Jumping on someone else's booking?

[rulefan]

None of my regular PPs are around tomorrow, had a look on BRS this morning and saw there was a free tee time at 8am, so booked that for myself. Got a couple of 4 balls in front of me, so the intention was to take my time and have a little potter around.

However just got an email from BRS saying that 3 guys I've never heard of have jumped onto my booking. Had a look on the members' list, and they are all very low handicappers (2, 4 and 5). There is a comp on tomorrow, which they are bound to be in, so that means playing off the whites instead of the yellows, so all in all, my nice little knock around is kyboshed.

I've never had the issue but I know fellow members who don't want to get tied up with another 2 or 3 will use the BRS 'Reserved by self' facility for one or two of the other 3 spots. Everyone seems to know what the intention is and we have no problems.
We are trying to get BRS to provide a 9 hole indicator so that the first booked play can show that he only intends to play 9 holes. But BRS are getting a bit hoity. Apparently they showed us a test run and then took it away. We may be switching to a built-in ClubV1 offering.

 

[Lump]

Love the chance to play with new people. I’m the person that books onto 3balls not knowing a single person, if you don’t like it. Don’t be a member of a club......simples

 

[davidy233]

When we restarted the links sent out a list of how it would work, and one of the things was that if you booked as a single then you may well get someone else booking to play alongside you - hasn't happened to me but it wouldn't worry me at all if it did.

 

[rudebhoy]

How sad if true. Have you ever tried it? I added myself to two single figure male golfers the other week so I could get a game and the next day three men added to my booking. Yesterday tee time I added myself to three men and tomorrow I've had three men add to mine. As long as I don't have to mind my p's and q's it doesn't bother me.

No, never tried it, I wouldn't want to make them feel awkward. They might not, but I wouldn't want to potentially put them in that position.

We've had a few emails about women golfers being put under pressure by the males, it seems to be a sensitive topic at our place.

 

[hovis]

I usually play as a two ball very early in the morning and need to get around sharpish so my friend can get to work. Occasionally we get a single book on with us. It's makes for a very uncomfortable conversation when you inform them we have to play as a two so we can complete the round in time. Most understand and others look very annoyed. One even said "well, let's play as a 3 and your friend can walk off when he's time is up"

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Totally get that. I'm more put off than put out tbh.

Like I said, I wouldn't dream of doing it with 2 of my mates to a stranger, was genuinely curious whether it was considered a reasonable thing to do.

I think when you are the first player to you book any tee time then you simply have to accept that others will be likely to join you - especially a morning tee time.

As far as worrying about them playing a comp off whites when you want to just play of yellows - then that's fine. They can play off whites and you play off yellows. And you don't even have to have a card for one of the other guys to mark. Just play along with them and enjoy their company and their golf.

At my place at the moment - with reduced numbers of tee times, singletons are often plonking their names down with other twos and threes that have already booked. Just all grouping up as best we can to use the tee times available as best we can.

So this coming Saturday I've plonked my name down with two guys I don't know already booked in a spot just after midday. And it will be just fine. And if another singleton sees the empty spot I am sure we'll have a fourth member of our group. Hold on - I will check...yup - we have a fourth now joined us. A guy I know but who I don't play with that often. And as a fourball it'll be grand. I meet and play with two members I don't know. Excellent.

 

[williamalex1]

Why? ?‍
He should play off any tee he wants.

At mine, you can only play from the whites if you're playing in a comp or a tie/match, so it would be the blue or yellow tees.

 

[gary996]

Should have booked one slot out as a guest!Perhaps not in the spirit of the club but at least then only a 1 or 2 ball would join you.
Luckily at my club it’s generally not that busy and it’s a nice change if a 1 or 2 ball join me and my mates pairing. Definitely the exception rather than the rule though.

 

[GG26]

I don’t have regular playing partners and have often put my name down with guys I don’t know for competitions. This means that I have got to know many folks around the club and feel more part of it this way.

In the current situation, where all times have to be booked, I would expect others to join me especially in an early time slot. Tomorrow morning I have put myself down to play with two guys who I don’t know, but looking forward to getting to know them.

