North Mimms
Tour Winner
A couple of times when balls have landed near me woth no shout, I find turning back to face the offender and yelling FORE at him makes the point quite clear.
Petty and childish reaction?
- Thread starter woody69
- Start date
jpjeffery
Assistant Pro
I've been victim to shots from behind coming near me a couple of times (although never hit). Once at Kirkbymoorside in Yorkshire, and twice - during the same round! - at my home course.
One of the things about this that bothers me is the (lack of) etiquette. At best it feels to me like the player behind feels he/she has more right to be there than I do, at worst it can be off-putting - although I suppose a shout of Fore could also distract.
On the occasion at my home course, the first time was while I was on the 7th green. It's uphill but not very long (258yds) and the guy's ball rolled on to the green as I was preparing to putt. No sign of an apology from him. The second time I was on the 14th green, which is hidden from the tee and requires a draw shape to get to it (290yds, but significantly downhill). This shot finished just short of the green. An impressive shot but clearly this guy seemed to have little care that someone might be in range.
Afterwards I felt I should have picked up the second ball, since he wouldn't have been able to see me, and thrown it in to the nearby woods which contain a pond. He'd never have known, and would have wasted time searching for it.
(Come to think of it he wasn't far off reaching the 15th green with his fairway shot when I was still on the green)
An alternative reaction? Get a piece of paper and put it under the ball. When the owner of the ball arrives, he'll pick it up and see the words you've written on the other side: "You've just incurred a penalty for picking up your ball".
One of the things about this that bothers me is the (lack of) etiquette. At best it feels to me like the player behind feels he/she has more right to be there than I do, at worst it can be off-putting - although I suppose a shout of Fore could also distract.
On the occasion at my home course, the first time was while I was on the 7th green. It's uphill but not very long (258yds) and the guy's ball rolled on to the green as I was preparing to putt. No sign of an apology from him. The second time I was on the 14th green, which is hidden from the tee and requires a draw shape to get to it (290yds, but significantly downhill). This shot finished just short of the green. An impressive shot but clearly this guy seemed to have little care that someone might be in range.
Afterwards I felt I should have picked up the second ball, since he wouldn't have been able to see me, and thrown it in to the nearby woods which contain a pond. He'd never have known, and would have wasted time searching for it.
(Come to think of it he wasn't far off reaching the 15th green with his fairway shot when I was still on the green)
An alternative reaction? Get a piece of paper and put it under the ball. When the owner of the ball arrives, he'll pick it up and see the words you've written on the other side: "You've just incurred a penalty for picking up your ball".
NimbleNeil
Medal Winner
I've almost been hit 3 times in my 3 months of playing, one time it bounced off my foot, another came through trees from behind, another rolled past. I honestly don't see it as a problem.
What I do find aggravating is when other players react asif I'd pulled a rifle out and murdered their partner when one of my balls rolls near them.
If the ball was in the air then I'd understand, but there's no need to initiate a stare down when the ball stopped rolling 15 feet away.
What I do find aggravating is when other players react asif I'd pulled a rifle out and murdered their partner when one of my balls rolls near them.
If the ball was in the air then I'd understand, but there's no need to initiate a stare down when the ball stopped rolling 15 feet away.
Skypilot
Assistant Pro
Wilson
Head Pro
This.
The closest I've come to being hit was from another fairway, and I got the same response! It's the only time I've come close to losing my temper on the course, and it wasn't helped when they didn't apologise, just said they didn't know we were there.
MadAdey
Money List Winner
My problem with these types of situation is the total disregard for other players on the course. Why can't people wait until the group infront are well and truly clear of you. Also what is this attitude of if it isn't going to thud into someone you don't need to shout. If you wait until the ball has landed and evaluated if it will hurt someone or not it is a bit late to shout FORE. I always call fore, more so when it is going onto another fairway, as you never know who is the other side of a tree.
backwoodsman
Tour Winner
An alternative reaction? Get a piece of paper and put it under the ball. When the owner of the ball arrives, he'll pick it up and see the words you've written on the other side: "You've just incurred a penalty for picking up your ball".
I think you'll find they haven't...
jpjeffery
Assistant Pro
But they might not know that...
woody69
Journeyman Pro
Because you have to make a decision and he obviously felt they were well and truly clear. People complain about slow play in one breath because they wait for the group to clear off the green that is 250 yards away, when hitting a club they pretty much every single time only hit 200 yards and in the next suggest players wait until the group in front is completely clear for those freak shots that amateurs on the extreme odd occasion hit. We can't have it both ways.
And who said anything about waiting until a ball has landed and evaluating if it will hurt anyone? Do you shout fore every single time you hit the ball then, just because you're on the tee and the group in front are almost at the green 380 yards away, because you know, you might hit them?
