Wastes time! It is up to the player not to start his or her swing while the caddie is standing behind the line of play.
Rule 14-2b only applies to playing partners and caddies. Otherwise not standing directly behind the line of play is just a matter of etiquette, and the player can either ignore it, or ask the opponent or fellow competitor to move.
This issue came up in the 'Where should you stand on the tee' thread in 'The Lounge' forum.
Club players can get the impression that playing golf at a snail's pace is perfectly acceptable from watching televised pro golf tournaments. This was obviously the case at our club this morning, when it took 2 1/2 hours to play 9 holes. And you couldn't blame the seniors for this, because very few of them play at weekends!
What seems to happen on the pro tours is that players amble down the fairway without apparently giving any thought to how and with what club they are going to play their next shot. When they get there, there is a five minute discussion with their caddies, during which time time yardages are paced out and much grass is thrown into the air to gauge the wind speed and direction. Eventually a consensus is reached as to which club is to be used. Then a number of practice swings followed by the lining up and the getting off the line ritual by the caddie. There are a few exceptions, such as Colin Montgomerie and John Daly, who seem to like to get a move on, but they get held up by all the others in front of them. As to lining up itself, as an amateur club golfer I hardly ever play with a caddie, so I have to line myself up. Why can't this be the same for the pros?
