Discuss

[Hobbit]

Not looking for personal insults. I gave MY opinion on what my views are.

Some have the same opinion some don't, it's what makes the world go round.

Look at the thread heading, DISCUSS!

I'm away now to give my plus fours and hickory shafts a dusting for a round at the 12 hole links!

Im genuinely sorry you've taken it so personally but from a comps chairman's perspective you ought to try being on the receiving end pretty much every week of things like, "x didn't turn up," or "didn't turn up on time." Without the rules, and by using the application of commonsense that you suggest, and doing it on a case by case basis there'd be accusations of favouritism/discrimination etc.

And if it was allowed to happen once, you would evetually have chaos that some have mentioned (and been derided for). Imagine if it became commonplace because it was 'allowed.' Would you want to turn up to play at 1pm but not get out till, say, 3pm because of there being no start sheet?

There are often genuine reasons to turn a blind eye, and in many cases it would do no harm to do so.... but then, without a shadow of doubt, you'd get people using any old excuse for changing their tee time.

As much as it appears petty, the rule wasn't picked out of thin air just for the fun of it. And please give some thought to the poor comps committee that invariably end up in the middle of a squabble because someone wants their own way and not the 'rules' way.

 

[duncan mackie]

Just out of interest, how much would you fine the person, is there a fixed amount at your club?

normally £10 to captains charity Bob - an early 'phone call to the pro shop with an appropriate reason would avoid it (the first time) and with a couple of hours notice we can match the slot to a reserve/chancer/someone who turned up for a game and didn't realise it was a comp etc

 

[Iaing]

I'll take the above as sarcasm!

Don't !

 

[inthecup]

Don't !

I'll go hand myself in to the golfing police after dinner! ;(

 

[inthecup]

Im genuinely sorry you've taken it so personally but from a comps chairman's perspective you ought to try being on the receiving end pretty much every week of things like, "x didn't turn up," or "didn't turn up on time." Without the rules, and by using the application of commonsense that you suggest, and doing it on a case by case basis there'd be accusations of favouritism/discrimination etc.

And if it was allowed to happen once, you would evetually have chaos that some have mentioned (and been derided for). Imagine if it became commonplace because it was 'allowed.' Would you want to turn up to play at 1pm but not get out till, say, 3pm because of there being no start sheet?

There are often genuine reasons to turn a blind eye, and in many cases it would do no harm to do so.... but then, without a shadow of doubt, you'd get people using any old excuse for changing their tee time.

As much as it appears petty, the rule wasn't picked out of thin air just for the fun of it. And please give some thought to the poor comps committee that invariably end up in the middle of a squabble because someone wants their own way and not the 'rules' way.

I'm not taking it personally, it's only a golf forum but some people on here take things a little too serious. I fully understand the rule was broken. At the time I never knew I was breaking a rule. I do now. Thats my last word on the subject. Thanks to those who had a genuine view and to those who think I should be banished to golfing hell, you are a prime example of why so many young people don't take up the sport and why so many clubs are struggling.

 

[sev112]

possibly/possibly not.
i too think amateur level golf should be played with a reduced set of rules, but i usually get completely overruled on that, so be it.

I think the reaction you are getting is not actually the "being late" issue, rather that you sat out the worst of the weather whilst others were playing in it, so it's a bit of a combination.

And teh working hard thing is something we all do. No it shouldnt stop you getting your weekly game of golf, but it shoudl not mean we get to pick and choose which rules shoudl be relaxed on "common sense" basis.

Fines and DQ for being late, and then not being able to enter the next comp are a relatively common remedy for no-shows however (although not necessarily just for lates).

 

[HomerJSimpson]

At my club you are expected on the tee 5 minutes before your tee time and ready to be walking up to the tee as soon as the previous group have moved off. Its suppose to try and encourage everyone to get off on time especially in medals.

