Golf courses on common land - your experiences

[Deleted member 18121]

I played a course yesterday in East Sussex that I had an absolute blast around. Great holes, great layout and a really good challenge but it's on common land.

So throughout the round we were constantly waiting for dog walkers or ramblers in general. At one point one of my pp balls was picked up off the green by a dog who ran off with it!

But the real annoying incident for me was whilst about to play my shot into the 18th green I saw 2 ramblers walking at some speed towards the green so I thought I'd wait (I was approx 200 yards out)... They turned to face me and then ambled at a snails pace towards me, over the bridge and then across the fairway, I waited nearly 2 minutes for them to clear out of the way and I had absolutely no acknowledgement from them.... No thanks for waiting, no wave, nothing.

I can't imagine ever being that ignorant to do something like that and it's time like that I wish I were a confrontational type so if have actually said something.

So have you had experiences like this or play on a course with a similar setup, how do you deal with it?

 

[patricks148]

yes, we get a lot of people walking across the course and along the beach. it is private land, but there are two ROW across the first and 18th to the beach and across the 16th and back of the 2nd green. no one ever waits walking across when they feel like it then give attitude when told not to. In Scotland we do have the outdoor access code, but sporting venues are exempt apart from designated paths. Love it when people quote the code without ever reading the thing. on the whole society and people in general think they can do as they please.

best one was a guy walking up the 13th with his back to play with two children, one in a pram the other in a back pack affair. the two guys in front of us challenged him and he told them to F off he could go where he liked. there is no where to go as this just takes you into farm land and the club had just installed a Rabbit proof fence so there was no where to get out. the cheeky bugger even asked the two guys he'd been rude to and held up for 20 mins on the hole, for a hand to lift the pram over the fence

 

[Imurg]

We have a couple of footpaths across the course.
We're a long way from civilisation so we don't get many but we do get a few dog walkers.
One goes across 5 holes and the other winds its way through the trees between the 9th and 10th. That's the one that causes hold ups because as soon as the walker is out of range from the 9th, they're in range from the 10th.
Only need one going each way and you be waiting for nearly 10 minutes.

 

[ScienceBoy]

My old course had a couple of paths across the middle and one down the side of a hole.

Never had any issues and any walkers were polite.

The path down the side of the hole was a favourite of joggers which could be a bit distracting.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Was a member of Wimbledon Common for many years. Sadly, even back in the 70's and 80's people knew their rights and would walk their dogs or just walk the length of the hole knowing they had right of way. You had to give way to people on the paths crossing the holes and also to those on horseback. It could take ten minutes for a four ball to tee off especially on one or two particular holes.

In the summer there would be kids who would try an nick balls and I've seen families trying to picnic on a green. There were also limits on when you could play particularly on Sunday afternoons and bank holidays when it was no golf after 2.00pm. It was a pain but you accepted it for playing where you did

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Where to start. I used to play at a links course that wad on common land, in a popular village. Lots of visitors, walkers, beach goers. Mostly decent people but enough stupid ones for it to be a problem.

Plenty of picnics on the course, sunbathing in front of greens and yes, kids playing in bunkers with mum and dad watching on.

I'd usually play early in order to miss most people but in the summer even that didn't always work.

Zen like patience is crucial and don't lose it and hit when people are still in range, even if they have been total door handles. Smile and warn people of the danger of a golf ball. Most non golfers believe us amateurs can hit it as straight as pro's. When you advise them otherwise they often look surprised and become more circumspect.

I never got in an argument, they ultimately had the same right as me to be out there and you have to remember that.

I left after one particularly busy summer when it all became too stressful, I didn't want to hit anyone and the idiots were increasing. I've not missed it and much prefer just coming across the very occasional dog walker rather than hordes of people.

 

[IanM]

Painswick in Gloucestershire is nutty...shared fairways and walkers, horses dogs everywhere..... not been for a while, assume still like that

 

[louise_a]

no Rights of Way on our course but I still saw a family picnicking on on of the fairways last year

 

[Blue in Munich]

Was a member of one on common land; I left. It would have to be some special place to make me ever do it again.

Dog walkers, cyclists, horse riders, walkers and the motorcyclists on off-road bikes (usually someone else's stolen off road bike) tearing up the greens; none of them with any respect or consideration for the golfers who paid for the upkeep of the facility that they enjoyed for nothing. And did they know their rights.

 

[richart]

We have a bridlepath that runs through the course. Get a few walkers, and horse riders, but they are normally well behaved. Probably know how dangerous a golf ball can be.

 

[jim8flog]

I have played Lyme Regis very often which has footpaths right across a few fairways what amazes me is just ignorant of the danger they are some of the walkers are. There is one point where you cannot see the walkers until they appear next to the fairway so you fire away then a big shout of fore which is completely ignored and they just carry on walking.

