Another Etiquette question

dan_ep82

From the game today,

We went out as a four ball. Slow group in front and fast group behind.

The course has alot of blind tee shots so bells are in place.

Two players left on the 9th & 12th. One due to a lung infection getting worse over the last few holes and the other as he got a call about a funeral he didn't know about.

We play on and keep up pace but most of the time are left rushing to wait, meanwhile one player in the group behind keeps hitting his drive before the bell is sounded *.

*Sometimes a wait of 2-3 minutes is needed for the green/fairway to clear ahead.

Moving onto a par3 with the previous hole being adjacent to the tee box. Partner hits his shot as they other group are hitting the green adjacent and the group in front are just starting to tee off. I hit a crap shot right and fear it may be lost in the leaves (quite common) so I play a provisional.

While at address I notice something in the corner of my eye, presuming it being a player from behind asking to play through but hit the shot. Once struck I find the player from the group behind pushed his trolley onto the back of our tee box and the owner standing in the bunker telling me I'm not aloud to play two balls on a par 3 even after I explain the first may be lost. At this point he was walking over and I'm presuming he seen I wasn't a Junior (the other player was) and just mutters and walks off even though I offer to let the group play through. When I looked at his playing partners looking to see if it was the general feeling they seemed to be giving each other looks of exasperation with some head shaking. Roll on two holes and fairways are adjacent with another blind shot.

Group behind can see us tee off after a long wait on the bell as they make there way to the green. After 1-2 minutes we hit our shots when the other in my group points out that a ball landed 5-10ft from his right. I ring bell when I go down and the other 3 balls follow. The next tee we had a genuinely long wait as the group in front spent an over long time looking for a ball so the group behind caught us on the tee box and again I offered to let the play through but they kindly declined. The player I had the issue with was hanging back.

* As a Junior or when playing with a Junior you must give way to Adults on the course

It's long winded but its cut down to important parts I think.

I'm just going to check his name on the time sheets and make sure not to put my name down with him for a comp. Was I in the wrong somewhere?

gman127

Absolutely no wrong done on your part from what I can read.

It seems the lad behind you was not just being discourteous but dangerous hitting drives too soon.

You probably should have been let play through, especially when you were down to a two ball.

DuckHook

IMO the lad behind is both ignorant and dangerous, you should report his behavior to the club and launching blind drives without hearing the bell is well out of order. As described he is clearly aware your pair is not the issue and obviously he needs an attitude adjustment.

dan_ep82

DuckHook wrote: »

IMO the lad behind is both ignorant and dangerous, you should report his behavior to the club and launching blind drives without hearing the bell is well out of order. As described he is clearly aware your pair is not the issue and obviously he needs an attitude adjustment.

Not sure if I'd go to the hassle of reporting him. I agree it was dangerous and would be very different if he hit either of us but it seems like his playing partners had words with him and for the time being its enough. If it happened a second time I would as there could be no mistaking it was on purpose.

Just to clear up the rule on a provisional, I can play a provisional unless in enters a hazard, if it does I take a drop yeah?

PARlance

A definite wrong Dan. If an idiot, or a group of idiots are hitting balls down on you then you should have had strong words with them. Might save someone a split head or worse down the line.
Not having a go at you btw, because it's hard enough to do that when you're relatively new to the game / club but you should be prepared the next time.

Seems strange that your group lost 2 players for 2 different reasons during the round though.... That's very unusual.
Was there slow play going on in your group before that?
Did you mention something about having to wait 2-3 minutes for the fairway clear AFTER hearing a bell? There should be no need to wait this length of time after a bell. And the fact that you weren't offered to play through as a 2 ball would suggest ye were slow. That or you were really sandwiched between two thick loaves.

dan_ep82

PARlance wrote: »

A definite wrong Dan. If an idiot, or a group of idiots are hitting balls down on you then you should have had strong words with them. Might save someone a split head or worse down the line.
Not having a go at you btw, because it's hard enough to do that when you're relatively new to the game / club.

Seems strange that your group lost 2 players for 2 different reasons during the round though.... That's very unusual.
Was there slow play going on in your group before that?
Did you mention something about having to wait 2-3 minutes for the fairway clear AFTER hearing a bell? There should be no need to wait this length of time after a bell

I had planned to but it looked like his partners had done so, it seemed pointless at that stage. I think he knew he had done wrong at that stage, nothing I could say would help anyone but me and my anger.

It was unusual, both other players were guests of mine. Both just back the day before from Boston. One picked up a nasty lung infection and couldn't continue, I presumed it was a common cold so when he told me I agreed he should go home. The other got a phone call on the 7th explaining such and such died when he was away and the funeral was on at 3pm if he wanted to go.

We were held up on the Tee box once or twice (as the fourball) but we always seemed to keep ahead of the group behind save perhaps two occasions when they would be waiting max 2 minutes while we waited for the green to clear. We were moving as fast as we could but the group in front were holding us up from moving faster. We finished the round in 3.5hrs .Three in the group behind were very good, hitting greens and long drives.

No we were waiting 2-3 minutes in the fairway for the green to be cleared before we'd hit and then sound the bell.

dan_ep82

PARlance wrote: »

And the fact that you weren't offered to play through as a 2 ball would suggest ye were slow. That or you were really sandwiched between two thick loaves.

