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Pace of Play and Letting Groups Through

flaMtneer

flaMtneer

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Orlando, FL
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So, played yesterday with my wife and kids (15 and 18). They are all novice, but play very quickly (actually the first time we've all 4 played together!). The course was full and we went off behind a single. Even though the wife and kids hit a lot of shots we were never out of position on the course - usually the single was walking off the green on par 3's as we were teeing up. After about 12 holes or so he played through the group ahead of him so there was a small gap between us and the next group ahead - we were typically teeing off on the par 4's when they were on the green and we actually completely caught them by 18. We did have a slower par 5 where the kids struggled, but we were back in position on the next hole.

Anyway, the group behind us was a 3-some (started as 2 and paired up with a single I think) and they hit into us half a dozen times - three of those coming within about 20 feet of my wife. They probably only had to actually wait on maybe one shot per hole. My wife was really angry by the last couple holes.

We finished in 3 hours 50 mins.

My thought has always been that if you're in position and the course is full that you just cause more problems trying to let a group through just because they're playing up your xxx because then you have to find a spot to tuck in and usually the next group is coming. What makes this a little different is that there was a small gap in front of us for a few holes after the single moved out.

Anyway - turned out to be a long post - but just wanted to get some opinions on what others might have done. Wait and let them through or ignore it and keep playing?

Thx.
 
flaMtneer said:
So, played yesterday with my wife and kids (15 and 18). They are all novice, but play very quickly (actually the first time we've all 4 played together!). The course was full and we went off behind a single. Even though the wife and kids hit a lot of shots we were never out of position on the course - usually the single was walking off the green on par 3's as we were teeing up. After about 12 holes or so he played through the group ahead of him so there was a small gap between us and the next group ahead - we were typically teeing off on the par 4's when they were on the green and we actually completely caught them by 18. We did have a slower par 5 where the kids struggled, but we were back in position on the next hole.

Anyway, the group behind us was a 3-some (started as 2 and paired up with a single I think) and they hit into us half a dozen times - three of those coming within about 20 feet of my wife. They probably only had to actually wait on maybe one shot per hole. My wife was really angry by the last couple holes.

We finished in 3 hours 50 mins.

My thought has always been that if you're in position and the course is full that you just cause more problems trying to let a group through just because they're playing up your xxx because then you have to find a spot to tuck in and usually the next group is coming. What makes this a little different is that there was a small gap in front of us for a few holes after the single moved out.

Anyway - turned out to be a long post - but just wanted to get some opinions on what others might have done. Wait and let them through or ignore it and keep playing?

Thx.
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I don't mess around when someone hits into my wife. It's either a call to the pro shop and a demand that a ranger come out and speak with them, or I'll confront them myself. You're within the pace of play at 3hr50min and are waiting.

It takes a genuinely classless individual to intentionally hit into the group in front of them more than once (assuming the 'once' is unintentional).
 
Depends on my mood that day.

Normally I would call the proshop and have them deal with it.

If I was irritated enough I would have confronted them, maybe not after the 1st time but had it happened a 2nd I would have
 
If 4 of you were playing as quickly as the single in front of you I feel like you did nothing wrong at all. If somebody behind you is just a bit quicker and you take the time to stop, let them catch up and go thru, and then get out of your way you just create a bigger logjam than if you keep going. The group behind you was clearly suffering from a perception problem instead of a clock problem. They see a 4some with a wife and 2 kids and they just automatically feel like you are slowing them down when in reality you are not. The only thing I would have done different in your case would have been making a call to the clubhouse after the second or 3rd time I got hit into.
 
You were definitely within the acceptable expected time and they were just being jerks. A call to the pro shop is in order, especially when trying to model good behavior to your kids. Otherwise I like to place their ball on a tee in the fairway, it's passive aggressive but generally gets the point across.
 
Get in the cart, drive back to them and politely say, "Would you guys mind not hitting into us?" We're keeping pace with the groups in front and there's nowhere to go.

If they insist there is room, let them play though and then ride them the rest of the way around (but don't hit into them).
 
Confronting anyone on the course is never the right thing to do. Call the clubhouse.
 
It doesn't even matter what the pace was. You were on pace with the groups ahead and did nothing wrong. Even when the single moved ahead and played through those ahead of you. That is naturally going to create a gap. but on afull course if you allow the threesome to play through, it takes some time and then you will now just have the next foursome on you and so on and so on. Playing through on a full course imo causes more damage than it helps. The only ones it helps are the ones playing through but it actually adds more pace problems to all others but no one realizes that. These guys were wrong anyway and evn if you had 3 holes ahead of you, you finished in 3:50 and that shouldn't be any issue with anyone. If they played through and it took ten minutes then you would have taken 4hours and so would everyone else behind you. Instead they all finished in 3:50.
 
