Positive Report on USGA Pace of Play Initiatives

One of the better initiatives to improve pace of play the USGA adopted last year is "Play 9," a promotional campaign sponsored by American Express to encourage golfers to tee it up for fewer than 18 holes.  The promos with Rickie Fowler were clever and well-done (unlike the "While We're Young" fiasco) and it seems to have actually had an effect, at least according to info released yesterday at the Pace of Play Symposium.

USGA spokesman Hunki Yun reported that 24% of the total rounds played in the last year were 9-hole affairs.  That's more than I would have expected, even though I purposefully contributed to the number by playing more than a few myself.  Another part of the effort was promotion of Play 9 Day on July 23.  While exact data for that single day isn't reliable enough to quote, the GHIN system showed that golfers logged 1.5 million 9-hole rounds in the June-July period this year, an increase of 13.4% over the same period last year.  That's pretty significant.

Also encouraging were the results of a USGA survey, which found that 38% of the rounds played by golfers under age 40 were 9-hole rounds.  In the "casual" golfer category, it was 35%, and among women golfers, 35% played nine holes.  It looks like promoting 9-hole play is a good way to grow the game.

One of the less effective efforts has apparently been the "Tee It Forward" campaign.  While the USGA survey said that 88% of golfers said the idea has a positive impact on the game, only 47% have actually tried it.  That's really too bad, since anecdotally I can attest that playing from the proper tees makes the game a heck of a lot more fun.  It also substantially speeds up the pace of play, according to the USGA data.

Note how the length of the course directly corelates with the amount of time required for a round. Just eyeballing the above chart, it looks like 6,000 yards yields a round under four hours, while 6,500 pushes it closer to 4:30.  That's a lot of time spent crushing the egos of those who think they can drive the ball 280 yards.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

Would You Play Faster for a Million Dollars?

USGA Pace of Play Symposium

There's more than just the golfer's sanity at stake in speeding up the game, according to two experts who spoke today at the USGA Pace of Play Symposium.  For course owners (public and private), there could literally be millions of dollars riding on how fast the typical foursome completes its round.  The analysis was presented by Stephen Johnson and Henry DeLozier of Global Golf Advisors.

The value isn't just in the additional golf revenue that can be generated if more players can get on and off the course more quickly, it's really how the value of the property is affected by a multiple of that revenue.  Underlying it all, of course, is the fact that when a course acquires a reputation for slow play, it becomes less attractive for both daily fee players and/or prospective members.  Less demand equals less revenue, not something the flat-lining golf industry needs right now.

What's the value of 1,000 more $100 rounds over the course of a season for a daily-fee operator?  $100,000, right?  Wrong!  It's actually closer to $1,000,000 because the value of the asset--the golf business of the course--is about ten times the cash flow.  The owner will make $100,000 more now, plus $1,000,000 when and if he sells.

That's also not counting, by the way, the ancillary revenue spent by golfers who spend less time on the golf course and more time in the bar and restaurant afterwards. Who wants to hang out and celebrate after standing around for five hours on the course?

Or what about a real estate developer that invests $10 million in a new course with the expectation of selling $40 in homes around it?  If the course develops a reputation for five-hour rounds, how will that affect his home/membership sales figures?  Not positively, that's for sure.

There's no question that pace of play affects both the capacity of the course to handle more players and the rates they are willing to pay.  The economic impact of faster golf makes it a no-brainer for course operators to get on the pace of play bandwagon.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

LPGA Teams With USGA To Improve Pace of Play

Competitive pace of play has been improved by science-driven solutions developed through joint partnership of the USGA and the LPGA, according to presentations today at the USGA’s second Pace of Play Symposium.

The LPGA reduced its average round time by 14 minutes during the 2014 season, using methods based on USGA analysis of data and with the support of officials and players. Aggressive control of the lead group’s pace and wider tee time intervals contributed significantly to the reduction in average time per round.

“We actively participated in the USGA’s Pace of Play Symposium last year, and took their recommendations to heart,” said Heather Daly-Donofrio, the LPGA's chief Tour operations officer. “We were easily able to implement solutions that delivered immediate and positive results. We’re proud of the progress and will continue to push for improvement.”

Based on test programs conducted at several tournaments throughout the 2014 season, the LPGA crafted a new pace of play policy, and communicated regularly with players and officials during its implementation. Per its policy, a time par sheet is created for each tournament, representing the time allotted for lead groups to finish each hole during a round. While the lead groups are bound by the time par, every other group in the field is responsible solely for maintaining its position on the course in relation to the group preceding it.

If a group falls out of position, that group may be warned or timed. The policy allows officials to warn or time the lead group, even if it is under its time par, if it is holding up the group behind.

“We all have a role to play in affecting pace,” said Vicki Goetze-Ackerman, LPGA player president. “The players and staff have worked in a true spirit of collaboration to learn and introduce new concepts, and it’s gratifying to see results.”

The USGA monitors pace at all of its national championships, with notable improvement seen in the U.S. Women’s Open. In the 2012 championship at Blackwolf Run, the average playing time for groups of three for the first two rounds was more than 5 hours and 40 minutes. The average time at Pinehurst No. 2 for the first two rounds of the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open was nearly 30 minutes less.

Using a data-based approach, the USGA has been working with numerous organizations including the LPGA to improve playing times of competitive and recreational rounds around the country.

