Course Etiquette - Am I wrong?

[Gopher]

You say you had a tee time off the first so I wonder why you didn't stick with that.? Fortunately our club doesn't have rigid tee times but at your place maybe they are there for a reason and you jumped in off the 10th at the wrong time. Surely it's better to be behind a 2 ball with a quiet course ahead than take your chance on another tee not knowing who is in front.

That said, you do have equal standing as a single and if a group is hacking around in the rough and taking too long, it's bad etiquette to not let you through.

 

[GaryK]

Afternoons at our place are very quiet - even at weekends sometimes, yet I still take the "trouble" to book on BRS.
I was slightly miffed that a pair tee'd off the 1st at the time that I had booked, but not miffed enough to make an issue of it (I do tend to book with a decent gap between other golfers).
The back 9 was quiet - I hadn't seen a group on the 10th for at the very least 10 minutes, so opted to start on the back knowing that I had a buffer of at the very least 3 holes.
I didn't catch the next pair until the 14th tee and they happily invited me to play through (I managed to hit the biggest hook ever!)

If the offending 3 had held their hands up, apologised due to lack of understanding of the finer points, then maybe I wouldn't have taken such an issue with it.
BUT the fact that they clearly stated that they had precedence as they were playing a [rollup] comp just pushed me over the edge.
I must add, that I was very polite in my protestation, but now knowing that I was 100% in the right, I wish that I had been more brazen!

 

[Slab]

^This for me^
Although I do know one course in the NE that states in their Club Rules that Singles have no standing on the course.

Yeah its weird how so many can tell the OP a single has standing without knowing whether he has

I'm looking at a score card that not only doesn't give any standing or priority to a single player group but also gives priority to other groups in the order of 4-ball, 3-ball then 2-ball

 

[hors limite]

Slightly tangential. If I go out on my own and catch up with a group I ask if I can play through and suggest that we all tee off together on the next hole - me first. I then make as rapid a progress to my ball and play on. By the time the group have played their 2nd shots I am usually out of the way. I don't hole out or mess about with the flag.I don't know if this is general practice but it reduces the wait for the passed group to almost nothing and should, I hope, encourage them to wave through singles in the future.

 

[Jacko_G]

Slightly tangential. If I go out on my own and catch up with a group I ask if I can play through and suggest that we all tee off together on the next hole - me first. I then make as rapid a progress to my ball and play on. By the time the group have played their 2nd shots I am usually out of the way. I don't hole out or mess about with the flag.I don't know if this is general practice but it reduces the wait for the passed group to almost nothing and should, I hope, encourage them to wave through singles in the future.

You shouldn't have to do that though, common decency and common sense should prevail and allow the faster golfer through. Why should you have to rush a hole to get past some inconsiderate golfers.

 

[94tegsi]

I've had similar. Often play alone and there have been numerous occasions when I have not been allowed through.I was playing a couple of months ago alone, caught up with a few groups ahead... no drama, will take my time. 3 ball catches me up, can see I am waiting for groups ahead of me and hit their drives... not a major problem as they didn't reach where I was. Greens cleared, I played up and finished. Next hole, hit in fairway, waiting for groups up ahead to play on. Next thing I know the group behind are whistling and waving at me asking if they can play through...erm no thanks fellas!!

 

[Orikoru]

After I holed out on the 18th, I went to the clubhouse and politely said that I was not happy that they had not offered me through.
One of the guys said that they were playing in a comp (mid week stableford rollup) and that they had precedence.
Now if it were a busy comp or the course was rammed, then I'd take that, but other than the 2 guys on the 14th and the threesome, I hardly saw anyone else on the course.

I dislike this sort out of attitude. They may well be right in the letter of the law, but there is no need to be a pompous windbag about it. You can still do the decent thing. In my opinion the perfect time to let you through would have been when they were all searching for a ball in the rough as you mentioned. Making you wait while they do that is just plain ignorant.

 

[Tommo21]

I agree with most that's been said. However, on the odd occasion I go out on my own and come up against guys who are oblivious to whats behind......I usually just have a few more putts, a couple of chips or on occasions I just cut across to another hole as long as it doesn't interfere with others. Its that, or you get frustrated by people who dont give a toss.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I find Pros at times can be the worse to ask about rulings. Competition secretary or anyone on his/her sub committee are the ones ask.

How can it be possible that a Pro is not going to know about the change that gives equal standing to singletons - almost unbelievable.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I dislike this sort out of attitude. They may well be right in the letter of the law, but there is no need to be a pompous windbag about it. You can still do the decent thing. In my opinion the perfect time to let you through would have been when they were all searching for a ball in the rough as you mentioned. Making you wait while they do that is just plain ignorant.

Indeed - but even if you are playing a comp common sense tells you to let a faster group through to take pressure off. Strikes me that the pair just didn't like a singleton coming up behind them and decided to be bloody-minded about it.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

How can it be possible that a Pro is not going to know about the change that gives equal standing to singletons - almost unbelievable.

