Captains right of way!

[Fish]

I was pulled up on our 2nd tee as the course was clogged in front by an ex-captain and current handicap secretary for not allowing my club captain to tee off the 1st tee before me!

3 of us were waiting to tee off on the 1st as the captain and 3 colleagues joined us in the queue and as soon as the 1st fairway was clear in front, we tee'd off, only to be pulled on the 2nd tee stating, I, although their was 3of us but I seem to get the attention directed at me for some reason, that I/we should have given or at least offered the captain 'right of way', is this correct?

I can't find any mention of it throughout the R&A website or is it one of these unwritten antiquated etiquette rules that you learn by default or, is it a load of tosh!

The ex-captain even went as far as saying that even if I was tee'd up on the 1st but hadn't started our 3-ball and saw the captain walking towards the 1st, I should have stepped aside!

Discuss...

 

[Imurg]

We've had this before about a couple of years back.
Load of old baloney if you ask me but at some clubs it may be a "club" rule...

 

[Deleted member 18121]

I'd have kicked them all square in the nuts. Ludicrous.

 

[Ethan]

Some clubs have this rule/practice, enforced with varying degrees of strictness, usually depending how big the captains of the year's ego is. Rather anachronistic in my opinion.

I think it is one thing if you are just milling around waiting for the tee to clear, another if you are in your pre-shot routine when His Holiness turns up.

 

[GB72]

It was me who posted about this a couple of years ago. At my old club the captain had the right to jump any queue on the first tee. In my case our 3 balk had been queuing for about 40 minutes in the cold when the captain exerted his privilege to tee off ahead with a mixed 4 ball. We did explain that one of our group was short on time to which he informed us that he would try not to hold us up too much. That was the last straw and I left the club at the end of that year.

 

[Baldy Bouncer]

Absolute nonsense imo. The skipper at ours has to put his name down against a tee time like the rest of us. Tell the ex-captain and the handicap secretary to go kiss your swingers!He`s just a bloke ffs.:angry:
I`m surprised you weren`t expected to tug your forlock and bow when he came near you.:angry::angry:
Those two who had a word with you........were they serious?
If they were I`d seriously consider joining somewhere else.

 

[Fish]

Those two who had a word with you........were they serious?
If they were I`d seriously consider joining somewhere else.

Very much so, the one ex-captain and HS is known to be a stubborn rule stickler and suffocates new ideas, change and things quoting chapter and verse all the time (closed halfway house all the time), he's not the most approachable of individuals and even went as far as to say to me " your (me) are always banging on about things being done properly, well you should have let your captain through!".

The course is great but these old clique committee members are starting to seriously question my membership.

 

[Fish]

It was me who posted about this a couple of years ago. At my old club the captain had the right to jump any queue on the first tee. In my case our 3 balk had been queuing for about 40 minutes in the cold when the captain exerted his privilege to tee off ahead with a mixed 4 ball. We did explain that one of our group was short on time to which he informed us that he would try not to hold us up too much. That was the last straw and I left the club at the end of that year.

We had effectually been waiting around 20 minutes, possibly a little more so we were on the chipping area at the side of the 1st waiting for the tee to clear but had our bags in the queue, they (old guard) never warm up so they just come down the path to the 1st and if in the company of the captain, expect right of way!

After being challenged like this on the 2nd tee, and after a very good 1st hole, it was running around in my head that they targeted me and I blobbed the next 2 holes before I settled down again!

 

[Snelly]

I will go against the grain on this one and say that I think it is a good rule. It is a lot of effort to be the captain of a club if you do it properly and it should come with a few perks, one of which being able to play when you arrive at the tee rather than wait.

Of course, that does not necessarily mean that the captain should immediately take advantage of this on every occasion and you would think that jumping to the front of a 40 minute queue would be one of those times when discretion would be the better part of valour.

 

[Fish]

I will go against the grain on this one and say that I think it is a good rule. It is a lot of effort to be the captain of a club if you do it properly and it should come with a few perks, one of which being able to play when you arrive at the tee rather than wait.

Of course, that does not necessarily mean that the captain should immediately take advantage of this on every occasion and you would think that jumping to the front of a 40 minute queue would be one of those times when discretion would be the better part of valour.

and they were a 4 ball and we were a 3 ball, what's the point in that, we'd be up their backsides immediately looking to be waved through, or is he exempt of that also!?

 

[Snelly]

and they were a 4 ball and we were a 3 ball, what's the point in that, we'd be up their backsides immediately looking to be waved through, or is he exempt of that also!?

Same answer applies really.

Of course, that does not necessarily mean that the captain should immediately take advantage of this on every occasion and you would think that jumping to the front of a 3 ball when you are in a 4 ball would be one of those times when discretion would be the better part of valour.

 

[In_The_Rough]

It is things like this that really make me question if it is worth the hassle of being a member of a traditional club anymore. The committee politics and cliques that go on are crazy. The thing is as well is that the ones who normally enforce these stupid rules or grumble about stuff are usually the biggest offenders. I am really tempted to go along the pay and play route or schemes like DeVere and Marriott offer, no moaning members, no archaic committee and no cliques.

 

[Duckster]

We have this at our place, however I've never witnessed the captain using the privilege.

 

[DAVEYBOY]

This is why I would never be a member of a club with silly committees who think they are running Augusta National. I wouldn't let the queen tee off before me let alone a golf club captain.

 

[Robobum]

Sits fine with me. There are reasons (in my mind) that this unwritten rule should be there....

The captain may well be entertaining people from other clubs, sponsors, potential sponsors, new members, potential new members etc etc.

A quick nod to them and the question "do you want to go?" I've yet to see a capt abuse this and just jump in with their regular 4ball.

 

[the smiling assassin]

40 minute queue??!!! Sounds like it's time for a booking system, or an improved one if there already is one. I'm a member at an extremely busy club but I've never seen a queue like that. 5 mins wait is the worst I've seen.
Our captain does have the honour, this year he has the tee at 12noon every day.

 

[Sharktooth]

I would have allowed it, but ripped the gish. Down on knees and giving it "please don't hit me boss, I is sorry boss, plea don't hit me know mo"

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Even with the rule in place, I would be very surprised in this day and age if a Captain exercised that right unless as Robobum says he was hosting sponsors\members etc. If he did it just because it was busy and he and his mates wanted to queue jump he would go down in my estimation.

 

[In_The_Rough]

40 minute queue??!!! Sounds like it's time for a booking system, or an improved one if there already is one. I'm a member at an extremely busy club but I've never seen a queue like that. 5 mins wait is the worst I've seen.
Our captain does have the honour, this year he has the tee at 12noon every day.

You ought to have seen our local course this summer, there were 23 waiting on the first tee and another 4ball on the way down, I drove straight into the car park turned around a headed for the range. I had heard of reports of rounds over 6 hours that day!!

 

[Fish]

Even with the rule in place, I would be very surprised in this day and age if a Captain exercised that right unless as Robobum says he was hosting sponsors\members etc. If he did it just because it was busy and he and his mates wanted to queue jump he would go down in my estimation.

I agree, so what's the point in raising it and challenging me whilst on the 2nd tee whilst I'm trying to keep focused.

I was in a medal comp, as they came off around the 12th they must have only been playing a winter league of friendly so I had right of way anyway as I was in an official comp, did they ask if I was playing in that days medal on the 1st or when challenging me on the 2nd, NO!