Selfish and arrogant

[Coreservers]

Today I turned up at Pytchley, looknig forward to a 09:40 tee time, having had a lovely round yesterday with a genuine 3 at the 155 yard 5th. 3 older guys turned up around 09:33, paid and headed for the 1st tee. I thought they must be running late for their 09:30. So headed up to the tee around 09:38. giving them enough time to get set off. maybe play through them on the 2nd. To my dismay the 3 had become 5, and they were standing chatting... I went back to the clubhouse. and reported in. stating i was now late for my tee time, and there was a 5 ball in front. So headed back to the tee. and they were still nattering i think 2 had tee'ed off. one was standing over a ball.
I asked if they would mind, me getting started and was told. sorry we're playing together. and was made decidedly unwelcome. So Back to the clubhouse. Who in fairness looked very embarrased, but as no tee times available, and mine now 15 minutes late ( the next tee time folks were behind me complaining also) . I had to admit defeat and give up for today.
The club in their favour. have refunded me and given me a free round early Tuesday morning.
The lady at reception did get on a walkie talkie, i presume asking for them to be removed.. but why turn up and behave like that. It's usually lovely and relaxed.

 

[peld]

why did you not just ask what time they were off and ask to go ahead when you got to the tee at 9.33?

EDIT I would also add, and I play quite a bit on my own (but usually late in the evening), a single at 9.40am is asking for trouble............

 

[Coreservers]

Ah so my fault then? I didnt get to the tee at 09:33 i walked up at 09:38. adn at Pytchley you take what time you can get.. See retired folks forget, i work so have to take rounds when i can get them, they can turn up whenever. But thanks for pointing out their attitude is my fault.

 

[peld]

Ah so my fault then? I didnt get to the tee at 09:33 i walked up at 09:38. adn at Pytchley you take what time you can get.. See retired folks forget, i work so have to take rounds when i can get them, they can turn up whenever. But thanks for pointing out their attitude is my fault.

Absolutely not your fault, and they sound like d*cks, but it sounds like you could have avoided the hassle and just going ahead of them at the first opportunity.

 

[Canary_Yellow]

Ah so my fault then? I didnt get to the tee at 09:33 i walked up at 09:38. adn at Pytchley you take what time you can get.. See retired folks forget, i work so have to take rounds when i can get them, they can turn up whenever. But thanks for pointing out their attitude is my fault.

This is pretty poor from the club and the people that jumped your tee time. If it's that busy, they should have someone on the tee in the role of a starter.

As a general rule, I'd recommend being at the first tee at the time of the tee slot before yours (e.g. 9:32 in this case assuming an 8 min gap). That way you are ready to go at your time and if anyone else turns up, you can check their tee time then and make sure no-one takes your spot. If everyone is running late, that's not your problem, that's for the club to deal with. If it's the case that people are trying to push in, well you can tell them you're next off and they'll have to wait.

 

[Humpy]

I have to say, I agree with what Peld is saying (and I can't see anywhere where Peld is saying it was your fault).

I would be asking what tee time(s) they have and make them aware that you had 9:40. And that the group behind you were also waiting. Suspect they either had only 1 tee time booked (9:30) but thought that they would squeeze another one in as there were 5 of them. Or they had no tee times booked at all but just brazenly turned up expecting no-one to challenge them.

One question, why didn't you just tee off after them and hope to be let through? Appreciate that you may have time constraints so may not have had time to be stuck behind them but you could have played the majority of a round and then gone into the clubhouse to air your views.

 

[Orikoru]

They shouldn't be playing as a 5-ball at all for a start. You didn't do anything wrong, but personally I probably wouldn't have gone back to the clubhouse a second time, I'd have just teed off directly after them and expect them to let me through at some point. If a five-ball can't let a one-ball play through then the game's dead. ? Or if they didn't then I'd just phone the pro shop and grass them up for playing as a five-ball as well as not letting me through, then hopefully they would send someone out.

 

[Canary_Yellow]

They shouldn't be playing as a 5-ball at all for a start. You didn't do anything wrong, but personally I probably wouldn't have gone back to the clubhouse a second time, I'd have just teed off directly after them and expect them to let me through at some point. If a five-ball can't let a one-ball play through then the game's dead. ? Or if they didn't then I'd just phone the pro shop and grass them up for playing as a five-ball as well as not letting me through, then hopefully they would send someone out.

