What are your biggest etiquette irritations?

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

You began by saying "If your ball is within say 10ft of the hole". The clear implication is that if my ball is 30ft away, it wouldn't bother you. So now we've established that you have a limit where it will bother you, how is the rest of your group supposed to know what your limit is? And does your limit change with topography?

Also, it would be fair to assume that every player has their own limit where they would rather the ball be marked just in case. And everyone's limit will be different. For some people the distance will be huge, for some tiny. Marking every other ball no matter what the distance or angle is clearly silly. It's silly on the pro tour but at least they're playing for their living. So now we're into a question of what will bother some people but not others.

Easy answer, if you want it marked ask them to mark it.

If someone wants me to mark my ball I'll mark it. I won't question the person. I might think the person is a prat, but I'll mark it anyway.

It's kind of like the "tending" question. We all have a personal tolerance for where we think the other person is being a prat (e.g. if the other person wanted it tended for every single putt no matter what the distance I think most people would agree the person is being an idiot). If someone wants the flag tended, I'll tend it, but at some stage I'll be mentally labelling the person as prat. In the case of tending, my personal tolerance would be zero.

You actually make my point in that you cannot know what might bother another player, so in any sort of vicinity to the hole (I chose 10ft as a distance when you should always mark and pick up) that’s what you should do.

Further away it is for me more important if another ball is beyond the hole and within a cone of vision from me almost regardless of distance. And do you not think that the fact that you might think a player is a prat for asking might stop him from asking, Just mark your ball and pick up, else the other player might be thinking similar of you ?

One of the main points of golfing etiquette is that we do something for another player or players without having to be asked.

 

[clubchamp98]

You actually make my point in that you cannot know what might bother another player, so in any sort of vicinity to the hole (I chose 10ft as a distance when you should always mark and pick up) that’s what you should do.

Further away it is for me more important if another ball is beyond the hole and within a cone of vision from me almost regardless of distance. And do you not think that the fact that you might think a player is a prat for asking might stop him from asking, Just mark your ball and pick up, else the other player might be thinking similar of you ?

One of the main points of golfing etiquette is that we do something for another player or players without having to be asked.

Yes the whole point of it is what the player who is putting would like.
Sadly there seems a lack of it even on here.!

 

[Orikoru]

You actually make my point in that you cannot know what might bother another player, so in any sort of vicinity to the hole (I chose 10ft as a distance when you should always mark and pick up) that’s what you should do.

Further away it is for me more important if another ball is beyond the hole and within a cone of vision from me almost regardless of distance. And do you not think that the fact that you might think a player is a prat for asking might stop him from asking, Just mark your ball and pick up, else the other player might be thinking similar of you ?

One of the main points of golfing etiquette is that we do something for another player or players without having to be asked.

I don't understand this mentality that we all need to make extra effort and slow down the game just to avoid the briefest of polite conversations. "Would you mind marking that?" "No problem." Heaven forfend we have to talk to each other!

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I don't understand this mentality that we all need to make extra effort and slow down the game just to avoid the briefest of polite conversations. "Would you mind marking that?" "No problem." Heaven forfend we have to talk to each other!

I might suggest that ‘slow down the game’ is a red herring and the argument made by folks who don’t see the point of doing something they can’t be bothered doing ?

And no need for any ‘time wasting’ polite interchange if the ball is just marked and picked up.?

 

[Lord Tyrion]

My group don't mark their balls unless it is directly on the line. I'm sure plenty of others do the same. If people have a wider range of area they need it marking for then how wide, how are people supposed to know? A quick 'would you mind' is all that is needed but if golfers expect every ball on a green to be marked and picked up, every time, that is excessive and slows the game unnecessarily. I would never refuse but I am not going to add a layer of effort for the sake of it.

 

[Orikoru]

I might suggest that ‘slow down the game’ is a red herring and the argument made by folks who don’t see the point of doing something they can’t be bothered doing ?

And no need for any ‘time wasting’ polite interchange if the ball is just marked and picked up.?

