Most golfers will have been in a situation on the golf course where the pace of play appears to be grinding to a halt, leading to soul-destroying waits before each shot and a bubbling fury that is tough to repress.
Slow play is a divisive subject, and often the finger of blame can be misguidedly pointed solely at golfers, so how do we get to the true root of the problem and find the way forwards?
I was fortunate enough to sit down with Andrew Reynolds, head professional at Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club for an impressive 45 years, and he shared an intriguing plan for tackling golf’s No.1 pet peeve…
Andrew Reynolds
Andrew Reynolds is as experienced as they come in the game of golf, serving at Royal Cinque Ports as head professional since 1978. In his 45-year stint, he endeavoured to positively impact the slow play problem that clubs across the UK face, adopting some intriguing measures to move things in the right direction.
In recent years, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, golf courses appear to have become far busier. The uptake in participation is certainly a positive for the sport, but every benefit also provides certain limitations – and for golf it’s slow play.
After discussing one of golf’s hottest topics with Andrew Reynolds, he felt there were a number of potential reasons why the slow play problem is getting worse over time.
“There are many reasons. One of those is that golf equipment now allows you to hit the ball further, so you are playing courses that are longer. If you are playing and putting cards in regularly, you have to play a measured golf course and can’t make them shorter, and because courses are so busy they are crammed full. This means that there are rarely any spare tee time slots and as a result things are just going to get slower and slower.
More golfers are on the course due to increased participation in the sport, but is slow play all down the players?
(Image credit: Paul Severn)
“People also watch the top players (on TV) being very deliberate and taking their time. Having taken the England ‘A’ Team for a number of years as lead coach, our psychologist was clear that players must have a routine and as a result players are getting into certain habits.
“It’s a…
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