“At last year’s Pace of Play Symposium, we discussed the importance of starting-time intervals as well as setting aggressive requirements for the pace of the lead group,” said USGA Technical Director Matt Pringle, Ph.D. “We were happy that the LPGA focused on these areas to improve flow during their tournaments, and set a policy that can serve as a model for the industry.”

Pringle and Daly-Donofrio presented the results of the LPGA’s pace improvements during the USGA’s second Pace of Play Symposium today. The gathering draws industry leaders from both competitive and recreational circles to encourage data-driven solutions and best practices to improve the time it takes to play a round of golf.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

Pace of Play Study Says We're Still Slow, Just Not Always

An important new study by the Three/45 Golf Association shows some interesting details about how fast we play. Here's their release on this crucial topic:

When it comes to Pace of Play, there is good news and bad news.

First the good news: We might not be as slow as we think.

The bad news is it varies greatly depending on where and when you play. Time to play 18 holes can average well under four hours at some courses, but can average over five at others.

The most comprehensive pace-of-play, data-driven technology-based study ever of American golf reveals that the average time to play an 18 hole round is 4 hours 17 minutes. Not surprisingly golfers play faster at private courses—well under 4 hours—and much slower at public courses. Nevertheless, almost 30 percent of all rounds in the study were played in less than 4 hours and only one in 10 rounds exceeded 5 hours.

The study, conducted by the Three 45 Golf Association and a team led by Dr. Lucius J. Riccio of Columbia University, studied more than 40,000 rounds at 175 U.S. courses, with data provided by GPS Industries, which installs state-of-the-art GPS systems in golf carts.

“We were surprised, pleasantly so, by some of these findings,” said Dr. Riccio, author of Golf’s Pace of Play Bible. “Obviously, there is room for improvement. Much more has to be done to reduce the time to play. But the findings demonstrate that golfers are perfectly capable of speedy rounds when play is managed correctly.”

Tee time intervals are a big part of the problem. The Three 45 study demonstrated, for example, that where play is lighter, rounds go faster, not unlike cars on a highway. “Courses with a high number of rounds per day (like a crowded highway) had elapsed times higher than courses with lower amounts of play, adding strong evidence to the importance of tee intervals as the main culprit of slow elapsed times.”

For Riccio, this means that course operators, and not just golfers themselves, need to be educated on the fundamentals of golf’s traffic flow, which has been cited as a culprit in the sport’s weakening participation.  “Tee intervals have to be set to match course and golfer characteristics,” says Riccio. “Each course and every membership or customer base is different. Operators have to manage play based on their unique profile.”

That may mean copying some of the practices of private courses. The “fastest” courses in the study were all from Florida and all private, with Coral Ridge Country Club in Ft. Lauderdale, and Stoney Brook Golf Club in Orlando, averaging just over 3 hours 20 minutes per round. At the slowest courses, Arcadia Bluffs in Michigan and Quarry Golf in Texas, both public access, rounds averaged about 5 hours.

Not surprisingly, the first rounds of the day at all facilities were fastest, averaging 3 hours and 46 minutes, but afternoon rounds averaged 4 hours 21 minutes. Elapsed times also varied by days of the week, with weekdays averaging about 10 minutes faster than weekends.

What was not clear from the study was whether course difficulty played a significant role. Though there was a slight correlation between elapsed time and course length, it was not significant, and “no relationship could be found between time to play and USGA Course Rating,” according to the authors.

Riccio said that the Three 45 Golf Association plans more studies in partnership with GPS Industries. “This analysis proves that with the right amount and type of data—and we got more technology-based data here than anyone has ever collected—we’ll be able to provide courses with helpful suggestions, specific plans and advanced management systems for combatting slow play,” he said.

The study can be accessed online at www.three45golf.org. Golf’s Pace of Play Bible is available on Amazon.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

Slow Play Isn't Entirely Your Fault

Slow play isn't just ruining your day on the golf course, it's strangling the game, according to experts gathered by the USGA at last week's Pace of Play Symposium.  A range of industry leaders outlined various research and made recommendations to bring the game closer to solving one of its long-standing challenges.  The biggest conclusion I took away from the gathering is that player behavior--including that idiot who's plumb-bobbing every putt in the foursome ahead of you--is only partially to blame.

USGA Pace of Play Symposium   photo courtesy of USGA

Matt Pringle, the USGA’s technical director, and Jim Moore, the USGA Green Section’s education director, discussed the findings of their continuing studies of pace of play based on real-world data. Pringle outlined some fundamental causes and advocated for more comprehensive measurement of key factors that most influence pace of play, while Moore concentrated on specific maintenance practices that golf courses can employ to combat the problem.

Course operators who try to squeeze more players onto the course with eight- or nine-minute intervals between tee times are prime culprits in slowing down the game, according to just about every speaker. Joining them in the guilty category are designers (and the course developers who push them into it) who build ever-longer and ever-more-difficult courses in an effort to make it onto the golf magazines' top 100 lists so they can sell more resort rooms and golf course home sites. When you round up the greens chairmen whose egos drive their club's greens to Stimp at eleven or higher, the rough to US-Open length and thickness, and fairways lush and green so players get no roll, you've identified some other star members of the slow-play rogue's gallery.

Lou Riccio, a professor at Columbia University and a longtime pace-of-play analyst, noted that pace-of-play discussions typically focus on the behavior of individual golfers, yet the role of facility owners, course managers and others is of equal if not greater importance. “This is an integrated challenge, and one with many stakeholders,” said Riccio. David Hueber, a professor at Clemson University, provided an analysis of golf course design and construction from the 1990s through today, noting that courses built during this period are generally longer and more difficult to play – both direct contributors to increased pace of play.

