PGLS

How fast do you play when you're playing solo?

Someone here mentioned they could play a round solo in about 20 minutes. I don't know if they meant 9 holes or 18 and I couldn't find the discussion to check. My rounds tend to be 25-30 minutes for 9 holes and basically double that for 18. I'm guessing that's slower than most players here; one reason I haven't done multi-player is out of concern that others would find my playing speed bothersome. Sometimes in the middle of a round my cat will want attention and jump in my lap, and when that happens it might be 5 or 10 minutes or more before I can get back to playing. (Also, I don't have a working headset on this computer so while I might be able to hear others' chat my own would be limited to typing in the chat window.)

Hi mwalimu

Dont worry about speed we are not all as fast as that, I couldnt do it but there are some who are quick. If you would like a game with someone whos not fast just to give you experiece of what plain a multi player game just PM me and I can arrange one. Or otherwise enter Meet & Greet at 7.30 UK time on a Wednesday night and enter our Mid Week challenge, a few of us gater each week it's good fun and an opportunity to get to know a few of us. Its over 9 holes and theres no time limit. Enjoy the game.

12/13 minutes on 9, a little over 20 on 18
but I am a fast player as soon as I see the numbers on my next shot I know
what I am going and how I want to hit it.

I can't do Mid Week Challenge, since 7:30 UK time is 1:30 US Central time and I'm at work at that time (virtually; I and most of my co-workers have been working from home for nearly a year now due to Covid-19).

It can take me a while (possibly upwards of 2 minutes) to check the charts, figure out the club, the aim, where I'm going for on the swing meter, etc., before I get to find out how lucky I am at judging it all and hitting the snap (both very iffy propositions for me). Does it let me figure some of these things out while other players are taking shots, or am I pretty much limited to watching their shots until my turn comes up?

The guys that play faster are usually Tour Pro (like myself). We've been playing 3-click golf for 35 years in some cases, so reading the next shot comes as second nature (no charts involved). Amature level tends to be less experienced players, so the thought process takes longer.

A typical par 72 round will consist of 36 tee shots and approaches, and 36 shots around the green ( pitches, chips, and putts). Myself, I'll take ~15 seconds for each of the tee shots and approaches for a total of ~9 minutes of play time. Scoring low is much more dependant on your short game, so I'll spend ~30 seconds per shot around the green for a total of ~18 minutes of play time. So a total of 27 minutes per 18 hole round. Amatures tend to spend much more time with the first category until it becomes natural.

And...what Seasider said. Come join a Mid Week challenge or the Sunday KO match play. It's just as much about making new multiplayer friends as it is about winning (mostly ). I've enjoyed every match I've played (Tour Pro) against Seasider (Amature), so don't let pace of play stop you.

davefv92c wrote: Wed Mar 10, 2021 1:10 am 12/13 minutes on 9, a little over 20 on 18
but I am a fast player as soon as I see the numbers on my next shot I know
what I am going and how I want to hit it.

Same for me. I would consider myself a very fast player.

Fast play is fun for me because I get into a rhythm. Before I know it, the 9 hole round is done. The only time I do not play solo tourney rounds is the KO and MWC.

But I think it's great that social players have a really fun time spending a couple hours a day playing and voice chatting with their online friends.

JMK59 wrote: Wed Mar 10, 2021 2:29 am A typical par 72 round will consist of 36 tee shots and approaches, and 36 shots around the green ( pitches, chips, and putts). Myself, I'll take ~15 seconds for each of the tee shots and approaches for a total of ~9 minutes of play time. Scoring low is much more dependant on your short game, so I'll spend ~30 seconds per shot around the green for a total of ~18 minutes of play time. So a total of 27 minutes per 18 hole round. Amatures tend to spend much more time with the first category until it becomes natural.

For me, short putts and many tee shots are the fastest. Some tee shots may take longer if I have to think about sand or water or other hazards around the landing area (in one tourney a couple of weeks ago the fairway had pothole bunkers where it would have been a crapshoot staying out of them; I instead aimed for a region of rough well to one side that was otherwise hazard free and I could still make GIR). The ones that take longer are medium and long approach shots, and recovery shots where I have to hit around trees or other obstacles. Earlier this evening I spent probably close to 10 minutes on the 17th hole of Florida Glades (mostly because I considered it extremely risky trying to hit the green from the tee and had to work out a safer alternative approach). But when I have decent size fairways and an easy chip/pitch shot most of the way around the green, I can get through those shots pretty quickly.

17 at Florida Glades is risky any way you look at it. All 3 pin locations are dangerous. Just aim middle green and take your par.

Any time you want to play a round together and talk club/shot choices, let me know.

JMK59 wrote: Wed Mar 10, 2021 4:46 am 17 at Florida Glades is risky any way you look at it. All 3 pin locations are dangerous. Just aim middle green and take your par.

That's pretty much what I did in the earlier round. On that occasion, I hit the snap right, the ball landed on the green, then rolled off and into the water. It dropped me on the opposite side with enough water between me and the green that it was a challenge to clear the water without getting too much roll out into the water on the opposite side (which nearly happened). Ended up getting a 6 on that hole. Earlier tonight I'd already been having trouble on previous holes both with missing the snap and with approach shots landing on the green and bouncing/rolling off the far side. If I had simply aimed for the middle of the green I'd estimate my odds of going for a swim at about 3-to-1. Instead I hit toward the rough/cart path area to the left and got about a 35-yard pitch to the green. The resulting shot was safely on the green, which is what mattered most even though it wasn't close to the hole. I ended up with a bogey and consider it about the best result I could have reasonably expected on that hole.

There is the "math" phase of working out the shot, then there's the execution phase of hitting the snap.

Playing with someone above your skill level that can talk you through the "math" part could help a lot. Then practice gets you zeroed in on the "snap" part.