# How Long Does It Take To Play A Round Of Golf?



## Golfbum (Oct 14, 2006)

Ok here is my question. If you shoot in the 90's how long does it take you to play a round of golf, while walking on a course that measures around 6,000 Yards?

I say it can done in less than 4 hours, even if you are taking 90-95 shots to get around. 

I know for a fact it can be done, I play with a guy who shoots those scores and he plays right along side us while we shoot in the 70's.

So, how long does it take you?


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## Fourputt (Nov 18, 2006)

My home course is 6500 yards from the whites, my tee box of choice, and I can walk 18 in just under 4 hours. I do however usually shoot in the mid to low 80's. 

I'll qualify that by saying that such a quick pace rarely happens because most players aren't that fast. We usually spend an additional 20 minutes or more waiting on groups ahead of us.


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## Golfbum (Oct 14, 2006)

DOUBLE POST READ BELOW :thumbsdown:


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## Golfbum (Oct 14, 2006)

The course I work is can play up to 6800 yards. Most men play it at 6500. Average time per round is 4 hours or less. I have gone around it in less than 4 playing in a group of 4 with people ahead of us. Plus this course is hilly and tree lined, lots of places to lose balls if you miss fairways. 
4 hour plus round are frowned upon at this course and do not happen very often.

The course I have been a member at is 6200 from the back tees. My buddy who shoots in the 90's plays the tees that play just over 5700. He keeps pace with us. As I said if there is no one in front of us we can go around that course in just over 3 hours, and not feel rushed doing it.

My point is, someone voiced an opinion that the majority of slow players are ones who shoot high scores. My point is that is not true. I have played with guys who shoot in the 70's and they can be slower than guys who shoot in the 90's. I have played with women who shoot in the low 100's and they keep right up with me and others in the group.

Slow play does not always come from high scoring golfers.

A big part of the slow play problem IMO is ALCOHOL on the course. Sure I enjoy a beer once in awhile out on the course. But some tend to get carried away and then slow down. Betting on the outcome of a round will slow it down, everyone starts grinding to save a buck :laugh:


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## Platinum_Shafts (Aug 15, 2007)

I say between 4 - 4.5 hours comfortably (walking/carrying)


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## Fourputt (Nov 18, 2006)

Golfbum said:


> My point is, someone voiced an opinion that the majority of slow players are ones who shoot high scores. My point is that is not true. I have played with guys who shoot in the 70's and they can be slower than guys who shoot in the 90's. I have played with women who shoot in the low 100's and they keep right up with me and others in the group.
> 
> Slow play does not always come from high scoring golfers.
> 
> A big part of the slow play problem IMO is ALCOHOL on the course. Sure I enjoy a beer once in awhile out on the course. But some tend to get carried away and then slow down. Betting on the outcome of a round will slow it down, everyone starts grinding to save a buck :laugh:


I agree that slow play is not solely the result of weak players. But it isn't alcohol either. Nor is it seniors, or juniors, or ladies, or.... you get the point. I've posted on this often enough before. 

Slow play is caused by slow players... period. By that I mean players who dawdle... who fiddle around when they should be paying attention to business. They walk like it's a stroll in the park. They're fishing around in their bags when they should be ready to hit. They're standing around 40 yards away from their ball and don't even attempt to approach it until they ought to be ready to swing. They'll mark an entire statistical analysis of the hole just completed while still standing on the green fringe, instead of saving it till the next tee box. 

I've been in the starter booth for a full season now, and I've seen every type of slow play imaginable but I've seen no way to correlate any demographic into it. Slow players come in all shapes and sizes and skill levels. Some walk, others ride. One factor that seems to be a theme among them is that usually they seem unaware that there is any way for them to play faster. They really think that they are moving right along. It doesn't dawn on them that the reason for the 2 holes open ahead of them is that they are slow... they think that the group ahead is exceptionally fast.

I think that the only true solutions are education and enforcement of a finite policy. Post a policy prominently around the course, especially on the starting tees. Note that it is an enforced policy, and that slow groups may be required to skip a hole or more if they fall behind. Make them aware that even being 1/2 hole back is reason for a warning, that each group is expected to be ready to hit as soon as the fairway or green ahead is clear. Then actually have rangers who are empowered to keep things moving. If this was a standard around the country, then there would be far fewer golfers who were unaware of the need for maintaining pace with the group ahead. 