Not to be overlooked, of course, is the model of play presented by the media as it follows the pros. At the symposium, representatives from the PGA Tour and the LPGA Tour discussed the importance of proper pace of play at some of the game’s most important and visible championships. John Bodenhamer, the USGA’s senior managing director of Rules, Competitions & Equipment Standards, spoke specifically about the Association’s efforts throughout 2013 to monitor and improve pace of play at its championships.

Other representation came from some of the USGA’s most important industry partners, including The PGA of America, the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA), and the Southern California Golf Association. Stephen Hamblin, the executive director of the AJGA, offered an encouraging look at the progress made at the junior levels of the game through institution of an aggressive checkpoint system at its tournaments.

The symposium was part of an ongoing, multi-year pace-of-play initiative introduced by the USGA in February 2013, when the Association identified pace of play as a significant threat to the game’s health. Many of the resources developed during the last nine months can be found at the USGA’s Pace of Play Resource Center.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

Barney Adams on the Future of Golf - Part Four

Barney Adams

Barney Adams, the founder and past CEO of Adams Golf, is a man whose open-minded approach to the game improved the way it's played for thousands and thousands of golfers. He recently applied his genius to the biggest question in the game: how do we make it accessible, popular, and attractive to more players? This is the fourth of a series of guest posts containing his unfiltered thoughts. If you haven't yet, I suggest you read the first three posts (Part One, Part Two, Part Three) for an in-depth look at his idea.

From the Desk of Barney Adams...

I've spent months telling this story, initially trying for converts. An overriding lack of success taught me that the better approach was to gather feedback, hone the idea and hope to garner support from major organizations. Some of the most repeated comments and my responses follow.  

“Your idea will ruin the game. To get everyone at the 135 yard “The Tour Test” marker players in a foursome will be hitting from different tees and that destroys the camaraderie that is part of golf.”

Response: In my concept a group playing from the same tees is integral to the enjoyment of the game. On Tour (our standard of relativity) the longest hitters are 40 yards in front of the shorter ones. As long as your group on average is 20 yards on either side of the 135 yard “The Tour Test” marker, you are fine.

“Let's cut to the chase, we gamble. You think we want our opponent at 120 yards from the green while we're at 150? That’s nuts.”

Response: Right now your shot is 180 yards. Can you roll the ball between the traps? Maybe one in five times? Your opponent is 150 yards and feels very secure. With “The Tour Test” you are now positioned at 150 yards and can carry your ball over the bunker and guess what -- it stops 10' from the hole. I don't care how close he is, your opponent’s shot just got a lot harder.

Note: Let me add something here. There’s a misconception that playing at “The Tour Test” distance will automatically result in lower scores. Maybe. I've plugged a lot of 7 or 8 irons into bunkers (while gambling) but at least somewhere in the “The Tour Test” game, I'll get a decent birdie opportunity.

“This is baloney, I'm 62 and I can get home on 400 yard par 4 holes.”

Response: I'm 73 and so can I. That's not the objective. I can shoot at a 12' basket too but I'd rather compete at 10' and be playing comparable to the best in the world. Besides, I have a lot more fun at 10’. If we don’t do something to enhance the experience of the game of golf for everyone, it is going to die a slow and painful death.

“How do I know what tees to play?”

Response: Properly set up (which is part of the program) courses will have  suggested "The Tour Test" tees for men and women based on tee shot data from tens of thousands of golfers. If you find yourself constantly approaching from 160-180 yards (rather than close to 140 yards) then move up a set. If you are truly (note the word truly) a golfer who drives the ball 260 -280 yards, keep moving back. Golf is a game of honesty. If your stock 8 iron is 163 yards (like a tour player) then play the tips.

Over the years we have turned into a total yardage descriptor for golf, “We play from 6700, or 6000 or 7700 whatever.” I'd do away with those numbers if I could, (along with tee colors). “The Tour Test” golf is about testing your game against the best players in the world by playing relative distances into the green.

“Our group moved up and it just didn't feel right hitting 8 irons where we used to hit hybrids, almost like cheating.”

Response: Ironically this is one of the most significant lessons I learned from my field odyssey and experienced it myself. There is an inherent honesty in golf and you have to get used to the idea that you are simply playing relative distances to the best in the world. Once accepted it's an easy adjustment.

“What about my handicap, if I move to the “Tour Test” tees won't it go down and then I'll be penalized if I play a course that still plays back?”

Response: The USGA has strongly supported Tee It Forward. Assuming they are on board with “The Tour Test” I cannot see them ignoring handicaps should they become an issue.

“Can we do this at our course now? Why do we have to wait?”

Response: It’s perfectly legit to change. In my dreams the golfers of the world rise up and request "The Tour Test" tees at their courses NOW.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

Barney Adams on the Future of Golf - Part Three

Barney Adams

Barney Adams, the founder and past CEO of Adams Golf, is a man whose open-minded approach to the game improved the way it's played for thousands and thousands of golfers. He recently applied his genius to the biggest question in the game: how do we make it accessible, popular, and attractive to more players? This is the third of a series of guest posts containing his unfiltered thoughts.

From the Desk of Barney Adams...

