Does golf reflect faster pace of life?
Survey says we're walking faster but are we playing faster?
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Are golfers walking faster?
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A new
survey has revealed that we're now walking ten per-cent faster than we were in the early 1990s as our pace of life changes. It struck me 'how might this equate to golf?'
Has the pace of play on our courses improved in the last ten years?
A team headed by Professor Richard Wiseman in collaboration with the British Council, secretly timed thousands of pedestrians’ speed of walking in city centres across the globe, including London, Madrid, Singapore and New York and discovered that we had stepped up the pace considerably in our daily lives, often leading to higher rates of coronary heart disease.
And one of the most revealing statistics, from specific measurements in Britain and Ireland's capital cities was that the slowest walkers were respectively in Cardiff and Edinburgh, while Dubliners defied their 'laid back' tag by being seven places (5th) ahead of Londoners (12th) on the world league table, which measured the average time taken (in secs) to walk 60ft.
So what might this say about golfers?
Does it mean that the Welsh and the Scots regard the game as a more leisurely pursuit where they can take their time, while the Irish (Belfast also rated highly in walking pace) and English golfers, based around the south-east like to get on with it?
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Do you like to take your time?
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I couldn't possibly comment (many will remember how fellow journalist Anne Robinson got herself in deep trouble for her remarks about the Principality last year) but my experience is that while on the way to and from work there's a tendency for us all to rush, golfers (at least those in front of me) never quite clear the green fast enough!
I have just returned from a holiday in China (not listed in the survey) where I found the pace of life in Beijing and Hong Kong extraordinary and probably reflecting Singapore, rated the world's fastest walking city in the survey - an average of 10.55 secs per 60 feet.
It nearly gave me a heart attack to see the teeming pedestrian population dodging in and out of the interminable traffic without breaking stride.
However, both golf courses I spotted from the Tour coach, were deserted!
So how do you rate in terms of speed as a golfer? Hand on heart, do you like to get on with it and head for the bar, or are you among those who like to savour the experience - and sod the consequences?
Do you let others through at the first opportunity, or take your full five minutes searching for your ball before considering a group who may be waiting? Are you on a short fuse or are you a slow-burner who bottles it up and appreciates merely having the chance to play?
Tell us on the forum...we look forward to finding out how you rate as a fast golfer. You can also complete a Pace of life questionnaire and discover how you rate by visiting www.paceoflife.co.uk .
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Discuss this story
I generally walk quite fast to my ball (unless someone else's needs finding on the way), select my club, look at my target, practise swing, look again at my target, step to the ball, look once more at my target and then strike.
I found the speed of which I tended to do these things ended up translating to the speed of my swing, which wasnt always a good thing. Swinging slower now means I hit it just as far but with a lot more accuracy now.
I find a good 4ball stableford round should be played in about 3.5hrs and a good 4ball medal round in about 4hrs. Anything over this is being excessive.
We had our captains qualifier on Sunday just gone, and I'd been told to expect anything up to a 5-5.5 hour round. Fortunately we finished in just over 4 hours and thankfully the 3 ball in front of us, who held us up for only a few minutes maybe, lost one of their balls on the 14th and let us through.
This years qualifier was organised a bit different to previous years too, the time between tee times was extended by a minute and they had a break of 20mins between a grouping of 10 tee-times. This seemed to make this flow a lot better and everyone seemed to complete their rounds in around the 4 hour mark.
Posted: 02/05/2007 12:11
On my own, , about 1hr 45 for 18 holes, with some friends and lots of banter, 3hr tops.
I just hate the slow players,, , , hit it find it hit it again, , , simple. :O)
Posted: 02/05/2007 22:50
Hi Guys,
I am as fast as my partners, and as fast as the guys in front, though can be slower than the ones behind, if in a 2-3 ball when I'm in a four ball. However if I am the slowest in the group its because I am having a bad day, a unlucky day, or have left my game at home. I have played a nine hole Par three in 40minutes before, the course was empty, I have played nine hole normal course in 1.20min, again the course was empty, however I have had a 18 hole game that took 5.30hrs I hated it but it happens, not my fault.
Most times you are at the mersey of the course, the most frustrating game we can have is a sunday morning fourball, you have a slow fourball in front and then you have to start giving way to 3 and 2 ball groups, this pisses me off because your game gets longer, Courses should sell 4 balls only, gives all a chance to play the game in the same time.
Posted: 06/05/2007 19:54
What upsets me is the the low handicappers are the ones who have forgotten what it was like when they first started golf. Being slow, eyeing up the put like the pros, checking the wind, when at address you taking to long to hit the shot, then duffing it, as some prat in the fourball was sying as you had taken too long.
What we have to remember is to be courteous, if I am slow I will be the first to offer the players behind me to pass through. I may take abit long over a put, but this is because I am thinking of my handicap, getting it lower, so I;m not called a bandit when I win a comp.
Fen, looking at your handicap you are a low one, play alot do you, well please remember we all start some where.
Lets not get too pompus about the game and try to encourage poeple to take the game up.
Posted: 07/05/2007 19:22
I get round with my 3 mates (who have been playing for years) in 4hrs, Having only been playing 6 months myself i think this is pretty good. However sometimes if im looking for a ball or contemplating my club choice and see player behind me raising arm and showing there distane at being slowed down it completly screws my game!! I will always let players through on the next tee, so I think the manners need to extend both ways.
Posted: 03/11/2007 22:13
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