Unfortunately, too many courses are afraid of angering customers or driving them away. What they fail to understand is that slow play cuts into the profit line at least as much as the few who leave, never to return. And a course with good pace of play can put more golfers through the course on a given day, thus actually increasing their margin. And IMO, such a course will get a reputation and become quite popular with those players who like to play ready golf and hate the waiting around that has become the norm in so many places.


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## Golfbum (Oct 14, 2006)

Fourputt said:


> I agree that slow play is not solely the result of weak players. But it isn't alcohol either. Nor is it seniors, or juniors, or ladies, or.... you get the point. I've posted on this often enough before.
> 
> Slow play is caused by slow players... period. By that I mean players who dawdle... who fiddle around when they should be paying attention to business. They walk like it's a stroll in the park. They're fishing around in their bags when they should be ready to hit. They're standing around 40 yards away from their ball and don't even attempt to approach it until they ought to be ready to swing. They'll mark an entire statistical analysis of the hole just completed while still standing on the green fringe, instead of saving it till the next tee box.
> 
> ...


I agree with all of your points. It is time for golf courses to start to educate players on slow play. The ones who stand on the green after putting out to write the scores in just kill me.  

Trust me I have seen it all too during my time on the golf course. The other thing that irks me is after people hit a shot they walk like they are going down the aisle at a wedding! Pick the pace up.

The debate could go on and on about this subject. As long as I do not have slow players in front of me I really could care less if someone behind me is slow. I have been waved through slow groups and finished 4 holes ahead of them. That is all I care about, my time, not theirs. It also depends on the time of day you play. I normally play early on weekend mornings, 7 AM -7:30 AM tee times. The slow pokes are not at the course that early


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## Platinum_Shafts (Aug 15, 2007)

Golfbum said:


> My point is, someone voiced an opinion that the majority of slow players are ones who shoot high scores. My point is that is not true. I have played with guys who shoot in the 70's and they can be slower than guys who shoot in the 90's. I have played with women who shoot in the low 100's and they keep right up with me and others in the group.
> 
> Slow play does not always come from high scoring golfers.
> 
> A big part of the slow play problem IMO is ALCOHOL on the course. Sure I enjoy a beer once in awhile out on the course. But some tend to get carried away and then slow down. Betting on the outcome of a round will slow it down, everyone starts grinding to save a buck :laugh:


I have to agree with all of this, myself 


(but then who am I????? I have a 72 handicap LOL!) not really


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## Surtees (Sep 11, 2007)

I shot 100+ and so do the guys I go out with and the course we play on most is 5404 metres just over 5900 yard and we comfortable make it around in 4 hrs and we even manage to catch slower players not sure what they're shooting. So I dont think shooting a high score means a long round sure maybe if i shot a little lower i could get around a little quicker, but we still make it in under 4hr, we just dont piss fart around.


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## Golfbum (Oct 14, 2006)

Surtees said:


> I shot 100+ and so do the guys I go out with and the course we play on most is 5404 metres just over 5900 yard and we comfortable make it around in 4 hrs and we even manage to catch slower players not sure what they're shooting. So I dont think shooting a high score means a long round sure maybe if i shot a little lower i could get around a little quicker, but we still make it in under 4hr, we just dont piss fart around.


*Well I sure hope a certain person **takes time to read this POST*. 

I rest my case on high scoring players being part of the reason for slow play. That is not always the case.


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## Surtees (Sep 11, 2007)

Golfbum said:


> *Well I sure hope a certain person **takes time to read this POST*.
> 
> I rest my case on high scoring players being part of the reason for slow play.


Am I mistaken in thinking that 4 hrs is regulation time for a round? Which is the time in which we make it around on any course we play.


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## chiefmasterjedi (Sep 21, 2007)

I play in a group of around 16 players on the weekend (4xfoursomes) and it takes us about 4 hours to play the round, that with carts!.
If i'm playing on my own (with cart) I can breeze through 18 holes in a little over 2 hours and I find that my score is a lot better because there is no long pauses between my shots.

