ON COURSE MARSHALLING AT SSGS EVENTS
ON COURSE MARSHALLING AT SSGS EVENTS
Members will be aware that at some recent tournaments we have had a marshal on the course during play. The initiative for marshalling the course derived from some concerns among members about pace of play.
The committee stresses that the role of the marshal is not to single out or sanction players that may have fallen behind the group in front, but primarily to monitor overall pace of play throughout the field in order to maintain flow.
So far, the presence of a marshal has been sufficient to remind groups that have fallen behind to quicken their pace without need for warnings or players being ‘put on the clock’.
We believe that the marshalling so far has delivered positive results and we are minded to continue with this initiative when resources and manpower allow (which will not always be the case).
These days, complaints about slow play are common in virtually all golfing environments and arenas. While it is sensible to try to address this problem wherever it might arise, there is a danger of becoming overly fixated on the issue when, in reality, around four hours for a three-ball in tournament conditions is not unreasonable.
It should be noted that slow play is not defined by players having to search for lost balls. Slow play can only be measured by a player or players taking inordinate amounts of time between shots, or to play shots. For guidance, players should not delay after shots have been completed and should walk briskly between shots. A player should take no longer than 40 seconds from the time he arrives at his ball until completion of his shot (provided it is safe to play). In a three-ball, the second competitor waiting to play should take no longer than 30 seconds to complete his shot, and the third player no longer than 25 seconds.
To emphasise again, the course marshal is not there to sanction slow groups. When appropriate, his job is to politely point out to players that they may be losing too much ground to the group in front or are delaying groups coming behind them.
The presence of the marshal at any particular part of the course does not necessarily mean he is concerned about a group’s pace of play. He may just be admiring the golf before moving on!
We trust members will support this initiative and show the marshal due courtesy and respect for a job well worth doing.
Please also refer to the Pace of Play section