# Golf Galxy/Golf Channel Am. Tour



## TKroll (Nov 23, 2011)

I would like to hear from folks in other states regarding this Tour. Here in Colorado, for the second time in two years, this "Tour" played at my home course. We have two names for this Tour, The 6+ hours Tour and the Gilligans Island Tour, they sign up for a 3 hour tour and are lost for almost ever. This is by far the slowest group of players ever experienced. The second group was behind after the first hole and it just got worst with all the rest of them. I (and all the other members) hope they never come back.


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## 373 (Jun 9, 2006)

They advertise that the come to MIami to play Doral.When I looked at their website, (The Am Tour), all the courses they play are so far away from me up in Broward or Palm Beach counties that it wouldn't be worth joining and having to drive one to two hours to play with them.

I love the Gilligans reference... I have a few groups who play at the course where I work and I'm sure to use that line at work.


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## behing19 (Mar 5, 2012)

Obviously if they are that slow someone isn't running the tour right. They probably think they are professional and need to line up every putt, but if the tournament is run correctly they wouldn't get off pace. 

Just like any other day at the course a ranger should be in control of the pace of play. In a tournament, slow play should be penalized.

Benjamin


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## bigwave916 (May 30, 2012)

I'll be playing my third event in the (GCAT) East Carolinas tour tomorrow, and I can tell you that in the first event my foursome finished in 4 1/2 hours. In the second it was just under 5 hours, but the first foursome finished less than 10 minutes behind golfers on the course when the tournament started and there was no more than 15 minute spread between any of the groups in the tourney. My point is, the GCAT event was played as quickly as the daily fee players already on the course would allow.

I don't know about the rest of the country but the pace of play rules they are using here make a lot of sense to me. You must finish 9 holes in 2:15 or no more than 0:15 behind the group ahead of you, or the entire foursome gets a one stroke penalty. Finsh 18 over 4:30 or more than 0:15 behind the group ahead of you and thats a stroke penalty for everyone in the group.

There may be a lot of reasons not to join up (cost, distance to courses, etc.) but pace of play shouldn't be a factor.

Regards,
BigWave


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## 373 (Jun 9, 2006)

First of all, welcome to the forum Bigwave916.

I'd be really interested to hear what the nature of the rules are that help your tournaments move along so nicely. Where I work, the owners are so scared of losing anyone's business that the Rangers hands are practically tied behind their backs.


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## bigwave916 (May 30, 2012)

Dennis, thanks for welcoming me to the forum.

Each event on the tour has some form of check point or regulating mechanism that identifies groups that are slower than they should be. This week we were only monitored by time elapsed at the finish of the round in relation to the foursome we were following. The rules state that the entire group must report to scoring together and not more than 15 minutes after the previous foursome (I think some leeway is allowed and it's probably more like 18 minutes before any penalties are levied).

The other events I've played have stated that there would be a checkpoint at 9 and another at 18. I think we've been doing well enough on pace-of-play that they aren't really checking unless it's obvious that a group is falling behind. A slow group could receive as much as 3 strokes total penalty for slow play and that seems to be motivation enough to keep the entire tournament moving through at a reasonable time.

I was in the next to the last group Saturday and we finished in 4:50 and it was cart path only for the first 3 holes. This would mean that the lead group probably played 9 holes cart path only.

When I play non tournament rounds at one of our local courses, Tobacco Road, they have several strategies to keep pace of play reasonable. During prime time they have the starter give a little speech about which tees to play, encouraging anybody with a 12+ handicap to play the shorter tees (5900 yds). Tobacco Road is intimidating to people who have never played there and most of their play is people on golf trips and resort packages. The starter is able to convince a lot of people that they will enjoy their round a lot more from the shorter tees.

Then they have several rangers working the course pulling people through. That is to say they work their way from 18 back to 1 encouraging people who need to be asked to speed up. They get out of the carts and help look for lost balls, and on one particular hole with a totally blind tee shot, they might have a ranger act as fore caddie so that he can point out where each shot has landed.

I always get a kick out of courses that have "Player Assistant" placards on the ranger's cart and all he does is sit there like a traffic cop with his feet propped up. I'd say the guys at TR really do their best to "assist" players to have an enjoyable round on one of the country's toughest courses.


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## 373 (Jun 9, 2006)

Very cool indeed. When you mention Rangers with their feet up, I can relate. The owners of the course I play just warned one of the Rangers about spending no time rangering and so much time looking for lost balls in the lakes and canals. I like the guy, but I don't think he's ever had to buy a ball.

And I am somewhat familiar with Tobacco Road. When you call it intimidating, that's the height of understatement. My daughter's family used to live in Cary, NC and my son-in-law used to drive down to the Sand Hills area to play quite a lot. We couldn't get on Tobacco Road one day and played Anderson Creek instead. It's still one of my favorite courses ever.

Tobacco Road looks like it was designed by a masochist whose wife was made at him and his kids just moved back home.


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## bigwave916 (May 30, 2012)

I love Anderson Creek and have made up my mind to play more down there.

The first time I played "the Road" I decided it would be my last. It was before I moved to the area and the group of guys that I travel with insisted on playing it each year that we came down to Myrtle Beach from Wisconsin. After you play it a couple of times you start to figure out where to hit it and how the carroms work on the fairways and greens.

The most fun for me is playing with people from out of town who've never seen the course. I tell them what the shot is and often they don't believe me until we've played a couple of holes.

Regards,
BigWave


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