Waving through

[badgergm]

But the last group have lost 10 minutes. And then, if there are other quicker groups behind, they lose another 10 minutes every time they let them through, and so on (or whatever time it takes). The second last seniors group do the same, then the third last group, etc.

I've been behind a group in front, who have not caused me much, or any delay. The group in front of them lets them through on the next hole. Once my group gets to the tee, the group that WAS in front of me are still in the process of walking to their tee shots as they are being let through. They hit their second and walked on up the hole, out of my range. However, the group letting them through are still in range, and cannot go until the group they let through are out of the way. So, my group are now sat on the tee for an absolute age whilst the slow group in front are waiting for the green to clear. This is an example where letting groups through can have a rippling effect on everything that follows. The first group (following the Seniors) may benefit overall in terms of time, but this can cause huge increases in time to other following groups, as well as the Seniors that let groups through. Not so bad if there are gaps in play, but if the course is busy then there is no real relief for this issue.

This. I don’t know why people ignore this problem and just pretend that letting people through is some sort of panacea. Everything depends on how busy the course is. If you have 6 4 balls followed by 6 2 balls then it just isn’t going to work……

 

[Jigger]

As it’s for a specialised group (seniors) I’d suggest….

stick them out last working back from the last tee, giving them 4.5hrs. This allows them to play as 4 balls and govern there own pace.

alternatively….

make them play 3 ball

Make people behind join up into 3 balls or even 4 balls to counter the seniors being slow. If I see pairs behind us (we are a quick 4 ball), I have very little sympathy for them hanging around when all they have to do is double up. Especially given they are taking up extra tee times to play separately. I get the counter arguments but at this time of year it’s just inconsiderate.

ensure people safely keep playing as much as possible as people play through. Nothing worse for a course than a group completely stalling while the group they let through walk from the tee, take their next shots and then wait for them to clear.

 

[Doh]

Our seniors play first thing three times a week and during the winter only play 12 holes. If I want to play first thing then I will start else where on the course.

 

[KenL]

Simple..make the Seniors start earlier.
If it gets light at 7.30 and gets dark at 4 there's plenty of time to get 30 Seniors round without chasing the sunset..

But, if they are that slow it might clog the course up.
Most people who play early do so to get round quickly.

 

[arnieboy]

Criticism of Seniors is getting boring. Societies are more often the problem.

 

[toyboy54]

Criticism of Seniors is getting boring. Societies are more often the problem.

Not when you're stuck behind they're not

 

[Deleted member 23344]

Not when you're stuck behind they're not

Have you never been stuck behind younger players, women … or only seniors? I have been stuck behind all three categories of player. Let’s hope that you live long enough to be a senior. The ageism on this site is beginning to make me realise how some ethnic minorities feel.

 

[KenL]

Have you never been stuck behind younger players, women … or only seniors? I have been stuck behind all three categories of player. Let’s hope that you live long enough to be a senior. The ageism on this site is beginning to make me realise how some ethnic minorities feel.

I don't think seniors on their own are slow but as soon as you get groups of tee times going out together, no matter the age, they are often slow.

A few years ago I phoned the proshop to moan we were 2 hours 30 minutes for the front nine. I assumed it was visitors that were holding everyone up, but no, it was a member guest day with three tee times. Don't think they were seniors either.

 

[John Evans 9]

I'd go the other way. If this group wants to block book, and block up the course, they have to take the last tee times that will still get them round before dark. They can play as slow as they like if there's no one behind them, but they might hurry up a bit if they see the sun going down...

Yes, but it does not stop someone teeing off behind them and ruining the game of all those who wave them through. In this situation I think the “followers” should not have such speedy expectation, if that makes sense.

 

[Deleted member 29109]

Yes, but it does not stop someone teeing off behind them and ruining the game of all those who wave them through. In this situation I think the “followers” should not have such speedy expectation, if that makes sense.

Has the group of slow players considered paying to block out the slots behind them so they don’t have to worry about holding other groups up?

 

[LincolnShep]

Yes, but it does not stop someone teeing off behind them and ruining the game of all those who wave them through. In this situation I think the “followers” should not have such speedy expectation, if that makes sense.

My suggestion was that they are allocated the last slots of the day so that there is no one behind them. One can't regulate for someone teeing off without authorisation. If the group of 'slow' players know that they have the last slots, and yet someone magically appears behind them, they shouldn't let them through.