We were expecting to be called through but the offer never came. There was a group in front of the others so I'm not sure it would have helped either to be honest.Being a sunday the timesheet was quite full with fourballs ( we were 3rd last out)

fullstop

I'd have told him to get lost on the par 3, it's not his call whether or not you hit a provisional when your own ball may be lost. With respect to the drives landing close behind you, I'd let it slide once, but after that I would and have done in the past shout "fore" back at them. Usually gets the message across. A playing partner took out a 5 iron once when the group behind hit past us and launched it back towards the tee! Wouldn't condone that though!

FixdePitchmark

Dan

PARlance

Fair enough Dan that you knew them. I had an awful(ly long) experience with a junior last summer and as I read your post that's all that I could think about.

I would never assume or leave it up to his playing partners to tell him though. It's not their head that could get smashed.

dan_ep82

fullstop wrote: »

I'd have told him to get lost on the par 3, it's not his call whether or not you hit a provisional when your own ball may be lost. With respect to the drives landing close behind you, I'd let it slide once, but after that I would and have done in the past shout "fore" back at them. Usually gets the message across. A playing partner took out a 5 iron once when the group behind hit past us and launched it back towards the tee! Wouldn't condone that though!

I'll try the fore next time , would you believe I was hitting my 5i the best I've ever done today so I know the temptation :pac:

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

Dan
*snip*

Ya smart f**ker :pac:

PARlance wrote: »

Fair enough Dan that you knew them. I had an awful(ly long) experience with a junior last summer and as I read your post that's all that I could think about.

I would never assume or leave it up to his playing partners to tell him though. It's not their head that could get smashed.

Oh I've had them too, I know Juniors aren't angels but they do get a hard time in my home course.

It's probably something I should have done, perhaps after the game even.

FixdePitchmark

They just seem like arseholes dan - but you'd imagine they were golfers , clearly not as it seems.

I was with a gent - some lads slow play , just makes them go nuts - as in they lose total control of themselves. I hate slow play myself -- not being ready - crazy routines.
But, wouldn't ruin my day, you find lads who don't like slow players , won't play with them.

This lad I was with , very very nice, was just one of them days on the course - slow slow. He started getting more and more frustrated and started blaming the 1 ball in front - the lad in front was waiting every hole. He started hitting balls at him
I said - "now hang on , calm down" "dont do that again".

Was with a junior last year, full little Mcilroy - 3 full swings - then he would stand up to ball - his Dad would stop him and tell him he is not in line, I was like, jaysuss are you going to walk around after him for life lining him up. :rolleyes:

God help the young lad when he gets his first girlfriend.

John Divney

Lol if someone told me from another group about my choices off the tee box After a poor shot I think I'd have a rage stroke, it would be so unexpected and intrusive.

There are local rules on some par 3's where you have to play from the drop zone like the famous one at Sawgrass but that is to stop people doing it til they hit it

digginz

dan_ep82 wrote: »

We finished the round in 3.5hrs .

3.5 hours is not a slow round.

I think I hate more those wreckless guys hitting driver right behind you than the slow players.

if you want to play fast golf go play on a Monday morning.

frost53

What course was it

Montgolfier

John Divney wrote: »

Lol if someone told me from another group about my choices off the tee box After a poor shot I think I'd have a rage stroke, it would be so unexpected and intrusive.

There are local rules on some par 3's where you have to play from the drop zone like the famous one at Sawgrass but that is to stop people doing it til they hit it

Are you talking about thd 17th? Sergio didn't play from that drop zone at the 2013 players championship at sawgrass remember.

doublecross

Played in an open singles in Castletroy once, last group out and very slow. Waiting on every shot. Half ways through the round a father and his young son had obviously come out for a few quick holes in the evening and caught up to us on the par 3 11th. I was on the tee box and in the middle of my swing when he shouts at me from the previous green "Hey...... Did you cut in". I stopped just short of hitting the ball, was so angry I just gave him a stare and shock my head. Could have killed him (if he wasn't bigger than me). So wound up for the next few holes I don't think I scored a point.

John Divney

Montgolfier wrote: »

Are you talking about thd 17th? Sergio didn't play from that drop zone at the 2013 players championship at sawgrass remember.

Yeah, but the local rule it is for hackers not the PGA lol

Montgolfier

John Divney wrote: »

Yeah, but the local rule it is for hackers not the PGA lol

I suppose yeah, we'd be there all day otherwise lol

gman127

Montgolfier wrote: »

I suppose yeah, we'd be there all day otherwise lol

There'd be some hold up on the 17th alright!

I'd be the same if I ever got to play it though.

"Hmmm... didn't see that one finish. I'll play a provisional...... Damn lost that one in the air, better play one more provo to be sure...."

cairny

gman127 wrote: »

There'd be some hold up on the 17th alright!

I'd be the same if I ever got to play it though.

"Hmmm... didn't see that one finish. I'll play a provisional...... Damn lost that one in the air, better play one more provo to be sure...."

No matter how badly it goes the highest score on the hole is probably out of reach.

http://www.golfchannel.com/media/remembering-angelo-worst-avid-golfer/#

(The guy is pretty inspiring I think)