It seems that the pace of play police have gone too far.
The latest Golf Twitter hot-take-a-thon comes courtesy of Rick Golfs AKA @Top100Rick, who has been known to light a flame every now and then. Rick posted an image of Sleepy Hollow Country Club’s “Pace of Play Offenses” sheet, which features the names of anyone who plays over the “expected” pace of four hours:
One for the slow golfers out there:
If you play in over 4 hours at Sleepy Hollow (and many other clubs of stature) you will get your name posted for the whole club to see.
Is this a fair punishment?
To the slow golfers, do you still think it’s okay to be slow?
Does the… pic.twitter.com/msKR82xCNT
— Rick Golfs (@Top100Rick) November 4, 2025
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Most would agree that four hours, especially at a private club, is a perfectly fair “expected” pace. At busier public courses, it’s normal to see four hours and 30 minutes posted on your golf cart or the scorecard as the expected pace. Once you’re veering over that line, you are in problem territory.
But four hours and 12 minutes? Four hours and 16 minutes? We’re getting shamed for that now? That seems a little excessive. Particularly at a place like Sleepy Hollow, where no one should be flamed for drinking in the scenery and enjoying their time away from the real world.
The takes were coming in fast and furious after this image was posted on Tuesday, as it now seems like the pendulum is swinging toward “what’s wrong with enjoying your time on the golf course?” and away from “SPRINT AROUND THE COURSE AS FAST AS YOU CAN OR BE SHAMED!!!”
The pace of play shit is quickly going from “hey let’s pick it up a little bit” to “nobody is allowed to enjoy themselves if it takes ten extra seconds per hole”. It isn’t that fucking serious. It’s a leisure activity meant for fun. Go to the range if you only care about speed https://t.co/YWSeabCr83
— Conley (@Conley76) November 4, 2025
Why is everyone in such a fucking hurry to be done playing? Do we enjoy this shit or not?! https://t.co/H6WAAYJGDE
— Leopard Forest (@Eley_System) November 4, 2025
if i stop for a beer/hotdog/bathroom break, and you put my name on the wall 12 minutes over 4 hours? i’m shitting in the cart path.
— Zack 🚂 (@iChunk) November 4, 2025
Thankyou! People take such a weird pride now in playing less than 3 hours. It’s not a race! Talk to your friends, have a laugh, enjoy the time outside.
I understand people taking issue with ppl spending 5+ hours and waiting every hole, but we are quickly losing the plot
— Tony Lasagna (@Tony_Lasagna_) November 4, 2025
Now, just a reminder, Sleepy Hollow can do whatever they want. They could change the expected pace to 3:45 and shame anyone who goes a second over. Private clubs do not bow to any anonymous Golf Twitter user’s demands. However, there is certainly something to the idea that the “play faster” brigade has taken this bit too far. Golf is meant to be an escape from everything else going on in your life, and some folks seem hellbent and returning to the real world as soon as possible. As long as you are not making the ground behind you wait and you aren’t AimPointing everyone to death, there shouldn’t be a huge issue. Everyone needs to quite literally stop and smell the roses once in awhile, and keep it as close to that four-hour mark as possible, whether going over or under.
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This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
