A Total (and Scientific) Commitment to the Four Hour Round
At Bowling Green, everyone, from the head golf professional to the person who mows the grass, is completely committed to a pace of play that’s sensible without feeling hurried. A lot of courses in the area say they are committed to fast play, but only Bowling Green backs it up.
We Time Our Rounds–So You Don’t Have To…
For the month of August, we timed our rounds and the average time was just four hours and three minutes. Even on a peak Saturday in the middle of summer, the average time was just four hours and eleven minutes. The next time you play a golf course in the area, ask the head professional about actual pace-of-play times based on measuring times.
Bowling Green Golf Club–Pace of Play Policy
Bowling Green’s pace rating is 4 hrs. 15 min. (see Scorecard)
Your place on the golf course is immediately behind the group in front of you, not immediately in front of the group behind you.
Any group will be considered Out of Position if it:
- is taking more than the scheduled time to play (see scorecard) and
- reaches the teeing ground of a par 3 which is clear or;
- fails to clear the teeing ground of a par 4 before the preceding group clears the putting green or;
- arrives at the teeing ground of a par 5 when the preceding group is on the putting green.
Have More Time for Your Family or… MORE GOLF!!!
Pace of play is science, art, and service. Several years ago, the management at Bowling Green looked at every aspect of speeding up play and organized a program with one goal and one goal only: make golf more enjoyable by eliminating the long waits that are so typical at busy area courses.
The plan included widening some landing areas, taking out trees, and clearing undergrowth. The course also lengthened tee time intervals to ten minutes (they are typically six minutes at crowded area courses). This means fewer golfers on the course and fewer golfers virtually eliminates delays (and improves conditioning).
If you are fed up with slow play at your course call Bowling Green Golf Club to book a tee time: 973-697-8688 or book a tee time online.
Golfer Happiness: YES… Golfer Gridlock: NO!!!
Bowling Green eliminated the “1st and 10th“ tee starting policy that means more morning starting times but almost guarantees complete gridlock. This means you get to play the course as the architect designed it, progressing through the various challenges.
Starters and on-course assistants are completely “on-board” with the program. The starter starts groups at the appropriate time and the on-course assistants tactfully but firmly get slow groups to speed up. Chronically slow golfers will not enjoy Bowling Green – we ask them to leave and give them a refund.
The foundation of fast play at Bowling Green is the traditional layout. Tees are close to greens. Golfers easily see all hazards and quickly find balls that stray from the fairways. The design also makes it easy for walkers to play quickly.
Furthermore, course ownership constantly monitors the fast play program and ‘tweaks’ the plan as part of a commitment to improve pace of play even more.