I think a golf etiquette sign should be posted on the first tee or in the pro shop, or anywhere players will see it, to remind people how to behave while at a golf course. And as someone else mentioned on the forums, all pros should teach golf etiquette while instructing their pupils because it's just amazing how rude some people are on the golf course. I've never been told how to conduct myself while playing a round but I have common sense and common courtesy, and thats all you need.

Thats my 2 cents.

Chief.


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## Golfbum (Oct 14, 2006)

Surtees said:


> Am I mistaken in thinking that 4 hrs is regulation time for a round? Which is the time in which we make it around on any course we play.



No you are not mistaken that 4 hours is too long for a round with 4 guys walking. That is the standard time at the private course I work at. 2 hours front nine and two hours on the back nine.

Some people seem to think that higher scoring golfers such are your group tend to slow down golf courses. I argued against that theory as I play with a guy who shoots in the mid 90's and he keeps up with 3 of us who shoot in the 70's. 

You can only be as fast as the groups ahead of you. If no one is ahead of our group the 4 of us can get around in just under 4 hours. While doing so we walk and talk and have fun. It is not like a military exercise! 

So you are not slow by any means. In fact at some courses you would be considered FAST! :thumbsup:


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## Fourputt (Nov 18, 2006)

Surtees said:


> Am I mistaken in thinking that 4 hrs is regulation time for a round? Which is the time in which we make it around on any course we play.


Like Golfbum says, 4 hours on most par 71-72 courses is perfectly acceptable, even praiseworthy.
A walking foursome can (and should) easily finish in that time if they just keep playing right along. On a course with a lot of trouble (my home course typically has 2 foot deep native rough), they may fall slightly behind when a player loses a ball. In that case they simply have to make an effort to catch up again. Usually they can be back in place within a half hole or so. 

Despite the rule that you get 5 minutes for a lost ball search, I won't take that much time during a casual round, and others shouldn't either. I usually only search as long as it takes for it to be my turn to play. Once the rest of my group has played their shots, I abandon the search. If I haven't found it by then, I suck it up and play the provisional that I already hit from the previous spot (Which BTW, one should always play when one's first ball headed for that bad place). Barring that, drop one, give yourself 2 strokes (to make up for stroke and distance), and play on. 

But please, for all of us... keep it moving....:thumbsup:


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## Surtees (Sep 11, 2007)

Fourputt said:


> But please, for all of us... keep it moving....:thumbsup:


Yes we do keep moving if one of us looses a ball a max of about 3 min would be spent looking for it. If its not to be found. we just take a drop from about where it land, and yes before i get told the rules we know that this isnt correct play, but we're playing for fun.


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## white_tiger_137 (Mar 23, 2006)

3 1/2 hours is a sloooow round for me. Walking alone with no one in front of me I'm around comfortably in about 2.


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## 6789 (Feb 4, 2008)

When i played in state junior tournamaments 5 hours was considered a good time. 4 hours is about my level in a group of 4, even less by myself etc


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## white_tiger_137 (Mar 23, 2006)

State tourneys are slow. But that's to be expected. You expect to have to wait at every tee stand. That's ok though.


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## broken tee (Jan 13, 2008)

well said, simple courtousy could help.
bad spelling,but you get the point.


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## memorex88 (Apr 8, 2006)

The average is 4 1/2 hours. That counts for the slower play on the weekends and faster play during the week.


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## Pro_Wanna_Be (Nov 25, 2006)

I normally shoot in the 90's and it takes my father and I 4 to 4.5 hrs walking and about an hour less in a cart. The coarse I play at is 6540yards in length.

Later


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## broken tee (Jan 13, 2008)

Alright, let me see if I get the bogie of the week with this statement: My buds I play rounds with, use the motto we used in the Army, shoot, move, communicate and if we have some wait time on the tee or the fairway, we could care less because we're on the golf course and not home getting chin music from our significant others. generally 4hrs


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## Surtees (Sep 11, 2007)

broken tee said:


> Alright, let me see if I get the bogie of the week with this statement: My buds I play rounds with, use the motto we used in the Army, shoot, move, communicate and if we have some wait time on the tee or the fairway, we could care less because we're on the golf course and not home getting chin music from our significant others. generally 4hrs


I like this statement shoot, move and communicate, it fit my playing group very well too.


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