People just joining in mid round?

[AndrewK]

Havent been playing long so not sure of rules etc. TBH ive witnessed it before but usually its on the 16th tee at my local as its near the driving range. Members who have finished their range session politely waiting for a big enough gap to slot in to finish off the last 3 holes as a nice finish to the day. Never been any issue and sometimes just play along with them.

This was different. I was solo and had neither any players in front or behind for a good 3 or 4 holes. It had been raining pretty heavily for 2-3 holes and i was trying to keep some momentum up. Got to the 8th and 2 blokes skipped onto the middle of the fairway about 200+ yards from tee, set up their shots and played up to the hole. Not only that but they then proceeded to piss around for ages looking for a ball and chatting away. As they were over 300yds away (They left their trolley mid fairway at about 300) i took my tee shot to about 200yds leaving a decent length to hit in. They continued to piss around giving me zero consideration. In the end i took the shot and was quite pleased to hit an approach shot from 150yds to within about 10 ft of where i wanted it to go. Close enough for them to consider but no danger.

I then pretty much got myself ready for an argument as i walked up. As it turned out they picked up their clubs and ball and skuttled off.

Should i have waited?

 

[Neilds]

You should always wait if there is any danger of you hitting someone - regardless of whether what they are doing is right or wrong.

 

[AndrewK]

You should always wait if there is any danger of you hitting someone - regardless of whether what they are doing is right or wrong.

Thats fair enough.

 

[adasko]

I wouldn't wait, if they come from nowhere I would just play my shot and if any danger of hitting them would shout FORE.

 

[PaulMdj]

I wouldn't wait, if they come from nowhere I would just play my shot and if any danger of hitting them would shout FORE.

This ^^^^

 

[AndrewK]

I wouldn't wait, if they come from nowhere I would just play my shot and if any danger of hitting them would shout FORE.

Thats the thing. I did wait, plenty. It was as if they were just practicing pitching from about 60-70 yds to the hole, missed and then went poking about for their ball. Leaving their trolley in the middle of the fairway. I hit my tee shot 100% no chance of hitting them. Walked down the middle of the fairway, waited plenty again and they just carried on. I took the shot while they were still poking about for their ball so even though they knew i had taken it, in reality it was pretty safe.

 

[adasko]

Thats the thing. I did wait, plenty. It was as if they were just practicing pitching from about 60-70 yds to the hole, missed and then went poking about for their ball. Leaving their trolley in the middle of the fairway. I hit my tee shot 100% no chance of hitting them. Walked down the middle of the fairway, waited plenty again and they just carried on. I took the shot while they were still poking about for their ball so even though they knew i had taken it, in reality it was pretty safe.

Don't overthink or worry about it, plenty members everywhere that think they can do whatever they want. If you would do anything wrong they would probably challenge you.

 

[Neilds]

I wouldn't wait, if they come from nowhere I would just play my shot and if any danger of hitting them would shout FORE.

Should stand up well in any damages claim:
“Yes, I knew there was a possibility of hitting them, but decided to anyway”.

Totally irresponsible and dangerous behaviour which should be punished more than people holding others up.

 

[D-S]

I wouldn't wait, if they come from nowhere I would just play my shot and if any danger of hitting them would shout FORE.

I would do the opposite, I would shout ‘Fore’ very loudly. Thereby warning that they are potentially in danger but I certainly wouldn’t hit a ball ever when people were in possible range.
They need to be aware that they are in the wrong place on the course.

 

[chrisd]

Definitely wouldn't deliberately hit if there was any chance of hitting someone.

 

[Slab]

As a rule the vast majority of players won’t hit if other ppl are in range.
Of course there’s always the exception scenarios to the rule where making those in range aware that you’ll play a shot so they can take action i.e call-up holes, spectators, greenkeepers, marshals, other non-playing ppl on the course etc (a couple of fellas out doing some chipping practice probably fall into that last group)

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I wouldn’t play, but in the scenario you describe I’d call out FORE very loudly, and when they look back I’d ? making it clear I was asking what the heck they thought they were doing.

In my head I’d tell myself that they didn’t realise that I was there…but if they persisted after my call I might consider having a word with them when in…chances are I wouldn’t bother and put it down to experience.

 

[Old Colner]

They continued to piss around giving me zero consideration. In the end i took the shot and was quite pleased to hit an approach shot from 150yds to within about 10 ft of where i wanted it to go. Close enough for them to consider but no danger.

The OP states that the inconsiderate golfers were never in any danger.

 

[Backache]

Stick a shot gun in your bag next time.

 

[Orikoru]

It's not particularly clear from the text whether you did this or not - but if you hit a golf ball while people were in range of the club you're hitting, then you'd be a muppet of the highest order and shouldn't be on the golf course. No matter what they done previously.

If you haven't done that, then I'm not sure what you have done and what you're asking us really? If you've hit one that lands 20 yards behind them then no problem really, as long as there was zero danger of it travelling further than that.

They should not be butting in on the fairway in front of you. If that happened to me I'd be shouting a loud "OI!" from the tee followed by a waving of the arms to either say 'what are you doing?' or 'get out of the way'. Besides that I'm not sure what else you can do.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I wouldn’t play, but in the scenario you describe I’d call out FORE very loudly, and when they look back I’d ? making it clear I was asking what the heck they thought they were doing.

In my head I’d tell myself that they didn’t realise that I was there…but if they persisted after my call I might consider having a word with them when in…chances are I wouldn’t bother and put it down to experience.

Subsequent to my FORE failing to move them on, I might deliberately play well short of them - to get me closer in case they are still faffing around. I don't need to be playing a full shot with my preferred club for my practice and momentum to continue and be maintained.

 

[AndrewK]

The OP states that the inconsiderate golfers were never in any danger.

They werent. They were off looking for their balls. I got it within 10ft of WHERE I WANTED IT TO GO, not within 10ft of them. It was close enough for me to be set up for my pitch onto the green when they found their ball and went back for their trolley. Thats when they realised how ignorant they were being and walked off the course.

Sorry for not making that clear.

 

[AndrewK]

It's not particularly clear from the text whether you did this or not - but if you hit a golf ball while people were in range of the club you're hitting, then you'd be a muppet of the highest order and shouldn't be on the golf course. No matter what they done previously.

If you haven't done that, then I'm not sure what you have done and what you're asking us really? If you've hit one that lands 20 yards behind them then no problem really, as long as there was zero danger of it travelling further than that.

They should not be butting in on the fairway in front of you. If that happened to me I'd be shouting a loud "OI!" from the tee followed by a waving of the arms to either say 'what are you doing?' or 'get out of the way'. Besides that I'm not sure what else you can do.

Thankfully i wasnt trying to be a muppet