Solo player behind you. What do you do?

SwingsitlikeHogan

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Thanks folks. Glad I seem to be in the majority of those who thinks this is a daft thread.

Got up the notion of a round today after chucking the clubs in the cupboard for the past few weeks only to be stopped after one hole after 3 members went for option d.

You could just have caught them on the third tee and asked to be let through. I usually give groups a few holes to spot me and realise what they have to do...and for them to then explain the rights of the matter to the individual in the group who doesn't want to let you through.
 

SwingsitlikeHogan

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No group (irrespective of the number within that group) has the God given right to be called through if they are quicker or smaller than the group in front. Each case has to be judged on it's own merits depending on the situation on the course. In most cases it would be appropriate to call the single guy through but not always. Always the option to ask him/her to join you though if you are not playing in a competition etc. :thup:

Really? Quoting from @FD's post earlier

Priority on the Course
Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, priority on the course is determined by a group’s pace of play. Any group playing a whole round is entitled to pass a group playing a shorter round. The term “group” includes a single player.
 
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Really? Quoting from @FD's post earlier

Priority on the Course
Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, priority on the course is determined by a group’s pace of play. Any group playing a whole round is entitled to pass a group playing a shorter round. The term “group” includes a single player.

I'm not disputing that but calling a group through isn't automatically the right thing to do, common sense needs to prevail.
 

Green Bay Hacker

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About three years ago I was having a knock on my own as a green fee at a local club. Played three holes and then caught up a group of four ladies. Waited behind as they played four and five and as I was putting out on five one of the group approached me and said 'sorry, we can't let you through as we have an afternoon tea appointment at 4.30'. With that they walked off down the sixth.

I played two balls on six and then cut across to ten as the course was empty and came back to play seven - nine at the end of the round. The ladies in question were still on hole thirteen when I finished. Reported this conversation to the pro afterwards and he instantly knew who it was, the mother of an ex England rugby union captain, who had history for that sort of thing.
 

Coffey

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Tell me this, what would you do in this situation:

Myself and my 3 mates were playing an open comp one evening earlier in the summer. We tee'd off about 5.30/5.45 and was due to get dark around 9.30ish. When in the pro shop, we asked the pro if there was anyone out after/before us, he said the tee sheet was completely empty.

We got through the front 9 pretty easily, let two guys in a buggy through. Then on 11, from nowhere, groups started appearing behind us, we let a group of youngsters through who were just playing a knock about and they mentioned there were another two groups behind them (another of which was in a buggy). Now these groups were not behind us previously, as you can see previous holes as you go round, the only place they could have came from was starting on the 10th. We were now starting to race the light a bit and were a bit concerned about holding them up but at the same time, we paid to play in the comp and they started on the back 9.

Would you have let the other two groups through who started on the 10th? or would you have continued?

Luckily for us, they skipped across at 10 and went onto the front 9 as they disappeared.
 
D

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Tell me this, what would you do in this situation:

Myself and my 3 mates were playing an open comp one evening earlier in the summer. We tee'd off about 5.30/5.45 and was due to get dark around 9.30ish. When in the pro shop, we asked the pro if there was anyone out after/before us, he said the tee sheet was completely empty.

We got through the front 9 pretty easily, let two guys in a buggy through. Then on 11, from nowhere, groups started appearing behind us, we let a group of youngsters through who were just playing a knock about and they mentioned there were another two groups behind them (another of which was in a buggy). Now these groups were not behind us previously, as you can see previous holes as you go round, the only place they could have came from was starting on the 10th. We were now starting to race the light a bit and were a bit concerned about holding them up but at the same time, we paid to play in the comp and they started on the back 9.

Would you have let the other two groups through who started on the 10th? or would you have continued?

Luckily for us, they skipped across at 10 and went onto the front 9 as they disappeared.

In this situation I would not have let them through as you were in a competition and struggling to finish.
 

Robster59

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Thanks folks. Glad I seem to be in the majority of those who thinks this is a daft thread.

