What's your opinion on a 5 ball?

[CGod]

Hello everyone

I am new to this forum and look forward to contributing to the many threads, it looks like a great forum. I am a subscriber to Golf Monthly and have been meaning to join this for sometime now.

I had an issue at my club yesterday and would welcome your comments/thoughts. F or the last few weeks now I have seen a five ball on the course on a saturday morning. Last week they had two young juniors behind them and didn't seem to be letting them through. I approached them yesterday to inform them that I thought they should not playing as a five and was greeted with disdain. They seemed to think they were ok as they were not holding anyone up and they didn't agree with the rule. I informed them that the rules were not open to interpretation. Much arguing ensued.

I am in my 30s and these chaps are in their 60s. I got the feeling they objected to being challenged, perhaps by a newer member.

I would love to know if you think a 5 ball is acceptable if they are not holding anyone up. I am considering approaching the committe.

enough from me - let me know what you think.

thanks in advance.

 

[theeaglehunter]

From what I know it is very much wrong, however a local rule could of course make this perfectly acceptable but I would be very surprised if such a thing existed. Find out for sure and if they continue to commit the offense approaching the committee may be the correct action.

Oh yea and welcome to the forum.

 

[Herbie]

Welcome and were they all actually playing?

Ive seen this at one or two clubs before, Its wrong (unless ordained in local rule), but having said that, if the course is quiet and they affect no one, I really couldnt care less.

Trouble is, if you come across a group doing this and it is affecting others you can almost guarantee the people doing it are likely to be troublesome b*****s who care about little or feel they have some sort of special privilages, either way you wont get a decent reception by approaching them.

 

[AlchemyGolf]

If they were all playing then a 5 ball is out of order and not allowed at every club im aware of in my area!

 

[wackygolfer]

I played a match at a championship course in Devon and we caught 5 men up on 18th tee, I presumed there was a 3 ball and 2 ball but was told by my opposition that a 5 ball is allowed as long as they did not hold anybody up.

I just think it is plain crazy!

 

[USER1999]

I have played behind a nine ball playing skins before. It isn't that unusual. Wrong though.

 

[medwayjon]

Sounds like something the old farts would do at my place to avoide breaking up their little lovey-dovey cliques.

 

[Imurg]

At the end of the day it doesn't matter how many are in the group as long as they don't hold play up. If they let groups through it is irrelevent how many are in the group. However, if they don't then the deserve all the abuse they will undoubtedly get.

 

[Cernunnos]

I've played a course where certain holes are shared between front nine & back nine, but with different tee off points. Thing is & the irony is a local rule was brought up that made the two groups each tee off in turn, but finish together, before each group turning in different directions for their next holes.This means potentially on a particular hole it means an 8 ball could be found playing.

I've come accross occasions where two groups will end up melding into one as one group as it plays through the other over one hole in order to keep play moving.

Normally groups at most courses will be limited to 4. I've even been to some clubs where the maximum group allowed is 3. And heard of places that only allows pairs.

To be honest I prefer groups being as two's, as this imo is the best format. Though I really see nothing wrong with groups of 5 or 6.


So my opinion on 5 ball play is I doubt a group this size would take any more time than a 4 ball to get round a course, so why not.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I'd be having a word with the committee as I think a 5 ball is unacceptable. I'm not sure that 4 ball maximum is laid in stone anywhere but it is the accepted norm throughout the golfing world. If its just a case of mates not wanting to split up the problem needs addressing if only for the way they treated you for doing the right thing and challenging them. There will come a time (probably in a couple of months) when the course will be busy and 5 ball will create havoc behind.

 

[TonyN]

My thoughts are, its just not golf!

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Farneyman]

Shouldnt be allowed under any circumstances.

 

[CGod]

Thanks to everyone for your responses - they are really appreciated.

I am going to seek further clarification about the rule at my club - i am fairly certain it is a max of 4.

If it is then I am going to put in a formal complaint.

 

[Dodger]

There is no rule in golf to say a 5 ball is not allowed it is however frowned upon and I have been guilty on a few occasions and indeed have been the subject of letter from the commitee regarding this a couple of years back when on a Tuesday night we had 5 of us turn up for our usual knock about and there was only us and a 3 ball that had set off a good 30 mins prior to us on the course so we made a 5 ball and flew around in 3 hours and indeed caught the 3 ball up at the last so to me we did bugger all wrong but the letter was written after one of the 3 in front had a whinge to the commitee(just as well we didn't catch him earlier or he would have been recieving 5 warning shots to signal'please let us through').

We did point out that we did what we did because of the fact the course was dead and we would not have done it otherwise but took the slap on the wrists and it still remains a standing joke with the pro each time only 5 turn up for our school despite the pro not having a problem with our 5 ball!

 

[thecraw]

You can play a 24 ball if you like, there is nothing in the rules of golf that say hat you cant play a 5 ball. There may be a local rule in place which says no no, but a 5 ball is allowed under the rules of golf.

I have played in a few 5 balls in my time and even an 8 ball over 16, 17 and 18 during our weekly sweep as the light was fading fast.

Then again I would always allow a faster group to play through if they caught us up!

 

[viscount17]

playing as a solo one time I caught up with a 4-ball at a par 3, which we played together with the intention of my passing through.

the course manager just happened to pass by at the time and gave us all a firm lecture on the iniquities of playing as a 5-ball, and was only slightly mollified on being told of the situation.

 

[CarpeDiem]

Yesterday I was playing in a 5 ball of Juniors, only played the front 9 like this and met nobody apart from a 2 ball on the 13th. One member of the group was playing his own game and the rest of us were playing foursome match play. Does this still count as a 5 ball because only 3 balls were in play at any one time?

 

[madandra]

Welcome to the forum.



Dob them in to the committee and split up this hareem.

 

[KeefG]

Whats my opinion of a 5-ball? They should all be hung, drawn & quartered

 

[Macster]

Shouldnt be done as far as I'm concerned, and it certainly isnt at my club.

If it becomes the norm, even if they let groups thru, it becomes a pain in the @rse, lets face it, who enjoys playing thru ???

It just breaks your concentration, - waiting to be waved thru, - playing thru with everyone standing around while you play, and then you feel hurried to get out of the way.

Bad form. Report them.