USGA to address slow play

Last updated: 3rd February 2013

The US Golf Association has announced plans to indentify "solutions regarding pace of play issues in the game of golf".

Tiger Woods was the latest big name to voice his displeasure with slow play during last Monday's conclusion of the Farmers Insurance Open, an issue which also frustrates many of his fellow professionals.

"It was so slow out there," Woods said after the round. "We played nine holes in just over three hours and three of them were par-threes. That's not fast."

The USGA says it plans to identify and analyse key factors that contribute to slow play in the hopes of developing a pace-of-play model based on quantifiable data that would help to improve their pace-rating system.

It also intends to offer on-site assistance at the course level to help assess and improve pace of play.

"The cry that pace of play has become one of the most significant threats to the game's health has become only louder over the last year," said USGA president Glen Nager.

"Industry research clearly shows that slow play and the amount of time it takes to play a round of golf detract from the overall experience and threaten to drive players away from the game."