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

chriso97

Mad Golfer
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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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It annoys me when someone hits into my group and when you think you can’t reach them is when you will reach them.

I don’t get nasty but I wall ask that they relax a little and give us time to get out of the way or off the green, chances are I have people in front of me and can’t go any faster
 
If you hit into me or get close, you’ll hear from me about it. Accidents happen but I operate (and coach) on a simple philosophy, if there is even the most MINUTE chance of hitting into the group in front, wait.
 
It's a tough situation because most people who say they get mad if it happens to them are the same people when in the group behind are complaining that you aren't hitting.
 
What are you gaining from not waiting? 1 time is a accident, 2 times is Not and you were at fault. If a ball lands within 50 feet you should have waited.
 
If you get within 20 feet of the group ahead, its too close. Most people dont like getting hit by a golf ball, so if you make someone feel like they are at risk, they tend to get angry.
I feel like with anyone, you get maybe 1 freebie per round. Even if someone is super cool, doing it once is one thing but not many, if anyone is going to tolerate you doing it twice.
 
If it happened twice to me, I'd be pretty upset too. If I'm standing over a putt and the ball lands a few yards (meters) short, that's incredibly distracting. I'm probably going to restart my process, which just slows everything up further. Not to mention, it's dangerous. So my rule is, if there is any chance of getting close, I wait.
 
If you get within 20 feet of the group ahead, its too close. Most people dont like getting hit by a golf ball, so if you make someone feel like they are at risk, they tend to get angry..

Agree 100 percent , I think the problem was the first one. I hope they wouldnt have said anything if I hadn't stuffed up the first time.







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What are you gaining from not waiting? 1 time is a accident, 2 times is Not and you were at fault. If a ball lands within 50 feet you should have waited.
Fair nuff, I never even considered that I would get that close.

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I would have been upset as well.

If your ball is rolling into my group, you should have waited.
 
I normally wait until I have 35+ yards of cushion before I hit off the tee or layup on a par 5. I did hit into a group on the green of a par 5 last year for the first time in about 25 years and felt terrible especially since it was one of my first few round as a new member. It was from 267 yards and I actually rolled it up 15 feet away when the foursome was putting. Luckily they were very cool about it. My eyes told me it rolled about 35 yards after it landed which is not normal so I must of had a lucky bounce off a sprinkler head or something else because there was no wind and my max with roll at my home course with that 4 wood is about 250. I should have allowed more cushion and normally always do.
 
I would prefer to wait and not take a chance. Getting hit with a golf ball could really hurt someone. Yes it happens once in a while, but if I think there is a chance I won't hit. Better safe than sorry.
 
Yeah, I think this is on you. You would feel exactly like they did if the roles were reversed.
 
What are you gaining from not waiting? 1 time is a accident, 2 times is Not and you were at fault. If a ball lands within 50 feet you should have waited.

Completely agree with this. You’re not gonna make the group in front of you speed up, if anything after getting hit into for the second time they might start slow playing the round.

I guess I should also ask...were there empty holes in front of that group? Were they behind the pace of play?
 
Yeah, I think this is on you. You would feel exactly like they did if the roles were reversed.

Yeah, what he said. Our rule is that if you don't wait, you'll hit the best shot of the day, piss off the group in front, and feel like an ass. If you wait, you'll likely hit your worst shot of the day, getting no more than 50 yds or so, and piss off the group behind. We wait.
 
I'm not sure ask @dhartmann34

Kidding aside...I've been guilty of hitting into groups. Sometimes after 3 or 4 slow holes I'll send a warning shot like let's pick up the pace fellas. On one hand it's a Richard move by me...But slow play is also a Richard move.

If I'm at the tee box I'll pretty much wait until they're on the green. No point in rushing, just jam out to your music or chat it up with your group.
 
Par 5 2nd shot. Nothing funnier than gently rolling one by their set up and they look back 250+ (it was down wind ;)...or it runs up the swail on the green oops!
 
as others have said, once, accident...twice, your going to find your ball teed up...Three times, and we will absolutely have words, and I will have reported you to the clubhouse...A large portion of that for me, I have never ever been accused of slow play, and if you hit into me, it is because I am WAITING on people ahead of me...

I have had to shove buddies out of the way of a ball whizzing by, and that was on the third offense...I was NOT happy, and they were drunk, NOT a good combination!!!
 
For me it largely depends on whether or not they were keeping pace, or if there was an opening in front of them.

If there's no where to go, and you hit into my group twice there's about a 50/50 chance your second ball is coming back at you.
 
Wait until I leave the green, fairway, etc. If I can hear your ball land, then we're probably going to have problems. I don't know when golf got itself into a big damn hurry.
 
