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Slow play has long been golf’s quiet villain and has tested patience from public muni tracks to major championships. But Sleepy Hollow Country Club in New York just took the debate to a whole new level, and the internet isn’t sure whether to laugh, rage, or tee off in protest. The private club went viral this week after golf influencer Rick Golfs, aka @Top100Rick, posted a photo of its “Pace of Play Offenses” sheet. The document publicly lists members who exceeded the club’s expected round time of four hours. And yes, even names clocking in at 4:12 or 4:16 made the wall of shame. That’s when social media exploded. SCARBOROUGH, NY – JULY 17: Atmosphere at the Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation 2013 Golf and Tennis Classic at Sleepy Hollow Country Club on July 17, 2013 in Scarborough, New York. (Photo by Bobby Bank/Getty Images) “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,” Rick wrote, sparking a flood of hot takes. “Is this a fair punishment?” he added. “To the slow golfers, do you still think it’s okay to be slow? Does the fact that great golf clubs would punish you for slow play finally make you consider that maybe you are a problem? Keep in mind, this doesn’t mean you have to rush. It just means being ready to hit and not acting like you are trying to win a major with every 3-footer.” As the post went viral on social media, it sparked waves of opinions in the comments section. One user offered a solution posting, “I like the idea of handicap level tee times. No early tee times to 14 or higher, fewer shots, faster rounds, theoretically. If the first rounds are 5 hours, the whole day is effected (sic).” Another defended the club’s move, saying, “The punishment is fair to post the times publicly. First off, Sleepy can do whatever they want. Plus it’s funny and you can give your peers some crap…so it’s at least cheap entertainment at the club.” But not everyone was amused. “Absolutely ridiculous that you would get shamed for a 4 and 1/2 hour round,” posted one X user. “Anything over that sure there’s an issue. 4 1/2 hours is the limit imo but shaming anything over that is ridiculous.” Another posted a straightforward opinion: pic.twitter.com/sqLeDadsvF— JA Roberts (@rakealito) November 4, 2025 The controversy isn’t just confined to country clubs. Slow play has plagued professional golf for years. Bryson DeChambeau famously took over two minutes to hit a single shot at the 2019 Northern Trust, prompting backlash from fellow pros. Even LPGA stars like Lexi Thompson and Brooke Henderson have voiced frustration over delays during major rounds. The move by Sleepy Hollow has sparked a bigger debate about whether golf is losing its soul in the name of efficiency or just getting the push it needs to keep the game going. Either way, if you’re teeing it up at Sleepy Hollow, don’t linger too long over your lag putts, or your name might end up on the wall. And in 2025, that wall might be your Instagram feed. What do you think about it? Let us know in the comment section below! More Golf: PGA Tour Draws Hard Line on LIV Golf Promotions Event
