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Hitting up on people ... How close is not okay

I would respond to that question, with a question. “How badly do you want to give all of your possessions to the injured guy with the lawyer on speed dial?
 
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rollin said:
Im not at all any fan of slow play warning shots. Two wrongs never make a right no matter what its still wrong. You just don't do it, its not your job to do it even if your annoyed at the slow group.

As for the topic in general? The whole "I didn't think I could reach" excuse is not really an excuse. And certainly not for someone who has played long enough to fully understand how sometimes you just cream one out of the norm. That will happen to anyone enough times and if you have enough played rounds under your belt you should know that it can and will happen. So imo its not "really" an excuse because you do know its possible.

What annoys me is those who suggest or even somewhat insist that I hit when I know full well the group ahead is within my max reach. Even if its only the 1 in 12 times I would even get close I still should be waiting. Truth is, where would we all be heading anyway? I mean what is the logic behind "hurry up and wait". And oh yes I may hit a fatty that chunks up 30 yrd from where I am, and I may hit it well and likely still be short sided, but knowing that its possible? Im waiting another minute for them to clear. Reason being is same as I began with this. Its because I been playing long enough to know I can and will sometimes reach. Its pretty simple really.
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Yeah this sux ... As a beginner who was a big hitter this was one of the hardest things for me. I'm waiting because I CAN hit that far, not because I will. At least nowadays I know my distances.

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I’m in a tough position at times. I hit the ball pretty far and a lot of the par 4’s I play are reachable with proper conditions (tailwind, hard fairways, etc). So I’m often stuck not wanting to hit but it can be a pace problem too. And just because I can get there, most likely I won’t.

The only thing that is certain is I won’t sniff 50 yards of the green if I wait and then I look like a total doofus.

So what I tend to do, if there is any chance, even .01% of me flying the ball to them-I will not hit. If the odds of me rolling the ball into them is more than say 5%, I won’t hit. If I’ve rolled one close to them, I absolutely will not do so again that day. If pace is going to be an issue because of this I’ll just hit iron off the tee. Heck I score just as well doing this anyways but it sure is fun bombing one.

On the rare occasion that I’ve rolled one into a group I immediately apologize profusely. I usually get something like “was that your drive?” Yup. “Nice shot!”

I had one two years ago, I was playing what you might as well call my home course. I’ve probably played 500+ lifetime rounds there. In those 500+ rounds I had never been within 50 yards of this green. It normally plays into the wind so I’m doing good being 100 out most days. So on this day with a tailwind and rock hard fairways I hit an absolute monster, one which I knew had zero chance of carrying into this group. It had to have landed at least 50-60 yards short of the front of the green and rolled up to either just on or on the fringe. The pin was clear in the back and the group in front was all by the pin. One guy stomped angrily from the back of this 35+ yard deep green picked my ball up from the fringe and chucked into a nearby lake? Really? I could see if we’d hit into them prior but we had just caught up to them. I thought that a little excessive. It was literally one of the top 10 longest measured drives I’d ever hit and if you gave me 10 more tries I probably wouldn’t have come within 30 yards. I probably landed on a yardage plate for it to get there still.

The ironic part is this, ahem, gentleman had the balls to come driving up to me a few holes later asking if we’d seen his putter, which we hadn’t.
 
I know my carry and that is usually it, if we have been dragging and can see room in front, I'll select said club to get within 50 yards. NEVER will I hit when I "think" I could reach them on a normal shot.

If they are two holes behind I may have given them a warning shot. Never will I risk hitting someone as I have been hit twice.

A little "wtf" never hurt anyone.
 
SmiterOfPv1x said:
I’m in a tough position at times. I hit the ball pretty far and a lot of the par 4’s I play are reachable with proper conditions (tailwind, hard fairways, etc). So I’m often stuck not wanting to hit but it can be a pace problem too. And just because I can get there, most likely I won’t.

The only thing that is certain is I won’t sniff 50 yards of the green if I wait and then I look like a total doofus.

So what I tend to do, if there is any chance, even .01% of me flying the ball to them-I will not hit. If the odds of me rolling the ball into them is more than say 5%, I won’t hit. If I’ve rolled one close to them, I absolutely will not do so again that day. If pace is going to be an issue because of this I’ll just hit iron off the tee. Heck I score just as well doing this anyways but it sure is fun bombing one.