A Typical “ Tour Test" Layout 
Notice the word typical and other vague references. Further I use “Tour Test” here as simply a name for setting up courses. Golf is not a fixed experience. A 350 yard hole is not always the same 350 yard hole. Prevailing winds, fairway design, firmness, forced carries, green sizes, surrounding bunkering (I could go on)…all are factors. Tee It Forward was a start but it needs an upgrade. The front tees may work in some cases, on some holes, and not at all on others. Since I’ve played this way, I realize that in some instances current course design will force compromises. Maybe someday there will be new tees but for now, I suggest we work with existing layouts.

“The Tour Test” Par Four Holes
Given historical data on tee shots, a median length of 360 yards is a good rule of thumb for a par four hole. If I'm laying out a course I look for a design where I have at least one short par four hole (290-310 yards) on each side. Basically there are two types of design that accomplish this: relief off the tee with a very small green surrounded by trouble, or a more forgiving green area and a narrow, tough tee shot.

In my layout there will also be a couple of long par four holes (in the 400 yard range) with openings into the green, down slope, or down prevailing winds.

That leaves 6 par 4 holes (depending on their shape) between 340 and 370 yards each.

“The Tour Test” Par Three Holes
A par 3 hole with forced carry and trouble can be a short 120-140 yards. With a wider opening into the green the hole can be longer (180 yards). Terrain and conditions always affect design plans.

“The Tour Test” Par Five Holes. 
Unlike the Tee It Forward approach, “The Tour Test” play can support longer holes. A 220 yard drive, 190 yard second shot, and 140 yard approach is a 550 yard hole!  While the number 550 works perfectly in the field, the same players who disparage moving up to Tee it Forward are equally unhappy with longer par 5 holes. Conditions dictate! The point is 550 yards can work perfectly. Hitting the green on a par 5 in two shots is common on tour. It is great fun to watch, but it’s not happening for the vast majority of golfers – just for the .08%.  I’ve heard suggestions for 425 yard “reachable” par 5 holes and the idea just doesn’t work.

“The Tour Test” Course
“The Tour Test” course could measure 6000 yards (or 6400 yards or even more) depending on the conditions mentioned.   What it is not is 6100 yards with 7 par four holes of 400 yards, and 4 par 5 holes at 460 yards. That course layout is one of the weaknesses of the “Tee It Forward” movement. Moving up does not always give you “The Tour Test” experience. The question to ask as we create “The Tour Test” holes is: How do we lay this out so the amateur is realistically given the chance to compete against the best players in the world?

So there is my story. I am a great fan of the game; it bothers me to realize that it might not continue at its current level for my grandchildren and their children. I’ve given you the history, the analysis, and a proposed solution.  I do not know what will come next. I hope "they" rally to the cause.

from Dave: Read some reactions to Barney's ideas in the next post.


Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

Barney Adams on the Future of Golf - Part Two

Barney Adams

Barney Adams, the founder and past CEO of Adams Golf, is a man whose open-minded approach to the game improved the way it's played for thousands and thousands of golfers. He recently applied his genius to the biggest question in the game: how do we make it accessible, popular, and attractive to more players? This is the second of a series of guest posts containing his unfiltered thoughts.

From the Desk of Barney Adams...

I need to start with some general comments. There are lots of issues to be addressed in the industry, I'm a huge fan of junior programs, caddies, family friendly courses initiatives, at the local level too numerous to mention. I am zeroing in on one specific aspect of participation because if we ignore that, if we keep doing the same things we've done in the past the prognostication for the future is very unhealthy. I have no illusions about the difficulty involved to bring about this change.    

"The golf industry should pay very close attention to Barney's ideas", said Tom Fazio, renowned golf course architect.  "The game should be fun, not a struggle."

Good business practices teach us to be very focused in our marketing efforts. The golf industry has data that identifies the target market but somehow the message of focused marketing gets lost.   "Come play our magnificent 7200 yard (famous designer) layout."   At 7200 yards you are marketing to maybe 2% of your potential customers. When golfers do arrive they are not allowed to play from 7200 yards but moved forward as if they aren't worthy. So we've accomplished two things: spending advertising dollars ineffectively and creating a negative environment once customers get on property.

And here's the odd part: I don't fault the owners/operators for this. They are responding to a culture developed over the years that emphasizes course length not shots into the green.

To start let me be clear, you cannot put golf in a defined box. One of the great joys of the game is its inconsistency; you can have two 360 yard par 4 holes that play completely different. Fairway slopes, prevailing winds, types of grass hazards to avoid and I could go on. So analyze in golf terms, the way holes play, not in absolute yardages.

No better example exists than the recent U.S. Open at Merion. I loved watching the best players in the world trying to hit short par 4 greens from the rough or, even the fairway, and you know what?   Sometimes they didn't !

I use men's data simply because it's more familiar and easier for me to write about; I have women's data as well.

Fig 1 shows a classic long par 4, 460 yards, with a trap protecting the right side of the green. This is pretty basic architecture. Data from the PGA Tour's Shotlink system on 35,000 drives shows that Tour players will hit 6 or 7 irons into the green 26% of the time, an 8 iron 36% of the time and 9 irons or wedges 22% of the time. There will be roughly 40 yards between the longest and shortest drives. This is why 7200 yards is no problem for Tour players, who constitute .08% of those who play. Please allow me to emphasize: the .08% are great talents who play a game that is television entertainment. Somehow the folks who are protecting the game get them mixed up with the other 99.92% -us.

 

For amateurs, who cares?! Using data from 1.8 million handicaps, fewer than 10% of players will get home to the aforementioned green in two shots using any club; stick a creek in front of the green, making it a forced carry, and the GIR figure drops to less than 6%.

