Was I reasonable...?

[North Mimms]

It's fine to decline a play through offer if you are happy with the pace of play - as Barry was originally. I can understand him them getting miffed when it slowed right down.
But he caught the chaps up again on the 8th tee and had the opportunity to ask then if he could go through. Why not?

And i think it was out of order to complain - however politely afterwards.
Yes, i get really irritated by overuse of the practice swing, and maybe if I had been playing WITH these slow guys, I might have mentioned it over a drink afterwards. But I wouldn't seek someone out in the car park to comment on it.

Play like this is the norm on a lot of munis. When my OH took up golf, he got up at 6.30 to drive to Brent Valley, queue for over an hour to get on the tee, and then it took a minimum of 5 hours to get round.
By the time he had a drink afterwards, that was the entire day gone!

 

[Whee]

In hindsight, I know I should have let them play me through, but is it now time - finally - for the R&A to agree some kind of rules enforcement to do something about slow play.

I've quoted the bit that raised my eyebrows the most.

The fact that you CHOSE to wait behind an older two-ball, after they had courteously invited you to play through - means it is now time, finally, for the R&A to act on slow play. That's it for you is it? The straw that broke the camel's back is two old fella's letting you play through, then getting an earful when you wrongfully declined.

It doesn't matter how politely you advised them or tried to educate them, you were bang out of order.

On a side note, what penalties should be imposed? If someone is only playing socially, as these two gentlemen seem to have been doing, they're not going to care if they're penalised by a stroke a hole if it's not completed quickly enough.

Quite surprised by your reaction to this (given your normal attitude in posts), I understand you probably did what you thought was right at the time, but just read your first post again and imagine it was someone else's account of their weekend round.

 

[bozza]

So your basically playing a muni type course and complaining. Join a proper club man. Get involved with the social side. Golf is more than turn up play, then get in car and go home. Who know you may even find a group to play with. Then you will not be "Billy no mates" on the course.

So a municipal course isn't a proper golf club?

I'm a member of a muni club and you get just the same amount of slow play as you do on the private courses.

 

[19thagain]

I was drawn to play with a old guy in our three ball who had a lot of the traits Barrie refers to. By the fourth hole I was losing a bit of interest BUT as we walked down the next fairway ho confided in me how he had been an 8 handicap golfer - just three years before and had taken a stroke that left his coordination, amongst other things, impaired - but it was coming back.

I watch with awe as he hit the ball 80 yards and though how, lying in his hospital bed, this would be a target for him to aim at.

He is now a hero of mine as I watch him fight the fight.

Don't judge too quickly when you do not know the history!

 

[sydney greenstreet]

I was drawn to play with a old guy in our three ball who had a lot of the traits Barrie refers to. By the fourth hole I was losing a bit of interest BUT as we walked down the next fairway ho confided in me how he had been an 8 handicap golfer - just three years before and had taken a stroke that left his coordination, amongst other things, impaired - but it was coming back.

I watch with awe as he hit the ball 80 yards and though how, lying in his hospital bed, this would be a target for him to aim at.

He is now a hero of mine as I watch him fight the fight.

Don't judge too quickly when you do not know the history!

Nice story, just goes to show that we should not jump to conclusions. I think patience is a virtue some on here are lacking.

 

[jp5]

They offered you the chance to play through and you declined. I really don't think you have any ground to stand on to complain about their slow play, and even less to have a go at them for it.

 

[rosecott]

Regardless, I do not take 4 practice swings on each shot - and I don't see that anyone else needs to either.

Personally I don't take a practise swing - once I have warmed up before the first tee shot of the day, I don't feel the need for a practise swing. I don't see that anyone else, including you, needs to either.

 

[palindromicbob]

Specifically - now that you've got me onto it - I DO think that something should be done to separate the 'social' golfers from the 'sporty' golfers.
.

If by sporty you mean competative then I think you'll find this already exsists. It's called a medal. Very few "social" golfers I know would play in a stroke event but would run through you to get out for a stableford knowing they can pick up when things are going wrong.

If however you actually mean social (slow) and sporty (fast) then you'll never seperate it unless you join a club with a strict marshalling policy and these tend to be pricey.

 

[leaney]

By the sounds of it I think these guys were new to golf, judging by their scores. So maybe they have no idea about etiquette and you've probably done them a favour by letting them know about slow play.

 

[dog377]

You were on your own - you dont have any rights as far as being let through. When you are on your own you have to be prepared to jump around holes if you catch up or be discreetly patient. Even if you were behind two low handicappers as a single you would always catch them up but they don't have to let you through. As a single you should hang back or move to another hole if you catch up. You should not get up behind a match no matter how good or bad they are. You simply should keep out of the way. It's up to the single player to not get on the way. Learn the etiquette before you start spouting off.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

You were on your own - you dont have any rights as far as being let through. When you are on your own you have to be prepared to jump around holes if you catch up or be discreetly patient. Even if you were behind two low handicappers as a single you would always catch them up but they don't have to let you through. As a single you should hang back or move to another hole if you catch up. You should not get up behind a match no matter how good or bad they are. You simply should keep out of the way. It's up to the single player to not get on the way. Learn the etiquette before you start spouting off.

