Playing from another fairway after a wayward tee shot with folks on the tee.

rollin

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And so im sure most all have "been there and done that" when it comes to ending up in the fairway of an adjoining hole. Or something else we have all been involved with is that we have been on a tee when another player comes into our fairway to play their own errant tee shot.

Firstly if anyone is actually hitting at that moment we would of course wait for that person, but putting that one thing aside lets look at the general scenario.

So what to do you do? The natural reaction I see by most people who are on the tee is that they feel they have the right of way for all to finish teeing off. However if no has begun to tee off yet, then its fairly common to allow the player to first hit his ball back to his own hole. But sometime the people on the tee don't even allow the player to play his ball even if they havnt began to tee off yet.

Here is how I view what the proper procedure should be. I think its pretty simple. This issue is very often associated with pace of play and is why most people seem to want to tee off and have the person wait and also feel that they have the right of way. But I say it should all depend on whether or not the person is from a hole behind your hole or ahead of your own hole. You see...my logic is that if the person is from a hole ahead of yours and you make that person wait for your entire group to tee (which could be many minutes) tee off then all your doing is causing that same persons group to then be delayed and since they are technically in front of yours, your only now adding to your own future wait time. IMO Just pause your teeing and let the player (who is in a group ahead of yours) take care of his business. If the player is from a hole behind your hole then the opposite would hold true.

I think right of way has to be placed on the back burner if we want to do things in such a fashion that would cause the least delay. So with that, imo if the player is from a hole ahead of yours then let him play while if he is from a hole behind yours then you should play first.

What do you think?
 
Since it's usually me in the other fairway I usually just wait and see if they have hit their shots. If they haven't and are just not close to teeing off I hit. If they are in between shots I wait. Shouldn't be too difficult. It's still faster than many of us just simply searching for a lost ball.
 
I yield to the people who aren't on the wrong hole. If someone is on my hole, they're usually by themselves and most people will be in a hurry to get out of the way, so I'll motion to them to go ahead.
 
I skimmed but here is what I was told...

The hole in front always gets honors.

If I'm on 7 and drive a ball into the 8th fairway then the players who are on Hole 8 hit first, all of them.

If I'm on 7 and drive a ball into the 6th fairway then I have the right of way to hit first.
 
I skimmed but here is what I was told...

The hole in front always gets honors.

If I'm on 7 and drive a ball into the 8th fairway then the players who are on Hole 8 hit first, all of them.

If I'm on 7 and drive a ball into the 6th fairway then I have the right of way to hit first.

Too much math
 
I just do my best to see what's happening, certainly letting the tee box clear if I can see it, and then run out with a short iron and get back into play ASAP, I don't think you can overthink the shot nor the situation, just do your best to not interrupt their hole.
 
If I am in the other fairway, I let the people on the tee box decide my move. Already messed up my shot, don't need to mess up their pace of play too. If they say go for it, I am hitting and out of there as quick as I can.

If I am on the tee and another gets in my fairway, I usually let them go, unless it appears they are asking us to go instead, which I will comply to assuming the group ahead of us isn't too close. Since they hit a bad shot, I totally understand if they want a chance to relax and get it together for their next shot. Been there before!
 
I think it totally has to do with the shot the person has from the wrong fairway. If all it is a pitch back to the fairway then they should hit. If they have a clear site line to their hole I would make them wait so that they can take the proper time. If they have to carry "junk" then I also make them wait.

Those are the points I look at when I hit in the wrong fairway. If I see that I should wait then I just hang back and not give the tee box a chance to wave me to play unless their fairway is currently occupied by another group.
 
If I am in the other fairway, I let the people on the tee box decide my move. Already messed up my shot, don't need to mess up their pace of play too. If they say go for it, I am hitting and out of there as quick as I can.

If I am on the tee and another gets in my fairway, I usually let them go, unless it appears they are asking us to go instead, which I will comply to assuming the group ahead of us isn't too close. Since they hit a bad shot, I totally understand if they want a chance to relax and get it together for their next shot. Been there before!

This. I am fairly familiar with this situation.
 
Good question, I've never been told or learned golfing etiquette on this situation.

The uncomfortable part for me, is consolidating the players on the tee box into one entity. That is my issue. Ready golf and lightly traveled four-way intersections come to mind.