Aha! A poor example, you say, because amateurs don't often play 460 yd par 4 holes. I'll agree, but even under Tee It Forward they will play 405 yard par 4's. From that distance all of the Tour players, if they hit driver or three wood off the tee, will hit 9 iron or wedge into the green on their second shots, in while the number of amateurs getting home in two on a 405-yard par 4 leaps all the way to 24%, and to   15% with that damn creek to carry. That carefully sculpted trap on the right might work better as a grass bunker because even in that at 24%, many are rolling the ball onto the green, not hitting a soft shot to a protected pin.  

So it isn't about forward tees, it's about where you play approach shots from. On Tour the average iron into a par 4 hole is an 8 iron and that's good enough for me. (I mean my 8 iron, which goes 135 not theirs, which go 164 yards on average) Do you get it; how can I correctly emphasize this ; not one hole but 8 irons or less for most second shots.   Play the same type of shots into the green that the best players in the world do; most golfers play the equivalent of a 12' basket.

When I bring up the subject when visiting clubs, I see furtive glances, folks wondering who those "other guys" who don't hit 8 irons are. Yeah, right! Many decades ago I cleaned clubs and it stuck with me that the long irons were seldom used, a thought that ultimately led to the design of a fairway wood. Cleaning clubs today and I'd see used hybrids and relatively clean 6-9 irons!      

Install me as Grand Czar and all courses would be required to have  markers measured 135 yards from the green. They could be painted sprinkler heads, small plaques (I will have some official Czar discs available with my likeness), trees like the old 150 bushes. My army of golf police will inspect and certify them.

The markers are reminders. It's like having a great Scottish caddy standing in the fairway, "Aye, Laddie play from here.   It's just like the professionals only adjusted for you." He will explain there is a 40 yard spread-plus or minus 20 yards-from the markers and playing within that spread is to play the same shots Tour players do. Over a relatively short period, the question of what tees to play will become evident. The back tees don't disappear; they just get used by the few that really belong there.

Originally I had this grand idea of official markers sanctioned by the PGA of America and the USGA. The regional PGA of America staff would verify them as they visited courses. This would allow certified facilities to advertise that they featured the chance to play Tour-type shots into the greens, have fun, and enjoy the game.

I even invented a sponsor who would host a three-year amateur event played from the correct distances. I called the event "The Tour Test" as a way of incenting folks to play from the relevant areas. Like a lot of my grand schemes, reality intervened. The USGA and PGA of America have their own programs.

Truth is I harbor a dream of a large corporation with ties to golf contacting me about wanting to be associated with an event that so strongly supports amateur golf. Oh Golf Channel and a partner, can you hear me, televised regionals, finals; this would be a game changer. Nope, not looking for work here...just trying to help.

I think this concept has a near zero chance of becoming adapted.  Tour golf produces a state of 'television euphoria' and a commentary that the game isn't doing well is not well received.  The PGA of America will continue efforts to bring in new players and there will be some references to 'more fun' and 'playing faster'.  Yes, I see the Jack Nicklaus spot on moving to forward tees.  This is the closest to getting those who have cut back to start playing more but at the  course level this gets interpreted as an application for senior players and is not becoming widely accepted.  

There are two factors conspicuous by their absence in this article. The first is the issue of slow play; very simply, if golfers learn to play from the correct approach area play will speed up. I realize slow play is a study unto itself, but this movement is definitely on the right side of the equation. The second is cost; I believe in value. Once you get courses playing correctly, you've increased value. The marketplace will determine actual cost far beyond any words by me.

As an added thought, turn off the water. Two reasons: it will make the course play faster, and pretty soon you're not going to be able to afford it anyway. Educate the golfing market that soft green fairways are unhealthy; a light tan means a deeper, stronger root structure.  

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

Barney Adams on the Future of Golf - Part One

Barney Adams

Barney Adams, the founder and past CEO of Adams Golf, is a man whose open-minded approach to the game improved the way it's played for thousands and thousands of golfers. He recently applied his genius to the biggest question in the game: how do we make it accessible, popular, and attractive to more players? This is the first of a series of guest posts containing his unfiltered thoughts.

From the Desk of Barney Adams...

Given my history with Tee It Forward, I have spent a significant amount of time studying participation data in the golf industry. Recently, I saw two forecasts, one from the NGF and one from Golf 20/20. The former predicts 3 million new golfers by 2020, keeping up with the population increase; the latter, an increase to 30 million players in 5 years. Apples to apples the 5 million increase would constitute almost 29 million, so the NGF is relatively more conservative.                                                              

My initial reaction to these revelations was somewhere between negative and incredulous. They have 30 years worth of data that refutes their own positions. But, as I contemplated more, it became evident that the real issue is how to increase participation, not criticize forecasts.

The facts: golf participation has significantly lost ground vs. the population increase over the last 30 years-something well over 20%. Junior golf is down 30% from its high in 2005. And in fact, if you carefully look at the participation data since 1985, everything is down.

The NGF has a category encompassing all who play at least once a year, age six and older, (the base they use for their 2020 forecast). While that category shows a similar decline, I am more specific in my analysis. They have a category called "Avid," those who play 25+ times a year. This category accounts for and pick up 71% of all golf associated costs. A clear path: grow this group and good things fall in line.

