Slow play - the gender divide

Because of the torrential rain during the night there were only a few of us playing in this week's Ladies Day, and we decided to play only as long as the rain held off, which turned out to be 12 holes.

The fairways were soaking and the bunkers were GUR, but that pleased me no end, as I'm going through bunker trouble at the moment. It certainly helped me put the ball on the green from a drop from a fairway bunker - I wouldn't have been able to reach from inside the bunker - which in turn helped me to a respectable 18 points over 9 holes, which is by far the best I've played in ages (what's the opposite of a purple patch? That's what I've been having. For like a year).

When we came in there was a conversation about slow play which really made me chuckle. Everyone was complaining about being held up by the men in front. And predicting being held up by the men in front of us in Saturday's mixed medal. And moaning about always being held up by any men in front, ever. One of the reasons that they came up with is that men are always losing their balls. *snigger*

They have something of a point - there is often slow play by the men in front of the women on Saturdays at my club. Although I don't think it's that much of an issue - on Saturday almost every tee time is full from dawn until lunchtime, so a slower round is inevitable, and usually the men who are holding up the women are being held up by other men. And I happen to know (from a source who will remain anonymous) that the men who are usually in front of the women on a Saturday hate having the women playing up behind them because they know they'll get the evil eye.

It amuses me that women are the ones who are so vocal about slow play, at my club anyway. How is it that it's women who have a reputation for slow play?

The obvious truth of course, is that there is no gender divide when it comes to slow play. There are men in the groups who play on Saturday morning who are guilty of it, and there are women among yesterday's complainers who are also guilty of it, and of an even worse crime, not letting people through when they've lost a hole.

There is a gender divide when it comes to golfing ability - women tend to have higher handicaps (in other words, aren't so good at golf) and so an average round involves more shots, which almost inevitably means a slightly slower round. Kind of tough really, unless you want to keep newbies and high-handicappers out (don't start me - there are plenty of clubs who take this attitude).

So the advice for newbies and high handicappers? As my boyfriend said to me when I was starting out: be as shit as you like, but be shit quickly.

(Photo by FABIOLA MEDEIROS on Flickr)