# Rules question - Ball tee'd up by someone else



## surefire (Jun 26, 2011)

I have a rough idea about this one, but I wasn't 100% sure, so I thought I'd see what others make of it.

During my round today, one of the holes is an uphill par 5 that levels out near the green. For my second shot, I was about 250 out, so I planned to play a 3 wood expecting that as it is uphill and wind against, It will be about 20 yards short of the green. Once the group in front are on the green, I play my shot and afterwards see one of the players in front gesturing at me.

When I get up to my ball, I find it is about 10-15 yards short and sitting on a tee. 

I assume that a player in front has done this, as they want me to wait for them to clear the green, even though I have 2 groups on the tee behind me waiting to play, and it didn't put them in danger. Based on this fact, I assume ball at rest moved by an outside agency\fellow competitor, and proceed as if this was the case. 

1) Is this the correct thing to do (the ruling, not playing the shot, as it getting that close was unintentional and I apologised, but the guy just mumbled about us playing too fast), based on the fact I didn't see them move the ball, or 100% know for sure where it's original lie was? (I made the assumption it was where it was tee'd, but on the grass.)

2) Was the guy a knob?


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## upsidedown (Jun 26, 2011)

yes the guy is a knob for interfering with your ball,

However if i was on the green with them I'd be pee'd off that a ball landed just 20 yards away. best to wait next time


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## stevie_r (Jun 26, 2011)

Don't think you allowing a 20 yard margin for error is enough to be honest mate, what if you had caught a bit of a flyer?  

You weren't intentionally holding up the parties behind you nor playing deliberately slowly, best to wait IMHO.

Years ago during my first attempt to play the game, someone fired an approach at the green while I was putting out, only a 7 or 8 iron to reach this green and it thudded into the surface about 6 foot from me.  I kicked his ball off the green and then fired it back at him - never saw him again for the rest of the round.


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## Imurg (Jun 26, 2011)

I think its safe to assume that the ball didn't finish on the tee by itself so you probably did the right thing.

Yes, the other player's a knob - you don't interfere with another ball on the course.

Yes, maybe you should have given them a little more room but that still doesn't excuse the teeing up.


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## G1BB0 (Jun 26, 2011)

I have seen a player hit by a ball, was my 1st round ever with Steve aka Viscount17, ok it wasnt a group behind but it came out of nowhere and just missed his crown jewels

I always allow for the just maybe shots and would rather hold up a group or even wait and let em play through

still a knob for touching your ball though


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## ScienceBoy (Jun 26, 2011)

Whats wrong with a word the next time you pass on fairways or meet on a tee. If things are that slow you are bound to pass them or go close enough for a quick word right?


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## Fyldewhite (Jun 26, 2011)

1. In the circumstances you probably did the right thing rules wise but you shouldn't have played. It is poor ettiquette to play just short of a green when the group in front are still putting and very offputting for them when the ball lands with a thump a few yards behind (and as already mentioned if you get a flyer or career best etc.......)
2. Yes


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## surefire (Jun 26, 2011)

I agree, with hindsight, I'd have waited a little longer to play my shot, but at the time, both my partner and myself thought it was OK. I think it would also have been easier to wait if I didn't have two groups on the tee behind me, regardless of whose fault it is that they are there.

One thing I do want to clear up is that I don't go round firing the ball at people in front. 
The green on this hole is long (35 yards) and narrow, and the pin was cut at the back. So whilst my ball ended 10-15 yards short of the green, it was still 40-45 yards short of the guys in front.
Also I was playing a 3 wood, not a 7 iron, so its not like my ball pitched where it finished, it was rolling up to that point.


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## bladeplayer (Jun 27, 2011)

Ok guys answer me this then if this was a 320yard par 4 & you were on the green & somebody hits a drive up 300-305.. is that as bad ??


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## chrisd (Jun 27, 2011)

Ok guys answer me this then if this was a 320yard par 4 & you were on the green & somebody hits a drive up 300-305.. is that as bad ??
		