Slab
Occasional Tour Caddy
But nobody finds an extra 50yrds unless its due to conditions i.e frozen fairways or playing with a 3 or 4 club wind. And in those circumstances exist then yes they should be waiting
Keeping up with the group in front doesn't literally mean players behind each other, at its closest its about being a clear shot behind the group in front
garyinderry
Ryder Cup Winner
Quite conceivable that someone could find an extra 30 yards. If you concisely hit it low on the face of the driver you will get high spin numbers and rob distance. Mis-hit it an inch higher up the face and you could definitely gain 30 yards. not really enough where you could kill someone with the ball in the air but you could at least chase it a lot further than you were expecting with vastly reduced spin numbers.
exactly! especially another fairway as you usually have no idea who's there! a shout at least makes people aware and can turn away from the shout.
I got hit standing in the middle of my fairway as someone out of sight hooked his drive, no shout and hit me full toss. A shout and I would have at least turned away and covered my essential bits.
Balls running up to a group, no issue as it's not usually meant and a wave is usually reciprocated. A ball landing full toss beside you without a shout is a totally different ball game, anyone who thinks differently is mistaken.
woody69
Journeyman Pro
Respectfully disagree. I "usually" hit my driver around 220. A few times (and I'm talking 3 or 4 times) I have somehow managed to connect and it has flown and finished around 300 (carry + roll). I have no idea how I did it, but it wasn't due to the conditions, just a perfectly timed swing where everything came together. it does and can happen. Admittedly conditions may also cause that to occur, but it isn't the only reason.
Not sure what you mean by being a clear shot behind the group in front
TheJezster
Tour Rookie
Personally I think there is a little too much bluster and hoo ha here. From time to time a ball will reach the group in front (or adjoining fairway). It happens, just apologise and get on with it.
As for being frightfully angry because a ball rolled up towards you!!??? Get over yourself, that's never going to hurt anyone. Perhaps I differ because of where I play. Our LONG par 3's (228, 229 & 243) are all holes where if the group is on the green you are free to tee off. If you look like you will reach etc simply shout 4. No problems ever arise, we're all adults.
Obviously if you are only 150odd yards away you should never fire into the group infront, that's just nuts.
As for being frightfully angry because a ball rolled up towards you!!??? Get over yourself, that's never going to hurt anyone. Perhaps I differ because of where I play. Our LONG par 3's (228, 229 & 243) are all holes where if the group is on the green you are free to tee off. If you look like you will reach etc simply shout 4. No problems ever arise, we're all adults.
Obviously if you are only 150odd yards away you should never fire into the group infront, that's just nuts.
Region3
Ryder Cup Winner
Wow. Do you not have to wait for the group on the green to wave you up, or at least notice that you're about to play?
Maybe I'm strange, but if I'm putting or chipping and I hear a ball land 30 yards behind me, it stops me thinking about the shot I'm playing and I'm likely to stuff it up.
garyinderry
Ryder Cup Winner
I'd be hitting driver at those but would certainly be reaching.
Sounds a bit dodgy. I would wait till I was waved to hit or the green cleared.
Sounds a bit dodgy. I would wait till I was waved to hit or the green cleared.
What's the difference to me looking to hit the green in 1 with my driver from 228yds and a ball hitting the green from 150yds? There both looking to be landing on the full and both would crack your head open, driving at a reachable par 3 whilst up to 4 players are still on it oblivious other than a shout of fore is truly dangerous if not ridiculous! Nothing to do with being adults, if you were adults you'd wait for it to clear and not gamble or it should be a courtesy hole and be called down.
As an aside, I never saw anyone hit Rory's ball back to him when he rolled up onto the green when he drove it, would anyone of heard him anyway if he had of shouted fore!
S
Snelly
Guest
If everyone played at a decent speed then I believe that the frequency of incidents like this would reduce to just about zero.
Come to think of it, back in the halcyon days of youth when we played a round of golf in much less time than today, I cannot actually recall a single incident of a ball being anywhere near me.
These days it seems quite a regular occurrence due to the pedestrian pace that so many of you play at.
I would go further and say that if you were a 4 ball with no-one in front of you and your round took under 4 hours then the chances of you being hit by a ball from behind are virtually zero.
Come to think of it, back in the halcyon days of youth when we played a round of golf in much less time than today, I cannot actually recall a single incident of a ball being anywhere near me.
These days it seems quite a regular occurrence due to the pedestrian pace that so many of you play at.
I would go further and say that if you were a 4 ball with no-one in front of you and your round took under 4 hours then the chances of you being hit by a ball from behind are virtually zero.
