When do you call them through?

[bobmac]

It's Saturday morning, you're playing in the monthly medal, the course is rammed, you're keeping up with the group in front and it's very slow.
Half way round, you drive into the rough.
When you get to the area where you think your ball is, you start your 3 minute stopwatch and announce to your fellow competitors that you have officially begun searching (so they can start their stopwatches too).
You then discover the rough is very thick.
The group behind are waiting on the tee.
Do you call them through and if so, when?

 

[robinthehood]

It's Saturday morning, you're playing in the monthly medal, the course is rammed, you're keeping up with the group in front and it's very slow.
Half way round, you drive into the rough.
When you get to the area where you think your ball is, you start your 3 minute stopwatch and announce to your fellow competitors that you have officially begun searching (so they can start their stopwatches too).
You then discover the rough is very thick.
The group behind are waiting on the tee.
Do you call them through and if so, when?

I do what the old folks do and come up with as many excuses as possible as to what we can't let them through.

 

[rosecott]

I do what the old folks do and come up with as many excuses as possible as to what we can't let them through.

Old folks?

That's a can of worms that should remain firmly unopened.

 

[rulefan]

Don't. It will take longer to play through than search.
If you didn't play a provisional, mark an NR but continue the round for a handicap score.

 

[Jacko_G]

That's one of the problems of the 3 minute rule now is calling the group behind it takes longer.

5 minutes gave a group time to get to their ball and hit and it had less impact on the field.

 

[bobmac]

Don't. It will take longer to play through than search.
If you didn't play a provisional, mark an NR but continue the round for a handicap score.

So the 3 min rule will mean less people will get called through?

 

[chrisd]

So the 3 min rule will mean less people will get called through?

I reckon that'll be the case, assuming that a provisional has been played and no one has to do the walk of shame

 

[rulefan]

So the 3 min rule will mean less people will get called through?

Hopefully yes. Playing through almost always takes longer and delays the second group back.

 

[Jacko_G]

Hopefully yes. Playing through almost always takes longer and delays the second group back.

Strange reply. "Hopefully yes".

Calling a group through isn't the problem, it's the slow play leading up to a lost ball and ignorance of certain golfers that are the cause of slow play from my experience.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

If the group in front were still visible then I would not wave the group behind through. If they were not visible, so a gap had developed then I would wave the group behind through as they could make progress and we wouldn't be waving them through purely for them to then hold us up. I hate feeling I am holding up other groups so it would make me feel uncomfortable.

This is a judgement call for me, it would not be a hard and fast rule. If a course is rammed then other golfers tend to know the score and accept it.

 

[rulefan]

In our county events with strict time monitoring we found that letting a group through more often than not caused the next group back to be be held up if the searchers were going to take the full 5 minutes (and especially if a provisional hadn't been taken).
This may not be an issue with the 3 minute limit providing a provisional has been played. I haven't noticed any 'play throughs' so far this year.

 

[Wolf]

If you're keeping up with the group in front then imo you don't call them through at all as with the new timing for searches calling them through can cause a bigger delay and more of a back log whilst you wait for them to play to get to you, then play through you and wait for them to finish up. By the time that's occurred you could end up someone else waiting.

As long as you've not lost the group ahead then should be no need, if you've lost the group ahead your to slow full stop and should probably have allowed the group behind through way before that magical 3 mins is even needed.

 

[Deleted member 21258]

I would probably have tried to called them though(more so if this wasn't the first time visiting the rough).

Most times I have offered, people refuse, as they know the course is grid locked and whats the point and they do not wish to rush though one group, only to stop again.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I would probably have tried to called them though(more so if this wasn't the first time visiting the rough).

Most times I have offered, people refuse, as they know the course is grid locked and whats the point and they do not wish to rush though one group, only to stop again.

Though a thought on this.

Of course you are right - course grid locked everyone tends to slow down and not bother pushing up and on - as nowhere to go. But that surely just exacerbates the situation - and the time for the round gradually extends and extends. So if a group behind is pushing you - maybe try and speed up and push on the group in front - or let them through for them to push the group in front of you. And if there is pushing all the way up through the field players won't just slow down and saunter along.

 

[Orikoru]

Obviously you call them through immediately, that gives you all the extra time it takes them to get ahead of you to find your ball. Since the stopwatches will obviously be stopped to allow them to play through.

 

[Wolf]

Though a thought on this.

Of course you are right - course grid locked everyone tends to slow down and not bother pushing up and on - as nowhere to go. But that surely just exacerbates the situation - and the time for the round gradually extends and extends. So if a group behind is pushing you - maybe try and speed up and push on the group in front - or let them through for them to push the group in front of you. And if there is pushing all the way up through the field players won't just slow down and saunter along.

Problem with this is if your already keeping up with the group in front and even waiting on them you cannot speed up and push them on. You're already waiting on them.

We had this yesterday in our match our 12th hole par 4. We're waiting on tee waiting to tee off group in front slowly playing but played as soon as green was clear, we tee off and have to wait for them around and on the green, behind us is another match waiting on us to play approach we can't play. Fast forward to the 16th I'm in the fairway, oppo in in rough needs find his ball the magical 3 mins begins. Group behind us waiting on tee, oppo finds his ball but we still can't play because the group ahead are still on the green.

Lettting them through whilst searching would make no difference and only slow us down further meaning we have to wait for 2 groups to finish the hole and by which time there'd be another group in the tee behind..

If people are slow they need call others through Way before there is a need to ball hunt.

 

[rulefan]

stopwatches will obviously be stopped

As will the searching.

 

[Orikoru]

As will the searching.

Well that would just be a wasted opportunity!

 

[Wolf]

Well that would just be a wasted opportunity!

Sits back, opens beer, popcorn at my side and awaits the inevitable rules forum meltdown

 

[backwoodsman]

Obviously you call them through immediately, that gives you all the extra time it takes them to get ahead of you to find your ball. Since the stopwatches will obviously be stopped to allow them to play through. walk back to the tee, instead of having to run, to play another ball after your three minutes is up

Corrected that one for you ...