"Cutting in" on the 3rd tee...

[Gazboy]

Hello.

Something happened today on the course that sort of wrong footed me into silence.

Our Tee time was 10:08 for a 3-ball, the group before (3 arthritic seniors) were still getting ready to drive off when we arrived on the 1st at 10,00, and we drove off exactly at 10.08. The pace was painfully slow, excruciating but we followed the 3 seniors for holes 1 & 2. So far just a normal slow play day. As we walk to the 3rd Tee we are greeted by two chaps in their early 30's with a buggy about to drive off. They explained that the three old chap's had a tee time of 9.52, theirs was 10.00 and ours was 10.08 and as they were caught in traffic and had arrived late they decided to skip the first two holes and merge in to 'their' slot.

To be honest I thought they were bloody cheeky & rude as we were being held up by the 3 seniors as it was, but is it just poor form, or am I being a bit precious about this? What annoyed us the most was that these two chaps in a buggy were SLOWER than the three seniors and on two occasions they lost a hole to them. Not only were they slow with a club in their hands, but on two occasions they just sat in the buggy for 5 minutes chatting while the seniors were long gone. The front 9 took 2 hours 45 minutes.

So were the two chaps entitled to cut in (social golf) or not? I thought they should have gone back to the club house and waited for the next available slot but my playing partners said to let it slide and assumed a 2 ball in a buggy would be faster than us anyway.

Thanks

 

[Slab]

Buggy's have priority on the course




Seriously though I agree, bad form as they missed their tee time so tough wobbly bits on them

At the very least I would have expected them to ask your permission to slot in

 

[Smiffy]

So were the two chaps entitled to cut in (social golf) or not? I thought they should have gone back to the club house and waited for the next available slot

No they weren't entitled to "cut in" and I would have personally told them to Foxtrot Oscar.

I was in a group of 12 playing at St Mellion once. Had booked in advance and our first group were due to tee off at 2pm. Got down to the 1st tee around 1.45pm and two guys were just teeing off, we waited until they were out of range and then the first group stood on the tee ready to go.
At bang on 2, as our first guy teed off, two women appeared and said "we had the tee booked at 1.50"
Tough titty. They had to wait until 3 x fourballs went off.

 

[Imurg]

Agree with the above.
I don't object to people cutting in if they're not going to hold us up but that's unlikely as we don't often lose a hole on others...
I'd be asking the shop/pro/starter what their thoughts were....

 

[evahakool]

No way would I have let them cut in, way out of order to even ask , it's there own fault for being late and they should of gone to to the pro shop to try and get another slot.

 

[JohnnyDee]

Yep, I'm with the others here.

They were bang out of order and they had no business doing it under any circumstances. At ours there is no 'cutting in' anywhere on the course. We have two recognised starting points (1 & 10) and that's it. End of.

I sometimes feel that, once a bastion of gentlemanly behaviour, the golf course is going to the dogs, as more and more people are consigning good manners and etiquette onto the scrap heap in favour of the me! me! me! society we now have.

 

[duncan mackie]

I must be missing something but if these 3 seniors were so slow wouldn't the buggy have been able to slot into the (by now huge) gap in front of them rather than where they did?

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

I sometimes feel that, once a bastion of gentlemanly behaviour, the golf course is going to the dogs, as more and more people are consigning good manners and etiquette onto the scrap heap in favour of the me! me! me! society we now have.

Yeah.....it's usually the same people that want to relax the dress code and play in jeans

 

[GreiginFife]

Yeah.....it's usually the same people that want to relax the dress code and play in jeans

Not to derail the OP but I tried this on Friday, decided that as I was passing the course and had the clubs in the car I would have a quick 9. My club isnt precious about dress codes TBH. I cam safelt say its not something I would, or want to, do again. Uncomfortabke doesnt even cover it. I have no idea how people do it, I played 4 and then decided enough was enough.

On the OP, I dont think it was right to cut in, however if the seniors were that slow (excruciating you said) then surely there would be no real impact on anyone unless the group in front of them were slow as well.
Play keeping moving is the important outcome surely?

 

[SAPCOR1]

A lot of the older crowd at our course play shortened rounds and cut in on various holes. To be fair to most of them if you are on the previous green they wait until you have teed off.

The occasional time they don't can cause some "disgruntlement"

 

[Foxholer]

Bit rude, but as a 2-ball in a buggy, they were surely going to be quicker! It wouldn't surprise me if they were B/S-ing about the times. That's when having a phone in the bag (turned off) helps.

Did the 3 arthritic seniors let them through? And you too?

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

We have a similar issue. Our first and second go out and back - both long holes with the 3rd tee a short walk from the clubhouse and carpark. So a few have taken to starting on the 3rd if they can't be bothered for whatever reason tramping the 1000yds out and back of the 1st and 2nd. We've been reminded that the 3rd is not an alternative starting point and if you do you then have no standing on the course.

 

[pbrown7582]

seems quite a few questionable issues here, if the 2 ball had a buggy how come the pro shop never questioned there late arrival and reallocated the next available time. They should not be allowed to jump in wether in a buggy or a buggati.
if slotting in you should have a clear hole to do so and not hold anyone already on the course up.

 

[Gazboy]

Bit rude, but as a 2-ball in a buggy, they were surely going to be quicker! It wouldn't surprise me if they were B/S-ing about the times. That's when having a phone in the bag (turned off) helps.

Did the 3 arthritic seniors let them through? And you too?

The two ball couldn't keep up with the seniors, the two ball wouldn't let us through.
I didn't think they were bull****** us as they knew our start time so we assumed the club house had ok'd this so why complain, and hoped these two would rocket off so my two playing partners suggested we hold our tongues and let them get on with it and concentrate on our own game (which other than the constant waiting around was one of the most enjoyable games we've ever had as it turned out).

 

[Foxholer]

The two ball couldn't keep up with the seniors, the two ball wouldn't let us through.
I didn't think they were bull****** us as they knew our start time so we assumed the club house had ok'd this so why complain, and hoped these two would rocket off so my two playing partners suggested we hold our tongues and let them get on with it and concentrate on our own game (which other than the constant waiting around was one of the most enjoyable games we've ever had as it turned out).

Wow! That's not the normal 'complaint' on here!

Yep! A round of Golf isn't all about roaring round in the shortest possible time! Though I'd expect it to be 'reasonable'!