Definitely a straightforward objective, we have the category we want to expand - now let's develop programs to increase their play, just as has been done in the past. It worked! We had 10.2 million avid golfers in 2000, only ultimately it didn't work.  Well, that group of avid golfers did grow once. From 1985 to 2000, it grew from 6.8 million to 10.2 million.  But that didn't solve the problem, because then it shrank. From 10.2 million in 2000 to 9.1 million in 2005, 7.0 million in 2010, we end up with 6.8 million and counting in 2012, the same as we had in 1985, (not close to keeping up with the population increase). So it isn't about getting them, it's about keeping them and that is where every organization associated with the game needs to focus. There have been enough economic and weather variations over those years to factor them out as the cause; the culprit is the game itself.

In the business world this would be identified as a case of product rejection. At all levels, men, women and juniors, we can get them started, but we can't get them to stay with the game. We continue to try and attract new players but until the product rejection issue is turned around these efforts will not fix the participation issue.

I understand that there will be some who say the current status is acceptable so let's not interfere. Two million jobs, people supporting families, kids with summer jobs-that is what the industry provides and that base is being eroded. If that isn't an incentive, there is a long range forecast which is so negative folks tune it out. That is the result of today's birth rate, the lowest in history, By comparison, the baby boomers, today's chief golf participants had the highest birth rate in our history.

Let's be the generation that is recognized for taking action that has a positive effect on participation. In Part 2, I'll propose a fix that is within the rules and spirit of the game, is virtually cost free and at the end of the day, a solution that we can easily install. I'm talking about us, the folks who play the game.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

Let's Pick Up the Pace of Play...While We're Young

Addressing an issue that's near and dear to my heart--not to mention one that gives me a major case of heartburn, the USGA today unveiled a new public education campaign around the theme of “While We’re Young,” a new positioning to raise awareness across the golf community of the challenges and solutions to the pace-of-play issues in the game of golf. Borrowing the iconic line from the character played by Rodney Dangerfield in the classic 1980 film Caddyshack®, the campaign takes a lighthearted and comedic approach to encourage golfers of all skill levels and golf course facilities to join a movement to improve pace of play and reduce the time it takes to play the game.

The USGA will debut a total of five public service announcements, featuring three-time U.S. Open champion Tiger Woods, 1960 U.S. Open champion and golf icon Arnold Palmer, Academy Award®–winning actor/director Clint Eastwood, three-time U.S. Women’s Open champion Annika Sorenstam, 2010 U.S. Women’s Open champion Paula Creamer, and famed American golf instructor Butch Harmon. The series of PSAs can be viewed at www.usga.org/whilewereyoung.

According to industry research, the time that it takes to play golf is a principal driver that adversely impacts enjoyment of and discourages participation in the game. In a recent study by the National Golf Foundation (NGF), 91 percent of serious golfers are bothered by slow play and say it detracts from their golf experience; more than 70 percent believe pace of play has worsened over time; and half acknowledged that they walked off the course due to frustration over a marathon round of golf. USGA research shows that the golfer is just one component within a complex, integrated system that determines pace of play in the game. Golf course design, course setup and player management also contribute to longer playing times.

“Pace of play has become a strategic priority for the USGA, and part of a larger leadership agenda to address the issues that threaten the long-term health of the game,” said USGA President Glen D. Nager. “Our new campaign underscores a commitment to educate golfers and golf facility managers in a fun and engaging manner about all the factors that contribute to pace of play and the role they can have in implementing practical solutions to the problem.”

“We’re losing a lot of players because it takes too long to play, and it’s something we have to address,” said Harmon. “This campaign is going to have a great impact on the game. We made it a lot of fun, but slow play is not funny. It’s a serious issue and I hope the golfing public gets the message.”

The campaign will debut at the 2013 U.S. Open Championship, and will air throughout the summer on broadcast network and national cable channels during coverage of the 2013 U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open, U.S. Senior Open and U.S. Amateur on NBC, ESPN and Golf Channel. The TV spots will also run during broadcasts of non-USGA golf events, thanks to promotional support from the LPGA and The PGA of America.

Each PSA will direct people to a newly created microsite where golfers and facility managers can sign a pledge to take personal measures to improve pace of play. Those who take the pledge will be enrolled in the USGA Pace of Play Education Program, which includes videos, quizzes and other resources that cover the fundamental causes and solutions to slow play from both a player and golf course facility perspective. Once the education program is completed, participants will receive a downloadable certificate acknowledging their role as a USGA-certified pace of play ambassador.

In addition to the campaign, the USGA has introduced a new online Pace of Play Resource Center on www.usga.org for golf facilities and players. The Resource Center serves as an authoritative repository for educational information about pace of play, including case studies and best practices on ways golf course facilities can address factors such as hole length, routing, green speeds, rough height, and operations to improve pace of play. The site also provides tips for individual golfers seeking to expand their knowledge of the issue and improve their own playing habits, including information on alternative formats like nine-hole rounds that take less time to play.

“Although our industry has tried to address pace of play for decades, we believe the issue can only be addressed successfully if we collaboratively pursue solutions that consider the full set of factors that influence pace – the actions of golfers, the ways we design and manage golf courses, and the influence of the elite competitive game,” said USGA Executive Director Mike Davis. “This new campaign illustrates the USGA’s energetic and action-oriented approach to pursuing worthwhile endeavors that serve the best interests of the game moving forward.”

