Bad Etiquette?

[Lord Tyrion]

Sounds like a jobsworth and a prat. If no one is behind you then where is the harm? If you are taking chunks out of the course that is another matter but your description does not follow that. I played on my own last night for 9 holes. I was the only person on those 9 holes. If I hit a shot badly I would drop another ball and take it again. I kept checking that I was not holding anyone up but there was not a person in site. The bloke was a muppet but you were right to walk away. Nothing to be gained trying to have a conversation with people like that.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

Thanks for the replies guys. Here's what happened to me yesterday. I went out early with a mate. When we got to the last my mates ball somehow defied gravity and stayed on the bank to the left of the green. He hit his shot which I thought he'd played quite well but it ended in the fringe on the other side of the green. After we'd holed out we went back to where he'd hit is shot and discussed how it should best be played. Since there was no-one behind I put my ball down and hit a putt. As we're watching my ball a fella on the patio chirps up...

him: "Nor practicing on the course"
Me: "I beg your pardon?"
Him: "It's not a practice round"
Me: "Actually it kind of is"
Him: "You aren't allowed to practice on the course"
Me: "Actually I am, and there's no-one behind us so we aren't doing any harm"
Him: "It has nothing to do with doing harm"
Me: "What does it have to do with then"
Him: It's basic etiquette, you don't practice on the course"
Me: "Well since the rules say I can, and I'm not holding anyone up, I don't see the problem?"
Him: The problem is it's bad etiquette, you just don't do it"

At this point I decided I didn't need an argument so just said "whatever" and walked off with him shouting something I didn't hear after me.

I'd get Richart to beat him up with his curling tongs

 

[Foxholer]

...
Him: The problem is it's bad etiquette, you just don't do it"
...

Another case where you toss the Rules of Golf book to him (open at Etiquette) and ask him to show you the relevant clause!

 

[pendodave]

It is quite extraordinary that some people feel the need to dib into other people's business in this way.

Forget it. What you did was just normal behaviour for two friends playing a friendly round of golf.

 

[Imurg]

I'd get Richart to beat him up with his curling tongs

I heard it WAS Richart.....😙😗😀

 

[duncan mackie]

Another case where you toss the Rules of Golf book to him (open at Etiquette) and ask him to show you the relevant clause!

Not even that complicated here!

Simple options -

1. Can you please confirm that absolutely no one is permitted to tee off on this course unless in a competition?
2. Why do the club rules expressly permit practice with no more than 2 balls then?
Or best...
3. We are playing foresomes and proceeding under Rule 27-1...

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I'd ignore the idiot on the patio. If you aren't holding anyone up and not playing more than one ball I don't see any issue

 

[Green Bay Hacker]

Thanks for the replies guys. Here's what happened to me yesterday. I went out early with a mate. When we got to the last my mates ball somehow defied gravity and stayed on the bank to the left of the green. He hit his shot which I thought he'd played quite well but it ended in the fringe on the other side of the green. After we'd holed out we went back to where he'd hit is shot and discussed how it should best be played. Since there was no-one behind I put my ball down and hit a putt. As we're watching my ball a fella on the patio chirps up...

him: "Nor practicing on the course"
Me: "I beg your pardon?"
Him: "It's not a practice round"
Me: "Actually it kind of is"
Him: "You aren't allowed to practice on the course"
Me: "Actually I am, and there's no-one behind us so we aren't doing any harm"
Him: "It has nothing to do with doing harm"
Me: "What does it have to do with then"
Him: It's basic etiquette, you don't practice on the course"
Me: "Well since the rules say I can, and I'm not holding anyone up, I don't see the problem?"
Him: The problem is it's bad etiquette, you just don't do it"

At this point I decided I didn't need an argument so just said "whatever" and walked off with him shouting something I didn't hear after me.

The only poor etiquette was him shouting across the course at you.

 

[mashleyR7]

I sometimes go out on my own and can play 3/4 balls down a hole. Then when I get a green I could get 7/8 out at a green and chip/putt from different lies and angles, most often chipping from the rough as that's where I want to get down in two from most days! Most times I go out practising it's millionaires golf and no ones about, but if a group comes up behind I simply let them past. I jump hole to hole playing shots etc that are the most difficult.

 

[Slab]

I totally get why Hawkeye wouldn’t create a scene for something/someone so trivial but it would be fascinating to find out exactly what basis the guy was using for his point of view & actions

I mean here’s a guy who we’ll assume isn’t a known committee member, club captain or club pro, who’s watching a pair putt out from the clubhouse and actually believes that what he’s seeing is not just bad etiquette but it’s etiquette that's so bad that he must call out immediately to the players to make them aware

Forget that he’s wrong (he doesn’t think he is) He won’t just tut to himself or make an exception for an empty course or make a mental note to mention it when players are back in the clubhouse or report it through appropriate channels... he actually believes that calling out across the 18th green is the absolute best/most appropriate course of action to address that kind of behaviour

And here's the doozy... because to most of us it’s just too trivial for any confrontation he’ll fully believe he’s still correct and will do it again because in his mind not only did he ‘educate’ two players, the players actually stopped ‘practicing’ and moved on and in so doing they inadvertently endorsed his behaviour