On the rare occasion that I’ve rolled one into a group I immediately apologize profusely. I usually get something like “was that your drive?” Yup. “Nice shot!”

I had one two years ago, I was playing what you might as well call my home course. I’ve probably played 500+ lifetime rounds there. In those 500+ rounds I had never been within 50 yards of this green. It normally plays into the wind so I’m doing good being 100 out most days. So on this day with a tailwind and rock hard fairways I hit an absolute monster, one which I knew had zero chance of carrying into this group. It had to have landed at least 50-60 yards short of the front of the green and rolled up to either just on or on the fringe. The pin was clear in the back and the group in front was all by the pin. One guy stomped angrily from the back of this 35+ yard deep green picked my ball up from the fringe and chucked into a nearby lake? Really? I could see if we’d hit into them prior but we had just caught up to them. I thought that a little excessive. It was literally one of the top 10 longest measured drives I’d ever hit and if you gave me 10 more tries I probably wouldn’t have come within 30 yards. I probably landed on a yardage plate for it to get there still.

The ironic part is this, ahem, gentleman had the balls to come driving up to me a few holes later asking if we’d seen his putter, which we hadn’t.
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I think the appropriate response to that question would have been, "I think I saw your putter dive into the lake back there looking for the ball you threw in"
 
MagicSpell said:
I think the appropriate response to that question would have been, "I think I saw your putter dive into the lake back there looking for the ball you threw in"
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My response was pretty close to that, lol. But I’m trying to improve my image, ha! I actually thought he was coming back to pick a fight with me. In all my years golfing, it may be the largest unprovoked asshat move I’ve ever seen.
 
There was a guy in my group years ago that was pretty easy going the first time, accept your apology. Second time, he hit it back to you....
 
In my experience if the group behind hits up on us once, and it appears to be an accident - no worries; stuff happens.

The second time - it feels like either carelessness OR intent to send a message.

Generally that elicits a different response.
 
We were playing a couple of weeks ago. Course was really crowded and it was slow going, waiting at every tee. The group of 4 guys behind us hit into us about 3 times with no warning. The course marshal came by and we asked him to speak to the group. Just as we were talking to him the group behind us hit and the ball landed about 1 foot from the marshal. the marshal got in his cart and sped back to the group. I don't know what he said but it never happened again.:banana:
 
chriso97 said:
Had an incident this week, not sure if I was right/wrong.

On third hole I absolutely smashed my drive and it landed short and rolled past group in front. Tees were back but I still should have waited and mumbled a cheeky apology when I got to green (I know the guys and play with them often). Guys joked they were going to kick it into bunker.

On the fourth I topped my drive and was sitting 210m out . The group in front were on the green (pin was at front). I knew I couldn't make it (even if I smoked one) so I took the shot.

Funnily enough I did smoke it and it landed short and rolled up 3-4m short of green.
When I got up to my ball, I copped some serious abuse. The guys were pretty angry and gave me a spray and pretty heavy warnings.

Here's the thing, I know my game and know I was never going to get there, so I figure there's nothing in it. I was upset at their actions and don't feel like I did anything to deserve it. On reflection I prob should have apologised but I don't feel I did anything wrong.

It annoys me when people get upset when a ball rolls up and stops short. I get it if it rolls past (or lands near) but not if it rolls up short.
Am I wrong?

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Very simple. If ur best shot ever can reach within 20"yards of the group in front I don't hit. I'll read replies but have quick funny story. Playing as twosome and behind elderly couple. Lady waves us to hit and husband doesn't see her & she Obv did t tell him. I told my buddy we're waved on and to hit. He lines one into the cart where woman was and told him 'bro, I was kidding, why would u hit the ball'? His face turned red and the man is cussing at him ???. I have to calm him while lady calms her husband
 
I’ve only had one land close to me once. Courses here don’t have marshals so people tend to police themselves. For the most part there aren’t any incidents and rounds are enjoyable, albeit slow sometimes. I knew the guy that did it. He was an ass and did it on purpose. I pitched his ball in the pond.

I hit into a group in a scramble once. Blind tee shot and we had given them 10 minutes or so to get to the green. I saw the carts head towards the green so I hit. Apparently one guy was still down there for some reason. He didn’t say anything, just proceeded to stomp my ball into the ground. We almost didn’t find it. I apologized to him at the dinner afterwards and he was cool about it.
 