In bold - I never made any secret of that either! Waste of effort and time. I honestly can't believe you're happy to put everyone out just to avoid making a simple polite request. And people say it's the younger generations who don't talk anymore??

 

[hovis]

My group don't mark their balls unless it is directly on the line. I'm sure plenty of others do the same. If people have a wider range of area they need it marking for then how wide, how are people supposed to know? A quick 'would you mind' is all that is needed but if golfers expect every ball on a green to be marked and picked up, every time, that is excessive and slows the game unnecessarily. I would never refuse but I am not going to add a layer of effort for the sake of it.

Couldn't agree more. In fact I can't remember the last time I marked my ball. I can however remember multiple occasions when I'm waiting for the green to clear and observe a bunch of seniors marking, cleaning and replacing their ball for a two foot tap in ( x4 on each hole).
Even if my ball ends up on my pp's line I either go first or pick up the ball remembing what blemish it was next to

 

[Robster59]

Love a match in the rain - well I don't actually, but I know that there's a decent chance it will put the other guy/team off a lot more than it will me - I've won several matches where my opponent basically gave up as the weather got fouler.

This is my viewpoint as well. I don't mind playing in the rain at all but I know it gets to some people so if it gives me the edge, so much the better. As has been said, golf is an outdoor game and you play the course and the elements as well as your opponent(s).

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

My group don't mark their balls unless it is directly on the line. I'm sure plenty of others do the same. If people have a wider range of area they need it marking for then how wide, how are people supposed to know? A quick 'would you mind' is all that is needed but if golfers expect every ball on a green to be marked and picked up, every time, that is excessive and slows the game unnecessarily. I would never refuse but I am not going to add a layer of effort for the sake of it.

The point of much of etiquette is that we won’t know preferences of different players and so we just do it without asking or having to be asked.

It isn’t excessive effort or time wasting.

Your ball is on the green and you haven’t marked it. It is now your turn to play so what do you do? You go to your ball and mark its position and pick it up. You then do whatever you do before replacing it and getting on with your putt. The etiquette i point out is simply doing the same things but doing the mark and pick before it is your turn. You don’t do it twice.

 

[AliMc]

The point of much of etiquette is that we won’t know preferences of different players and so we just do it without asking or having to be asked.

It isn’t excessive effort or time wasting.

Your ball is on the green and you haven’t marked it. It is now your turn to play so what do you do? You go to your ball and mark its position and pick it up. You then do whatever you do before replacing it and getting on with your putt. The etiquette i point out is simply doing the same things but doing the mark and pick before it is your turn. You don’t do it twice.

When it's my turn to play why would I want to mark it's position and pick it up ?
When it's my turn to putt I'll go ahead and putt

 

[Beedee]

The point of much of etiquette is that we won’t know preferences of different players and so we just do it without asking or having to be asked.

It isn’t excessive effort or time wasting.

Your ball is on the green and you haven’t marked it. It is now your turn to play so what do you do? You go to your ball and mark its position and pick it up. You then do whatever you do before replacing it and getting on with your putt. The etiquette i point out is simply doing the same things but doing the mark and pick before it is your turn. You don’t do it twice.

If I've just played on to the green I might mark, pick up, clean etc. I might not. If my ball is already on the green I only pick it up if it's close to someone's line/ball or if the person asks me to. People who pick up, clean and replace for every putt are a blight on the game. Get over yourself and hit the thing.

 

[theoneandonly]

I sometimes wonder if people on this forum actaully play golf, with all the strange little rules and anachronisms that I keep reading.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

The point of much of etiquette is that we won’t know preferences of different players and so we just do it without asking or having to be asked.

It isn’t excessive effort or time wasting.

Your ball is on the green and you haven’t marked it. It is now your turn to play so what do you do? You go to your ball and mark its position and pick it up. You then do whatever you do before replacing it and getting on with your putt. The etiquette i point out is simply doing the same things but doing the mark and pick before it is your turn. You don’t do it twice.