Got up the notion of a round today after chucking the clubs in the cupboard for the past few weeks only to be stopped after one hole after 3 members went for option d.
Sorry to hear you had this problem. It shouldn't happen at ours or any course if you are being held up. Unfortunately it's happened to me as well. For myself, I would go for B then A but as has been seen on this thread there are still people who believe single players have no standing despite that rule being changed in (I think) 2008.
The only other option is to ask to be let through. It can be tricky I know but sometimes it works.
 
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Going out as a single on a busy course is not a great idea, the game is full of grumpy old blokes who wouldnt dream of letting anyone through even if they were the only other group on the course.
 
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If you were in a queue of 10 people at a supermarket checkout all with full trollies and a guy joined behind you with half a trolley, would you call him through? Probably not. But if you were the only person in the queue and the guy behind only had 1 item then you probably would invite him to go ahead of you?

In most cases you would call a faster group through but it's not automatically the right thing to do.
 

clubchamp98

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If you were in a queue of 10 people at a supermarket checkout all with full trollies and a guy joined behind you with half a trolley, would you call him through? Probably not. But if you were the only person in the queue and the guy behind only had 1 item then you probably would invite him to go ahead of you?

In most cases you would call a faster group through but it's not automatically the right thing to do.
This is correct.
I play alone at times if I want to practice a certain shot or my driving.
I have never asked to play through anyone ever!
I would just move to another hole so I don't spoil their round.
Or just slow down and stay away from them.

Imo anyone starting on 10th should have no standing anyway over a game who have played the front nine.

If they offer to let me through that's fine , if they don't no problem.

everyones in a rush now , but if you have been to work and just want a quick nine I can see the frustration of some ,if they won't let you go.
 

Coffey

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This is correct.
I play alone at times if I want to practice a certain shot or my driving.
I have never asked to play through anyone ever!
I would just move to another hole so I don't spoil their round.
Or just slow down and stay away from them.

Imo anyone starting on 10th should have no standing anyway over a game who have played the front nine.

If they offer to let me through that's fine , if they don't no problem.

everyones in a rush now , but if you have been to work and just want a quick nine I can see the frustration of some ,if they won't let you go.

I am exactly the same, when out on my own, I make sure I do not catch anyone and put pressure on them. I stay back and let them enjoy their round.

I was on holiday a few weeks ago and decided to have a round at the hotel course by myself. Went out behind two 2 balls. The first two ball was very very slow and let the 2nd 2 ball through on the 3rd hole, yet for some reason they didn't let me through. I couldn't help but stay close behind them as there was another 2 ball right behind me, who were on the tee every time I tee'd off. I looked back and there were queues of groups stuck behind these two.

Absolutely no idea why they didn't let me through, maybe it was the fact I was a solo player. I managed to skip past them on the 10th as they stopped at the half way house and I continued on through. I wasn't annoyed at them as such as it was a lovely day and I was enjoying the golf, just confused as to why they let the other two ball through and not me.
 

GB72

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I am the same as others, if I am out on my own and want to stay that way to practice then I hang back from the group in front. As with others, if I had a solo golfer playing behind then I would ask him/her to join the group of play them through. This seemed quite alien at my old club where the standard practice when you saw a lone golfer approaching would be to rush your tee shot then hurry off down the fairway as quickly as possible so as not to have to make any form of contact.
 

SwingsitlikeHogan

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It is if they're playing faster than your group. I take it that's the common sense you talk about.

Agree. The 'common sense' is that of the judgement of the group that has caught up and should be asked if they want to play through - and not for the group that has been caught to decide on their behalf.

If it is obvious that the course is chocka in front then they might choose to not accept the offer, but if I am in a two-ball and I catch a load of four balls - it is up to me to decide if I want to go through the hassle of playing through and then probably through the rest of the 4s - or if I am happy just for us to take my time and hang behind the 4s.

Besides - if you play through properly, the group letting you through need not have their progress delayed at that point by much more than 5 minutes.
 
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Tashyboy

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Let a delightful young lady through today. I had a right good natter with her. She cleans her balls in the dishwasher. Not with her " best pots" though 😁
 

Tashyboy

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Did you tell her your's were pink :D

She was playing with a pink ball, I told her Baghead plays with them. She laughed and I told her the story of my unfortunate accident. That when she told me where she washes her balls. 😁
 
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