I just don’t understand why anyone would hit into another group, the results are a distraction from our own game and a distraction to the group that’s been hit in to. I know it’s frustrating to play on a slow day or behind a slower group (I’ve been there many times) but that’s part of the mental game I think.

Slow play is horrible at best but it’s a lesson of mental stamina
 
something else I find so wring and also annoying is when folks hit while your walking off the green. Im going to say that is one experience which I feel (although rare too) happens more than the other.

Why do people think they can hit while a group is walking off? And most people don't hit most greens most the time. Nothing worse than grabbing you cart or bag only to hear or see a ball bounce right next to, or behind, or in some cases over you. I mean just where is anyone going? whats the purpose of simply just not waiting another 8 seconds? I don't get this one. You see the group hasn't even grabbed the bags yet and so you hit? And you also see the grouo ahead of them barely off the next tee. Whats the logic here?
 
rollin said:
something else I find so wring and also annoying is when folks hit while your walking off the green. Im going to say that is one experience which I feel (although rare too) happens more than the other.

Why do people think they can hit while a group is walking off? And most people don't hit most greens most the time. Nothing worse than grabbing you cart or bag only to hear or see a ball bounce right next to, or behind, or in some cases over you. I mean just where is anyone going? whats the purpose of simply just not waiting another 8 seconds? I don't get this one. You see the group hasn't even grabbed the bags yet and so you hit? And you also see the grouo ahead of them barely off the next tee. Whats the logic here?
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This happened to me last year at my local municipal. I was walking, but still on the green and the young guy behind me already had the ball in the air. It landed relatively close to me off of the green. I called him out and he got confrontational saying he knew exactly where the ball was going. A few more words exchanged, etc... Two holes later he drove up and gave me a water and apologized for the shot and the confrontation. All good, learning experience for us both.
 
... Ironic that I read this thread this morning and today a guy hits a ball onto the green and it rolled past us as we were putting. The hole plays 346 from the Silver tees and I hit a 2 iron leaving me 86 to the pin. The young guys behind us were playing the tips at 377 and they cannot see the green from the tee box, but even if they could they aren't gonna hit from 377? Just a one time combination of wind, perfect strike and catching the downslope. They were looking for his ball in the rough 50 ds short of the green and we told him his ball was on the green. His friends didn't believe it and he drove up and apologized. My wife said "apologize? That was a great shot and it was rolling slowly. GREAT shot!" and slapped 5 with him.
 
It's a range of emotions/thoughts for me. It mostly depends on how likely you should hit that distance. I've been on the receiving side of drunks hitting irons into the green while I'm putting where I will unload on them and call the clubhouse to a guy hitting a very nice shot on a par 5 and all I can say is nice shot.

Really it depends on the situation.
 
Chisag said:
... Ironic that I read this thread this morning and today a guy hits a ball onto the green and it rolled past us as we were putting. The hole plays 346 from the Silver tees and I hit a 2 iron leaving me 86 to the pin. The young guys behind us were playing the tips at 377 and they cannot see the green from the tee box, but even if they could they aren't gonna hit from 377? Just a one time combination of wind, perfect strike and catching the downslope. They were looking for his ball in the rough 50 ds short of the green and we told him his ball was on the green. His friends didn't believe it and he drove up and apologized. My wife said "apologize? That was a great shot and it was rolling slowly. GREAT shot!" and slapped 5 with him.
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Agree. Anyone that hits a par 4 in 1 from the tees (esp tips) I give a pass & a high five from that distance. That distance is pretty exceptional from the tee. Today we played a par 4 that was 323 from the tee. Most wait from the tee cause w/ the wind it can be hit. Against the wind we all hit once they are on.
 
I don’t think you were wrong, but a simple apology with an added “my best ever swing lands 40 yards short of this, sorry again” would have went a long way.

Today I purposely hit into a single head of me 3 times. But they guy was hitting two balls on a somewhat crowded day and easily 2 shots behind the foursome in front of him. It was the first time I ever yelled fore on a straight down the middle drive.
 
-CJ- said:
I don’t think you were wrong, but a simple apology with an added “my best ever swing lands 40 yards short of this, sorry again” would have went a long way.

