Admittedly plagued by slow play over their history, officials at Renditions — Golf’s Grand Slam Experience, in Davidson, Md., have taken dramatic steps to change that reputation and attract both new golfers and old ones who may have been disenchanted by the time to complete a round of golf here.
“We’re convinced that many more golfers will appreciate the policies and systems that we’re implementing than golfers who will be upset,” said Scott Nissley, Northeast Regional manager for Landscapes Unlimited’s Golf Group, which owns and operates the facility.
Citing a variety of surveys where golfers have named slow play as the number-one problem with the game, Nissley said: “I think there would be nothing better for the game than this [type of action] sweeping the country, with everybody instituting a pace-of-play rule. It would be great for the golf industry.”
Renditions instituted its new policies Friday, July 13, and golfers have so far supported the decision.
“We’re banking on golfers not getting upset but thrilled that we’re doing this. So far, for every golfer who leaves dissatisfied, we have 10 who are attracted to the benefits of it,” Nissley said. “The overwhelming sense I get is that their time is really valuable — and so is ours.”
The policy, which includes Pace monitoring and Ready Golf, is this:
- Upon arrival at the golf shop, each golfer is handed a pamphlet with advice on simple ways to speed play, such as Ready Golf, wherein golfers in a foursome hit their balls when they’re ready, not necessarily waiting for the golfer furthest from the hole; writing the scores while riding to the next hole; fixing other golfers’ ball marks when you arrive first on the green; searching for a limited time for lost balls, etc.
- When signing up for their tee time, players are first introduced to the Renditions Pace of Play Policy. The golfer agrees to play at a pace to complete the round in 4-1/2 hours and comply with the club’s “player assistants,” whose job is to help them speed play in whatever way they can and, at various times during the round, to inform them how they’re faring. To do this, the player assistants flash a green flag to indicate the group is on pace; a yellow flag to show if the group is moving along too slow, in which case the group captain will encourage faster play to regain position; and a red flag warning corrective action will be taken, such as playing from the forward tees, or skipping a hole.
“The beauty of the flag,” Nissley said, “is that it’s non-confrontational, just a simple reminder.”
- At the first tee, each group is asked to appoint a captain who is charged with keeping the group on pace to finish on time.
Even when a potential golfer logs onto the Renditions Web site, they are first led to an explanation of Pace and Ready Golf.
Besides a faster round of golf, one incentive to players is that if they finish their round in 4-1/2 hours they will receive a Renditions Player Card. This card earns them a two-for-one green fee for the fifth round after the first four paid rounds as well as special deals at the golf shop.
“Our goal is to create an expectation and then equip the player to have even more fun playing real golf and basically help each golfer finish their round in the timeframe allotted,” Nissley said. “The concept is: ‘We’re selling time; you’re buying time. Your time is valuable; so is ours.’ ”
Nissley said Pinehurst (N.C.) Resort, the semi-private Mink Meadows in Vineyard Haven, Mass., and Pistol Creek in Berlin, Conn., all employ similar flag systems.
“We’ve needed to do something to overcome what has been a significant problem for us that has been minimizing our playability,” he said. “We substantially improved the course and playing conditions. Now our weakest element is pace.”
An 18-hole golf course that replicates celebrated golf holes from golf’s Grand Slam courses, Renditions’ par-3 holes are relatively short, but many others can be far more demanding in length. Included are replicas of the TPC at Sawgrass’s 17th island hole, Augusta National’s three Amen Corner holes, and others from such venues at Oakmont, Carnoustie, St. Andrews’ Old Course and Royal Lytham and St. Annes Golf Club.
The course attracts not only local golfers but those traveling to the area. “From our talking points in the golf shop to every one of our staff, we should be able to get people comfortable with it in a short time, no matter where they hail from,” Nissley said.
