Walking off the course - right or wrong?

[stefanovic]

What do you a call a guy who is marking your card and walks off at half way?
Happened a couple of times to me.

 

[Curls]

What do you a call a guy who is marking your card and walks off at half way?
Happened a couple of times to me.

Irrelevant, as long as someone else can mark it for you. If they can’t, I’d say that person is an infraction.

 

[SteveJay]

Have never walked off but don't follow all the comments about it being disrespectful or rude to playing partners (unless its a 2 ball!). As long as there is someone else to mark the score I can't see how it affects the other 2 or 3.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Cut yourself some slack, no big deal in the big scheme of things. If I arrived with 35 minutes to go I wouldn’t know what to do with myself

35 minutes isn't quite enough for a bacon buttie, order, eat, have it settle, so it would be tea or coffee only ?. I'm either there an hour before, for above, or 15 minutes before. Warm up ??‍, not sure what that's about ?.

Back to the question, if there is someone left to mark cards then I couldn't give a hoot if someone wants to walk off. Doesn't bother me at all. I've only done it once, back problem meant it was too painful to carry on.

 

[davidy233]

As long as one of the people you leave is willing to tend the flag then there's no harm

 

[MadAdey]

Over the last 30 years I have walked off in a comp a few times. If the weather is that terrible and you are having a shocking round I wouldn't hate you for doing that.

 

[MadAdey]

Sometimes for the sake of your playing partners it is best for you to walk off. I am sure we've all played where by the 9th you are fed up with letting groups through because your searching for someones ball on every hole.

 

[SaintHacker]

I've walked off once through illness, and given up once halfwway round. Had a bad dose of the shermans it was painful, and it was affecting my pp's constantly waiting for me to find balls, reload etc, so I just tore my card up and walked round, tended flags etc so the other lads could enjoy their game

 

[Junior]

If it’s a competition , unless it’s through injury then I don’t think someone should walk off if they are playing badly. Maybe a playing partner is having a good game and now has to wait on every shot as they are a two ball in a field of 3’s.

 

[Billysboots]

If it’s a competition , unless it’s through injury then I don’t think someone should walk off if they are playing badly. Maybe a playing partner is having a good game and now has to wait on every shot as they are a two ball in a field of 3’s.

Agreed. Playing a competition I have always been of the view that it’s not just about me. There are playing partners to consider. As I’ve said previously, if I’m absolutely slapping it round and having an utterly miserable time, I will continue my round but defer to playing partners on tees and greens, to allow them to continue to try and compete but without me and my mood impacting on them.

That’s just good etiquette in my opinion although I respect the fact that others view things differently.

 

[JonnyGutteridge]

I think everyone gets a few free passes for this. Not too often.

I’ve had a nightmare before in a medal before, had to run back to the tee for my 5th shot on the very 1st hole, head and swing went and I apologised, as it was a very destructive round of golf they understood...

 

[Smiffy]

I've walked off three times over the years.
Once through bad weather, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
Once through pace of play. 36 hole medal at Princes. Glaciers have been measured to move quicker than we were that day. Walked off half way through second round when it became evident we weren't going to finish in daylight. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
Once through playing like a plank. 2 points after 5 holes and proceeded to top two tee shots into a ravine. Bye lads, I'm offski.
Got a right rollocking the following meeting..... would think twice about doing that again.

 

[sawtooth]

We give players a 2 match ban for walking off without good reason so it keeps this thing down to a minimum ie injury, illness, emergency at home etc.

Walking off because your having a bad day on the course is not a good reason. I personally would not do it, a lot of people give their voluntary time to organise comps so it's a little disrespectful IMO. Its also a pain to manage card marking etc especially if a lot of people did it.

 

[Orikoru]

I don't think I've ever walked off in a comp. But then I wouldn't even enter if there was a chance of terrible weather or what-have-you. Even if I'm having a stinker I eventually get to the point where I'm past the point of no return score-wise and then I can just laugh it off, keep hacking round and pick the ball up as-and-when to not hold up the rest of my group.

I've had others walk off before, but always when there is another player able to mark my card so it's not really a problem. It's up to them, golf can be a long old round if you're not enjoying it so I don't begrudge anyone choosing how they spend their time. If two people walked off and I was left on my own then I'd be a bit annoyed, because I imagine it would be a faff trying to catch the previous group or wait for the next one, and mess up their round as well by having to join them so someone can mark your card. So by walking off then you could be affecting up to 5 other people.

 

[chrisd]

I've walked off three times over the years.
Once through bad weather, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
.

Would that be the Cooden meet when the rain fell and we'd wished we had built an ark?

 

[rudebhoy]

Am I right in thinking the penalty for walking off in a comp is a lot more severe now we have WHS?

In the past, you could walk off, NR, and get an 0.1 increase.

Are you not likely to get a much bigger increase as every hole you don't score on is treated as a double bogey?

Or am I fundamentally misunderstanding WHS?

 

[Orikoru]

Am I right in thinking the penalty for walking off in a comp is a lot more severe now we have WHS?

In the past, you could walk off, NR, and get an 0.1 increase.

Are you not likely to get a much bigger increase as every hole you don't score on is treated as a double bogey?

Or am I fundamentally misunderstanding WHS?

You're right in the sense that it treats every NRed hole as a net double, so it could in theory record a huge score for you. But also that round would never be one of your best 8 rounds, so it probably won't count for anything really.

 

[The Dog.]

Have never walked off but don't follow all the comments about it being disrespectful or rude to playing partners (unless its a 2 ball!). As long as there is someone else to mark the score I can't see how it affects the other 2 or 3.

It is childish, selfish and bad manners. Having said that, I am only talking about walking off because you are having a rotten round. As I said previously, bad weather is different. As is the point made above about slow play - this would certainly tempt me to depart. We played in the Mizuno pairs at Alwoodley last summer and it was so slow that I would have loved to pack in and go to the clubhouse. At one par 3, there were 4 x 4 balls waiting to tee off. Purgatory. However, it was a pairs event and I owed it to my partner to stay and we ended up coming second.

 

[garyinderry]

No problems with anyone heading off if they aren't enjoying it.

A fella left after 9 holes of a 36 hole scratch cup one time after completely hacking it for 9 holes. He said I could spend the day walking the dog and taking my daughter out. We had a good day and I assume his improved.

 

[Deleted member 21258]

I you walk off, your are a right old knob

I have done it once, head not in the right place

Hope you are keeping well Nick, good to see you around still and playing golf