I agree with what most are saying. One time I can overlook as accidents happen, but hitting into your group multiple times is inexcusable. No sense in confronting them because things can get out of hand and your kids are there. A quick call to the clubhouse to make them aware of the issue and where you are on the course. It is also in those situations that I like to see how a course responds as it helps me decide if I want to go back there again.
 
Definitely a call to the clubhouse after the second time. Keeping pace with the group in front is pretty much what you should do, if the morons behind you don't understand that then not much you can do, but to hit into the group in front is unnecessary. Playing through on a full course doesn't even make sense as the logjam will be there regardless
 
100% a phone call was the right response after the 2nd incident, and I'd have told them in the call to warn that threesome that one more ball anywhere close means they are gone; maybe even banned permanently from that course.
 
I could see 3.50 being a little slow for a threesome behind you, especially if they are good golfers with a fast pace.

With that said, there is zero reason to hit into anyone on the golf course. Absolutely zero.


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Definitely call the pro shop. Be a good example for your kids.
 
Call the pro-shop. I would do that, and I would also chat with the guys, seriously but with courtesy. People tend to do stupid stuff but when confronted nicely, they get embarrassed and might apologize, and if they still get aggressive or anything, the marshall should already be on his way.
 
Certain grounds for a one two piece .


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While I was a junior a group hit into us, around 5 times. As I played at the course often and was a junior member I spoke with the marshall. They were banned pretty quickly as I told him we were almost hit on 2 of the occasions.


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Thanks for the replies. It's funny, but calling the pro shop never even crossed my mind. I still forget I have a cell phone out there even though I do use it as a GPS sometimes. We saw what might have been the ranger with a couple holes left but he just smiled and waved and we did the same.

I think it's most likely what someone above posted that because we were hitting a lot of shots they thought we must be holding them up but in reality our pace was fine. I also agree that there is never an excuse to hit into someone. We were on a resort course and sometimes folks are just clueless and I suppose that could be the case here also. I did have a flashback to HS and considered taking my 3W and hitting the last one back to them.

My dad always stressed (to put it mildly) fast play and I've tried to work with my kids to make sure they keep moving. They've got to get on the course sometime to learn. We have some simple rules for them we add to help (Third putts are good, pull the ball from the sand or terrible lies, etc ). Trying to keep it fun and moving at the same time. :)
 
I had this happen once when my kids, twin 8 years olds, were with me. There was a foursome in front of us and a two some behind us with no one behind the twosome. I offered twice to let the twosome play through, they were riding we were walking and with two kids I admit were aren't the fastest group. They declined both times saying they were in no hurry.

We are playing the fourth and they hit into us, missing me by 10 feet tops. No fore no nothing. I'm fuming but trying to keep my cool in front of the kids. This course is in a dead zone for cell phones so no can do on calling the pro shop. I wait, explain that they almost hit me and offer a third time to let them play through. Still " we are in no hurry" and no apology for almost hitting me.

We tee off on five. One of my sons second shots ends up in the green side bunker. I walk over to try to give him some tips on hitting out. As I approach to bunker a ball lands TWO feet from him, again no fore. I look back to the tee box on five and see that same two some that had all day. One had just hit the ball that almost hit my kid and the other was teeing his up to hit. I quick grab the kids and move them to the next tee box, after burying the guys tee shot as deep as the sand would allow. I leave them on 6 and go back to 5 waiting for these two knuckle heads to drive up.

It wasn't my finest moment but at that point I was in full on Daddy protect mode and let them have what for. Turns out they were both long time members and said they had never hit on that far before. I reminded them of how to use fore and that if there was even a chance of hitting us why bother taking the shot, the bunker was only 240 yards from the tee.

That was a couple months ago and the guy apologizes every time he sees me but part of me still wants to punch his lights out. He has a 7 year old boy who also plays and I've had the opportunity to play behind him and take even more caution than I would just because it's a mostly defenseless kid.

Some people just have no sense and your best bet is to let them play through on the first time they hit into you. If it happens again, then all bets are off, in my book, when women and children are involved.
 
TheHeez said:
You were definitely within the acceptable expected time and they were just being jerks. A call to the pro shop is in order, especially when trying to model good behavior to your kids. Otherwise I like to place their ball on a tee in the fairway, it's passive aggressive but generally gets the point across.
Click to expand...

TheHeez is a righteous dood!
 
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