Golf Etiquette!

bobthedog

The following happened to me recently while playing with my local society: I was in the middle of a fairway taking my second shot when without any warning a ball whizzed past my ear and landed in front of me. I turned around to see a person had teed off in the group behind me. This was on hole 7 and at no point for the entire round did I get as much as a wave to signal any type of apology. The person that almost hit me is also the captain of the society!!
The questions I wish to put out there are, Am I over reacting?
Should I leave the society if this is the way things are?

Cheers in advance!

Myksyk

No excuse. Not acceptable in any way shape or form. If you were playing slow then someone should have requested you speed up. Unfortunately you missed the opportunity to walk back with his ball and insert it firmly where even Phil mickelson wouldn't extract it.

bobthedog

There is no excuse is there? And slow play wasnt an issue either, I never have been or will be accused of that!! I wanted to do a number of things with his ball believe me but I just tried to remain calm(ish)!

upthe19th

No excuse for that sort of thing. Fair play for showing restraint. Dropping balls on guys within range is dangerous stuff. Would not leave the society on his account.

dvemail

Not acceptable for this kind of thing to happen. Fair enough if it was an accident and he apologised. Must be the power of the captaincy going to his head!

Myksyk

dvemail wrote: »

Fair enough if it was an accident and he apologised.

He didn't. That's part of the problem.

Trampas

Bring it up with the committee

Raytown Rocks

Down right inconsiderate. The fact he didnt acknowledge his mistake shows more of the kind of man he is than anything else.
Wether he be captain or 1st time member its out of order.

I wouldnt leave based on that though, I am sure theres plenty of good guys in the group too.

Ben1010

Just wondering and sorry in advance if i'm hijacking the thread...when the placing is in place for a competition...does it including placing in the bunkers? Placing on fairways and rough for today competition.

Jasonw

Ben1010 wrote: »

Just wondering and sorry in advance if i'm hijacking the thread...when the placing is in place for a competition...does it including placing in the bunkers? Placing on fairways and rough for today competition.

No. Nor in any other hazzards.

Back on topic, could it be the case that he wasn't aware of how close he came?

JOSman

Did you ever think that the guys in front were outside your driving range?

Off you tee only to hit a cracker.

Take it that the captain didn't realize how well he hit the ball and go back to enjoying your society golf. Just put yourself in his shoes and feel his embarrassment.

dvemail

JOSman wrote: »

Did you ever think that the guys in front were outside your driving range?

Off you tee only to hit a cracker.

Take it that the captain didn't realize how well he hit the ball and go back to enjoying your society golf. Just put yourself in his shoes and feel his embarrassment.

Yes anybody could make the same mistake, its just the fact that he didnt apologise for what he had done. Bad form imo.

Myksyk

Nah, I reckon if you're embarrassed you go out of your way to apologise.

OP, Watch this from the film 'sideways' to see how you'd like to, but probably shouldn't, respond.

kermitpwee

Something I do when this happens, provided it hasnt happened on a blind hole is pick up their ball and put it in my pocket or kick it into the rough. This may sound very immature but the way I look at it is that I could have been killed. Often teaches those behind a lesson:D

charlieIRL

If that happens to me again I'm gonna use the club I have in my hand & drive the nearest field and then give the person a right bollocking. As well as bad equitte is downright stupid & dangerous.

bobthedog

Thanks for all the replies folks.....He seemed to see the funny side of which I just cant see!! He is wrong on all fronts! Im undecided about playing again with the society. I really wanted to stick his ball on a tee and let it fly back on the tee box but I tried to the bigger man and do nothing!

staker

Was there a bell or anything fairwayside OP? If not I'd have put the ball into the nearest hazard

bobthedog

No bell or anything. Very straight fairway with not a bump on it!!

bobthedog

So one last question!

Is it bad etiquette for me to pick up his ball or do anything else with it???

coolhandspan

if no call and no wave, then you take out three wood or rescue either is fine and hit ball back in direction of tee box, shout four if you catch a cracker because two wrongs dont make a right..............:):):):eek:

staker

I'm interested to hear too,I'd imagine a quiet word at the 19th is the polite way to resolve it???

mr.mickels

I recall playing with a guy who would calmly take out a 7 iron or so and always hit the ball back in the direction of the tee in the event of such an episode, wasn't hit far enough to endanger anyone but clearly gave the message and he found it amusing so didn't get stressed out about it.

The guy was obviously way out of order hitting the tee-shot at you, not shouting fore was very ignorant and not apologising even more caveman-like and he shouldn't be allowed on any course. Not only did he break golf etiquette but he also broke the law. If you had reported him to the club they would have had to take action, even if he captains some society, the club certainly don't want golfers taking out lawsuits cos some ignoramous hit a visiting golfer with a shot, which wasn't an errant mistake.

cunninstunt

You could see how it would happen that he unexpectedly hit a cracker and never thought he would reach you in the first place but to not apologize or even shout four is bad form. Did anyone playing with you see this happen and comment on it? If I was playing with you I would have no complaints with you turning and firing it back in his direction

Corkblowin

Lads lads, back up a bit! Its not on to drive when group in front is in range, and when it does happen (as it can occasionally) not to get an apology is bang out of order.

However to interfere with another competitors ball in play is seriously not on - and a breach of rule never mind poor etiquette. Smashing it around the course or picking it up just eliminates any moral high ground you have.

