Course marshals

A marshal should be out on the course making sure groups keep the pace and peoples aren’t waiting. If that means shitty golfers are told to pick up after a 6 so be it. I’ve called our pro shop once for this. A group of really bad golfers would be in the fairway, shank, and drop another in the same spot. They were playing from the wrong tees. Someone needed to be called and tell them they would hold up the course. I called on 4. We had been out there about 1:20 already. They sped up. Finished the front in 2:20 and the back in 2:00. No need to pass them. That’s how it’s supposed to work. Some guys just need to know to speed up.

That’s well said. However, in my experience that grandfather normally doesn’t move from the 1st tee with his boiled peanuts and crossword puzzle. They also only want to work the early shift on the light days. Not the busy times in the afternoons on weekends when the yahoos come out in droves and need some counseling

It’s a fine line to walk. Personally I play bad golf very fast. I don’t spend much time looking for lost balls, I don’t sit in the cart and score near the green, I drop my partner off and take the cart when necessary (and visa versa), I don’t make a 10 minute transaction with the hot cart girl, etc. Just courteous stuff for the folks behind me generally

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Personally I play bad golf very fast.

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Too many people think they’re keeping an ok pace without taking into account the 30 extra shots they take per round. When I was learning to play, my grandfather would tell me, if you’re miss, miss fast.

Sounds like I could play w you. I def have that same internal clock. Sometimes the course is just busy. I don’t mind waiting on every shot as long as it’s moving at a natural pace. I def say (as pleasantly as possible) to my playing partners hey there’s a group behind us if any shenanigans develop. I’m def not trying to play extra record setting fast by any means but my 3 putt double typically doesn’t slow down my friend’s birdie

Keep pace of play
Give pin position for the day
Remind to sand divots
Remind to fix ball marks
Remind to rake bunkers and not leave rakes in line of play
Remind to pick up trash
Remind not to drive carts within 50 yards of the green
Go over any local rules or conditions
Check carts for any prohibited items
Remind again about the time in which it should take to complete 9 holes and that they will be checking that time at the groups turn and they may be asked to speed it up, skip a hole, or let others play through.

I think the proper way to handle it would be a marshal actually doing some education not picking up a ball or skipping a hole as the first issue.

Id say marshal should be telling new golfers no need to spend 3 mins looking for a ball it’s like a dollar if you can’t afford that you shouldn’t be playing. I’d also say they should be discussing ready golf.

I think the lack of ready golf is the biggest deal, I watched a group of 4 stand around forever on the second hold Sunday before they finally teed off. They played slow all day because instead of having club selected and all that they were playing grabass.

The couple behind them didn’t help when they didn’t pass them but instead decided every hole was play pitch around the green while waiting, marshal should have got on them for not playing through.

I’m all for new people playing but they need to pick up pace. This isn’t the masters we don’t need to hunt down every ball.

I def have a quick internal clock on pace of play so I will end up losing very findable balls if I don’t see it right away. I don’t want to hold up a group so I can find a ball.

The course I play the most has pretty bad pace of play issues but some it can’t be helped because they have a few drivable par 4s so those can back up.

Biggest thing for me is to maintain pace of play.

If tee times are 10 minutes apart, then a 1 minute convo from the starter about maintaining that would be beneficial.

I'd also say helping the bad golfers out. If you got a slow group and they dont know to play ready golf, telling them to "pick up the pace" doesnt do jack. They might need to be taught how to pick the pace. Common sense aint so common.

Lastly, dont be friends with the slow groups. Cant tell you how many times Ive seen the marshal chat it up with this slow arse buddies while the course backs up. SM is a prime example of this.

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We let a group play through once because they were all pretty decent and we were going to be slower than them even keeping pace.

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It might add 5 minutes to your round to let a group play through... it could save them an hour. Treat others how youd like to be treated

Yea, I’m even a really quick player but was struggling on the green on 1 and 2 that day and my friends I was with werent doi bc much better and these guys were looking to be about scratch or so, let them through. I don’t mind a 5 min longer round to not have them waiting around. I hate the feeling of holding up a group.