As you say Orikoru, and as Humpy says too, the OP should have just teed off at the first available time and left the club to sort out whoever has caused the problem. It's the club's problem to deal with rather than the OP's.

However, I can understand how as someone new to golf they might lack the confidence to take this approach, and it's not made easier by being a 1 ball in a prime tee slot.

 

[Curls]

I visited a club last week as a single and was behind a 4 ball on the 1st tee. Like the OP I decided to wait my turn and not skip the queue. I had hoped they’d swap with me but figured I’d play through them soon enough. It wasn’t busy, I had been there a while and only a few groups went out in the hour beforehand. Off they went and I waited as you can imagine on every shot.

The layout is odd so they next time I stood next to them was as they teed off on 4. All ignored me. Mmm. When this happened again on 5 I was standing next to their bags as they came down from the tee. They all broke their necks avoiding looking at me. I said “lads I’m just going to walk ahead of ye and skip this hole if you don’t mind it’s pretty slow as a single behind 4”. To which one said “we’ll that’s the trouble when you play on your own”.

Nice.

The best thing was 3 of the 4 sprayed their drives onto an adjacent fairway and had to wait for the group playing up. So I had walked the hole, tee’d off on the next and taken my approach before they reached the green.

I proceeded to play a nice pace, went through two very nice two balls and finished my round in the light. On 16 I saw them on 9. That would have been me behind them because I had the audacity to visit their club alone.

Sometimes there’s circumstance. Some people are just pigs. Better off missing a hole than being frustrated behind them.

 

[Coreservers]

I am not a con fident player or peson, just enjoying learning the game. So teeing off directly, risking hitting one of them. is not in my arsenal.
Every round ive played there has been great fun, having a laugh with other players, played through groups, even joined in a father and daughter group (her 1st ever round). But they were intimidating, i do suspect some rougues, and at 09:33, i was relaxing with one of Pytchlet's lovely flat white coffee's.
The club were great, refunding anf giving me a round at 08:30 tuesday.
Yesterday i teed off at 11:40. a real peak time, and had no problems whatsoever. hit a drive near a guy searching for his ball in the rough, just happens my ball landed near his and he found it lol..
I just dont get why these guys come along with attitude.

 

[Orikoru]

I am not a con fident player or peson, just enjoying learning the game. So teeing off directly, risking hitting one of them. is not in my arsenal.
Every round ive played there has been great fun, having a laugh with other players, played through groups, even joined in a father and daughter group (her 1st ever round). But they were intimidating, i do suspect some rougues, and at 09:33, i was relaxing with one of Pytchlet's lovely flat white coffee's.
The club were great, refunding anf giving me a round at 08:30 tuesday.
Yesterday i teed off at 11:40. a real peak time, and had no problems whatsoever. hit a drive near a guy searching for his ball in the rough, just happens my ball landed near his and he found it lol..
I just dont get why these guys come along with attitude.

I definitely didn't mean tee off immediately while they were still in range! I just meant play after them, if all the tee times are late then that's their fault not yours.

 

[harpo_72]

I visited a club last week as a single and was behind a 4 ball on the 1st tee. Like the OP I decided to wait my turn and not skip the queue. I had hoped they’d swap with me but figured I’d play through them soon enough. It wasn’t busy, I had been there a while and only a few groups went out in the hour beforehand. Off they went and I waited as you can imagine on every shot.

The layout is odd so they next time I stood next to them was as they teed off on 4. All ignored me. Mmm. When this happened again on 5 I was standing next to their bags as they came down from the tee. They all broke their necks avoiding looking at me. I said “lads I’m just going to walk ahead of ye and skip this hole if you don’t mind it’s pretty slow as a single behind 4”. To which one said “we’ll that’s the trouble when you play on your own”.

Nice.

The best thing was 3 of the 4 sprayed their drives onto an adjacent fairway and had to wait for the group playing up. So I had walked the hole, tee’d off on the next and taken my approach before they reached the green.

I proceeded to play a nice pace, went through two very nice two balls and finished my round in the light. On 16 I saw them on 9. That would have been me behind them because I had the audacity to visit their club alone.

Sometimes there’s circumstance. Some people are just pigs. Better off missing a hole than being frustrated behind them.

