Multiple ball ettiquete

julio arca · 11-03-2019 1:01pm #1

Hi folks, long time lurker here.

I have only started playing frequently in the last year and will be looking for a membership somewhere in the North Wicklow / South Dublin area if i can find a couple of golfing buddies.

I played Blainroe as a guest two ball on Saturday. This was the first time i played the course when it wasn't a glorious summers day and the place was in excellent condition. The winds made some holes very tough but a great challenge. Some of the views on the course are breathtaking.

The round was very slow due to groups of society 4 balls ahead of us. Directly in front of us was a solo golfer (headphones on and no interest in joining us) who was playing multiple balls on every hole. This obviously had a knock on effect of holding us up on pretty much every tee / approach shot. We eventually called in a day after 15 holes that took 4.5 hours.

What is the etiquette here with regards hitting multiple balls when there are people being held up behind?

Cheers

Rikand · 11-03-2019 1:07pm

It shouldn't be done. I play multiple balls when I'm out practicing. But I will always call people through as soon as I see them. And if they offer me to join them, most of the time I inform them that I just want to spend the time practicing.

Playing with headphones on though is not only rude, but extremely dangerous. What if someone shouted fore and he didn't hear the shout and got decked.

Honestly, he should have been reported. Even if it was just a word in the pro shop. Someone needs to tell him he was out of line

rickis tache · 11-03-2019 1:10pm

I can't imagine how tedious it must of been to watch this person do that in front of you.
In my opinion they should of just of given up the idea playing alone when it was quiet obvious there was a 2 ball behind them waiting for them to walk to both balls and play.
Granted it was a long time out there for them too but they may as well of joined you.
Just my opinion.

moycullen14 · 11-03-2019 1:15pm

Just had a little smile at the though of this guy running into some of our more 'forthright' members. Headphones and multiple balls? Let's just say he wouldn't be doing it again.

Seriously, never heard the like. You don't use headphones because it's downright dangerous and never play multiple balls when there is someone behind you.

d15ude · 11-03-2019 1:36pm

julio arca wrote: »

Hi folks, long time lurker here.

The round was very slow due to groups of society 4 balls ahead of us.

Cheers

Sounds like he was waiting for the groups in front of him!?

stockdam · 11-03-2019 1:41pm

Did the solo guy keep up with the group in front? If so then he was not holding you up.

Yes he shouldn't be playing more than one ball but it's probable that you were being paced by other groups ahead.

prawnsambo · 11-03-2019 2:32pm

Rikand wrote: »

It shouldn't be done. I play multiple balls when I'm out practicing. But I will always call people through as soon as I see them. And if they offer me to join them, most of the time I inform them that I just want to spend the time practicing.

Exactly what I do. Or skip to an adjacent hole and pop back when they've gone through. Practice is practice and I always give way to guys playing a round. I'd hate to hold anyone up.

Seve OB · 11-03-2019 2:52pm

I don't see anything wrong with paying 2 balls
a golfer playing alone is fine and doesn't have to team up with the 2 ball behind
playing with headphones is idiotic
not calling people through is rude, something he probably should have done even he was keeping up with the group in front

First Up · 11-03-2019 3:11pm

A single player has no standing and is obliged to make way for groups. Him waiting for the group in front of him is no excuse for delaying you.

That's been a rule of golf for centuries but getting it enforced is the hard part.

paulos53 · 11-03-2019 3:19pm

First Up wrote: »

That's been a rule of golf for centuries but getting it enforced is the hard part.

Wasn't that removed years ago?

PhuckHugh2 · 11-03-2019 3:22pm

paulos53 wrote: »

Wasn't that removed years ago?

Yes it was removed at least 10 years ago. I think there is even a mention in the rule book now that a group can contain just one player.

**I should re-phrase that but.... They reference groups in the etiquette referring to pace of play and then it is stipulated that a single player is still classified as a group.

First Up · 11-03-2019 3:28pm

PhuckHugh2 wrote:

Yes it was removed at least 10 years ago. I think there is even a mention in the rule book now that a group can contain just one player.

Playing perhaps but not practicing.

PhuckHugh2 · 11-03-2019 3:31pm

First Up wrote: »

Playing perhaps but not practicing.

