USGA Hosting Pace Of Play Symposium, AJGA Not Invited?

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Great to see the USGA hosting a pace of play symposium in a few weeks and while it's closed to industry folks, golf association types and media, the public will get to view some of the discussions via USGA.org at some point soon thereafter.

The details, and note the glaring panel omission of the one organization setting a time par, enforcing standards and having genuine success in speeding up play while the USGA resists introducing a time par and penalty system at their Opens **The AJGA is coming!:

USGA TO HOST PACE OF PLAY SYMPOSIUM

WHAT: On Thursday, November 7, 2013, the USGA will host a symposium that will gather some of golf’s most influential thinkers and leaders to share insights and examine one of the most important issues facing golf: pace of play. Entitled “While We’re Young: Golf’s Pursuit of a New Paradigm for Pace of Play,” the symposium will spark dialogue and is structured to bring new ideas and solutions to the game at large.

This day-long program will include presentations, roundtable discussions and featured interviews, and will look at the USGA’s research on pace of play and how those findings have real-world applications. The panelists will also share best practices that have improved the time it takes to play the game, and explain how facilities and organizations can better serve today’s players and future generations of golfers through improved pace of play.

WHO:  Leaders from across the golf industry, including:

Mike Davis – Executive Director, USGA
Heather Daly-Donofrio – Senior VP Tour Operations, LPGA
Tyler Dennis – VP of Competition, PGA Tour
Kevin Heaney – Exec. Director, Southern California Golf Association
Mike O’Donnell - Senior Director of Player Development, PGA of America
Matt Pringle – Technical Director, USGA
Lou Riccio – Senior Lecturer, Columbia University
Jerry Tarde - Editor-in-Chief, Golf Digest
Ryan Walls – Senior VP Operations, Troon Golf
Bill Yates – President, Pace Management Systems

WHEN:Thursday, November 7, 2013

8 a.m. – Registration
9 a.m. – Symposium
5 p.m. – Closing Reception

 Open bar courtesy of Fox Sports? We can dream...

WHERE:  USGA Headquarters, Far Hills, N.J.

Eh, probably not.

Tiger Woods was informed of the symposium, and Jason Sobel reports on his answer to how play could be sped up. Commissioner We-Don't-Need-No-Stinkin-Penalties won't be happy!

When asked to elaborate, he concluded, “I think it's grassroots. People just quite aren't educated about pace of play. I think even in public golf courses all the way up to our Tour events, the play has gotten slower over the years. It's one of those things where I don't know, at our level, the Tour level, it's easy to fix. Just start fining guys. At the local level, it's a little more difficult, more complicated.”