I do think the OP was wrong to try and gain an advantage by waiting compared to gong out with the others already playing in the rain and that has to be wrong and so the DQ decision was right. However I think all the calls for bans, fines etc would seem to be over the top

 

[williamalex1]

you should have able to play for handicap purposes only if spaces were available, but barred from that days compt. we had to tee off in a downpour on sat. at an open comp. at shotts g.c like it or lump it. and we got soaked all the way round. wish i had stayed in the car . but us old folk must be a little tougher

 

[Leftie]

At my club you are expected on the tee 5 minutes before your tee time and ready to be walking up to the tee as soon as the previous group have moved off. Its suppose to try and encourage everyone to get off on time especially in medals.

I do think the OP was wrong to try and gain an advantage by waiting compared to gong out with the others already playing in the rain and that has to be wrong and so the DQ decision was right. However I think all the calls for bans, fines etc would seem to be over the top

I can't believe I'm typing this but .......

Homer. I agree with you.

Quote

"a prime example of why so many young people don't take up the sport and why so many clubs are struggling." Unquote


As far as I'm concerned, that is a load of bouleaux. From what I've seen at my club, all the youngsters are keen to learn and abide by the rules and etiquette of the game.

Maybe, just maybe, it brings something into their lives that many of us "older generation" have but unfortunately now days appears so lacking in the younger generation that don't have club golf in their lives. i.e. respect for others and a bit of self discipline.​

 

[thecraw]

I'm not taking it personally, it's only a golf forum but some people on here take things a little too serious. I fully understand the rule was broken. At the time I never knew I was breaking a rule. I do now. Thats my last word on the subject. Thanks to those who had a genuine view and to those who think I should be banished to golfing hell, you are a prime example of why so many young people don't take up the sport and why so many clubs are struggling.

Would you react the same way if you were booked for hand ball in a game of football? A breach of the rules is a breach of the rules. Would you expect the committee to turn a blind eye to someone who played the wrong ball out of the rough but played on as they didn't know the rules?

To be honest I think your the only one over reacting when you were in the wrong.

To say that this is the reason that people are not taking up golf is also nonsense.

Well, in my opinion!

 

[Pants]

I really can't believe some of the comments on this thread

So if us with kids living the normal life as a working man are running a few minutes late due to the kids being unwell / up all night or get stuck in traffic etc we should be disqualified....

I'm sure that most of us on here have experienced similar problems - and got over them. Turn up late or not at all, D/Q is the only option available, and rightly so.

In fact your attitude is one of the deciding factors for me leave a club many years ago. I had signed up for a Sunday morning medal although I was staying away for the night and had a 50 minute drive to the club to get there for my allocated tee time. I arrived on the tee 8 minutes early (as proscribed in our rules) and waited, and waited, and waited. My two playing partners (brothers) had not turned up, I assume because of the poor forecast - although it's possible that both their wives/children/cats/ or whatever were not well/giving birth at the same time. As a result, I had a completely wasted morning as I had no-one to play with and have my card marked. The next available slot was not for another hour or so. Their 2 month competition ban was not enough in my book.:angry::angry:

OK. I'll put my hands up and admit that I did miss a comp tee time once. HID decided it was a good time to produce No 1 son and for some reason thought it a good idea that I should be around. (Why ) Anyway, phoned the Pro in good time, explained the situation, and he was good enough to fit me in with a later group :thup:

 

[HomerJSimpson]

The way I see it, the OP decided to try and bend the rules to gain an advantage and got caught out. Nothing more nothing less. As for all this clap trap about the attitudes being the reason youngsters aren't joining and being put off the game, that is almost as fanciful as me giving up tinkering with my game.

As a junior we were made acutely aware of our responsibilities when we were allowed into mens comps. Turn up unless it was an emergency/illness and make sure you contact the club asap if you can't play. Mark the card neatly. Play within the rules and observe the etiquettue of the game. Not exactly the most taxing of regime to live and play by.

We have a lot of juniors at out club and numbers are increasing thanks in the main to the club working hard on its academy programme http://www.royalascotgolfclub.co.uk/membership/golf-academy-membership.html

Seems to be a lot of over reaction to what seems a case of trying to pull a stroke which didn't work. A lesson learned perhaps

 

[Region3]

So if us with kids living the normal life as a working man are running a few minutes late due to the kids being unwell / up all night or get stuck in traffic etc we should be disqualified, fined and banished to the pit of golfing doom.