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we have a 316yard, sometimes driveable, par 4. Most who can drive it will still have pop at it while guys are putting  out. Most dont mind as balls will generally only roll on slowly and we usually admire the shot. 


Chris


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## bladeplayer (Jun 27, 2011)

Ok guys answer me this then if this was a 320yard par 4 & you were on the green & somebody hits a drive up 300-305.. is that as bad ??
		
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we have a 316yard, sometimes driveable, par 4. Most who can drive it will still have pop at it while guys are putting  out. Most dont mind as balls will generally only roll on slowly and we usually admire the shot. 


Chris
		
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yep exactly Chris , same at our place .. was the same with the OP, ok it was his 2nd to par 5 but his 3 wood ran up close to the green, he didnt fly it there on the full .. yet most thought he probably should have waited , im kinda the same to be honest , par 4 it would have been yeah good shot , par 5 mayb you should have waited to play 2nd ,  just wondered what people thought of the same result but from different situation ,,Thanks


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## CliveW (Jun 27, 2011)

Ok guys answer me this then if this was a 320yard par 4 & you were on the green & somebody hits a drive up 300-305.. is that as bad ??
		
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Worse.


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## chrisd (Jun 27, 2011)

just wondered what people thought of the same result but from different situation ,,Thanks
		
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Funilly enough, I definitely think that you shouldn't play a 2'nd shot if you can get anywhere near the green on a par 5. It's pointless as the guys on the green are likely to see it as a hurry up at best!


Chris


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## surefire (Jun 27, 2011)

Ok, I am happy with the rules situation, but how about another take on bladeplayers question.

If you were in the fairway playing your shot, and the person behind played from the tee and their drive rolled up 40 yards behind you, would you be bothered?

Does it make a difference that my ball rolled up just short of the green, even though it was the same distance away? Does the boundry of the green change peoples perception as to the acceptability of my shot?

Also what margin of safe distance should you leave, if 40 yards is not enough?


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## chrisd (Jun 27, 2011)

Ok, I am happy with the rules situation, but how about another take on bladeplayers question.

If you were in the fairway playing your shot, and the person behind played from the tee and their drive rolled up 40 yards behind you, would you be bothered?

Does it make a difference that my ball rolled up just short of the green, even though it was the same distance away? Does the boundry of the green change peoples perception as to the acceptability of my shot?

Also what margin of safe distance should you leave, if 40 yards is not enough?
		
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What people usually get pi**ed off about is the feeling that the player could button it or hit a sprinkler head and then their ball might be very dangerous when they could easily have waited a few minutes and hit safely


Chris


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## surefire (Jun 27, 2011)

What people usually get pi**ed off about is the feeling that the player could button it or hit a sprinkler head and then their ball might be very dangerous when they could easily have waited a few minutes and hit safely


Chris
		
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I did button it, and I was still 40 yards short of the guys.

I was no longer referring to my situation, as I am happy with what I did at the given time, although anyone here can make me out to be a villain if that's what they choose to do. 
I am happy in the fact that at the time, I thought it was OK to go, my playing partner thought it was fine, and later on when chatting on another tee the group immediately behind who were waiting on the tee at the time and saw all the action unfold thought it was fine. 

We all have different perceptions of danger - for example some people will think what I did was terrible and then get in a car and break the speed limit. I've also had tee shots behind roll past me, yet I wasn't worried, a rolling golf ball didn't seem scary to me.
So what I am curious about, is what is the general perception of a safe margin for the group in front to be from your expected shot, before you play?


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## Smiffy (Jun 28, 2011)

yes the guy is a knob for interfering with your ball,
		
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I know somebody who did this at Tyrrells Wood one day.
We were standing on the 18th tee (which is positioned behind the 17th green).
Ball came flying through the green, no shout of fore, and clattered into our golf bags at a fair old lick.
If it had hit any of us, it would have been bloody painful.
Whilst I won't mention any names, I was surprised that the guy did this as he is normally a mild mannered, grey haired, vertically challenged, Kent based, left handed player who's club has two courses (East & West).
I didn't think he had it in him.