The USGA campaign is part of a larger, multifaceted initiative that was announced in February 2013 to identify the causes and solutions regarding pace-of-play issues in the game. This USGA-led program includes: an analysis of key factors known to influence pace of play; the development of a pace-of-play model based on USGA-led research and quantifiable data; improvements to the USGA Pace Rating System; on-site assistance at golf courses to help managers assess and improve pace of play; and the creation of player- and facility-education programs.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

Very Ready Golf at Casa de Campo

I just set a new personal golf record. It wasn't a super low score -- although I was quite happy with the number I posted -- nor was it a hole-in-one or double eagle or anything like that. It was an 18-hole round played on a full-length Pete Dye golf course in a foursome in two hours and eighteen minutes.

There weren't any gimmicks or bending of the rules, either. We putted everything out, raked every bunker, repaired every ball mark and divot, and even stopped to take a picture or two along the way plus spent a few minutes interviewing head pro Dave Pfisterer about the course. Most importantly, we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and had plenty of laughs during the round. By the way, one member of the foursome was a woman, fellow golf writer Alice Scott. Her husband Danny (the other half of "America's Golfing Couple") and freelancer Steve Habel rounded out the group.

The round was played on the Dye Links course at Casa de Campo, a fun companion to the better-known Teeth of the Dog at the fabulous resort in the Dominican Republic. The Links sits just east of its big brother and winds through the interior of the resort. It's not too long, playing 7,003 yards from the tips and 6,624 from the next tees up (the blues, which the guys played), but driving accuracy is paramount since water comes into play on five holes and Dye liberally sprinkled the track with well-placed fairway bunkers. The greens are small and many of them are elevated, so your iron play needs to be in top form, too. The course rating is 68.6 with a 122 slope.

None of us had ever seen the course, but that didn't slow us down. We are all experienced golfers, although not scratch by any means, so we could generally figure out the lines from cues Dye provided in his design. We even hit the ball there most of the time, which helped a lot. We didn't have a caddie so everyone in the group watched the other players' shots to cut down on time spent looking for errant balls. We were the first foursome off the tee, too, so we never had to wait for the group ahead.  But here are the real reasons we played so quickly:

• We played ready golf -- whoever got to the tee first hit away. Same in the fairway.
• We were in carts, but no one sat waiting for another player to hit before being driven to his or her ball. Instead, we tried to stop where both players could walk a few steps to their balls at the same time.
• Nobody in the group had an elaborate pre-shot routine. We didn't rush, but typically the player checked the distance, picked a club, set up alignment, and hit the ball. Very few practice swings were taken.
• Speaking of distance, we didn't waste time looking for sprinkler heads or fiddling with a GPS or laser range finder. We simply used the 100, 150, and 200-yard makers in the middle of the fairway and adjusted accordingly.
• We didn't dally on the greens, either. Whoever got there first putted (if they could without stepping in someone else's line), then putted out if they missed the first one. We read the greens as we walked onto them, then took a quick look from behind the ball. Nobody rushed, but nobody plumb-bobbed, paced off distance, or read the putt from four directions either. There may have been a three-putt, but I don't remember one. I personally putted better than I had in either round on the two days previous.

That's the way golf should be played. Could I have shaved a couple of strokes by taking a little more time? Maybe, but I doubt it. I shot an even 80, which is three strokes under my handicap! How much fun is that?

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

Crystal Springs Speeds Up The Game

I confess: I am a speed demon. I abhor slow play. A four-hour round of golf is a snail's pace and four-and-a-half puts me into a serious funk. My idea of a great round is about three hours and I've done it walking--in a foursome--plenty of times.

That's why I'm pumped about the Fast Track initiative at Crystal Springs in Sussex County, NJ. The forward-thinking seven-course resort makes it happen in a player-friendly way without losing any of the pleasure of the game.  “We’ve explored a lot of different methods and programs to make golf more appealing and more fun, inclusive, and more enjoyable,” says Director of Golf Art Walton. “It excites those who really like to get around the course. That gives them time to play another round, get home, or enjoy the many other amenities at the resort.”  They started the initiative at Wild Turkey and then added it to Black Bear last year. According to Walton, it's going well.

Crystal Springs Resort - photo courtesy of the resort

Tee times from opening to 8 AM at the two courses are reserved for Fast Track players, who pledge to finish in four hours or less. To speed up play, “ready golf” is expected rather than following the strict honors order of play and hunts for lost balls are limited to one minute rather than five. The starters also encourage groups to play from the correct tees and players are asked to pick up his or her ball if seven strokes have been played on any given hole. If a group is slow, the course assistants often declare out of bounds to be played as lateral hazards to eliminate re-teeing.

Player assistance on the golf course is key to the system. The rangers police the pace of play with tracking sheets for each group. “When someone is five minutes off, they’ll communicate with them,” Walton explains. "They get a warning to keep up with the group in front of them. If they can’t, we relocate them to their appropriate position on the course. That’s the only way to do it.” He adds that playing through isn’t a time-saving option since it involves waiting six or seven minutes.

“It was not an easy initiative," Walton says. "The communications chain that has to be executed has many steps along the way. Our central reservations department needs to know what the program is and be able to describe it to those booked into that time zone. They must be able to finish in four hours or less. That has to be fortified along the way. When the player checks into the pro shop, the person greeting them has to re-iterate that and make sure they understand. The same with the starter. What you don’t want is a group that says ‘I wasn’t told.’ The burden also extends to the golfer booking the reservation, who has to make sure everyone in their group understands the expectations.”

I applaud Crystal Springs for making a concerted effort to move the game along. Slow play equals bad golf. But the opposite is also true: fast play equals good golf, just like you'll find at Crystal Springs.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

Women--And Men--Are Playing The Wrong Tees

Women golfers are being asked to play courses that are generally more than 1,000 yards too long for them to reach greens in regulation, according to the “fairness test” devised by Arthur D. Little and Jann E. Leeming.

