Poor Golf Etiquette

[Wilson]

If people are in your way, or distracting you - ask them to move.

If the same people keep getting in your way, stop playing with them.

If people aren’t in your way, stop being so precious.

Maybe, you aren’t actually a fast player, you are slow, and they can’t be bothered to wait for you?

 

[Homer]

The general public has some right idiots in it!

Especially the American general public!

 

[Skip Surf]

If, If, If, Maybe"

Gee, hadn't heard that before. Thanks.

 

[backwoodsman]

Given that "ready golf" has been advocated for many a year now, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with players moving ahead - either from a safety or etiquette perspective.Of course, there are provisos on both counts. But definitely, I'll walk past you on the way to my ball. But I'll keep out of your way, and watch what you're doing

From a safety point of view a player just needs to be far enough away so that they have time to react & get out of the way if a ball gets hit in their direction. Solely on grounds of safety, it needs be no more no less, and it is incumbent on that person to be paying attention to what the player is doing

From the etiquette point of view, of course you should not be on someone's line of play, and otherwise, you just need not to be a distraction to the player playing their ball - but that is obviously somewhat subjective. If you were, say, just 10 yards away, and bang in line with their eye-line then the player would have a point. But if I were on the same line, but, say, 50 yards away, I think I'd be telling the player to get a grip on reality. At some point between, there's likely to be a point where discussion/advice is required as one party may think there's an issue and the other doesn't.

But i am intrigued as regards the OP, in that I can't quite get my head round how they can let someone get up to140 yards ahead without having played a shot. 140 yards is close on a minute & a half's walk?

 

[Skip Surf]

But i am intrigued as regards the OP, in that I can't quite get my head round how they can let someone get up to140 yards ahead without having played a shot. 140 yards is close on a minute & a half's walk?

How did we "let someone" get that far ahead? What should we have done, engage our woodsman tractor beam? 'Halt sir, you are beyond the realm of belief, and are now *immoblized*!!'

On that occasion the rest of the us were looking for a player's ball. It's that time of year when balls get hard to find, even in what should be plain sight. The 'gentleman' in question ranging ahead was invited by a friend, so wasn't a regular in our group. Nice guy, but fairly clueless on several fronts.

Believe me, as said before, I've now gotten the message loud and clear that I won't be feeling awkward about calling out players in my shot line. But it's still been illuminating the extremes some people posting here have tried, to justify how being in a player's direct shot line is somehow excusable or the player's fault -- when it's simply unsafe and poor etiquette.

(Btw, the walk rate you cited is waaaay slow for our group. We regularly gain on, and play through, foursomes in carts.)

 

[Kellfire]

140 yards takes 90 seconds to walk? Haha. Would not wanna get stuck behind that group!

 

[TheJezster]

Every person is different, every person has a different sense of spacial awareness than the next person. For this very reason alone, we cannot simply 'expect' someone to 'get it' and keep clear of trouble.

Life doesnt work like that, humanity doesnt work like that.

Some people, regardless of how often you might tell them, will need telling, or asking to get out of your line of play. It's really that simple. Doesnt mean they are being disrespectful or showing poor etiquette, they just dont realise. These people will need to be asked.

Dont feel like you should be above asking anyone to move, it's perfectly acceptable to ask someone to do so and wont take any time at all.

Hopefully this wont spoil your enjoyment on the course

 

[backwoodsman]

140 yards takes 90 seconds to walk? Haha. Would not wanna get stuck behind that group!

140 yards in 90 seconds is bang on average walking pace - which is about 3.1 miles per hour. Up the pace by a third to about 4mph (which is a bloomin' quick walking pace) and you could get it down to about 75 seconds. But most golfers dont walk at average pace.

 

[duncan mackie]

... But it's still been illuminating the extremes some people posting here have tried, to justify how being in a player's direct shot line is somehow excusable or the player's fault -- when it's simply unsafe and poor etiquette...

I don't think anyone believes differently to this view, or has tried to justify such on this thread.

 

[Deleted member 18121]

I'll echo others.....if I'm not interfering with your line of shot within a tolerance (as mentioned 20 yards either side is acceptable) then I have no issue with me or others walking forwards to their ball to prepare for next shot.

 

[clubchamp98]

I'm with bluewolf on this, walk ahead to my ball as long as I'm not interfering with anyone elses shot. I will generally give a wider berth on the 'shank' side of anyone further back though!

That just shows you are thinking about it.
Sadly not everybody has this attitude to others.