Today I purposely hit into a single head of me 3 times. But they guy was hitting two balls on a somewhat crowded day and easily 2 shots behind the foursome in front of him. It was the first time I ever yelled fore on a straight down the middle drive.
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well, purposely hitting into him is wrong regardless the reason. So he was a single about within a hole of the 4some ahead of him. Very quickly and easily he would be up thier butts if he plays one ball. And may actually be why he was playing two. And likely on this crowded course if he was up their butts your group would be up his anyway as he waits for the 4some ahead. Im not saying him being two strokes back is necessarily correct but just that in the long run its highly likely it didn't really matter considering the crowded course. Either way you would been on him whether he was where he was or on the group ahead of him.

But even if you disagree you just don't purposely hit into anyone. its wrong no matter what. You purposely did that 3 times? I mean why didn't you just go up to him and punch him? you should been banned form the course.
 
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RULE #1 - Make sure everyone gets to go home after the round and not to the ER.
RULE #2 - You may know your game, but the group ahead doesn't. WAIT.

Playing this weekend I'm 250 yards out in the middle of the fairway after my tee shot on #17. A ball bounces over my head as I am hitting my approach shot. Not cool! Besides the obvious every time distraction, people lose their eyesight, get knocked unconscious and yes occasionally die from being hit with golf balls. Remember Rule #1.
 
rollin said:
well, purposely hitting into him is wrong regardless the reason. So he was a single about within a hole of the 4some ahead of him. Very quickly and easily he would be up thier butts if he plays one ball. And may actually be why he was playing two. And likely on this crowded course if he was up their butts your group would be up his anyway as he waits for the 4some ahead. Im not saying him being two strokes back is necessarily correct but just that in the long run its highly likely it didn't really matter considering the crowded course. Either way you would been on him whether he was where he was or on the group ahead of him. But even if you disagree you just don't purposely hit into anyone. its wrong no matter what. You purposely did that 3 times? I mean why didn't you just go up to him and punch him? you should been banned form the course.
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You are right, we handled that incorrectly. Now in hindsight it could’ve ended up disastrous. We were lucky and will put this down as a fortunate learning experience.

I did forget to add on tee box 1 we did ask if our threesome could join him, he declined. (No starter course) Then add the two ball playing is what lead to our frustration.

But as you stated it is still no reason for us to do what we did.
 
-CJ- said:
You are right, we handled that incorrectly. Now in hindsight it could’ve ended up disastrous. We were lucky and will put this down as a fortunate learning experience.

I did forget to add on tee box 1 we did ask if our threesome could join him, he declined. (No starter course) Then add the two ball playing is what lead to our frustration.

But as you stated it is still no reason for us to do what we did.
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glad you came to see it as wrong. The reasons why it was done don't matter.
I would have joined a 3some on a full course (even if behind me) as id rather play with people vs alone especially if im going to be waiting. Perhaps the better question (even though he was technically in front of you guys) may have been to ask him if he wanted to join your group..lol just a little reverse phycology there fwiw ...lol
 
If someone is playing slow I’ll send one with 20 yards but never past them or rolling up to them, intentional or not. I never find myself in situations where “wow, I caught that one” and it became an accident. Like someone mentioned above, if there is any doubt I hold.
 
Most of my drives are out there, and I am last to hit...your in your set up ready to swing, and hear tink from the tee box... I just wait at address, hear the thud somewhere behind me and go about my swing. Happens all the time, they can't quite reach you...but they are driving at your FW...lol. Its only a golf ball...some people vent their life/wife/job frustrations?

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Although spectators get hit by golf balls on a regular basis during PGA tour events, they typically do not sustain fatal injuries because the ball is not moving extremely fast when it finally lands after flying several hundred yards. It's only when a tee shot first comes off the face, for professionals in excess of 120mph, then strikes someone in the head, that deaths occur.
 
dduarte85 said:
If someone is playing slow I’ll send one with 20 yards but never past them or rolling up to them, intentional or not. I never find myself in situations where “wow, I caught that one” and it became an accident. Like someone mentioned above, if there is any doubt I hold.
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Youll never find yourself in a "wow, I caught that one" situation? What about that self appointed pace police shot across the bow within 20 yrds? I know your a single digit cap but are you exempt from ever catching that one or even misjudging that one?

Sorry, and I know your far from the only one as there are many who do it and even mentioned by enough people in this thread, but just when does any player go from being a player to somehow a self promoted and appointed pace police Sergeant with the right to fire one across the bow?

I mean I get it as for the frustration but cheeeeze man, just call the club house and I know that usually doesnt work but thats the only thing anyone can do and in the mean time just find something to do or talk about to kill the extra time. It just is what it is.
 
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