern Trust Open. Dechambeau has already made a name for himself with his unorthodox approach to golf. His consideration of humidity on the distance he hits his irons and how much wind affects his putting are fast becoming urban legend. But no one was prepared to watch him pace off an 80-yard pitch shot or take over three minutes over an 8-foot putt.
Seemingly more deplorable than the delays were the responses of both golfers to the criticism leveled against them. Holmes was unrepentant in saying that, “You’re playing for $1 million. If somebody thinks I’m slow, or taking long, I don’t care. Personally, I don’t want to take that long. I’m working on that. I would rather be slow and win than rush something, hit a bad shot and not win.”
Dechambeau responded in similar fashion taking to social media to decry the criticism citing that he does his best to play at a reasonable pace by walking quickly to his ball in between shots and several other factors. His contention was basically that he was out there to entertain and that he only took as much time as he needed.
I’m not sure if I’m more upset by their slow play or their attitudes.
In the big picture, one of two slowpokes don’t affect the PGA Tour schedule all that much. The tournaments still finished on time even with both players in the field. What is worrying is the example that the two of them are setting for the juniors and amateurs that were watching their idols, hanging on to every move they made.
I can see 12-year-olds in junior tournaments walking around their putts and plumb bobbing from both sides of the cup because that’s what they saw their heroes doing on tour. How much slower is golf going to get?
While slow play and its effects on the world’s professional tours might be debatable, its effects are very real on the amateur level. We’ve all suffered behind what seems to be the slowest golfers on the planet. It’s all you can do not to commit homicide on the 19th tee.
Slow play can easily be avoided if, and that’s a mighty big if, everyone does their part. It isn’t hard to do, and it shouldn’t take any more effort than you already exert in the course of your round. All it takes is a tiny bit of consideration.
That’s it. Sounds so simple on the surface but what does that really mean on the golf course?
For a start, walk quickly to your golf ball. That way, you can start your pre-shot routine early and take as much time as you need over the shot. If you’re sharing a cart with a friend, drop whoever is closer off with the clubs he needs then proceed to your ball so you can start your pre-shot routine. If need be, go back and pick up your cart buddy when you’re done with your shot. If all goes to plan, you should be ready to hit your shot within seconds when it’s your turn.
To put this in perspective, here’s a quote from the opening chapter of the rules of golf which is titled, “The Spirit of the Game,” and in it is written:
Unlike many sports, golf is played, for the most part, without the supervision of a referee or umpire. Indeed, the game relies almost solely on the integrity of the individual to show consideration for other players, to respect the course and to abide by the game’s rules. Sportsmanship and etiquette are integral parts of the game.
There now, that’s not hard at all is it? One part consideration, one part etiquette and one part knowledge of the rules fixes everything. Anyone who is incapable of some measure of empathy and consideration, or worse, patently unconcerned about anyone but himself, has no place on the golf course.
An argument could be made at how the problems we experience on the fairways of the country are a microcosm of our society at large. But this isn’t life or death, it’s just golf. It’s a game that we all feel passionately about but there is no excuse to be impolite to or inconvenience others. We wouldn’t do so under other circumstances, so why do it on the golf course?
Let’s all do our part and Play It Right!