 

[Skip Surf]

...Dont feel like you should be above asking anyone to move, it's perfectly acceptable to ask someone to do so and wont take any time at all.

Hopefully this wont spoil your enjoyment on the course

Oh, I don't feel like I'm above anyone -- hey, I'm playing *golf*, one of the most deviously humbling pursuits in life.

I do appreciate the tenor of your response, and of others here. And accept that my interpretation of etiquette will be different from others. Doesn't mean I have to like it, but I'll accept it and move forward. Verrrry cautiously...

 

[Orikoru]

This might sound drastic, but have you tried having a conservation with them?

If I'm about to take a shot and someone is in my line of sight to where I'm playing to, I shout and wave my hand to the side indicating what side they should move. I've never really had to do that more than once in a round because usually people aren't that stupid, they might do it once by accident, say. But if someone was in the way two or three times I'd probably chat to them on the next tee, jokingly ask them if they have a death wish, and see if I can get them to pay attention to where they're standing. And if they're still in the way after that then they really do have a death wish.

On a side note, I'm also in the camp that says it's ok to walk to your ball if you're on the opposite side of the fairway, or if they're in the middle and I'm in the rough (more common) and so on - you can use common sense to determine that you're not likely to get hit. I can't say I've ever played with people silly enough to directly walk in front of play as described here though! I'm wondering why they're not worried about their own safety above anything else.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I fully get the Ops concerns - just think he has to be more blunt with those he plays with who stray within what most here recognise as being far enough to the side of the line of play and line and field of vision of the player about to play.

I'll admit that once - maybe twice - most rounds I will get pulled up for straying into field of vision of player behind me as I walk forward to be ready to play. But that's right and OK. Sometimes I walk forward and lose track of exactly where I am relative to players still to play from behind me. And the aforementioned applies to the others in my Saturday 4 balls. If I did it regularly hole after hole then I suspect I would be pulled up for it more seriously by my PPs.

And sometimes if circumstances allow - or indeed demand for ready golf - one or two of us who have played to the green will walk forward to the green and stand to the side of the green waiting for others to play their approach shot. And that is understood as acceptable as long as we do it with consideration for and acceptance by those still to play.

 

[williamalex1]

Like Wolf, I've read every post on this thread with mounting disbelief at the OP's attitiude; and it occured to me a possibility that we have someone from the USA. Is that you Donald?

More like Cabby

 

[cliveb]

Every person is different, every person has a different sense of spacial awareness than the next person. For this very reason alone, we cannot simply 'expect' someone to 'get it' and keep clear of trouble.

+1

There's a chap at my club who in all other respects is a great guy, but has exteme issues about where other players are standing.
It's a running joke in the club that if you're playing with him, you'll have trouble finding anywhere to stand that doesn't upset him.
But he is always polite when he asks you to move.

Maybe the OP is a bit similar - one of those people who gets distracted more easily than most.
Like the chap at my club, all he needs to do is politely ask them to move.

 

[Skip Surf]

I've reconsidered this. For a couple of you, I may just laser a few your way. (I'm fairly accurate with a knockdown 5, not 'easily distracted' at all) Then *you* can determine whether you've advanced too far in shot line, instead of depending on courtesy of others...

 

[Slab]

I'm a solid 6 handicap, and don't play slowly; no practice swings, about 15 seconds over each shot. And since I normally walk, I'm also fast to my ball But I've encountered an increasing tendency of other players to edge forward while I'm hitting, or even to walk or ride ahead to their balls when they've got a shot beyond mine, many times just a few degrees off my shot line. It's dangerous, distracting, and oftentimes has a detrimental effect on my shot. Besides lasering one into the offenders, how can I convey the message to stay in shot order?

Usually someone will try the line that they're only trying to get to their balls to improve pace of play. But if the result is errant shots, we're losing time anyway. Any suggestions are appreciated.

I don't really think I'm adding anything new here but in my opinion;

The occasions when they encroach forward and are on or very near to your line, you'll need to point out to them to move (if a once off error its no big deal, if repeated by same individual it'll likely sink in after you raise the issue once or twice)
The occasions they advance when not on/near your line but still in sight probably don't affect you that much but its not very clear from your post whether that's the case or if instances of anyone moving forward of your ball (even offline but in sight) is still an issue for you
The former is a non-issue so doesn't require any opinion and for the latter its something you might have to adjust to because it will help pace, just as they said, and providing they're not performing some disco moves as a distraction then they are to be regarded as simply part of the landscape