One of the loudest criticisms about golf, and it’s voiced on all levels, is pace of play. Few things are more frustrating on a golf course that getting stuck behind players who are so deliberate that your day on the links is spoiled by too much standing and waiting.

It’s a problem that feeds from the top of the sport down. Impressionable kids watch dawdling pros and all too often wind up doing some of the same things. Rounds during school and college events, especially the latter, tend to drag on and on and on.

The slow-play issue received another airing out a couple of weeks ago when J.B. Holmes won the PGA Tour Genesis Open at Riviera in Los Angeles. Holmes, who seems to play at the rate grass grows, had some fellow competitors grumbling as he operated at a snail’s pace.

Though the PGA Tour can penalize for slow play, and groups are frequently “put on the clock”, rarely is anyone actually assessed a stroke. Consequently, the problem continues to fester.

While tour officials refuse to take a punitive stand, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association recently made an interesting move to speed things up at its state tournament. It passed a rule reducing the number of players a team can bring to the event from five to four.

For those not familiar, both high school and college tournaments use a team format employing five players with the low four scores counting. The new Kentucky rule eliminates the fifth player but only at the state level. Teams can still field five players in regional, then must eliminate one for state.

Not surprisingly, the KHSAA has come under considerable criticism. But is it justified?

The reasoning offered up KHSAA commissioner Julian Tackett is that it had determined pace-of-play problems at the state tourney were mostly caused by No. 5 players shooting in the 150s on the girls side and the 100s on the boys side. It will be interesting to see if other states, most of whom are plagued with the exact pace problem Tackett singled out, will follow Kentucky’s lead. Also interesting will be whether the KHSAA winds up backing down as the heat intensifies.

Meanwhile, the irony of the situation is pretty funny. J.B. Holmes played his high school golf in Kentucky.

CHIP SHOTS: Still struggling to recover from sinus surgery a week ago, PN-G ex Chris Stroud was forced to withdraw from this week’s Honda Classic. Stroud had been assured by his doctor that he would be ready to play this week, but has had problems breathing, swallowing and sleeping.

The withdrawal is a blow to Stroud, who has been playing catch-up after missing five weeks with a shoulder injury. Not playing this week could cost him a chance to earn a spot in next week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.

The Players Championship follows the Palmer and Stroud isn’t high enough in Fed Ex points to play there. His next tournament most likely will be the Valspar Championship March 21-24 in Tampa.

Andrew Landry, PN-G’s other representative on the tour, is in the field at the Honda Classic. Landry was idle last week, after missing the cut two weeks ago in Los Angeles. . . .

PN-G’s boys won tournaments on both the varsity and junior varsity level last week.

Defending district champion Timothy Feemster continued his strong spring by firing a 73 to help the Indians post a season best 314 and edge LC-M by one shot at Bayou Din. Nederland was a close third at 317.

Other Indians’ scores that counted were Bryce Parsley’s 76, an 81 by Victor Aponte and Jason Adams’ 84.

LC-M’s rising star, Jack Burke, took medalist honors with a 70.

Next up on the schoolboy calendar is a 36-hole Regional Preview Friday and Saturday at La Torretta in Conroe. PN-G, Nederland, Vidor and Barbers Hill are the area teams that will be participating . . .

The PN-G JV, paced by Jake Gauthier’s 78, won its 12-team tournament at Babe Zaharias. Additional contributing scores were Braden Broussard’s 80, Michael Blotner’s 85 and Logan Landry’s 88.

PN-G’s team total of 331 was 38 shots clear of Hamshire-Fannett’s 359 . . .

Zachary Robertson of Lake Charles fired an 81 to win Boys 16-18 at The National Golf Club of Louisiana on the final stop of the four event Texas Louisiana Junior Winter Tour. Jadon Bell of Beaumont placed second with an 85.

Other winners were Connor Denson of Hankamer (78 in Boys 14-15), Ross Anderson of Lake Charles (78 in Boys 12-13), Cari Denson of Hankamer (78 in Girls 16-18), Isabella Callaba of Lake Charles (92 in Girls 14-15) and Mattie Purgahn of Lake Charles (49 in Girls 12-13, 9 holes).

In the Co-Ed flights, Will Naas of Beaumont won the 10-11, 9 holer with a 42 and Alexander Manuel of Labelle placed first with a 29 in 7-9, 6 holes . . .

The Monday Senior 50 Plus 2 ball at Zaharias saw a tie on the front at plus 1 between the team of Earl Richard, Bob Luttrull, Rufus Reyes and John LeBlanc and the foursome of Tom LeTourneau, Cap Hollier, Roddy Richards and Darrel Latiolias.

On the back the LeTourneau team won with minus 2 . . .

In the Saturday 2 ball at Zaharias, the team of Russ Gloede, Harry Green, Craig Castille and Dan Flood won the front in minus 1 and tied the back at minus 2. Also minus 2 on the back was the team of Bim Morrow, Rick Pritchett, Lee Bertrand and Buddy Hicks . . .

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