You're probably not implying that the use of rangefinders slowed play, but I'll ask how pace of play normally runs in these events?
No, not implying a connection. FWIW, please note they're allowing rangefinders AND carts in this one.
They just started this pace-of-play thing this year. It jives with the USGA policy. From all I've read it was used during the State Am qualifiers but no penalties were incurred. There were no reports such as this one regarding players hurrying to avoid penalty and affecting scores.
So the first pace-of-play penalties of the year were incurred in the UGA's premiere event and other players' scores were affected due, in part, to failure by the UGA to communicate the policy to the players adequately. It seems they simply can't run any event beyond the Podunk City Championship without associated screw-ups or controversy.
I've played a few UGA Winterchamps competitions in St. George. Pace of play in those was good to reasonable. I can't speak to most of the events as I've just recently lowered my index enough to qualify for any of them. And, of course, the UGA fired me as a member when I brought inadequacies in the handicap system to their notice. I've not been around the competitions enough to know if there's any sort of pace-of-play problem.