Yes he should not have been practicing or playing 2 balls. But you said that the group in front of him delaying was no reason for him delaying you. Well frankly that is the only reason needed.

First Up · 11-03-2019 3:39pm

PhuckHugh2 wrote:

Yes he should not have been practicing or playing 2 balls. But you said that the group in front of him delaying was no reason for him delaying you. Well frankly that is the only reason needed.

It is worth noting that the group ahead of him either didn't offer or didn't agree to let him through. Or perhaps the single was not inclined to ask but wasn't bothered about holding up those behind by practicing.

Unacceptable in all scenarios.

paulos53 · 11-03-2019 3:48pm

If the single player is being held up then he is under no obligation to allow those behind him to play through.

Even if it was just some extra chipping or putting I would also be playing extra shots if out on my own and being held up

First Up · 11-03-2019 3:54pm

paulos53 wrote:

Even if it was just some extra chipping or putting I would also be playing extra shots if out on my own and being held up

As would I, but not if people playing in the competition were waiting for me.

Whatever the circumstances, it doesn't show the club or its members in a good light.

prawnsambo · 11-03-2019 4:16pm

First Up wrote: »

As would I, but not if people playing in the competition were waiting for me.

Whatever the circumstances, it doesn't show the club or its members in a good light.

Apart from the considerations of etiquette, I'd not be comfortable practicing and looking over my shoulder at lads waiting on me, even if I'm held up by the group ahead. I'd just meander off to another hole and clear the way. Be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

Dtoffee · 11-03-2019 4:22pm

First Up wrote: »

Playing perhaps but not practicing.

If he was playing in any competition, then he would not have been alone as he would have required a score keeper.

prawnsambo · 11-03-2019 4:23pm

Dtoffee wrote: »

If he was playing in any competition, then he would not have been alone as he would have required a score keeper.

You can play a casual round and are quite entitled to do so.

osarusan · 11-03-2019 4:31pm

I wonder did it start out with him playing multiple balls, or did he just decide to do that after realising he was going to be behind fourballs all day.

Wearing headphones is way off though.

First Up · 11-03-2019 4:34pm

prawnsambo wrote:

You can play a casual round and are quite entitled to do so.

Does that include hitting multiple balls?

Practicing in front/ahead of people in a competition is disrespectful and rude. If it was a club member doing it during an open competition it does not reflect well on the player or the club ethos.

prawnsambo · 11-03-2019 5:21pm

First Up wrote: »

Does that include hitting multiple balls?

Practicing in front/ahead of people in a competition is disrespectful and rude. If it was a club member doing it during an open competition it does not reflect well on the player or the club ethos.

No. Just replying to the poster's point about needing a marker.

slave1 · 11-03-2019 5:39pm

There is nothing wrong with what the lone golfer was doing and because he was a single golfer he is considered a group and has full standing on the course.
It appears it was the society 4balls determining the pace of play and not the single golfer so as long as he was keeping right behind them he was doing nothing wrong and as such there is no right to play through him because you were in a 4ball and he was single.
There is nothing wrong with playing 2+balls as a single golfer, again it's pace of play, so if he played two balls and was right behind the trail of 4balls then he's perfectly fine.
Nothing wrong with headphones, obviously he puts himself at risk not hearing FORE but that's a risk he took on.

Some clubs do not allow a single golfer to use multiple balls off the tee or maybe do not allow multiple balls on approach because of multiple divots from the same patch of ground, but this is course specific so the only way to determine is to phone the club themselves.

Had he not been there you would no doubt have been walking in after 4hr and 30minutes albeit probably 10minutes earlier because you would have teed off 10minutes earlier in the absence of the lone golfer.

First Up · 11-03-2019 5:58pm

slave1 wrote:

Had he not been there you would no doubt have been walking in after 4hr and 30minutes albeit probably 10minutes earlier because you would have teed off 10minutes earlier in the absence of the lone golfer.

Every player on the course - especially in a competition - is expected to play at a reasonable pace. Hitting two or three balls is contrary to that.

There is no way of knowing if the OP's group was playing quicker than the fourball in front of the solo. It is possible that if they had been able to be directly behind them, they would have been invited to play through.