Sounds like you opted for the path of least resistance, but should we not name and shame clubs? I know it’s tarring every one with the same brush, but we need to eradicate this behaviour from the game and it can only be done by the membership. So if they get told their club is full of ignorant plebs they might choose to have a word with them to change the perception…
I play as a single, I am happy to join up , but you should get out of my way as per the regulations… passing obnoxious comments is unacceptable as well … because I will complain in the pro shop and I would also ask for my green fee back plus make a social media post about them ?.. under my wife’s name ( cos i am well brave!)

 

[Robster59]

I think the club were remiss in this, which is why you got a refund and a free round. They should have been managing the tee area and ensuring that people were teeing off on time and nobody was playing in a 5 ball. Most golfers are aware and try to keep pace and be courteous but, like in every sport and form of life, there are always knobs who think they have the right to do whatever they like, irrespective of rules, etiquette, and just plain common decency and courtesy.
The only suggestion I would make is at the time, you should have made it very clear to the club what was happening so they could address it. This is not blaming you at all, but something to bear in mind for the future. As a (relative) newbie to the game, it can feel intimidating in these situations.
Keep enjoying the golf and don't let people like these put you off this great game.

 

[Sats]

wait until they tee'd off and send a stinger at them after they've walked 100 yards

Tbf it's very bad form for a four ball not to let you through as it would do nothing to their round if they did. Club have compensated you but they seem to me as if they can't challenge anything.

 

[Slab]

wait until they tee'd off and send a stinger at them after they've walked 100 yards

Tbf it's very bad form for a four ball not to let you through as it would do nothing to their round if they did. Club have compensated you but they seem to me as if they can't challenge anything.

But here’s something to give your swing the wobbles…

So the OP has the tee time, he’s asked the group of 5 to play ahead as he has the 9;40 tee time and is declined (with attitude) & OP is back to the pro-shop to report
Staff member listens, comes out and halts the 5-ball as they’re about to head down the fairway explaining that the OP has the tee and will be going ahead of you 5

Staff member turns to OP and says there you go sir, all sorted you can tee off now…

 

[sunshine]

I definitely didn't mean tee off immediately while they were still in range! I just meant play after them, if all the tee times are late then that's their fault not yours.

I remember... a long long time ago... being in this situation and I just teed off and drove the ball over their heads. The group was standing in the middle of the fairway 200 yards up, but I was so confident in those days that I would carry it 250+. Obviously I'd never do that now, I just wish I had the confidence and consistent ball striking, even if it means being a bell end

 

[Orikoru]

I remember... a long long time ago... being in this situation and I just teed off and drove the ball over their heads. The group was standing in the middle of the fairway 200 yards up, but I was so confident in those days that I would carry it 250+. Obviously I'd never do that now, I just wish I had the confidence and consistent ball striking, even if it means being a bell end

Wow. I bet they were impressed..

 

[Deleted member 1147]

But here’s something to give your swing the wobbles…

So the OP has the tee time, he’s asked the group of 5 to play ahead as he has the 9;40 tee time and is declined (with attitude) & OP is back to the pro-shop to report
Staff member listens, comes out and halts the 5-ball as they’re about to head down the fairway explaining that the OP has the tee and will be going ahead of you 5

Staff member turns to OP and says there you go sir, all sorted you can tee off now…

Wouldn't it be great though to top it, and then play about 5 shots before you are out of range, just to piss them off

 

[GreiginFife]

Wouldn't it be great though to top it, and then play about 5 shots before you are out of range, just to piss them off

I’d go out of my way to chunk it off the tee and get them proper wound up.

 

[Swango1980]

The whole "not letting a single player through" and potentially being late for their own tee time is a problem in itself. And, others have had similar nasty experiences it seems, where some golfers are clearly selfish and arrogant as the thread title suggests.

However, the key thing in this specific case must be they were playing in a FIVE ball. I know it happens, but I suspect it typically happens at poorly managed, less respected golf clubs. Especially when they've the audacity to tee off the 1st as a 5 ball, rather than sneakily joining up as a 5 ball mid way through the round. I can imagined at courses that are better managed and more respected, golfers wouldn't dare to play in a 5 ball. Even if they had no respect for others, the fear of being challenged by members or club staff would hang over their head. If this happened to me on my 1st visit to a club, it doesn't really how nice the place may seem, I'd hold an extremely negative view of it and would not be likely to return. At least you let the staff know, at least it gives them an opportunity to act.