What's on your mind? Pace of Play

Our culture has made time seemingly more critical than any commodity as demonstrated by having the whole world of the internet, camera, and phone wrapped up in one devise.  (Thank you Steve Jobs RIP)  Not to mention the myriad of apps that provide us all we ever need while on the run.  We can now do more in the time we have and sure enough, we are!  That doesn't bode well for our game that takes some time to play.

The time to play the game hasn't changed for the better sadly.  In part, that time is one of the romantic qualities of the game itself.  Time spent among friends, playing a game of skill out in the surrounds of nature.  There is nothing else like it.  It's maybe the counter-culture now.  Everyone needs decompression time and golf is a great place to do that - assuming you can enjoy it.  And you can enjoy it without it being an all day affair.  It will take some cooperation.

As I've blogged before I feel like golf has evolved into something beyond the basic values of the game itself.  It's been glamorized such that for many it has become a battle ground.  It has morphed into a game where the object is to smash the ball as hard as possible and let the subtle nuances of the game be damned.   What happened to a stroll through the park with your clubs on your back and your new best friend telling stories as you walk down the fairway to your next test?

In my estimation we moved away from that style of golf quite some time ago as the game was recognized as an opportunity to make money and hundreds of courses were built, many by developers as a lure to real estate sales (can't blame them).  The focus went away from the core value of the game and more into a money making venture.  To make one course more marketable than the next some were built to be the "extreme" test attracting the boldest and biggest egos of the sport.  Others were built for development's sake and walking the course was just eliminated from possibility.  Courses became more impressive than the next.  One longer than the next.  Another had the hardest par threes in the area or the longest par fives.  Some were built on the pride of the name of the designer.  Others were simply over the top.

So what are we left with today?  Courses that take a long time to play.  Great distances from greens to the next tee.  Contours well beyond the capabilities of those who are playing the game to handle.  Hazards (for beautification's sake) far too plentiful for the average person to be able to still enjoy the game.  In a phrase most newer golf courses were ego-driven monuments to misery - oh, and slow play.

Here's a question:  Assume you are the only one on a golf course.  Would it take you more or less time to complete 18 holes if you took 10 less shots?  What if all 100 players on a given day each took 10 less shots?  Would it play faster?  What if all the water features at your local course were filled in for a day.  Would play be faster or slower?  What if all the bunkers were miraculously covered by lush grass.  Would it play faster?  What if the tees were set up such that you could take 10 less shots in a round?  Would it play faster?

No one is advocating such drastic measures however we are long overdue for looking at some of these issues to help speed up play.  Ease up on the design.  Most courses could probably do away with half of the bunkers.  That might even reduce maintenance expenses.