Finish your round in over four hours at Sleepy Hollow, and everyone will know about it. The club’s new ‘pace of play offenses’ list has divided golfers around the world.
There are two types of golfers out there. The ones who like to get round as quickly as possible, and those who prefer to take their time, soak up the surroundings, and don’t see golf as something that needs a stopwatch.
The problem is that both types share the same golf courses. The faster players grow impatient when held up, while the slower ones resent being rushed around the course.
To keep things moving – and to avoid backlogs – many clubs now post pace-of-play targets on their website, scorecards, or on signs around the course.
But one club in New York has gone a step further – and it’s caused quite the stir.
Sleepy Hollow Country Club has gone viral after a photo appeared online showing its ‘Pace of Play Offenses’ sheet – a noticeboard listing the names and round times of anyone who went over the club’s four-hour expected pace.
Yes, if your group fails to finish in four hours, your names and times are pinned up in the clubhouse for everyone to see.
Some applauded the club for drawing a line in the sand and taking pace seriously. Others thought it was a bit much – that golf’s supposed to be a chance to slow down, not another place you’re being timed.
It’s worth noting that Sleepy Hollow isn’t just any golf course. It’s a private members’ club that has hosted Champions Tour events and the 2002 US Women’s Amateur Championship. The course has been renovated by Gil Hanse and George Bahto, while the imposing clubhouse has been used in numerous films and TV shows. The course is stunning and the club clearly takes its standards seriously.
Some who have played there felt the time pressure tarnished the experience:
Some have suggested that the halfway house is part of the problem, with two drinks stops adding 10 minutes each:
Others have said that taking a little over four hours does not warrant being named and shamed:
Some suggested only allowing faster players to book earlier tee times:
Many raised the valid point that your time can be out of your hands if you’re held up by groups in front:
… or by a slower player in your group:
Some feel the policy should be employed at all clubs:
The slow play debate will continue to rage, but one thing’s for sure: Sleepy Hollow’s leaderboard of shame has got the golf world talking – and maybe checking their watches a little more often.
