“ You ’ re only here for a short visit . Don ’ t hurry . Don ’ t worry . And be sure to smell the flowers along the way .”
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Opening Drive
Revisiting Pace of Play by CHRIS LANG
MIKE STOTT ’ S STORY “ PICK UP THE PACE ,” which appeared in the July / August 2023 issue of this magazine , has stirred up some thoughts among our readership . If you recall , Stott took a deep look into how clubs and players alike try to fight the issue of slow play on golf courses . It ’ s a multi-faceted issue with no one correct answer , as I ’ ve found in hearing from some of you who have taken the time to reach out about the story .
One reader noted that clubs can do a better job of consistently staking and marking penalty areas , so players know the right course of action when a ball is lost in one . Relief procedures are different depending on whether an area is marked red or yellow , and confusion can lead to a slowing of play as golfers decide on the right course of action .
I won ' t rehash my thoughts on the matter from the last issue here , but I did receive a well-thought rebuttal from VSGA member
“ You ’ re only here for a short visit . Don ’ t hurry . Don ’ t worry . And be sure to smell the flowers along the way .”
— Walter Hagen
Jeff Talbert . His take :
“ Life is too fast . Business is too fast . Time goes by too fast . I like golf a lot . I like the whole experience . I like driving up the entrance to the course . I like the trees and the green and the flowers and the water and the architecture . For me , as I approach the golf course , I exhale , and life slows down . I can embrace the ‘ country ’ in country club . The game and the golf course are refuge from the speed of life .
“ Now , however , the ‘ play faster ’ sentiment threatens to take that away from me and others who see it the way I do . Instead , we should slow down on picking up the pace . I don ’ t want a ranger or non-stop club culture barking at me to play faster . And for what ? So I can go back to the office ? So I can get home to cut the grass or tend to my honey-do list ? Allow those of us who enjoy the aesthetics of golf as much as we enjoy the game to partake .
“ Don ’ t get me wrong . There should be a balance between those who want to play fast and those who want to take their time . And pro golfers , who must adhere to tight TV schedules and rules of big-time tournament play , should be governed by different standards .”
“ We ’ ve all heard the expression ‘ take time to smell the roses .’ The expression is actually a paraphrase of a 1956 quote from Walter Hagen . The actual quote is , ‘ You ’ re only here for a short visit . Don ’ t hurry . Don ’ t worry . And be sure to smell the flowers along the way .’ The Haig knew what he was talking about . … It ’ s no coincidence the quote ‘ stop and smell the roses ’ didn ’ t come from a poet or a philosopher or a romantic . It came from one of the game ’ s most prominent players , an 11-time major champ . We should adopt The Haig ’ s wisdom and moderate picking up the pace . The Haig ’ s quote should be the club culture .”
Thanks very much , Jeff , for your thoughts . As always , my inbox is open .
Dominion Energy Charity Classic Cont ’ d ...
Miguel Angel Jimenez ( 9 ) were all ranked in the Schwab Cup top 10 as of early August . Scott McCarron , the 2016 winner , and Woody Austin , the 2018 winner , were both comfortably within the 72-player cutline as of that time as well . Alex Cejka , who won the Senior Open Championship in brutal weather conditions in late July , will look to improve on his T46 finish from a year ago .
Tight competition . Alker ’ s one-stroke victory in 2022 was the norm , not the exception . Only once in the seven-year history of the DECC has the champion won by more than two strokes ( Mickelson ’ s three-shot win in 2020 ). Jimenez set the tournament record in 2019 by finishing at 18-underpar 198 . The top 54 players in the Schwab Cup standings after the DECC advance to the second playoff event , the TimberTech Championship in Florida Nov . 3-5 .
DATES : October 20-22
VENUE : The Country Club of Virginia , James River Course
2022 CHAMPION : Steven Alker ( -14 , won by one stroke over K . J . Choi )
TICKETS :
dominionenergycharityclassic . com / tickets
Chris Lang , Editor clang @ vsga . org
Bernhard Langer
ABOVE : Steven Akler
USGA
6 V IRGINIA G OLFER | S EPTEMBER / O CTOBER 2023 vsga . org