If no apology is forthcoming I ususally wait at the next tee to remind them not to drive off until we're out of range - and if still no apology well then it just proves you're dealing with a plonker & its time to get the committee involved.

But don't let it get to you ffs!

Smyth

Corkblowin wrote: »

Lads lads, back up a bit! Its not on to drive when group in front is in range, and when it does happen (as it can occasionally) not to get an apology is bang out of order.

However to interfere with another competitors ball in play is seriously not on - and a breach of rule never mind poor etiquette. Smashing it around the course or picking it up just eliminates any moral high ground you have.

If no apology is forthcoming I ususally wait at the next tee to remind them not to drive off until we're out of range - and if still no apology well then it just proves you're dealing with a plonker & its time to get the committee involved.

But don't let it get to you ffs!

What a load of crap. When everyones playing the game and adhering to the rules there's a place for etiquette.

If a full grown man hurls a ball at 150mph past my head, he's lucky if all I do is knock it out of bounds.

There's no excuse for playing up someones arse. If you can't see, you send a scout ahead. If you're not sure you'll reach them, you hold off. Simple. If they're too lazy and inconsiderate to do either, then **** 'em

mr.mickels

Smyth wrote: »

What a load of crap. When everyones playing the game and adhering to the rules there's a place for etiquette.

If a full grown man hurls a ball at 150mph past my head, he's lucky if all I do is knock it out of bounds.

There's no excuse for playing up someones arse. If you can't see, you send a scout ahead. If you're not sure you'll reach them, you hold off. Simple. If they're too lazy and inconsiderate to do either, then **** 'em

I'm with you on this, I got hit on the leg once when on the green of a par 3!!! Come to think of it it happened twice, once when I was putting and another time after putting the flag back in and hadn't yet reached the side of the green when I was walking off. I have seen a guys jaw broken from a drive once, I have seen guys getting hitting on the arms and legs, not nice, once saw a player hit his approach onto a green when the groundsman was cutting the grass with one of those walk-behind greens mowers, the ball landed on his skull knocking straight out cold, he could have been killed. Imagine trying to explain it to the widow, that you were too impatient to wait so decided it was worth the risk whether you would kill the guy or not.

It is NEVER acceptable to hit a ball anywhere near someone playing on the same hole ahead of you. It is against the law and a lifetime ban from the golf club should be the penalty.

Mat the trasher

It seems more people on this thread would rather play to the tee than the green!

Kace

OK - two opposing views here, how about an in-between solution.... I'm sure it wouldn't be so bad if you 'accidentally' stood on his ball as you walked past in while continuing your play of the hole.

He gets the message that someone has walked on his ball - therefore he had to hit it past them in order for that to happen.

You also get some mild satisfaction that he will know he has done wrong.

Finally, no harm done from a rules perspective, he gets to replace his ball on the fairway as it has been plugged on a closely mown area.

Corkblowin

Smyth wrote: »

What a load of crap. When everyones playing the game and adhering to the rules there's a place for etiquette

then **** 'em

And the way to defuse a tense situation is to smash a golf ball out of bounds or back at the tee? **** happens, wait in the fairway for them to come up & apologise or even walk back to let them know what you think......but to take the law into your own hands means you're no better than them - and if everyone takes that attitude then the games fcuked.

mr.mickels wrote: »

I'm with you on this, I got hit on the leg once when on the green of a par 3!!! Come to think of it it happened twice, once when I was putting and another time after putting the flag back in and hadn't yet reached the side of the green when I was walking off. I have seen a guys jaw broken from a drive once, I have seen guys getting hitting on the arms and legs, not nice, once saw a player hit his approach onto a green when the groundsman was cutting the grass with one of those walk-behind greens mowers, the ball landed on his skull knocking straight out cold, he could have been killed.

When playing golf theres every chance of a wayward golf ball coming your way. I've been hit, and I've hit someone, but reading your experiences I'd suggest you might want to consider a new club.....yours has more incoming and casualties than Afghanistan.

mr.mickels

Corkblowin wrote: »

When playing golf theres every chance of a wayward golf ball coming your way. I've been hit, and I've hit someone, but reading your experiences I'd suggest you might want to consider a new club.....yours has more incoming and casualties than Afghanistan.

quite a witless reply. Firstly it was numerous different courses, I used play alot of events in a variety of courses when I was keen on golf in my teens, both here and in UK. I played very many rounds and saw guys getting hit when it shoudn't have happened, those I mentioned were not wayward shots, they were guys playing the same hole, and not shouting fore, but shouting fore is no excuse anyway.

Whether you like it or not, the experience that happened the OP was very wrong, and the guy who hit the drive was beaking the law and could have been sued if there was damage and should have been banned from the course. If you are ok with that behaviour then you don't understand golf etiquette and shouldn't be on the course without first reading the rule book and even then you would need supervision.

Corkblowin

mr.mickels wrote: »

Whether you like it or not, the experience that happened the OP was very wrong

Ah now c'mon....where did I say I liked it or that what happened to the OP was correct? :rolleyes:

What I'm taking issue with is how its dealt with, and I don't believe escalating the situation is any kind of solution.

As for hitting on a par 3 when people are putting or when a green is being cut is just idiotic, and not merely a breach of etiquette. I have to say I've never seen behaviour such as that.....and I too have played a lot of golf in a lot of places.