DQ for teeing off early?

Fish

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To be fair, the 3 players concerned have since accepted that the DQs were correct under the rules. The results sheet them as DQ rule 6-3. I guess that we will all be a bit more careful about our starting times in future. 😀

It's pretty difficult to challenge a rule so they had no choice but to accept the DQ's, however, common sense should prevail at times, so rather than having hard fast rule sticklers that could damage relations between members and committee's which just build bigger walls, a bit of thought and a quiet word to the side to them all could have helped to breakdown those walls as word spread, it's simple people skills and man-management after all.
 

bobmac

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In this world we have 'The Rules of Golf' and we have the Laws of the Land.
One tells us how to play a game, the other keeps us safe from miscreants and ne'er-do-wells.
In one, officials can use their discretion
The other one is golf
 

delc

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In this world we have 'The Rules of Golf' and we have the Laws of the Land.
One tells us how to play a game, the other keeps us safe from miscreants and ne'er-do-wells.
In one, officials can use their discretion
The other one is golf

The group who got DQ'd for teeing off early broke the 11th Commandment. They got caught! I think that in most instances, teeing off a few minutes early wouldn't be noticed. 😀
 

bobmac

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I think that in most instances, teeing off a few minutes early wouldn't be noticed. 

If the committee member concerned was spotted by the police on his way home doing 32 in a 30 limit, I'm sure the committee member would expect the police to use their discretion and give him a verbal warning rather than getting a 3 month ban or a fine.
 

rulefan

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I think that in most instances, teeing off a few minutes early wouldn't be noticed. 
When does 'a few' become 'a lot'? 5, 6, 8, 12, 20, .......?

A comp is run at 8 minute intervals and because the first hole is a long par 5, each group has a clear drive in front of them. So they all tee of one or two minutes early. Within 10 minutes you have one group too many on the course. Soon you will have queuing all round the course and a lot of unhappy players.
 
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chellie

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When does 'a few' become 'a lot'? 5, 6, 8, 12, 20, .......?

A comp is run at 8 minute intervals and because the first hole is a long par 5, each group has a clear drive in front of them. So they all tee of one or two minutes early. Within 10 minutes you have one group too many on the course. Soon you will have queuing all round the course and a lot of unhappy players.

This.
 

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For me the rules are the rules and I will do my utmost to play by them and readily accept a penalty should I break one.

They may not seem to be common sense on every occasion but playing to them is what competition golf relies on.

Picking and choosing which ones should apply, and when, undermines the whole competition.

If you don't like playing to the rules then don't enter competitions, easy.
 

Tashyboy

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There was a longer than normal delay in announcing the results, with a discussion going on between the scorer and the Seniors Captain, which I wasn't involved in. As I said before, the committee member noticed that there was nobody on the first tee at the time when the first group should have teeing off. They had already gone, so he couldn't really stop them.

yup like I said and thought, summat has gone off. That quite frankly stinks. If the first tee off time was 11.00 am. It is good etiquette to turn up 5 to ten mins before. Let's not argue over that one. Especially if you are the first teeing off on a comp. so the guys have turned up ten mins before. If the comp is so big, why was there not a starter at the first tee five to ten mins before. If it's not so big, why whinge. Bottom line is your pal has been shafted.
i would let them know that said committee member is related to a part,of my body.
the captain would get a mention as well.
 
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USER1999

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This is not a rule i was aware of. Thinking back, i am guilty of this very thing last competition. The lot in front of us did not show, so we went off about 5 minutes early, thinking that it was clear to go, and we would be doing the field a favour, in that tee time drift is annoying. Normally it drifts out through the morning.
So, i went up from 10.4 to 10.5. Can i fess up, get a dq, and get my point one back? Oh yes, i would also need to dog up my playing partners, who went off before me, and also played poorly.
 

delc

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This is not a rule i was aware of. Thinking back, i am guilty of this very thing last competition. The lot in front of us did not show, so we went off about 5 minutes early, thinking that it was clear to go, and we would be doing the field a favour, in that tee time drift is annoying. Normally it drifts out through the morning.
So, i went up from 10.4 to 10.5. Can i fess up, get a dq, and get my point one back? Oh yes, i would also need to dog up my playing partners, who went off before me, and also played poorly.

A DQ does not stop an automatic handicap adjustment based on your score, up or down. 😀
 

Lord Tyrion

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Murph, I'm in the dock with you. I've done this before as well. You get on the tee early, the people in the time slot ahead don't turn up so off you go. Crazy stuff to penalise people for this. Pedants of the world unite.
 

HomerJSimpson

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Monthly stableford on Saturday. Two out of three failed to turn up for the game behind so we made a four to allow the guy to play. Effectively then he teed off early and therefore should have been DQ'd. Had we not let him join us, chances are he'd have had no game at all. We've even been sent off early when we've had starters and the green in front (it's a par three opener) is clear so it appears the club doesn't enforce it. Whether that's the right or wrong thing to do is another kettle of fish
 

delc

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Monthly stableford on Saturday. Two out of three failed to turn up for the game behind so we made a four to allow the guy to play. Effectively then he teed off early and therefore should have been DQ'd. Had we not let him join us, chances are he'd have had no game at all. We've even been sent off early when we've had starters and the green in front (it's a par three opener) is clear so it appears the club doesn't enforce it. Whether that's the right or wrong thing to do is another kettle of fish

Rule 6-3b is a bit ambiguous on this, as it says that players must remain throughout the round in the group arranged by the committee. If 2 players in a three ball don't turn up, or retire during the round, the remaining player either also has retire, or join up with another group. I certainly wouldn't DQ a player who did the latter!
 

doublebogey7

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Rule 6-3b is a bit ambiguous on this, as it says that players must remain throughout the round in the group arranged by the committee. If 2 players in a three ball don't turn up, or retire during the round, the remaining player either also has retire, or join up with another group. I certainly wouldn't DQ a player who did the latter!

If a player retires injured then I would say that is an
exceptional circumstances covered by rule 6- 3b. Any changes authorised by the starter (who acts for the committee) should also not incur a penalty.
 

IanM

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Murph, I'm in the dock with you. I've done this before as well. You get on the tee early, the people in the time slot ahead don't turn up so off you go. Crazy stuff to penalise people for this. Pedants of the world unite.

Yes, it's daft! Not and issue at my club, we have no bookable starting times in Saturday Comps (with the odd exception) so it's ball in the shute and go when ready!
 

rulefan

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Yes, it's daft! Not and issue at my club, we have no bookable starting times in Saturday Comps (with the odd exception) so it's ball in the shute and go when ready!

The committee has the authority to not impose a penalty.
 
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