In a recent post on their blog, Golf With Women, Little asks the following questions:
•How fair is a 5,600-yard course for the average woman?
•What would you think if we told you that a 5,600-yard course would be equivalent to an 8,400-yard course for the average man?
•How about an 11,200-yard course for Matt Kuchar?

If the average woman should play from 5,600 yards, the average LPGA player should be playing a 9,600-yard course and a good male amateur should play a 10,400-yard course, Little contends.

“That’s how the math works if ‘fair’ is defined as having to hit the same clubs to reach greens in regulation from their respective tees,” Little writes. “This concept is what we define as the ‘fairness test.’ Sorry, Dustin Johnson, you are at 12,320 yards based on your average drive of 308 yards.”

According to Little and Leeming, the “average women golfer” hits her tee shot 140 yards. Hence, based on the data they have collected in their research, the length of the course she should play in order to have the opportunity to reach greens in regulation is 4,200 yards. Note that this is 30 times her average drive, which, Little adds, turns out to be a very good rule of thumb for everyone.
He goes on to note that the average male golfer hits a drive of 210 yards, while Kuchar’s average drive of 280 yards is within a few of yards of the PGA Tour average in 2010.

“If the woman is at 4,200 yards, the average male golfer should be playing tees at 6,300 and the average PGA pro should be at 8,400 yards,” he writes. “These yardages seem much more reasonable, even though 8,400 yards is approximately 900 yards longer than the longest courses played on the PGA Tour. No wonder those guys are good!”

A graph that accompanies the blog posting shows that the average woman is asked to play courses that are generally more than 1,000 yards too long for her to meet the “fairness test” of reaching greens in regulation. The yardage for the average male is just about right, observes Little, who adds that better players usually play courses that are close to 1,000 yards shorter than would be indicated by multiplying their average drive by 30.

“The problem is that there are very few 4,200-yard golf courses in the United States, never mind the world,” Little writes. “As a result, most women golfers do not have the choice of a set of tees that gives them a fair chance to hit greens in regulation and thus give them the opportunity to score well.”

Little and Leeming believe the idea of courses with sets of tees that fit players with a wide range of driver swing speeds (from 60 to 110-plus mph) is critical. He writes that courses built (or retrofitted) this way will be more fun for all and much faster to play, and points to Old MacDonald Course at Bandon Dunes as one such shining example.

“We neither realistically believe courses will be built that are long enough to ‘fit’ players with faster than average swing speed, nor do we support such an effort – 7,500 yards is plenty long enough,” he writes.

Little offers this advice for players when choosing their yardage:
•Play a course where the yardage is approximately 30 times your average drive. If a course is longer than this, it will be a lot less enjoyable.
•If you don’t really know how long you hit your average drive (most people significantly overestimate), use two times your average nine-iron yardage. If you are among the great majority (98 percent) of golfers, this will be accurate.
•If your 30 times calculation results in a number shorter than the most forward set of tees at the course you are going to play, Little encourages them to read the “Move On Up” post to see how to deal with this situation.

In addition to writing about golf, Dave Donelson distills the experiences of hundreds of entrepreneurs into practical advice for small business owners and managers in the Dynamic Manager's Guides, a series of how-to books about marketing and advertising, sales techniques, hiring, firing, and motivating personnel, financial management, and business strategy.

Finally, Someone Does Something About Pace Of Play

If your idea of a great round of golf includes playing 18 holes in less than four hours, no waiting for the group in front of you and finishing before noon, then the new “Fast Track Golf” program at Crystal Springs Resort is for you.

Located in the mountains of northern New Jersey, Crystal Springs Resort surveyed hundreds of their golfers and quickly discovered overwhelming support for a faster pace of play. With such strong sentiment voiced, the Resort quickly implemented a proactive program that enables golfers to complete a round in less than four hours.

On weekends throughout the summer season, Crystal Springs will implement “Fast Track Golf” on two of the Resort’s seven award-winning courses, with designated “Fast Track Golf” tee times at Wild Turkey prior to 7:30 a.m. and at Cascades prior to 10 a.m. “Fast Track Golf” is available to daily fee players or to resort guests.

“Fast Track Golf is one of the alternative golf concepts we have successfully implemented at Crystal Springs,” said Art Walton, Vice President of Golf Operations. “We want our guests to have a great time here, even if that means we actually shorten their time playing golf.”

Features of “Fast Track Golf” include:
•Maximum 7 strokes per hole
•Maximum 3 putts per hole
•Lost balls must be abandoned after a 60-second search
•No “honors” – play when ready

Those who don’t maintain pace will be warned, moved, or may be required to play another course.

AS most of us know, there's really no reason for a round of golf to take more than four hours. I've played plenty of rounds in three hours or less--walking in a foursome! All it takes is some common sense steps like being ready to swing when you get to the ball, picking up when you're out of the hole in your match, and not spending time looking for a ball you couldn't play even if you found it. If you're playing in a tournament, things may be different, although I've also competed in MGA events that didn't take more than four hours so I know it CAN be done.

In addition to writing about golf, Dave Donelson distills the experiences of hundreds of entrepreneurs into practical advice for small business owners and managers in the Dynamic Manager's Guides, a series of how-to books about marketing and advertising, sales techniques, hiring, firing, and motivating personnel, financial management, and business strategy.