Others have already pointed this out but I'll add to it. If I don't mark I wont then pick up, clean, turn a line along the ball to suit when it is my turn. I just walk up to the ball, look at the line and putt it. No time wasted. If it is dirty then I would have marked it, picked it up, cleaned it straight away. If its clean I don't bother.

For you it is etiquette. For others it is not. I'm not going to do something that is unnecessary on the off chance that one of my pp that day believes it to be good etiquette because my experience is that for most golfers it is not. If a pp asks me to mark early days when ordinarily I would not then I will pick up on the vibe and do it for the rest of the round. If they don't then they are clearly of a similar mind and we will just crack on.

 

[Orikoru]

The point of much of etiquette is that we won’t know preferences of different players and so we just do it without asking or having to be asked.

It isn’t excessive effort or time wasting.

Your ball is on the green and you haven’t marked it. It is now your turn to play so what do you do? You go to your ball and mark its position and pick it up. You then do whatever you do before replacing it and getting on with your putt. The etiquette i point out is simply doing the same things but doing the mark and pick before it is your turn. You don’t do it twice.

Erm, no, when it's my turn to putt I go and putt. I don't clean my ball unless it really needs it (i.e. mud or sand on the ball). 9 times out of 10 I just leave it alone and then go and hit it.

 

[Crow]

You actually make my point in that you cannot know what might bother another player, so in any sort of vicinity to the hole (I chose 10ft as a distance when you should always mark and pick up) that’s what you should do.

Further away it is for me more important if another ball is beyond the hole and within a cone of vision from me almost regardless of distance. And do you not think that the fact that you might think a player is a prat for asking might stop him from asking, Just mark your ball and pick up, else the other player might be thinking similar of you ?

One of the main points of golfing etiquette is that we do something for another player or players without having to be asked.

Are you trying to start another HNSP type argument?

If so then you're on a sticky wicket, ball marking is a relatively new phenomenon in the long history of golf and in my view is rarely necessary, certainly the way you describe it it's stuff and nonsense.
IMHO of course.

 

[RichA]

I didn't know what HNSP / Historically Natural Standing Position meant, so I just googled it. On the whole of the internet, the only hits I'm finding are on this forum in conversations about etiquette.
Is it even real or has someone made it up?

 

[Slab]

I didn't know what HNSP / Historically Natural Standing Position meant, so I just googled it. On the whole of the internet, the only hits I'm finding are on this forum in conversations about etiquette.
Is it even real or has someone made it up?

That is an excellent question

 

[clubchamp98]

I didn't know what HNSP / Historically Natural Standing Position meant, so I just googled it. On the whole of the internet, the only hits I'm finding are on this forum in conversations about etiquette.
Is it even real or has someone made it up?

Most things are made up at some time.
Years ago it wasn’t a penalty to hit another ball and could be used as a stymie.
Some people don’t like other balls in their peripheral vision. ( or flags).
Some don’t mind.
It’s a game of choices we just need to think about others and our actions on their game.
Just like in real life.
I mark and clean my ball after playing on .
But would putt out if close unless on his line I would then mark.
But if a pp asks then I will comply no prob.

 

[clubchamp98]

Couldn't agree more. In fact I can't remember the last time I marked my ball. I can however remember multiple occasions when I'm waiting for the green to clear and observe a bunch of seniors marking, cleaning and replacing their ball for a two foot tap in ( x4 on each hole).
Even if my ball ends up on my pp's line I either go first or pick up the ball remembing what blemish it was next to

Hopefully you don’t do that in a comp?

 

[Swango1980]

He should have checked the weather forecast and suggested a postponement before the match started, rather than waiting until he was losing. Good for you and your partner for not folding.

To fair to him on that side, he did. He was trying to get us to call the game off the day before, and the afternoon a few hours before tee off. However, both the BBC and Met Office apps simply said it would be windy and light rain showers. Not exactly torrential rain. He was clear he doesn't enjoy playing in wind and rain, which is why he wanted us to re-schedule. However, it is hard enough to get a slot all 4 of us would be available, so light rain and some wind is hardly a reason to delay an arranged match. Besides, I bought some nice waterproofs a few years ago, so I might as well use them every now and then.