Killing us slowly

Some things are meant to be done slowly, making love for example, two people lost in a moment, emotional, intense, ready to explode in a moment of pure and utter passion. The sheer euphoria of sharing that moment of utter euphoria.

Making love should take hours, golf is not making love!

Quite frankly if you need somebody to line you up when you are making love then you have major issues.

Slow play is once again choking the game we all love.

The final round of the British Seniors Open showed everything that is wrong.

You can say many things about Fred Couples, but you could never accuse him of being deliberate, never mind slow. To warn Couples for slow play was ridicules!

Even non golfers know how slow Langer is.

But this is one of the problems, 9 times out of 10 its not the slow player who gets the warning or the penalty.

I have no idea or explanation why this is, honestly it just flabbergasts me!

Maybe it’s a case that authorities have given on the guilty culprits and think going after the other player will have a greater impact?

The sad thing is that 5 hour rounds now seems to be acceptable on all professional tours, authorities make noises but consistently fail to follow through on it.

I honestly believe the only way professionals will speed up is if TV or sponsors turn round and say “enough is enough”

But the sad thing is that barely a week goes past when there is not a story about incidents at our level. Amateur golfers being assaulted and assaulting others on the golf course, yes the golf course, because of slow play.

Is this what we have succumbed too?

I have said this before, if you are a slow player then simply step aside and let quicker players through, its simple and causes no problems, but it never happens does it.

Slow players are selfish, ignorant and arrogant. They are a cancer on the game.

Once, in Florida I was subjected to a round of over 5 hours! At the end of the round I headed straight to the pro shop, steam coming out my ears.
I made my feelings, firmly, but clearly known, the result? I was offered a free round!
I said “That’s not the point! Why would I come back to suffer 5 hours of slow play? What are you doing about slow play?”
The reply staggered me: “When we are this quiet we cant afford to upset guests, many are happy for 6 hour rounds”

Years ago rangers where on courses to ensure the pace of play was maintained, now we have course ambassadors!

A 3 ball on any golf course, of any standard should NEVER take more than 3 ½ hours, in the States or Europe where buggies are getting used it should actually be quicker!

But lets be honest until the R&A and USGA grow a pair and start going hard after slow players at professional players we amateurs will continue to suffer.

Golf club memberships are on the decline and slow play is one of the reasons why, not all of us have 6 hours to waste on a Saturday or Sunday.

When I first joined my home club there was a 5 year waiting list, now you can join straight away, my club actually does employ a course ranger but there is one small problem with this, he refuses to work at a weekend! Yes my club employs a ranger Monday to Friday but at our peak playing days at a weekend no one!

Have you ever heard anything so stupid ?

The lunatics have finally taken over the asylum!