If memory serves this was removed from The Rules of Golf way back in 2004. It never ceases to amaze me how many golfers still try and rely on it simply so they can be bloody-minded and awkward.
If memory serves this was removed from The Rules of Golf way back in 2004. It never ceases to amaze me how many golfers still try and rely on it simply so they can be bloody-minded and awkward.
Robster59
Tour Rookie
The R&A give some guidelines on this
https://www.randa.org/RulesEquipment/Etiquette/PlayerBehaviour
In reality they should let you through. There is no harm in politely asking them if you can play through. Some are very polite about it, others less so. The other option is to just skip a hole, I've done that in the past. Playing through is perhaps one of the most nerve racking things you can do as you are then having the other group watch you as you play through.
https://www.randa.org/RulesEquipment/Etiquette/PlayerBehaviour
In reality they should let you through. There is no harm in politely asking them if you can play through. Some are very polite about it, others less so. The other option is to just skip a hole, I've done that in the past. Playing through is perhaps one of the most nerve racking things you can do as you are then having the other group watch you as you play through.
chrisd
Major Champion
I do object to the " it's the older members who dont let players through" in reality it's all sorts of golfers, of all ages who dont when they should. Anyway I played a 4 ball today with my son, one of his mates and his neighbour and let a 2 ball through as soon as they got to a par 3 tee and waited for us to finish the hole . We tee'd off the next, let them then tee off and we all walked to our balls and they then went ahead, easy peasy!
Tashyboy
Please don’t ask to see my tatts 👍
Re letting Folk through, sweet Mary. Played 9 holes this morning, we walked in coz it was miserable. Anyway we waited on the 1st whilst the four in front of us just ambled on. Whilst they were waiting to play there approach shots from 250 plus yds Into the wind and rain ( 2 men and 2 women seniors) The four in front of them putted out. On the second we were waiting to play our approach shots as the four in front putted out. The four in front of them had cleared the third green. In 2 holes The four in front of us had lost a hole from those in front of them.
At that point a guy who was playing with me for the first time had a mega 30 second rant. He went onto state what we had already said a dozen times previous. One of the guys who is slow is one of the nicest guys at the club. But put a club in his hand and he is blinkered. He don’t see what is in front, and certainly don’t see what is behind.
Don’t matter what is said on here or the course, but these people are the equivalent of BMW drivers.
Slow play tipped me over the edge a month or so ago, a PP did not help moaning about it which helped set me off. Suffice to say I have googled how to help when stuck in slow play. Surprisingly counting ducks and looking at nature does help. Won’t stop slow play though.
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jim8flog
Journeyman Pro
I play fairly regularly with 2 guys
one who actually say there is nothing wrong with slow play but has now learnt we are going to let others through regardless of what he thinks and has actually started to persuade others to let groups through when he is playing with another group.
The other is just totally oblivious to how slow he his and we constantly have to give the hurry up. A couple of weeks a go I picked his ball and threw it to him when he wanted to chip on to the green to try and get an 8 followed by " we have lost 2 holes on the group in front and the group behind are waiting for us to get off the green". Yesterday the other 3 off us were halfway to the next hole whilst he was still putting this was on the same hole that we had been let through by the group who were waiting for us to get out the way.
one who actually say there is nothing wrong with slow play but has now learnt we are going to let others through regardless of what he thinks and has actually started to persuade others to let groups through when he is playing with another group.
The other is just totally oblivious to how slow he his and we constantly have to give the hurry up. A couple of weeks a go I picked his ball and threw it to him when he wanted to chip on to the green to try and get an 8 followed by " we have lost 2 holes on the group in front and the group behind are waiting for us to get off the green". Yesterday the other 3 off us were halfway to the next hole whilst he was still putting this was on the same hole that we had been let through by the group who were waiting for us to get out the way.
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Tongo
Journeyman Pro
I play a lot on my tod so this is a scenario i encounter every so often. (Although online booking helps negate such issues) Generally people will let me through but occasionally there are 3/4 balls that wont let me pass under any circumstances. I get what chrisd says above and it's not fair to tarnish all with the same brush but said 3/4 balls tend to be of a certain age group. I will usually look to nip off onto another section of the course if this happens.
thing is though why should you have to cut your round short just because the lack of common courtesy by others?? most of the time it would make liitle or no diff for a 4 ball to let a single through, esp if there was no one in front
Robster59
Tour Rookie
I've lived in Newton Mearns for about 16 years and I am still working hard to drag them down to my level.
When I used to drive up from England, before I moved up here I always used to tell the missus I knew I was getting close as there were more and more Mercedes on the road.
cliveb
Head Pro
Amen to that. On Sunday my wife and I were playing at Forest of Dean as a 2 ball. We were following a 4 ball of men who were holding us up from about the 3rd hole. They had soon lost a stack of ground to the group in front. As we left the 6th green and started walking towards the 7th tee, they teed off and watched us approach, only to depart the tee box when we were about 5 yards away. My wife remarked to me that had we been a pair of men, they would have probably waved us through.