The solo was obviously not in the competition. A properly run club would not allow a solo out on the course to practice in the middle of a competition. I have played Blainroe a few times and quite enjoyed it. However this instance would put me right off it.

prawnsambo · 11-03-2019 6:21pm

First Up wrote: »

Every player on the course - especially in a competition - is expected to play at a reasonable pace. Hitting two or three balls is contrary to that.

There is no way of knowing if the OP's group was playing quicker than the fourball in front of the solo. It is possible that if they had been able to be directly behind them, they would have been invited to play through.

The solo was obviously not in the competition. A properly run club would not allow a solo out on the course to practice in the middle of a competition. I have played Blainroe a few times and quite enjoyed it. However this instance would put me right off it.

It's clear from the OP that it wasn't a competition. He was a guest and it's very inlikely that there'd be an open competition on a weekend. And there was a society out in front of them.

And of course you can hit extra balls while you're waiting. He doesn't have to allow the other group through if he's not the hold up.

First Up · 11-03-2019 6:27pm

prawnsambo wrote:

It's clear from the OP that it wasn't a competition. He was a guest and it's very inlikely that there'd be an open competition on a weekend. And there was a society out in front of them.

I don't think its clear; most clubs have competitions on the weekend and it could have been a member/guest.

I'm open to clarification on that but allowing a solo player out amidst fourballs is still unacceptable in my view, especially when he disregards others on the course.

prawnsambo · 11-03-2019 6:35pm

First Up wrote: »

I don't think its clear; most clubs have competitions on the weekend and it could have been a member/guest.

I'm open to clarification on that but allowing a solo player out amidst fourballs is still unacceptable in my view, especially when he disregards others on the course.

Yeah, it's not clear, but I read it as a casual game because of the circumstances with societies out and casual golfers out as well. My club wouldn't allow casaul golfers out during a competition unless there was a good gap on the time sheet.

julio arca · 11-03-2019 6:36pm

Just to clarify, I was a visitor playing with a fellow visitor and not in any competition. Also the solo golfer was not on the timesheet per the course staff so i assume it was a member out practicing that morning so the club can be absolved of any blame here. My aim here was to get an understanding of the rules so i know how to approach a similar situation should it arise in the future and was certainly not intended as a slight to the club or its staff who i actually found to be very helpful.

bmc58 · 11-03-2019 6:53pm

Rikand wrote: »

It shouldn't be done. I play multiple balls when I'm out practicing. But I will always call people through as soon as I see them. And if they offer me to join them, most of the time I inform them that I just want to spend the time practicing.

Playing with headphones on though is not only rude, but extremely dangerous. What if someone shouted fore and he didn't hear the shout and got decked.

Honestly, he should have been reported. Even if it was just a word in the pro shop. Someone needs to tell him he was out of line

Practicing on the course is not allowed where I played.End of.If you were on your own you were allowed to play 2 balls but practicing on the course...no way.How much damage would you do to the course hitting multiple balls from the same area?There is usually a "practice area" in most courses for practice.And a player on his/her own on any course has no rights,he/she MUST leave any group behind through.

prawnsambo · 11-03-2019 7:02pm

bmc58 wrote: »

Practicing on the course is not allowed where I played.End of.If you were on your own you were allowed to play 2 balls but practicing on the course...no way.How much damage would you do to the course hitting multiple balls from the same area?There is usually a "practice area" in most courses for practice.And a player on his/her own on any course has no rights,he/she MUST leave any group behind through.

No problem doing it at my course either. Though to be fair, it's very rare at weekends and never during competition slots.

First Up · 11-03-2019 7:17pm

julio arca wrote:

Just to clarify, I was a visitor playing with a fellow visitor and not in any competition. Also the solo golfer was not on the timesheet per the course staff so i assume it was a member out practicing that morning so the club can be absolved of any blame here. My aim here was to get an understanding of the rules so i know how to approach a similar situation should it arise in the future and was certainly not intended as a slight to the club or its staff who i actually found to be very helpful.

Fair enough but at a minimum it was poor behaviour by the solo player and doesn't reflect well on the club's standards.

He should have let you through or moved out of your way; you probably couldn't insist but you shouldn't have to.

Multiple ball ettiquete

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