Watching Other People' Shot

[GB72]

What is the etiquette in watching other people's shots. I know that when on the tee I watch my playing partner's shots and try and get a line on any wayward ones and can normally find them pretty quickly.

Over the last few weeks, however, I have become really annoyed when the same courtesy is not shown and I ask is anyone got a line on it to get the reply 'Sorry was not watching'. Even more frustrating has been a couple of times when I have a blindd shot from behind a tree or in a gully which has gone up past where my partners are and I they have not even thought to look where it has gone. To me that is bad etiquette and slows up play (and cost me 2 balls at the weekend).

Am I being overly sensitive (after all it was me who put it in the bad spot in the first place) or is it common decency to watch where your playing partners' balls have gone.

 

[Aztecs27]

Am I being overly sensitive (after all it was me who put it in the bad spot in the first place) or is it common decency to watch where your playing partners' balls have gone.

This. I always try and keep an eye and get a line. It's proving more difficult though with my awful eye-sight!

 

[USER1999]

I don't watch ugly swings, so they are on their own.

Other than that I try to keep an eye open, to speed up play if nothing else.

If I am hitting blind, I will always ask the others to look out for it. It does no harm to ask.

 

[Spartacus]

I watch where the ball is going/gone, where I can, for others shots.

However, some people don't watch others taking shots as they feel they're putting pressure on them.

 

[User 105]

I almost always watch other players teeshots to get a line on the wayward ones. As you say it speeds up play, and if I know someone is hitting blind I'll try to 'spot' it for them.

I just think it's common courtesy that I'd expect others to do for me.

 

[JustOne]

Depends... if it's a friendly I'll watch where their ball goes

 

[TWM]

It's not always easy when you are playing from different sides of the fairway but I try to watch the tee shots.

 

[Fyldewhite]

I usually try to watch on the tee but don't feel guilty if I don't for whatever reason. Same the other way round, if I hit a wayward one it's my problem. Happy to have help but if they didn't see it or didn't even look then it's down to me to find it. If I suspect a problem (blind shot or straight into the sun in the evening etc) then I will ask partners to keep an eye on it and will always do my best for them if specifically asked.

 

[jammydodger]

I'll always ask my partners to keep an eye out for my ball if i'm playing from an obscured spot that I cant follow it myself.

 

[Oddsocks]

common courtesy for me is having people watch my shots as i do theirs, same with looking for balls. If i sprayed one and require help, i shouldnt need to ask but at the smae time i wouldnt expect them to ask if they had sprayed one.

Ther minute someone defaults on what i beleive to be standard course manors, then i do likewise.

 

[feary]

Surely it is right to watch your other player's shots. It speeds up play and is common courtesy.

 

[Oddsocks]

exactly.

 

[Chrimbo]

I will try to keep an eye on my playing partners shots, especially if they are playing a blind shot ... again its common courtesy and it helps to speed the game up as your not spending ages looking for errant balls.

 

[birdieman]

Most times I do but if I've got the honour to speed things along I'll usually tee off on the next hole then mark the card from the previous hole so sometimes I'm not watching as I'm writing on the card. Probably should always watch though, will try harder.

 

[DingleBerry]

I totally agree GB72, i watch every 1,s ball and usual can find them and my playing partners do the same! Courtesy and etiquette cost nothing and its nice to be nice!! I would play with some 1 else or stop watching there line and see what kind of response you get when they ask "Did you see the line"?.. nope soz

 

[RGDave]

Most times I do but if I've got the honour to speed things along I'll usually tee off on the next hole then mark the card from the previous hole so sometimes I'm not watching as I'm writing on the card. Probably should always watch though, will try harder.

Hmm. I have this failing.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

95% of the time I will. Sometimes I'll be looking in my bag for some food or a drink so will miss a shot but not done deliberately. It's often hard though if you are on the other side of a fairway to get an accurate line or even see it. I have terrible eyesight and so I'm always grateful if a partner has a fix on where it went and so try and reciprocate

Even if I don't see it, I will always try and go and look for a ball where possible although I'll often play my shot first to try and keep the game moving.

 

[Kellfire]

I try to as much as possible. Part of golf for me is the fun of playing, so if I hit a good shot I like to feel my playing partner has seen it being struck.

 

[GasMan]

It's common courtesy but get used to the fact that plenty of people couldn't give a rat's arse where your ball has gone as it's not theirs! Flatly refuse to play bounce games with certain people owing to the fact that even teeing off into low sun they make no effort whatsoever to get a line on your ball for you. Especially at this time of year if you play an evening round it's nigh on impossible to see your ball once it's left the clubface as you track straight into the low sun and it's gone.

 

[daymond]

Always sight shots off the tee and ask for mine to be sighted.
Do the same elsewhere but often 'loose'the ball against the background and tell the player this.