A Scenario - Call Through or Not?

[ADB]

This is a typical 4-ball scenario, but I just wanted to get people’s view on their normal way of dealing with the situation:

Scenario - Playing in a 4 ball, with a 1, 2 or 3 ball behind (waiting on tee)one of your playing partners hits in the clagg (provisional hit and in play) with the other three balls playable do you:

a) All help to try and find the lost ball irrespective of where your ball is on the hole - call through the group on the tee after 5 mins if the ball cannot be found or play on if the ball is found before this time.

b) Only look for the ball in trouble if you are on that side of the hole - call through the group on the tee after 5 mins if the ball cannot be found or play on if the ball is found before this time

c) The three 'in play' hit their next shots while the fourth (in the clag) looks on his own. Then the others join the join the search - - call through the group on the tee after 5 mins if the ball cannot be found or play on if the ball is found before this time

d) Immediately call through the group on the tee when the ball in the clagg is not immediately found, even if it is less than 5 minutes.

e) For a) b) and c) if the ball is not found after 5 minutes, the player then plays on with his provisional ball.

Not sure why I thought of this, just curios to see if there is a common way of dealing with this situation.

 

[Oddsocks]

or F, assess whether the player(s)you call through are actually going to get anywhere by you calling them through.

if there is no clear space in front, your backed up behind the group in front, their backed up behind the group in front of them, what is honestly teh point in letting them through.

 

[Swinger]

Call through??

Not quite that simple but I would have been more than happy to call the group behind through soon as it is apparent the ball isn't in plain view.

Unless its Peter Crosswell, that guy is a dick.

 

[ADB]

OK assume there is space to call someone through if required....

Forgot that bit

I'm sure there are other options, just wanted to get something going

 

[Ethan]

Depends whether you have been keeping up with the group ahead and whether it is full up ahead. If so nowhere for the group behind to go.

 

[Robobum]

I go with something like C).

Although once player 1 has hit his shot he goes to look, and the player 2, if it gets to the third player and it hasn't been found then call them through whilst he joins the search.

Let the guys on the tee play down, if you find the clag ball then play it whilst the group behind walk down then follow on a distance behind until they finish.

 

[SwingSlow]

If room in front, call through while looking.

 

[ADB]

Let the guys on the tee play down, if you find the clag ball then play it whilst the group behind walk down then follow on a distance behind until they finish.

I have had this, being the group asked to to play down, but then the group in front (who called you down) find their ball before you get to yours and play on.

Always wondered what the etiquette is for this. Surely if you are called through the group who did it should wait, even if they quickly find their ball?

 

[Oddsocks]

Assuming there is a gap, if its a close game and the ball that is lost counts for what could be a match score and its looking like it may be a B***h to find i would call them through ASAP. If it was just a bounce game i would waste 2 mins max looking for the ball before telling the player concerned to get real and play the provi without letting the group behind through.

 

[Robobum]

Let the guys on the tee play down, if you find the clag ball then play it whilst the group behind walk down then follow on a distance behind until they finish.

I have had this, being the group asked to to play down, but then the group in front (who called you down) find their ball before you get to yours and play on.

Always wondered what the etiquette is for this. Surely if you are called through the group who did it should wait, even if they quickly find their ball?

I'd think they were out of order to then carry on playing.

Not got a problem with the group in front playing their shots whilst you walk down. Then wait and let the group through and walk down behind them to finish off the hole once they have putted out.

 

[Region3]

I also wonder about the situation where you call a group through then immediately find the lost ball as it's happened to me a couple of times.

I thought that providing you'd have enough space in front of you to carry on if you hadn't lost a ball, you call the group behind through.

Your 5 minutes search time doesn't mean you can keep the group behind waiting. As soon as your 5 minutes is up the ball is lost and you carry on with the provisional so what's the point of calling them through after 5 minutes?

 

[Twire]

If I had lost my ball, I'd first ask my playing partners to play their shots (unless there miles down the fairway) this will eat into my search time and if I haven't found it by the time they have played their shots, I'll call the group behind through. If then the ball is quickly found I'll play it, then walk the hole with the group you call through, let them chip/putt out then carry on.

 

[HRC99]

If there is space in front of you and a group waiting on the tee with you, then you have lost a hole and should allow the group through.

Simples.

 

[StrangelyBrown]

d

 

[GB72]

It states in our annual calender that you should call a group through as soon as it is apparent that a ball cannot immediately be found so I would go and have a quick look to see if the ball is obvious and if not call through whilst looking.

 

[EZprophet]

If room in front, call through while looking.

This ^^^^

 

[ADB]

If room in front, call through while looking.

This ^^^^

All good in theory guys, but does it really happen in practice??

 

[brendy]

For me, the 5 mins starts when the sole player starts looking not when the rest of us join in. I would assess the gap in front, speed and whether we are continually holding them up behind.

 

[HRC99]

I'm amazed there's even a debate on here.

Based on this scenario, your group has fallen behind the pace of play and should allow the group waiting on the tee with you to play through.

 

[EZprophet]

If room in front, call through while looking.

This ^^^^

All good in theory guys, but does it really happen in practice??

Of course it does!! I let people through at the FIRST AVAILABLE INSTANCE. If they are a 2 or 3 ball and they are waiting on the tee before you've even got to your drives, then by definition they are playing faster than you (assuming you have space in front)... So you HAVE to let them through.

I don't understand why people don't want to do it straight away... surely it must bother you a bit that someone is sitting on the tee waiting for you? I personally hate it and feel like I have to rush.

I think part of the problem is the way in which people let groups through. What you should do is wave them on as soon as you see them arrive at the tee. Stand to the side while they hit, then look for your balls/hit your next shots until they arrive and play their next shots, then just continue behind them until they are out of reach.

I can remember ONE instance in my 16 years of golf where I regretted letting a two ball through when I was playing in a 3. For some reason they caught up to us very quickly, and then went through us and held us up for the rest of the round! This is obviously very annoying, but I have hundreds of more annoying instances when I havent been let through...

I've actually had someone say to me "sorry were not letting you through, we've let through 3 groups already..." so hurry the f up then your clearly playing stupidly slowly!!