Letting people through

golfinger

golfinger

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Would you let someone through on the 18th hole? What about the 17th?

Do you let someone through if you are being held up yourself?

Played last week in a 3 ball (on a busy Saturday), and a single player (having played through the 3 ball behind us), caught us up on the 16th. We were being held up by a terrible 4 ball since the 13th, who clearly weren't going to let us through.

We decided with only 2 holes to go, that the group in front probably wouldn't let him through (though I appreciate there was a slight chance they would have noted he was a single and let him through), and being so close to the end, there was no advantage to be gained by anybody to let him through.

He was not impressed to say the least.

Quite often I am the single golfer and appreciate a bit of common sense and empathy out on the course. I didn't think at the time we were wrong to make him wait, but what do you think?
 
For the 17th or 18th no i wouldnt bother, its only going to delay them 5 maybe 10 mins max.

Since reading this forum im more aware of slow play and alot of people im playing with are saying to me im being to curtious. Take friday, playing at a local P&P and the course was rammed, come the 4th out of no where a 2 ball appeared as we we leaving the green, i advised them we would get them through ASAP and would probally be the next hole as it was a par 3, followed by 2 par 5's so should get them clear and out the way. We tee'd off 3 hitting the green and me hitting the bank on the left with a massive bounce off into the cabbage, straight away as we walked off the green i told them to play through and we would walk up the left to look for the ball. By the time we had found my ball they were clear and were teeing off the next hole. Unfortunately they cought the 3 ball in front who refused to let them through, so in turn when we cought them we got held from holes 6 to 18. I cant beleive the 3 ball wouldnt let the 2 through given the 3 had lost 3 holes on the group in front.
 
I wouldnt have let him through, no point in you having to wait for him when you'll all be off the course pretty soon. I was out on my own on Friday and there was a queue on the 12th tee. A 3-ball and 2 2-balls were waiting to tee off in front of me and not one offered to let me through, didn't want to make an issue of it so didn't bother asking to play through.

If the guy behind you was that bothered he could've asked to join you. It was only for a couple of holes, you didn't even need to talk to each other.
 
On 17 I'd let him through, but not on 18.

Even if the course is busy, I'd always ask if a faster group wanted to play through. Faster in this instance meaning fewer players. On a busy day, it is impossible to know if a 4 ball is faster than yours.

That said, any one who plays on their own, or in pairs on a weekend morning is an idiot, who should be prepared for a very long round of standing about.

In the cases above, the two two balls should have joined up.

At busy periods, my course have just announced that they will be pairing people up into 4s when ever possible, to maximise course useage. Fair enough.

We had a two ball behind our 4 ball yesterday. The course was rammed. We would have let them through, but they couldn't catch us. We finished about 35 minutes ahead of them, and they had dropped 3 holes minimum. The guys behind them must have had fun. We weren't rushing either, or playing well, with the odd lost ball to look for.
 
Thanks for feedback. I have to say I am still somewhere in the middle leaning towards feeling justified, and it was an objectively considered decision on the day. I just wasn't sure if I'd turned into one of those selfish b******s that we all hate (and often end up) getting stuck behind.
 
Thanks for feedback. I have to say I am still somewhere in the middle leaning towards feeling justified, and it was an objectively considered decision on the day. I just wasn't sure if I'd turned into one of those selfish b******s that we all hate (and often end up) getting stuck behind.
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I think you were right. I wouldn't have felt put out if I was the single player in that situation. Me and my brother played last week and the course was busy but not completely packed. Got to the 3rd tee and there was a queue because the 3 'groups' in front of us were all single players. The course behind us wasn't that busy yet but the course in front of them had backed right up so we went over and pointed out it would be more sensible if they joined up. 2 holes later the queues had magically cleared up, which was lucky cos the course behind us had picked up and was now mobbed.
 
I agree that, given the situation, he could have asked to join you. It's what I'd prefer in similar circumstances though sometimes it can be obvious that any acceptance will be pretty grudging.
 
I agree that, given the situation, he could have asked to join you. It's what I'd prefer in similar circumstances though sometimes it can be obvious that any acceptance will be pretty grudging.
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Or you could have invited him to join you for the last couple of holes. You were being held up anyway and so becoming a four-ball would seem the obvious solution.

Did you explain to him why you didn't let him through?
 
Can't see why you should even think about letting him play through if there wasn't a gap in front of you. All it would do is slow you down while you wait for him.
 
Stand to be corrected here but i remember been told years ago single players have no standing on the course & should look to join a 2 or 3 ball rather than look to play through .... not sure of how right this is but have heard it a few times
 
Stand to be corrected here but i remember been told years ago single players have no standing on the course & should look to join a 2 or 3 ball rather than look to play through .... not sure of how right this is but have heard it a few times
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I think I've heard the same although how "old" this is I'm not sure. Would be pretty churlish to keep a single player behind you if clear ahead and you're holding him up I would have thought as it's never going to happen in a comp.
 
Stand to be corrected here but i remember been told years ago single players have no standing on the course & should look to join a 2 or 3 ball rather than look to play through .... not sure of how right this is but have heard it a few times
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My understanding was that it had been changed and now it's about letting anyone through if you're slow.

I never understood the whole "single golfer has no standing" thing... fair enough if they're waiting from general play and there's nowhere to go, but not if a group has dropped 1 or more holes behind and refuse to let a single golfer through.

A few years back, I was stuck behind a 4-ball who were 2 holes behind (for about 5 holes). I simply skipped the par 3 they were teeing off from, and went to the next hole. As I was walking across, one of them shouted at me to stop and stay behind them as they didn't want me in front of them holding them up!!! :D

Now normally I'm a calm person who doens't like confrontation. However, after 5 holes of this nonsense, I snapped. Expletives tore out of my mouth at a rate that would alarm a tuerettes sufferer, and I told them exactly what I thought of them. When one of them tried to say (feebly) I had no standing as a single player, I shouted (and I'm quite proud of this), "no, but I have STANDARDS" followed by (of which I'm not proud) "unlike you, you selfish bunch of c***s. I've seen better golfers on the f***ing Paraplegic Golf Tour!" (apologies if this offends anyone here, by the way).
 
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