This describes most golf club members I would imagine.
Why should a few people be given leniency for turning up late and make 3/4 of the field late home to their families?

 

[Philm]

i just would cancel your tee time if your unsure about a forecast and sit in the carpark until things clear up next time.



since it isnt the PGA tour we have the liberty to cancel and reschedule in advance. or just cancel and wait for the rain to clear and then try and get out.

i wouldnt get too worked up about it, and i wouldnt worry too much about the folks here who are biting your head off. not everyone is as good as them. whilst i understand that you've broken the rules in this occasion you shouldnt be crucified but rather aware that cancelling a tee time is the simpliest way around this rule for us mere amateur mortals

Phil

 

[thecraw]

i just would cancel your tee time if your unsure about a forecast and sit in the carpark until things clear up next time.



since it isnt the PGA tour we have the liberty to cancel and reschedule in advance. or just cancel and wait for the rain to clear and then try and get out.

i wouldnt get too worked up about it, and i wouldnt worry too much about the folks here who are biting your head off. not everyone is as good as them. whilst i understand that you've broken the rules in this occasion you shouldnt be crucified but rather aware that cancelling a tee time is the simpliest way around this rule for us mere amateur mortals

Phil

That's far too sensible an attitude. I also didn't realise that you could scratch from a competition at 1000 then turn up at 1500 deciding you then wish to go out!

I thought that once you entered and scratched you were oot!

 

[Philm]

That's far too sensible an attitude. I also didn't realise that you could scratch from a competition at 1000 then turn up at 1500 deciding you then wish to go out!

I thought that once you entered and scratched you were oot!

i dont think you can.

but i know at our club you can cancel your tee time the day before.

say you go out at 7am and its likely to be smashing it down till 12pm you can either move to a later slot or just say you wont make it for your 7am tee time but you will try to get up later on.

and just be a "floater" for the day.

nobody elses club have floaters? lol

Phil

 

[Bratty]

I'd suggested our place ran a comp over the whole day (or even weekend as they do in some clubs in Ireland). The reason they gave for not doing that was that some people booked in for Sat am may drop out because of weather forecasts, and re-sign up for the Sunday. Thereby gaining an advantage and also possibly causing someone else to suffer as Pants did.

Fully support the post re Comp secretary/committee's life being far harder if there's "discretion" being applied.

I'm 38, and so consider myself a young person, and I have no problem with following the rules. I can't agree with the OP's premise that rules are why young people aren't playing golf. It certainly didn't put me off playing from age 21. Maybe it's only a certain type of young person who's being put off?

 

[6inchcup]

is it not protocol to be at YOUR club 15 mins prior to tee time and registering with the starter ? why did you sit in the car why not go into the pro shop and wait ? what would you have done if it had not stopped raining,gone home?. no you had a tee time and regardless off the weather OR if the tee was empty when YOU decided you wanted to play the decision to dq you was correct.

 

[inthecup]

i wouldnt get too worked up about it, and i wouldnt worry too much about the folks here who are biting your head off. not everyone is as good as them. whilst i understand that you've broken the rules in this occasion you shouldnt be crucified but rather aware that cancelling a tee time is the simpliest way around this rule for us mere amateur mortals

Phil

Well said that man. As said before I wasn't aware of the rule but I am now! Not worrying about the comments on here from guys I've never met and for the ones I have met well they should know I'm not a cheat or lier just made a genuine mistake of which I shall never make again. It's just a golf forum!

I now fully understand that the guy was in the right to turn us back but have never done it before apart from being the odd couple of minutes late but still just making my time. I'll donate a months wages if I'm ever late again to keep some of you happy!

 

[chrisd]

I played yesterday and we had a terrific downpour for 20 minutes or so mid round. I would have been totally brassed off if any players were allowed to delay their start so as to miss the worst of the weather that everyone on the course had to contend with.

Furthermore, I read so often here about breaking the spirit of the rules and always post that "rules are rules" and you either are within them or break them - on this occassion the rule was broken and no one can agree to overlook that.