Observations, mostly snarky, after 64 years in the game.

[The Oldest Member]

Too many touring pros, mostly Americans, are very annoying--robotic, whiny, slow players, whatever. When the great Harry Cooper was asked what peeved him the most about modern tour play, he remarked on the constant re-marking, lifting, replacing and aligning the ball. I have played competitive golf all my life, including D-I in college, and I'm disgusted by the example presented by most of the pros. Slow players, like Jim Furyk, ridiculous pre--shot routines, like Keegan Bradley, and constant whiners, like Jordan Spieth, are very tough to take. The pace of play has slowed significantly during my lifetime. We would benefit from some objective, hard-ass TV commentators to take miscreants to task. Far too many of the talking heads pattern themselves on that nauseating sycophant Jim Nantz. I miss Peter Alliss.

 

[War Eagle]

Exactly what Golf is lacking, hard-ass TV commentators to speed guys up on the course. Because, they can hear the commentary and all.

 

[The Oldest Member]

Exactly what Golf is lacking, hard-ass TV commentators to speed guys up on the course. Because, they can hear the commentary and all.

I know that they can't hear the commentary, but it will certainly get back to them. Certainly Patrick
Reed and others get to know what the viewers think!

 

[Bosco...]

We wouldn’t want to hurt their feelers.

 

[TRyan]

I know that they can't hear the commentary, but it will certainly get back to them.

And you think they would care why?

Social Media is FULL of people who are saying many of the same things you are - these guys are not phased by this stuff. The $$ is too good

 

[War Eagle]

I know that they can't hear the commentary, but it will certainly get back to them.

And they certainly wont give a damn what a talking head on a broadcast has to say.

 

[War Eagle]

And you think they would care why?

Social Media is FULL of people who are saying many of the same things you are - these guys are not phased by this stuff. The $$ is too good

EXACTLY.

Whine about me playing slow while I go cash my check.

 

[tahoebum]

Sadly, the slow play has trickled down all the way to the high school and younger level. The average 9 hole high school match for my daughter was about 2.5 hours and her rounds at the MN State High School Tournament her sophomore and junior year were 5:45-6:15 hours. It turned her off from continuing her competitive career playing college golf.

When I played in HS and college rounds rarely too over 4:15 and often were closer to 3.5 hours. I played yesterday with a group of 7 guys and 4 of them were in their 80’s. We finished in 3:10 riding and the threesome behind us waited a bit on 4 or 5 of the holes.

 

[Bosco...]

Social media isn’t even close to live commentary. Imagine Kisner in the booth saying “I’ll need to shave again before Harmen hits this putt”

 

[TRyan]

Social media isn’t even close to live commentary. Imagine Kisner in the booth saying “I’ll need to shave again before Harmen hits this putt”

Again - Why do you think the players would care?

 

[MacTourney]

Keeping an eye on the game by one of the best!

 

[War Eagle]

Hopefully we get another loftjacking thread today, would pair nicely with a slow play thread.

 

[The Oldest Member]

Sadly, the slow play has trickled down all the way to the high school and younger level. The average 9 hole high school match for my daughter was about 2.5 hours and her rounds at the MN State High School Tournament her sophomore and junior year were 5:45-6:15 hours. It turned her off from continuing her competitive career playing college golf.

When I played in HS and college rounds rarely too over 4:15 and often were closer to 3.5 hours. I played yesterday with a group of 7 guys and 4 of them were in their 80’s. We finished in 3:10 riding and the threesome behind us waited a bit on 4 or 5 of the holes.

I'm 76 and walk the course with my equally aged buddies. With no one ahead of us yesterday, we finished the round in 3hrs15mins. Thecourse is pretty wde open so there is liitle need to look for lost balls.

 

[J4U]

Until it hits their pocket book, nothing is changing.

 

[MacTourney]

Social media isn’t even close to live commentary. Imagine Kisner in the booth saying “I’ll need to shave again before Harmen hits this putt”

Or McCord's 'bikini wax' comment live at the Masters. Had it been a social media comment 30 years ago, not even sure what platforms were around then, would Augusta yank him off grounds by a string.

 

[*Range Rat]

Until you have officials out on the course timing every shot & throwing 1 shot penalties at anyone who goes over time like Oprah, then sadly nothing will ever get them to speed up.
"You get a stroke" "and you get a stroke"

 

[Bosco...]

Again - Why do you think the players would care?

Public ridicule.

 

[TRyan]

Public ridicule.

Which happens on Social Media every day - again these guys don't care as long as the checks clear

 

[Bosco...]

Which happens on Social Media every day - again these guys don't care as long as the checks clear

Of course not, but social media doesn’t mean ****. It’s a free for all….

 

[JohnSinVA]

Frankly, these tour guys aren’t going to give a hoot when one stroke can make tens, or even hundreds of thousands of dollars difference.

 

[River19]

Unfortunately the poop rolls downhill and the obsessive behaviors seen each week on all the tours influences how the casual golfer plays as well. There has always been a pace of play challenge on most if not all public courses but watching mid handicappers performing the same complex green routines as tour pros complete with walking the putt using their feet to read the greens only to leave the 15' putt 6' short......then watching the other 3 players in the group do the same.

Sure, they could be playing for $100/hole but I doubt it.

I like the matter of fact no BS pros that just play, if they hit a bad shot, they move on.......no standing in place while delivering a long dissertation to their caddie and mics to what they thought was going to happen and what actually did happen.......(Spieth) etc.

And while watching Brian Harman is infuriating I did appreciate his 45sec press conference yesterday. "Can you talk about the last 2 holes?"......"No.".