I'll wait for the tee box to clear before approaching my ball in the other fairway, but if the role was reversed I'd signal and let the golfer who is ready to approach and get back to their hole.
Whatever makes the most sense from both perspectives.
 
If the group on the tee is prepared to tee off I will let them complete drives if there is any hesitation I will invade their fairway and play my shot.
 
Not a problem on my home course, but I have been in the situation before (usually me in the fairway - darn slice) and the usual courtesy is let the person in the fairway get out of the way.
 
Golfers playing the hole have right of way. Always.
 
Fire one into them so they know not to do it again. :sarcastic:
 
Golfers playing the hole have right of way. Always.
Yes, technically they would. I doint think anyone would argue that. However, "right of way" is not always the best solution. For sake of keeeping things moving along efficiently it could be beneficial to allow the player to hit and get out of there vs have the player wait for an entire 4some to hit. I think "right of way" needs to take a back seat sometimes so that the situation gets taken care of best as possible for the good of all others on the course.

As I mentioned eaelier, if that player is on a hole tghat is ahead of your own group and you force him to wait for your entire 4some to hit then his much longer wait is likely going to come back to bite you even worse than if you just allow him to hit. It also allows those behind him (even if he is on a hole behind you) to wait only a minute vs wait for your entire group to hit before allowing him to do so. So situationally dependent it may often be the better choice to put the principle of "right of way" aside for the sake of just about anyone.
 
Yes, technically they would. I doint think anyone would argue that. However, "right of way" is not always the best solution. For sake of keeeping things moving along efficiently it could be beneficial to allow the player to hit and get out of there vs have the player wait for an entire 4some to hit. I think "right of way" needs to take a back seat sometimes so that the situation gets taken care of best as possible for the good of all others on the course.

As I mentioned eaelier, if that player is on a hole tghat is ahead of your own group and you force him to wait for your entire 4some to hit then his much longer wait is likely going to come back to bite you even worse than if you just allow him to hit. It also allows those behind him (even if he is on a hole behind you) to wait only a minute vs wait for your entire group to hit before allowing him to do so. So situationally dependent it may often be the better choice to put the principle of "right of way" aside for the sake of just about anyone.


Tough **** stay in your own damn fairway

#waitofshame
 
The course I used to play league at had this happen a lot - a lot of back and forth with minimal tree line between holes.

Pretty much 100% of time, player waits for whoever is on the tee to hit, hits the ball while the next person is getting ready, goes back into the fairway wither before or after they hit depending on which side of the wrong fairway they’re on. It’s not rocket science.
 
Free drop in my own fairway sounds good
 
Tough **** stay in your own damn fairway

#waitofshame

Lol! As someone that’s long and often wrong, when I find myself in the wrong fairway, I always wait unless waved on. I’m the one that’s wrong so I’m not going to mess up anyone else game due to my craptastic shot. If it’s a casual round that I’m not posting I may even just play one equidistant and pick up my ball on the next hole, especially if pace is a concern. I’m generally using less expensive balls for those rounds anyways so if I lose one due to someone else picking it up, it’s only a buck or so.
 
This is me more than I like to admit. I'll wait for the tee to clear and then hit my shot... unless waved on by those on the tee.

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Tough **** stay in your own damn fairway

#waitofshame

haha but if your group would really have that mindset then imo that's a little problematic.

And so...the first player in your group is teeing off, Im in your fairway and I see that the player is teeing off and so I of course wait like I should. Your group sees me wait. Imo soon as that player of yours is done , it would be good form snd the smatter choice to then allow me to go and hit while your next player is getting ready. Ok so maybe there is a slight delay but overall I (or whomever it is) would be out of there relatively quickly. The difference is having to wait a fairly short time for one player vs having the one player to wait for your 3 others. And his whole group will be waiting for him as he has to wait for your 3 others as well. That difference is a recipe for a pace problem imo. If your take on the situation is truly one of "too bad" because your group has the right of way so your going to all hit regardless, then I feel that's being overly righteous to a fault where as better common sense and better discretion should be used for sake of the bigger picture vs it simply being your groups right of way.
 
I think the players on the correct hole have priority IMO. Either way coming over to another fairway to play your ball while a group is playing that hole is definitely the walk of shame LOL!
 
Golf is a game of courtesy - just wait 30 seconds so the poor soul can find their way back to their own fairway
 
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