 

[Swango1980]

Yes, but it does not stop someone teeing off behind them and ruining the game of all those who wave them through. In this situation I think the “followers” should not have such speedy expectation, if that makes sense.

In this day and age of booking tee times, surely no one will be teeing off behind the last group officially? If I teed off on the last slot of the day, say 13:00 (and it gets dark at about 16:00), does etiquette suggest I should let someone teeing behind me through, even though I was already pushed for time to complete my round before it gets dark?

 

[Slab]

In this day and age of booking tee times, surely no one will be teeing off behind the last group officially? If I teed off on the last slot of the day, say 13:00 (and it gets dark at about 16:00), does etiquette suggest I should let someone teeing behind me through, even though I was already pushed for time to complete my round before it gets dark?

I thought this was what the original question was

As you say, If someone books &/or pays for a ‘twilight round’ do they have the same standing on the course as regards playing through, as the last group who tee’d off not on a ‘twilight’ start time? I'd say they don't
In the OP's case I don't believe the club know what the 'pace' is and therefore they also wont know when twilight rounds need to start

 

[Swango1980]

I thought this was what the original question was

As you say, If someone books &/or pays for a ‘twilight round’ do they have the same standing on the course as regards playing through, as the last group who tee’d off not on a ‘twilight’ start time? I'd say they don't
In the OP's case I don't believe the club know what the 'pace' is and therefore they also wont know when twilight rounds need to start

Given many clubs now have a booking in system, then there will be a last slot of the day that can be booked into. Certainly that is the case at my club. So, if the last slot was, say, 13:00, then in the OP's case ensure that the last group in the Seniors tees off at 13:00. They will therefore have no one behind them, unless that person slips on to the course unofficially.

 

[John Evans 9]

Given many clubs now have a booking in system, then there will be a last slot of the day that can be booked into. Certainly that is the case at my club. So, if the last slot was, say, 13:00, then in the OP's case ensure that the last group in the Seniors tees off at 13:00. They will therefore have no one behind them, unless that person slips on to the course unofficially.

At my club the booking system allows tee-times right up to sun-set so the late starters are not unofficial. It does create awkwardness if they can’t get past slower groups and resentment if they do. It doesn’t sound like a massive issue but this year we have had a lot of great weather for golf and the course is always busy right until dusk, so these issues happen many days of the week.

 

[kynszch]

3 years since this discussion started, no practicable and equitable solutions provided, so i propose that no-one under the age of 60 should be allowed to play golf, so as to stop all these road rage impatient hotheads spoiling a gentle zigzag walk - besides, golf is an old man's (and ladies') game; what the heck are youngsters doing wasting their excess energy on it and clogging up the teetimes? Play football you dunderheads! Even better, you can be my caddy for free and get some exercise doing something useful for a change.

 

[Foxholer]

Criticism of Seniors is getting boring. Societies are more often the problem.

Surely you mean 'geting old'!
As for the actual issue, Why can't the Seniors start earlier. It seems daft to block book in such a way that folk are prevented from finishing. Likewise, block booking from the very first time in the morning isn't a good idea either as it prevents those who might like to get out early from doing so. A reasonable gap would allow early starters and wouldn't really inconvenience Seniors.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

3 years since this discussion started, no practicable and equitable solutions provided, so i propose that no-one under the age of 60 should be allowed to play golf, so as to stop all these road rage impatient hotheads spoiling a gentle zigzag walk - besides, golf is an old man's (and ladies') game; what the heck are youngsters doing wasting their excess energy on it and clogging up the teetimes? Play football you dunderheads! Even better, you can be my caddy for free and get some exercise doing something useful for a change.

Assuming this is written in jest but the humour is at best very Chris Rock like. You know how that ended

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

OP says…’The waving through of faster players is often ignored in this situation as the seniors know that their round will be curtailed if they stand around to let others play through’.

Well if the seniors procedure for ‘waving through‘ includes much standing around as the others play through, then the seniors don’t know how to minimise the impact ‘time-wise’ of waving a group through…I.e. you don’t need to stand around as they play through. The only standing around is as you wait for the group waved through to get to and clear the green - and with a two ball that is not going to take much time at all - and even then some of the seniors group can already have played up and be close to the green.

 

[Mockba]

What's the general etiquette with letting people play through if you're in a comp? Some of the older members in our club don't wave people through if they're in a comp, even at the conclusion of a hole.

Others allow it no problem though..