I do my best not to land a ball within 40-50 yards of the group in front. That's more cushion than necessary but it doesn't hurt or slow anyone.

If someone hits it into me once, okay, it's probably one of those rare perfectly flushed shots. A second time, it's not okay.
 
I'm not sure ask @dhartmann34

Kidding aside...I've been guilty of hitting into groups. Sometimes after 3 or 4 slow holes I'll send a warning shot like let's pick up the pace fellas. On one hand it's a Richard move by me...But slow play is also a Richard move.

If I'm at the tee box I'll pretty much wait until they're on the green. No point in rushing, just jam out to your music or chat it up with your group.
And now you just avoid playing the same course as I'm on....

I don't like people hitting up on me if there's nowhere for them to play through and go. Once happens. Sometimes we get that crazy good bounce or miraculous strike. But if you're not playing through, just wait the extra minute.... Because being pushed by someone from behind isn't enjoyable.

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I remember once at Fox Hollow I was at the tee box with @MWard on a Par 5 and @JB was deep in the fairway. Mind you, this is when I was spraying drives OB, Water Hazards, Hosel rockets 30 yards, 210 yard worm burners. And I CAUGHT one in between the JailBreak and launched it towards JB's cart.

It was close. He even sent Wardy a text saying Who hit that ball. Cobra struck.

On the bright side I had 195 to the green on a Par 5.

Chicks dig the long ball. *Nobody was hurt.
 
I have had 2 situations happen in recent years that have made me extremely cautious in regards to this. The first, we were the first foursome out on the course for a 4 person scramble. They put a twosome out ahead of us thinking that they would lose us in no time. That was not the case. These guys held us up the entire round. One of the guys obviously just flat out doesn't play and was out hitting multiple drives on every hole. These guys would sit at their cart chit chatting while we waited for them to hit or clear the green. No big deal as we were in no hurry. We got to the 15th hole which is a longer par 4 with a pretty hard dog leg left. We waited for them to hit their shots from the bend of the dog leg. Both hit, they get into their cart and drive off. So, the other three golfers in our foursome hit their drives. I get up to the tee and hit one of the best drives I've ever hit on that hole. Cut the corner just perfect. Thinking nothing of it, as these guys had a good 5 minutes to get down the fairway, we get in our carts and start driving down the fairway. We get to the turn just to see one of the guys charging at us cussing up a storm. In that time they made it about 100 yards down the hole (still 100 yards away from the green). Apparently, they were standing behind their cart chatting. My ball came over the trees and hit one of them on the back of the hand on the fly breaking the small bones.

In all reality, they were in my eyes, as much at fault as myself as they cannot sit in a blind spot doing nothing. But, knowing how slow they were, I should have probably checked in case they were just chunking their shots down the fairway. I apologized profusely and felt just awful after that. It turns out, that if you hit someone on the course like that, you are liable. I had no issue filing a claim with my homeowners. I called the guy a few days later and checked up on him. He was cool about it all things considered.

The second scenario was on this same hole. This time, I double check when there is a group ahead of us. They were not in my range, not even close, so I thought. They were about 50 yards off the green. I hit a sweeping draw that never climbed too high and followed the dog leg perfectly. I don't know what happened, but the thing must have rolled out 50 yards. It finished off about 10 yards in front of this guy. Like, this could be the longest drive I have ever hit in my life. Like 370. This guy was so mad at me. I don't know what I could have done as I would have never expected that kind of distance. Again, apologized profusely. When I explained that it was my drive and not my second shot, he calmed down a bit. Was still pretty pissed though. He told the pro when he got back to the clubhouse. I explained the situation and it was left at that.

I am now super cautious when it comes to hitting up on a group. I have never been one to hit up on purpose and have typically been pretty considerate trying not to even get close. But, there are situations where a guy just has to be extra cautious. If there is a 1% chance that I hit into a group, I will wait. It sucks to hit someone. Obviously for them, but the guilt you have after is terrible. If the ball was two feet further from his hand, it could have hit him in the head and killed the guy. I couldn't stop thinking about that.
 
I would have waited, if there was a chance my best shot ever would approach them, I would wait. If I don't think my best shot will get within 50 yards of them, I will probably hit. Never know if a sprinkler bounce could add 15-20 more yards or more of roll, odds you won't hit it but I would rather be safe than sorry. I have hit a shot that has rolled up to a group when I wasn't as patient and smart, luckily they congratulated me since they've never seen a shot roll that far (hit a cartpath too). Have also gotten hit into and usually a stern warning does the trick, if not then a call to the proshop will be next.
 
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