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## USER1999 (Jun 28, 2011)

Are you sure he wasn't aiming at you? He is normally pretty good from 40 yards out. Full on 7 iron.


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## chrisd (Jun 28, 2011)

Whilst I won't mention any names, I was surprised that the guy did this as he is normally a mild mannered, grey haired, vertically challenged, Kent based, left handed player who's club has two courses (East & West).
I didn't think he had it in him.

      

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It's not Murph then?



Chris


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## 19thagain (Jun 28, 2011)

. 
The green on this hole is long (35 yards) and narrow, and the pin was cut at the back. So whilst my ball ended 10-15 yards short of the green, it was still 40-45 yards short of the guys in front.
		
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It strikes me that the guy in front must have been very annoyed if he interrupted his putting stroke to walk 45 yards back to the ball, tee it up and return the 45 yards to carry on his game.


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## surefire (Jun 28, 2011)

It strikes me that the guy in front must have been very annoyed if he interrupted his putting stroke to walk 45 yards back to the ball, tee it up and return the 45 yards to carry on his game.
		
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No idea, if he was, apart from teeing my ball, he didn't show it.

As soon as I saw the guy gesturing I walked up ahead of my partner playing his shot to see if there really was a problem. I apologised to the guy if he thought my ball was too close, despite how far it was (because causing any kind of issue was not my intent) and he didn't say anything about it to me at the time. As I walked off my way and he went to the next tee, I heard him mumbling about playing too fast. If he was really angry or upset, he could have said something to me. In fact, I'd say his two playing partners looked pretty sheepish and embarassed when I spoke to him, and they did not raise any concern about my shot at all.

The group in front had already been holding my group up for the previous 5 holes, and we hadn't hit any shots anywhere near them, so its not like we were constantly firing at them and rushing him up. It was also clearly not intentional from the fact that as soon as I saw him gesturing I approached him.

If I make a mistake and do wrong, I am the first to admit it, and like I said previously, with hindsight I wouldn't have bothered hitting. 
However I still think that the ball being 40 yards away was not endangering anyone and that this was a case of someone being miserable for no reason.


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## Smiffy (Jun 29, 2011)

Are you sure he wasn't aiming at you? He is normally pretty good from 40 yards out. Full on 7 iron.
		
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I meant it was "him" that tee'd somebody elses ball up, not that it was "him" that clattered into our bags.
Even "him" couldn't have hit that shot, it was going too hard.


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## richart (Jun 29, 2011)

Years ago,I was crouched down writing my partners name on the long drive marker in the middle of the fairway at the Isle of Purbeck (obviously it wouldn't have been mine), A ball from the group behind then  bounced straight over my head.   It was on the 18th and it rolled another 20 yards and finished a few inches in the rough short of the green.

His explanation that he had been hitting the ball so badly, and it was the first drive he had caught did not go down to well.  If in the slightest doubt wait. A ball rolling up near a green is not going to be dangerous, but it can be very off putting.


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## Smiffy (Jul 1, 2011)

I was crouched down writing my partners name on the long drive marker in the middle of the fairway at Blackmoor on Monday.
A ball from the group behind then  bounced straight over my head.   It was on the 18th and it rolled another 20 yards and finished a few inches in the rough short of the green.
		
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I did apologise at the time Richard, and asked you not to mention it on the forum.
But no....you have to get all shirty don't you?


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## richart (Jul 1, 2011)

I was crouched down writing my partners name on the long drive marker in the middle of the fairway at Blackmoor on Monday.
A ball from the group behind then  bounced straight over my head.   It was on the 18th and it rolled another 20 yards and finished a few inches in the rough short of the green.
		
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I did apologise at the time Richard, and asked you not to mention it on the forum.
But no....you have to get all shirty don't you?
     

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This was a drive, not a third shot.


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