If the committee put a local rule in place the singleton may have no standing.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Yeah its weird how so many can tell the OP a single has standing without knowing whether he has

I'm looking at a score card that not only doesn't give any standing or priority to a single player group but also gives priority to other groups in the order of 4-ball, 3-ball then 2-ball

Exactly, no matter how much we agree commonsense should prevail, the Club may have a rule which some members prefer ((for what ever reason) to enforce.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

If the committee put a local rule in place the singleton may have no standing.

But the pro must surely know of that LR. It's not as if new or changed LRs - especially in respect of something like this - come along every week.

 

[richart]

If you have a club competition, booked tee times, teeing off for hours in three balls, would you let a single player through who tees off right after the last group ?

What about a competition that has groups with just a few holes left to play, that are caught up by a single player that doesn’t tee off the first ? If I was on the 17 or 18 I doubt I would let anyone through in those circumstances, so close to the end of the round. Would assume single or group behind was ending round at the 18th as well.

Surely competitions should have some priority, or do single players have the right to play through whenever they like ?

 

[Orikoru]

If you have a club competition, booked tee times, teeing off for hours in three balls, would you let a single player through who tees off right after the last group ?

What about a competition that has groups with just a few holes left to play, that are caught up by a single player that doesn’t tee off the first ? If I was on the 17 or 18 I doubt I would let anyone through in those circumstances, so close to the end of the round. Would assume single or group behind was ending round at the 18th as well.

Surely competitions should have some priority, or do single players have the right to play through whenever they like ?

As I said earlier, if the group were all looking for a ball in the rough on the 17th, that seemed like a reasonable time to let the single player through. That would have been something of a compromise that everyone could have been happy with. Before that they would have felt they obviously don't have to let him through, but not doing it then becomes deliberately keeping him behind them out of spite.

 

[pokerjoke]

If you have a club competition, booked tee times, teeing off for hours in three balls, would you let a single player through who tees off right after the last group ?

What about a competition that has groups with just a few holes left to play, that are caught up by a single player that doesn’t tee off the first ? If I was on the 17 or 18 I doubt I would let anyone through in those circumstances, so close to the end of the round. Would assume single or group behind was ending round at the 18th as well.

Surely competitions should have some priority, or do single players have the right to play through whenever they like ?

If a club pro let's a single player go out straight after a load of 3 balls that would be stupid and poor course management IMO.

Pro or whoever is in the shop need to tell the single player that it is chocker and the round will be very slow and he is unlikely to be let through.

Same with chucking 2 balls out amongst 3 and 4 balls,common sense is needed.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

But the pro must surely know of that LR. It's not as if new or changed LRs - especially in respect of something like this - come along every week.

What if the Pro was away teaching and a youngster is manning the shop?
Pro’s are not there 24/7 and were’s the responsibility on us to be aware of any local rules.

 

[richart]

If a club pro let's a single player go out straight after a load of 3 balls that would be stupid and poor course management IMO.

Pro or whoever is in the shop need to tell the single player that it is chocker and the round will be very slow and he is unlikely to be let through.

Same with chucking 2 balls out amongst 3 and 4 balls,common sense is needed.

Pro at my place doesn’t get involved with players going out on their rounds, we only have booked times for comps, apart from that you can go out when you like. It is like going out right after a Society tees off. Need to use common sense, and not tee off right after them. I would leave a hour, even if playing in a three ball, as everyone knows how slow a Society can be.

Personally haven’t played as a single since I was a kid, as I have mates to play with.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

If you have a club competition, booked tee times, teeing off for hours in three balls, would you let a single player through who tees off right after the last group ?

What about a competition that has groups with just a few holes left to play, that are caught up by a single player that doesn’t tee off the first ? If I was on the 17 or 18 I doubt I would let anyone through in those circumstances, so close to the end of the round. Would assume single or group behind was ending round at the 18th as well.

Surely competitions should have some priority, or do single players have the right to play through whenever they like ?

I absolutely agree that matches and comps should have priority. And where the tee is blocked booked for a comp that booking should cover more than is needed for the groups going off - maybe extending 20mins past the last group, to give the last group some breathing space before casual golf is up their backside. And even then - casual non-comp golf players following a comp should be made fully aware that the comp has priority on the course and need not let a casual golf group through.

If I was playing the last 2 or 3 holes of a comp - whether last group or not - if a casual group caught up and was pressing I strongly I would most probably not let them through - the time that group would gain in completing their round would be minimal at that point and they should know they do not have right of way through a comp. Earlier in the round if my group had lost it's place then I would offer to let them through.

I play single very regularly in the evening especially - and if I catch another group I have no expectations of being let through. In an evening I am no rush, and if I am catching a group I deliberately dawdle, look for golf balls, have a wee practice putt of chip...etc

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

As I said earlier, if the group were all looking for a ball in the rough on the 17th, that seemed like a reasonable time to let the single player through. That would have been something of a compromise that everyone could have been happy with. Before that they would have felt they obviously don't have to let him through, but not doing it then becomes deliberately keeping him behind them out of spite.

I agree - not letting the singleton through when they were an isolated pair playing a comp and just part way through the round, rather then nearing the end, feels to me like spite.