Poppycock.

A single player now has standing on the course. I often play solo rounds to work on my game or sometmes just to clear my head. If I catch other groups up I don't expect to be called through by diving right and if the course is rammed I won't even think of jumping holes. No where to go but there again I wouldn't have gone out in such circumstances and headed for the practice range.

In the OP the guy was invited through and would have gone on and done what you demanded and got out of the way. However by declining the invite the resultant delay were of his own making but it still doesn't change the fact he had every right to be there as a solo player

 

[dog377]

Poppycock.

A single player now has standing on the course. I often play solo rounds to work on my game or sometmes just to clear my head. If I catch other groups up I don't expect to be called through by diving right and if the course is rammed I won't even think of jumping holes. No where to go but there again I wouldn't have gone out in such circumstances and headed for the practice range.

In the OP the guy was invited through and would have gone on and done what you demanded and got out of the way. However by declining the invite the resultant delay were of his own making but it still doesn't change the fact he had every right to be there as a solo player

Yes he has a right to be there - I quite often play on my own. what I'm saying s that the single player should accomodate others and not expect special treatment.
Iif a couple of people were playing an important tie and a single player came up behind them that would be totally out of order. You should not expect to catcj up and play through as a single palyer.

 

[rosecott]

Learn the etiquette before you start spouting off.

Over to you - rule books are available, read section 1.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Yes he has a right to be there - I quite often play on my own. what I'm saying s that the single player should accomodate others and not expect special treatment.
Iif a couple of people were playing an important tie and a single player came up behind them that would be totally out of order. You should not expect to catcj up and play through as a single palyer.

Over to you - rule books are available, read section 1.

Page 20 should help you

 

[dog377]

Page 20 should help you

I said "etiquette" not "rules" - I know the rules

 

[Neddy]

As someone who plays on my own a fair bit, I think a common sense approach is required.

I don't venture onto golf courses by myself when i know it's going to be rammed full of 2/3/4 balls as I know i will just get in the way and spend half my time standing on tee boxes waiting which is hardly enjoyable anyway.

That said, I have paid my money and have as much right to be there as anyone else, so if i am catching a 2 ball at a rate of knots i would expect them to let me through the same way a 4 ball would let a 2 ball through.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Yes he has a right to be there - I quite often play on my own. what I'm saying s that the single player should accomodate others and not expect special treatment.
Iif a couple of people were playing an important tie and a single player came up behind them that would be totally out of order. You should not expect to catcj up and play through as a single palyer.

Over to you - rule books are available, read section 1.

I said "etiquette" not "rules" - I know the rules

Suggest you look at page 20 again and the section on priority on the course

 

[dog377]

Suggest you look at page 20 again and the section on priority on the course

At my club if you were playing a four ball and a lone player was catching up it would immediately be seen as bizarre "whos this guy?" "what's he doing out here on his own" etc etc. Lone play is for very early mornings and late evenings when the course is quiet. Lone play is a pastime not a sport. It's a nice way to spend an hour or two. There's no such thing as golf for one. There is no format of scoring which allows you to sign off your own card. If you don't get that then I'm wasting my breath.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Yes he has a right to be there - I quite often play on my own. what I'm saying s that the single player should accomodate others and not expect special treatment.
Iif a couple of people were playing an important tie and a single player came up behind them that would be totally out of order. You should not expect to catcj up and play through as a single palyer.

Over to you - rule books are available, read section 1.

I said "etiquette" not "rules" - I know the rules

At my club if you were playing a four ball and a lone player was catching up it would immediately be seen as bizarre "whos this guy?" "what's he doing out here on his own" etc etc. Lone play is for very early mornings and late evenings when the course is quiet. Lone play is a pastime not a sport. It's a nice way to spend an hour or two. There's no such thing as golf for one. There is no format of scoring which allows you to sign off your own card. If you don't get that then I'm wasting my breath.

I tend to agree and I did say in my initial reply if the course ws rammed and I had nowhere to go in terms of jumping ahead I wouldn't go out as a single player.

That said, there is now the provision for single players to be recognised although I do think we agree that they they need to have some savvy on whether it is wise to do so. However in the OP if he had gone through the remainder of the course was clear and so he wouldn't have impacted anyone else's game

 

[dog377]

I tend to agree and I did say in my initial reply if the course ws rammed and I had nowhere to go in terms of jumping ahead I wouldn't go out as a single player.

That said, there is now the provision for single players to be recognised although I do think we agree that they they need to have some savvy on whether it is wise to do so. However in the OP if he had gone through the remainder of the course was clear and so he wouldn't have impacted anyone else's game

I get you - yes we agree. Given that he had played up to them he should deffo of gone through when invited.

I'm lucky to be a member at a good club in the peaceful and relatively quiet north. I guess if you are pay and playing and you've paid then even if you're on your own you want to get on and play.