There is another point where they walk straight in front of one the par 3s after coming out of trees so again you have no chance of seeing them until you look up after playing your shot.

Queens Park in Bournemouth is apparently atrocious for the attitude of the walkers particularly those walking their dogs.

I have also played Guildford but do not remember the walkers being a particular problem.

 

[SaintHacker]

My course is built on the New Forest (not that you would guess from its name...) so is not open just to humans, but ponies, deer, foxes and various other types of wildlife depending on the season. The local dog walkers/ramblers are pretty good and try to stay out of the way, most are happy to stop and pass the time of day if someone is waiting to play a shot. There are a few of the 'its my right of way so I'll use it' brigade though. I've seen a couple of them very nearly hit from walking out from behind a bush without bothering to look first as its their 'right of way'. They don't seem to understand its a bit tricky stopping a ball thats already airborne. Stupid is as stupid does...

 

[GG26]

We have a public footpath through the middle of our course, and typically only see one or two walkers a round. Never had an issue with them, all mindful of golfers.

 

[duncan mackie]

But the real annoying incident for me was whilst about to play my shot into the 18th green I saw 2 ramblers walking at some speed towards the green so I thought I'd wait (I was approx 200 yards out)... They turned to face me and then ambled at a snails pace towards me, over the bridge and then across the fairway, I waited nearly 2 minutes for them to clear out of the way and I had absolutely no acknowledgement from them.... No thanks for waiting, no wave, nothing.

I can't imagine ever being that ignorant to do something like that and it's time like that I wish I were a confrontational type so if have actually said something.

If you were where I think you were this wasn't ignorance - it's entirely deliberate and reflects a view that you shouldn't be on their land dangerously hitting little white balls where they walk...

Then again you may be somewhere entirely different 🤔

 

[Deleted member 18121]

If you were where I think you were this wasn't ignorance - it's entirely deliberate and reflects a view that you shouldn't be on their land dangerously hitting little white balls where they walk...

Then again you may be somewhere entirely different 🤔

I didn't want to name the course as there was nothing else I could fault. The staff, pro shop and bar were all top notch and like I say the course was fantastic.....that image might be helped with a 137yard eagle on one of the par 5s!

A thought crossed my mind that maybe in this day and age there could be those wanting to get hit by a golf ball....

 

[Deleted member 23344]

I played recently at the Redhill & Reigate as it was due to close and I wanted to add it to my list before it did so. Lots of dog walkers, especially on the first nine ... none were a problem individually, but having to keep stopping while they crossed over or passed by was somewhat frustrating. I certainly couldn’t play regularly at a course where that happened.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

The old Royal Ascot was in the middle of the racecourse and so we had dog walkers, joggers etc on there. Very confined space (especially with a reservoir and a cricket pitch all inside the race track too) and they were all aware of their rights, some far more so than others. Very frustrating and a couple of real bottlenecks so while I miss the quirky challenge of the old course, having our own course now on private (crown) land with no public is a godesend

 

[slowhand]

I'm a member of a municipal at one side of a public park, so we get a lot of dog walkers and joggers. Most of them seem to try and keep out of the way of the golfers, and when they do cross the fairway do so at a reasonable pace. Never had any need to confront any of them so far, and for the price of membership of the club I'm willing to wait a few minutes for them to clear. I just take a few breaths, look at the scenery and visualise my next shot. It's always better than being in the office!

 

[Deleted member 21258]

Painswick in Gloucestershire is nutty...shared fairways and walkers, horses dogs everywhere..... not been for a while, assume still like that

Played it a couple of months ago, and as you say it is nutty.

There were people right near blind shot greens, a family was having a picnic right next to another green, people walking in front of you as you are going to tee off, cars parked on the road where your tee shot is going. Lots of waiting on tees as a result for safety.

Was glad we have golf insurance, and as much as I enjoyed some of the holes on the course(some are unique and up the top was a links like course with dunes), I wouldn't go back due to the dangers of the people around.

Think Cleeve Hill was also on common ground, with a lot less walkers walking over the actual holes. Enjoyed that course.

 

[Grant85]

This happens at our course as there is a road / land rover track that runs through and actually a few houses that are accessed from it. You see the odd dog walker or runner as well as some cars. However it is not really that busy as our course is out of town.

BUT - what I would say is that the road is fairly well designed in that it snakes about and is not really in play at a lot of holes, or else crosses at a sensible part of the hole that is a short crossing so they aren't walking down the side of the fairway for 3 minutes while people are waiting to tee off.

If a club was in control of this, I would suggest they spent a bit of time improving a path that snaked people away from being in play and put a few signs up asking people to stick to the path and beware of golfers.

Although even then, you do see a lot of people with scant disregard for golfers and probably have the attitude that they have as much, or more right to be there, and just wander about completely oblivious to people playing shots.