 

[PJ87]

Our place I was told feel free to add yourself to bookings but message people first to ask

 

[patricks148]

don't see it as an issue if its a comp day and you are playing AM, just enjoy the company.

if you don't wasnt to play off the whites don't

 

[Garush34]

Wouldn't bother me in the slightest playing with others. In fact as a 16 handicap I'd be looking forward to playing with 3 low guys. I enjoy playing with better players than me, gives me a chance to see how they do it.

Maybe best to book a slot at a quieter time if you want a game to yourself.

 

[chellie]

No, never tried it, I wouldn't want to make them feel awkward. They might not, but I wouldn't want to potentially put them in that position.

We've had a few emails about women golfers being put under pressure by the males, it seems to be a sensitive topic at our place.

What a shame but I do know that happens

 

[Maninblack4612]

Four points:
1. If this was the only time available around that time, you can't blame them.

2. They might have thought you were inviting others to add their names, they weren't to know you wanted a solo game.

3. If it's anything like my club, the prospect of having a solo round at 8am is virtually nil.

4. Personally, I'd welcome the chance to play alongside people better than me in the hope I learned something from it.

In short, you have no right to be narked. Let us know how you got on.

 

[Canary_Yellow]

I'd be feeling a little nervous about it too, but I'd go for it. It's an opportunity to play with some very good golfers, in my experience, it's not easy to get to play a round of golf with a group like that (at the clubs I've played at they tend to keep to themselves a bit).

So, worst case, you don't enjoy it as much you might otherwise, but you get to watch how some very good players play. Best case, and by far the most likely scenario, they happen to be good guys as well as good golfers and you have a cracking morning.

 

[Robster59]

It wouldn't bother me to be honest. At this time, certainly in Scotland, trying to get a tee time at all is a challenge so if I book and others want to join me I wouldn't have an issue with it. I'm always happy to play with other people and when I moved up to Scotland, I had to do that to get to know anyone. For you, I just hope the three ball are courteous and include you in conversations and don't just go and chat amongst themselves.
Otherwise, as has been said, it's a chance to meet new people. The age or skill difference wouldn't bother me. If they were miles longer than me, I'd joke with them about it but that's all.

 

[Deleted member 21258]

It would probably be fair to say nowadays after a few bad experiences over the years, I now wouldn't want to join up with people I do not know.

As a result I would not have booked up the slot at peak time(8am), not expecting to be joined by someone. Its peak time, so you have got to expect it, as that's only fair on other people/members who want to play at that time.

I would book a tee time either last minute or when it is definitely quiet, if I wanted to play solo or not joined up.

 

[Reemul]

I think it's cool for those that are happy to play with anyone. Everyone is different.

I don't like doing anything with people I don't know. I am not a social person at all, i don't have a wide group of friends and prefer my own company. I play golf with a couple of close mates or my son.

However I would not book a single slot if other's could join it as I know I wouldn't enjoy it. I try to tailor what I like for me as it affects me directly if I don't like it or enjoy it why do it. At my club the comps are random picks on the mornings only, I knew this when I joined and I don't play the comps because of this, it's not the members it's me and way of thinking and I'm fine with it sometimes others aren't but I knew when joining it would be that way, my 2 mates who were also going to join chose not to and went elsewhere instead but the upside of the course being 5 minutes away from my house and my son having a yearly membership of £40 made the upsides better than the downsides.

Some comments up thread like don't join a club etc etc are not fair. You just need to manage your expectations correctly.

 

[Orikoru]

At the moment tee times are at a bit of a premium, so if you want to play on your own I don't really think it's fair to take up a tee slot during a busy time like that. I actually think it's fair enough that some other golfers have been put with you, as they want to enter the comp and there may be limited times available.

But just crack on and play with them anyway, and still use the yellow tees if you wish. If they were happy to book themselves in with a stranger then they can't really complain either way, the implication is that they're happy to play with you, so no reason why not.

 

[Billysboots]

Generally speaking, if I don’t want anyone else to hop into a tee time I’ll reserve the empty spaces. That’s acceptable practice at ours in normal times although, at the moment, with the course being busy we are not allowed to do this. As such we do run the risk of the practice described by the OP happening.

Worse than what he describes is what happened to me a few years ago, when I agreed to play with a mate who was a member elsewhere. Said mate asked if he could bring along a pal of his to make up a 3-ball, and I was happy to agree.

My mate then failed to show, leaving me to host his pal, who I had never even met. I was fuming.