Grant85
Head Pro
personal view, you should only let people past if there is room for them to move into and likely when you are well into the round.
Also, when you do let people past, there is a way to do this, assuming you aren't looking for a ball.
Ideally, with a par 4 as the next hole... indicate to them you will let them through, then hit your tee shots while they are putting out. The group behind then hit up and you all walk up. They play their approach while you are ready to hit as soon as they have cleared the green. You have then not delayed things longer than necessary and probably haven't been caught by a group behind.
So many people get to the 3rd hole and think 'there's a group of low handicappers behind us, lets just wait on the next tee and let them get away from us' but this actually slows play up quite a bit as your group effectively take double the time to play that hole.
Also, when you do let people past, there is a way to do this, assuming you aren't looking for a ball.
Ideally, with a par 4 as the next hole... indicate to them you will let them through, then hit your tee shots while they are putting out. The group behind then hit up and you all walk up. They play their approach while you are ready to hit as soon as they have cleared the green. You have then not delayed things longer than necessary and probably haven't been caught by a group behind.
So many people get to the 3rd hole and think 'there's a group of low handicappers behind us, lets just wait on the next tee and let them get away from us' but this actually slows play up quite a bit as your group effectively take double the time to play that hole.
Tongo
Journeyman Pro
Last time I did it (at Wickham Park) it was tediously slow on the 8th. So i finished there and nipped across to the 11th and played round to the 14th which runs parallel with the 8th. I then nipped across and played 9 and 10 and then back across to the 15th tee and ended up in front of the 3 slowish groups that i was previously behind!
Most of the time that I move about the course I'll look to play all the holes, just in a different route.
Tongo
Journeyman Pro
Very much agree. If i turn up and there's a few groups in front of me then its just a case of getting on with it. There's no point the group in front letting me in if I can't then go anywhere. If that's the case i tend to play two balls on each hole.
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
On the tee when you've been able to catch them...
"Hi Gents - lovely day for a knock isn't it? I'm thinking that you're probably not wanting me up your backsides for the rest of the round so what if I just tee off with you on this hole and I'll play to the green and then scoot out of your way - just get out of your way and you won't have to be bothered by me behind you..."
It usually works for me...well it has a couple of times...
"Hi Gents - lovely day for a knock isn't it? I'm thinking that you're probably not wanting me up your backsides for the rest of the round so what if I just tee off with you on this hole and I'll play to the green and then scoot out of your way - just get out of your way and you won't have to be bothered by me behind you..."
It usually works for me...well it has a couple of times...
D
Deleted member 15344
Guest
Perfect example of what not to do and causes issues - doesn’t matter what’s in front , if there is a quicker group behind that you are holding up then you let through and then you expect the rest tk also let them through
eddie_1878
Active member
Always happy to let one balls through if we’re slowing them down, even when playing as a 2 ball. Does no harm and generally won’t delay you any more than a few minutes. I have no idea why people get precious about this?
On the flip side if someone hit a ball over my head without a wave of apology at the least, I’d have a mind to send it back.
On the other shoe, I always wait to be waved through. I’ve never been stuck behind a group for any more than a few holes. A 4 ball waved me through a couple of weeks ago and one of them declared that I was the first person they’d let play through them in 20 years...I think he was expecting me to bend the knee and kiss him on the hand. Top bloke.
On the flip side if someone hit a ball over my head without a wave of apology at the least, I’d have a mind to send it back.
On the other shoe, I always wait to be waved through. I’ve never been stuck behind a group for any more than a few holes. A 4 ball waved me through a couple of weeks ago and one of them declared that I was the first person they’d let play through them in 20 years...I think he was expecting me to bend the knee and kiss him on the hand. Top bloke.
Liverbirdie
Ryder Cup Winner
Mandofred
Well-known member
This same argument keeps coming up. Question.....if your group is jammed up behind a bunch of other groups.....the group coming up behind you is only "playing faster" because you are jammed up behind those other groups.....yes? Why should I have to play even slower so that somebody else can play faster?
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
I'd suggest that you are not playing slower - you continue to play at the same speed. The only impact it has on you is a short delay in playing your next shot after you let the group through and most likely a short increase in the time taken to play that one specific hole. Indeed you don't actually know how long it would have taken you to play the hole had you not let them through (which of course you can't as you cant transport yourself into the future). And the same applies for the final duration of the whole round. You'll actually never know whether the round was quicker or took longer than had you not let the group through.
Mandofred
Well-known member
I think you missed my point. If my group is jammed up behind a bunch of other groups.....our group is already playing slower than we would be playing. Letting a group go through when you are already waiting on most shots only means you have to take even more time for the round. Then of course.....the next group will have to let them through which costs them a few minutes.....and because of that it costs your group a few more minutes.
If I'm driving down the motorway and I come up on a slowdown in traffic.....should the cars in front of me let me through (I sure would like them to
) because I am going faster than they are? Nope, they are already jammed up and waiting themselves (they would like to go faster as well). Letting me through would allow me to go faster, but other than for emergency vehicles it doesn't make sense.
