Scott Dawley and Dude Spellings are back for week 2 of the podcast. They discuss the recent two-day gathering in St. Andrews to discuss the results of the R&A's Attitudes Towards Pace Of Play Global Survey conducted from the Fall of 2014 through the Spring of 2015. Leaders from all golf's major associations were present. Surprisingly, the survey findings cut sharply across last year's USGA Symposium on Pace Of Play, where results indicated Golf Course Management practices as the primary driver of slow play. The R&A survey, culled primarily from golf club members close to home in Great Britain and Ireland, indicated something quite different, namely, that reasons cited for slow play revolved around player education, performance, and personal golfing habits.
Regardless of reason, the facts are that golf is losing relevancy in the 21st century as a realistic means of recreation, due to the time commitment required to participate. Work and family commitments, along with the cost of participation are listed across the board as the primary reasons for leaving the game and choosing alternative means of recreation.
New formats like Speedgolf inherently address each of these issues and efforts are underway to standardize Speedgolf play across the States and globally in the coming years.
R&A Pace Of Play Global Survey Download
USGA Pace Of Play Online Resource Center Link