Left out

[Lord Tyrion]

I understood that they were in the process of booking their four - I just got in before they could confirm their number four. And yes…in such circumstances I might well do the same. Similarly I might see a two ball and add my name…then get a message telling me they were playing a match and asking me to cancel my booking. Most of us now know to ask the shop to book out other slots if we are playing a match.

Does everyone have to book their own slot or can one person book for all 4? At my current and previous club, I can book my name plus 3 others at the same time. Once I've claimed a slot I have 3 minutes to complete the booking and add other people. If I was in a 4, I'd book that 4 and if one wasn't sure then they could always drop out formally at a later point. If I only book 3 names and someone else adds their name, no way would I ask them to remove their name. That's on me, or the unsure 4th, for not putting their name down.

 

[timd77]

To the OP, it does seem a strange thing to happen. Maybe there’s a genuine reason for it, ie, they thought you were a no show/couldn’t see a single hanging anround and decided to tee off. Possibly. Can see why you’d be frustrated though.

I’ve been a new member a couple of times in recent years, always try to book into spare slots to meet other members. I’ll always ask the pro who they are when I’m checking in/paying subs, and then I’ll hover around the first tee/practice green from 15-20 mins before my time, and just ask around ‘what time are you off…are you Ted, John or steve’ etc etc.

Can be daunting though, I do understand. Try not to let it get to you or put you off doing it again.

 

[Dando]

Does everyone have to book their own slot or can one person book for all 4? At my current and previous club, I can book my name plus 3 others at the same time. Once I've claimed a slot I have 3 minutes to complete the booking and add other people. If I was in a 4, I'd book that 4 and if one wasn't sure then they could always drop out formally at a later point. If I only book 3 names and someone else adds their name, no way would I ask them to remove their name. That's on me, or the unsure 4th, for not putting their name down.

we can book all four spots or add ourselves later.

what grinds my gears are those who book as a single then block out the other 3 spots

 

[Old Colner]

Our system allows you to book all four slots, there are good and bad points for it, sometimes in the summer you cant get a tee time and the course is full

what grinds my gears are those who book as a single then block out the other 3 spots

Yeah, especially in the summer, no tee times available and all singles on the course.

 

[sweaty sock]

My advice, and what I often do, is be organised and when booking system opens, book yourself in as a one ball. If otgers join you, then theyve no right to complain, you get to know them and others who play at the same time, and have a firm grip of the morale high ground if you join their 3 ball at a later date.

 

[Jigger]

maybe the way you’ve written it but I would have definitely asked the staff what they look like?, had they been in and paid yet? Where would I likely find them?

Failing to see them near the practice putting green, which is a collection for us, I would’ve been down at the first tee at least 10 mins early and asking for ho was in what tee time.

Flip side is we had a guy join us late. Waited up near the practice green and then waited for our tee time despite being able to go early. Then we kept looking back in the first and saw him waving so we waived him up.

 

[Dando]

Our system allows you to book all four slots, there are good and bad points for it, sometimes in the summer you cant get a tee time and the course is full


Yeah, especially in the summer, no tee times available and all singles on the course.

there is talk that my course will make singles pair up from this weekend

 

[SteveW86]

Just to be clear, there are penalties for teeing off early - it probably happens at most clubs, but for the benefit of the OP who is new to the game it's worth pointing out.

Also worth pointing out that if you hit your ball into a tree, and you cant be certain that the visible ball in the tree is yours then you should take a drop

 

[williamalex1]

To the OP, A similar thing happened to me when I fist joined my club 40 years ago.
I played 2 weeks in a row with the same rollup with no problems.
The 3rd week they made the draw and I was left out, a long standing member had returned from holiday so they had their regular 4 fourballs back together.
I didn't say anything at the time, but made my feelings clear to them all over the years. I never played in their rollup again
They're all deceased now,
Karma eh .

 

[patricks148]

You just get some ignorant obnoxious people at golf clubs. Similar happened to me 3 years ago at my old club. A 4 man team competition. I noticed a 3 in the field so added my name as I am entitled to do.

About an hour later I got an email from one of the 3 asking me to remove my name as they had managed to get a 4th. ???

I decided what would the point be in playing 18 holes with 3 people who were not interested in integrating new members so I removed my name. Emailed the secretary who was not interested and resigned my membership at the end of that season - best thing I ever did.

Golf Clubs can be insular places, hopefully it was a one off.

A mate of mine moved back to Fife and Joined Scotscraig, he experienced this every week, people would either not turn up, or remove their names at the last minute, he left shortly after and still maintains this was the most unfriendly club he'd ever been a member of. Very hard to understand he was off 2 at the time and a nicer guy you could ever wish to meet.

