22
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By Design
CLOSING THOUGHTS
A
few years ago, at a golf business
conference in St Andrews,
Scotland, I attended a session
where a panel of golf industry experts
was giving insight on key issues
facing the game. When the moderator
asked the audience for questions, a
delegate stood and asked ‘how can
we accommodate golfers who want to
play slowly?’
One of the distinguished panel
members quickly responded, ‘it’s
a huge problem–we must come
together as an industry to share ideas
on how we can speed up the game’.
Other panel members nodded in
agreement and introduced some
of their ideas for faster play, before
moving on to a new topic. The
bemused delegate sat back down.
Once the session had ended I
approached him to check that–
unlike everyone else in the room, it
seemed–I had heard the question
correctly. With a thankful smile
he confirmed I had, explaining
that at his club they were working
very hard to grow the game of golf.
Some new golfers had expressed
their unease at venturing out onto
the course for fear of holding up the
quicker and sometimes less-than-
friendly members. Without the space
for a dedicated beginners’ facility, he
was hoping to come back from the
conference with a practical solution for
accommodating these slower players.
I usually like to play golf quickly and
welcome initiatives that aim to speed
up the game, like the USGA’s ‘While
We’re Young’ program, referenced on
page 5 of this issue. But we should be
conscious that a blind pursuit of fast
play could be counterproductive to
efforts to grow the game.
Forcing beginners to play at a speed
that doesn’t match their ability is likely
to put them off. Like us all, I was once
a novice. I still regularly play like one,
so I understand why the obligation to
let a stream of impatient two-balls play
through can significantly diminish
enjoyment of the game.
But potential golfers are put off by
the length of time the game takes to
play, we are told. Yes, but there is a
crucial difference between the length
of time we take to play and the speed
at which we play. Instead of having a
marshall chase beginners round 18
holes in three hours, find a way in
which they can enjoy playing, say, six
holes in two hours.
Of course this could seriously
hamper a club’s revenue-generating
potential, if it’s not handled carefully.
At Makai Golf Club in Hawaii,
operator Troon Golf has introduced a
new program to help speed up play.
Part of this initiative sees the first six tee
times of the day, from 7am, set aside as
‘Pacesetter Times’ for faster players.
Maybe a similar approach could be
adopted for slowcoaches, having tee
times with special rates reserved late
in the day when there’s no longer
enough light to accept eighteen-hole
green fees. This would allow golfers
to play a handful of holes at pretty
much whatever pace they like, and
generate revenue from slots that
would otherwise be unused.
It’s a complex issue–what works for
one club may not for another. Golf
course architects have the knowledge
and experience to help clubs make
good decisions that will suit their
individual circumstances.
Pace of play
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Toby Ingleton
In the slow lane
There is a crucial difference between the
length of time
we take to play and the
speed
at which we play
Most golfers prefer to play at a quick pace. Toby Ingleton asks
if there is any room for those who live life in the slow lane?
