Dietz: 5-hour round of golf should be a thing of the past
We waited on the first tee box. And the second. And the third, fourth, fifth and all the way to 18.
Five hours later, our threesome finally walked off the course, trudged to our cars and thanked God it was over.
This was no way to spend a gorgeous Friday afternoon.
But as sometimes happens on Chicagoland courses, a slow group or two can wreck a day for hundreds of people behind them.
On this particular day, there were three groups of older gentlemen just ahead of us.
Three things contributed to this train wreck:
• The ranger did nothing to prod them along.
• These men clearly didn't care how long it took to finish.
• Numerous pins were placed in the most difficult spots on the greens.
So that fewer of you have to endure this pain, here are my suggestions on what we can all do to keep this brutal experience from happening.
The players
1. Play ready golf. This doesn't just go for the tee box. If somebody just blasted out of the bunker to 40 feet and you have a 20-footer, don't wait. Line it up and go.
2. Move along. While others are putting, get a read on yours, go through your routine and pull the trigger. If everyone in a foursome takes 30 extra seconds on every putt, it adds 36 minutes to a round - and that's assuming every putt is hit to tap-in range.
3. Putt out. We're not on the PGA Tour. So instead of marking every 3- to 5-footer, tell your group you are putting out. Instead of agonizing over it, odds are you'll make it anyway.
4. Get out of the cart. When your ball is near your partner's, grab a club or two and walk to it while they hit. On shots within 50 to 60 yards of the hole, grab your putter and tell your buddy you'll meet him or her at the green.
5. Drop another ball. Take no more than 3 minutes to find a wayward shot. If you're playing casually and you KNOW the ball is somewhere embedded in deep rough, play on without penalty. Sure, that's not in the rule book, but how many pros do you know that lose balls in tournaments? Almost none, because galleries and marshalls find them all.
6. Do unto others. If there's an open hole in front of your group, either speed up or allow a group or two to pass.
The courses
1. Spread out the tee times. On busy days, consider going from 8-minute intervals to alternating 8- and 9-minute tee times.
2. Ease up! Other than looking for lost balls, the green is where the most time is added to a round. On busy days, put nine pins in the middle, five in the front and four in the back. And those back pins should be on relatively benign greens. (Many courses have "set" pin positions - if yours has one, figure out which rotation is the easiest and go with that).
3. Crack the whip. The most uncomfortable job on the course - if done properly - is the ranger's. Unfortunately, many drive around and don't nudge slower groups along.
It's unacceptable. Give your rangers authority to gently remind a group they are behind. If they don't improve, give a second warning. Still no progress? Have them skip a hole or start 250 yards away from the tee on the next hole.
Golfers who understand what they are doing to a course will understand. Those who don't will be upset, but that's better than infuriating the 200 people suffering behind them.
Better to have four people vow not to return than 24, 44, 84 or 204.
Outings or leagues can complicate matters, but - as stated above - increasing tee-time intervals can help.
• • •
Last year, my son, who caddies at a local club, was assigned to three older women who he estimated shot 116 to 120.
They finished in three hours and 45 minutes.
How? They were always ready to play, they sometimes hit shots at the SAME TIME and took almost no time to read putts. I guessed they must have 3- or 4-putted every green, but our son said that wasn't the case as they lagged almost every putt close.
The bottom line: Whether we shoot 76, 96, 116 or 136, every golfer should finish in a reasonable amount of time.
So hit 'em straight and enjoy the summer.