 

[SteveW86]

To the OP, A similar thing happened to me when I fist joined my club 40 years ago.
I played 2 weeks in a row with the same rollup with no problems.
The 3rd week they made the draw and I was left out, a long standing member had returned from holiday so they had their regular 4 fourballs back together.
I didn't say anything at the time, but made my feelings clear to them all over the years. I never played in their rollup again
They're all deceased now,
Karma eh .

Bit harsh to kill them all

 

[BiMGuy]

If I’m playing with someone I don’t know I’d be hanging around the first tee at least on time slot before I was due, and asking anyone around if they were or knew the group I was playing with.

 

[williamalex1]

Bit harsh to kill them all

Really ?

 

[sunshine]

My first experience off doing a BBBC competition , I go on the club app and join a 3 ball , thinking you need to be in pairs to score happy days , turn up 30mins before my tee of time and paid my £4 entry fee , I'm new to the club and don't know anyone , 5 mins to go before my tee time and know one seemed to be in the club house to introduce myself to , so I go to the first tee and there was 3 guys already on the green so I tee off ...for the full 18 holes there was a 3 ball in front and a 3 ball behind which made me fell kind of left out ....I play of 21 ...I'm just wounding if the same people play in the same group, I was kind of expecting to pick a name out of a hat

Maybe your shirt wasn't tucked in, or were you wearing the wrong colour socks? Some people at golf clubs can be very insular, that's not on if your group teed off early without you.

Alternatively, maybe it was the group behind, and they were all waiting for you by the pro shop, because the pro told them a new member was joining their group and they wanted to welcome you. Maybe they thought it was weird that you teed off by yourself instead of waiting for them.

As has been suggested, worth checking in the pro shop next time. Good luck, hope this doesn't put you off.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Does everyone have to book their own slot or can one person book for all 4? At my current and previous club, I can book my name plus 3 others at the same time. Once I've claimed a slot I have 3 minutes to complete the booking and add other people. If I was in a 4, I'd book that 4 and if one wasn't sure then they could always drop out formally at a later point. If I only book 3 names and someone else adds their name, no way would I ask them to remove their name. That's on me, or the unsure 4th, for not putting their name down.

They could have booked all four at once, they didn't and left a space. I prefer to think that they were waiting for their #4 to confirm.

The alternative that they didn't want me as a #4 is possible as I had a bit of a bust up with one of them - about 10 yrs ago. I was over it almost straight away - but the guy hasn't spoken with me since. In truth by putting my name down with them I was looking to say - look, what was said 10yrs ago is water under the bridge - I'd rather things not be frosty...for me that's water that has long since flowed under the bridge.

As it happens a couple of days later I spotted him in the club car park with his wee lad - he'd taken his lad to the range - and I called across a bit of a jokey comment about him having to watch out for his lad belting the ball past him - and guess what...he came across and we had a friendly chat, and he apologised again for having to ask me to cancel from the comp. I believe him. And that's good enough for me.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

If it was 4BBB I find it unusual there were so many three balls.

How can there be any three balls in a 4BBB competition, unless of course one of the three is playing by himself, but it seems really curious to arrange it that way - and for OP to have another three ball behind?

I have to say though that I have occasionally added myself to a three ball and though I'll always ping all three through the club messaging saying I have done so I can turn up on the tee and the three of them will be completely unaware that I've joined them. I can see how such a three ball could head off without me, but of course they'd have to be teeing off before their time...frowned upon by the club unless the first couple of holes are empty.

 

[Starbox]

Some great advice, I'm not taking it personal I do see alot of the same groups go out together, I'm thinking that not everyone goes into the competition at the weekend that's why they didn't go into the club house to pay , there was 4 people in the club house and 3 off them was a 3 ball after my tee time so I guess the 3 ball in front was probably a group of mate I had joint on the club app and probably wasnt aware?, I will try again and again and again ?

 

[Swango1980]

Some great advice, I'm not taking it personal I do see alot of the same groups go out together, I'm thinking that not everyone goes into the competition at the weekend that's why they didn't go into the club house to pay , there was 4 people in the club house and 3 off them was a 3 ball after my tee time so I guess the 3 ball in front was probably a group of mate I had joint on the club app and probably wasnt aware?, I will try again and again and again ?

Not being funny, but are you sure you turned up on the correct day (I've known people turn up on the wrong day before). It just seems strange that it was a 4BBB competition, yet there were 3 balls all around you. Granted, maybe one of the 3 balls was actually meant to be your group? But then, if they saw you as a single player, I would have thought that if they were missing a team player, they would have asked if you were the chap that they were meant to be playing with.

If you don't have a pro shop, or anyone running things when you turn up on the day, that is unfortunate. Otherwise, you could have just asked someone working there to help point you in the right direction.