Course wardens

[BigMike72]

I was out on the weekend and the course warden drives up to me and says that we have to hurry up that there are a large number of golfers behind us. I start hurrying up and this starts to throw my game off, it really doesn't take much. Just before he said this to me we had just let a twosome with a cart play through. Over the next two holes we let two more twosomes with carts go through. After that we didn't see anyone until the 18th hole. Is this typical or did I just come across an A-hole of a warden? It's very frustrating when I get told to hurry up and it makes the round much less enjoyable.

[guitarman]

I was out on the weekend and the course warden drives up to me and says that we have to hurry up that there are a large number of golfers behind us. I start hurrying up and this starts to throw my game off, it really doesn't take much. Just before he said this to me we had just let a twosome with a cart play through. Over the next two holes we let two more twosomes with carts go through. After that we didn't see anyone until the 18th hole. Is this typical or did I just come across an A-hole of a warden? It's very frustrating when I get told to hurry up and it makes the round much less enjoyable.

I don't know what your game is like but if it was anything like myself when I started out last year you may be taking too long and slowing pace of play. Which you'll learn pretty quickly around here, that is an important thing. I would spend alot of time at the driving range trying to get consistent with your shots.
But the best thing you can do if your just starting out is to get lessons. I wasted all last season trying to learn this game myself. Over the winter I took lessons and I'm much better this year. That being said, if you take more than 4 or 5 strokes in the fairway you might want to pick up your ball and drop it on the green. Don't take more than a minute to look for a lost ball. Don't take mulligans off the tee. Those are some tips for keeping pace of play.
What I like to do if I want to take my time and work on my game is go to a course that I know is not busy say during twilight times. Then you won't feel rushed. I have a course that I go to that is virtually dead after 4. I go there and take almost as much time as I want. If someone comes along I let them through. But that hardly ever happens.
Be careful of the course you choose to go on. A very challenging course is not going to be any fun for a beginner and most likely also attracts better golfers that don't have the patience for slow players. Start out with the real easy ones and work your way eventually to better tracks.

[wayland]

Some tips to help speed up your round:

-practice a short preshot routine. No need for 4 practice swings
-be mindful of where you park your cart, or put your bag. I like to put the bag to the left of my ball. This way, I don't need to walk back 6 paces to my bag, etc. (every little counts, and it results in less walking for you)
-as you walk/ride up to your ball. start thinking of what shot you will hit so you take less time when you get there. note the wind, hazards, etc.
-keep an extra ball in your pocket in case you need it, saves you a walk back to the bag/cart
-don't mark your score at the green you just finished, goto next tee and do it while partners are teeing off

One thing you can try to not let it get to you mentally, is to realize that it's twosomes that are pushing you from behind. pretty hard to play faster than 2 players, so just let them thru and go about your game. One thing is, once you let them thru, see if you can keep up to them.

When you begin this sport, there's a great urge to hit every shot in order to get an accurate score. But if you are hitting 6 and still not on the green, you're not really improving by finishing out. Why let it get you down? Pick up, and drop it on the green and focus on putting. Nothing worse than make double par and then standing over your teeshot on the next hole with no confidence whatsoever.

Good luck.

btw, how long did you take to finish that round?

[hoganapexplus]

Just before he said this to me we had just let a twosome with a cart play through. Over the next two holes we let two more twosomes with carts go through. After that we didn't see anyone until the 18th hole. Is this typical or did I just come across an A-hole of a warden? It's very frustrating when I get told to hurry up and it makes the round much less enjoyable.[/quote]

Also maybe sounds like the course isn't managing their time very well if you let 3 twosomes through in a row. If they were sending off foursomes the spacing would be a little better. I know there are circumstances behind every story but it sounds like you were rushed without much reason. Play at a reasonable pace and if you need to let people through do so, but don't rush to the point that the game is no fun.

[BigMike72]

I know that I am a slower player, i don't take a lot of time to look for balls, at least most of the time. My problem is I don't hit very far so right know its taking longer to get to the green. The course I was on took us about 5 hours, they say it should be 4:15. We let 3 groups through and the single that was with us sadi that our time was a little long but not too bad

[Anthony]

I know that I am a slower player, i don't take a lot of time to look for balls, at least most of the time. My problem is I don't hit very far so right know its taking longer to get to the green. The course I was on took us about 5 hours, they say it should be 4:15. We let 3 groups through and the single that was with us sadi that our time was a little long but not too bad

Sorry 5 hours is too long..... I started as a teenager and we'd be first off the tees @ Don Vally & I'd shoot 120+ (partners were not that much better).... We always were 3 or 4 of us and never took over 3.5 hours.

Speed of play is not about short hitters or hitting extra balls. As a beginner, if you shank the ball off the tee, I say hit another one. Beginners learn nothing trying to hit out of the woods or rough 15 yard off the tee. Practice and improve your game from the fairway, short rough and around the green. As you improve then you can play the harder shots.

Also, visualize your next shot, the club you need and the swing as you approach the ball, not when you have arrived at it. Also as said, no need for 5 practice swings.

I apologize as this is my huge problem with golf, it is way too slow......

[wayland]

I agree the course has a problem with letting so many twosomes go off. Next time this happens, tell the marshall that if they insist on letting singles and twosomes teeoff behind you, of course they will catch up and be slowed down by your group. Also indicate that having to let 3 groups play through is going to slow you down.

[Kunallion]

Sorry 5 hours is too long..... I started as a teenager and we'd be first off the tees @ Don Vally & I'd shoot 120+ (partners were not that much better).... We always were 3 or 4 of us and never took over 3.5 hours.

Speed of play is not about short hitters or hitting extra balls. As a beginner, if you shank the ball off the tee, I say hit another one. Beginners learn nothing trying to hit out of the woods or rough 15 yard off the tee. Practice and improve your game from the fairway, short rough and around the green. As you improve then you can play the harder shots.

Also, visualize your next shot, the club you need and the swing as you approach the ball, not when you have arrived at it. Also as said, no need for 5 practice swings.

I apologize as this is my huge problem with golf, it is way too slow......

Very true...Another thing you can do is watch your ball. I get very frustrated with players (beginners or experienced) who hit wayward shots, get upset and then don't watch where their ball goes. They then wander up to where the ball went into the rough or bush and spend 5 minutes looking for the ball. I walk over to help and within a couple of seconds find their ball becasue I just simply watched where it went....I notice that this speeds up time drastically.