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Etiquette Question - short par 4's

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JBJGolf

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So I was playing the other day and we came up on a 330yd par 4. My teammates had no concern about driving the hole as they typically hit about 270. I stepped up and thought, with the way I am swinging today there is not a chance I'll drive the green.

I laid into the ball and carried 305 to the front of the green and rolled to the right side. Once we realized how well I hit it we all started yelling "fore" so they would hopefully hear us.

The group in front of us was putting and they obviously where less than happy. They threw my ball in the rough behind the green and made it clear to me they felt I hit into them on purpose. (which I didnt) they even said I could have killed them and need to be more careful.

I truly didn't expect to hit the green or anywhere near it.

So my question is, should I just wait from now on? Obviously my playing partners from that day will understand but when playing with someone else they will have raised expectations if I wait. It's almost like calling your shot. If I don't drive it then I look like an ass.

And then they threw my ball off the green... What about that part.
 
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Better off waiting, even if there is a slight chance. I've seen people throw or pick up the shots of those who ice jack them, and I think that's uncalled for as well.
 
You didn't say that you yelled at them when the ball was on the way. I might have thrown your ball off the green too if it were close to hitting me.

If you did yell, then that's different.
 
If you have a slight chance you should wait.
 
ddec said:
Better off waiting, even if there is a slight chance. I've seen people throw or pick up the shots of those who ice jack them, and I think that's uncalled for as well.
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I have had it happen and I never have thrown the ball off the green. But I've been tempted. Never felt like was was in danger of bodily harm from the shot though.
 
In my opinion we should wait until there is zero chance of hitting into the group in front of us.

I also don't like this trend of hitting or throwing other people's ball when they hit into you.
 
Scrap Iron said:
If you have a slight chance you should wait.
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That's the thing. That day the way I was off with my swing I didn't feel it could happen. I know I have the distance to hit 300+. But I can also gauge when I'm not playing well.
 
JBJGolf said:
That's the thing. That day the way I was off with my swing I didn't feel it could happen. I know I have the distance to hit 300+. But I can also gauge when I'm not playing well.
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If you have the distance then it could happen. Probability isn't the same thing as possibility.
 
tequila4kapp said:
If you have the distance then it could happen. Probability isn't the same thing as possibility.
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Fair. I don't disagree. I just don't ever want to hit someone. At the same time I don't want to hold up my group.
 
Hey, at least you care enough to ask and your group yelled. A group hit into us while we were on the green today. I turned around and said "How about a fore?" They responded with a sarcastic "Fore" I thought that was fairly D-baggish.
 
JBJGolf said:
Fair. I don't disagree. I just don't ever want to hit someone. At the same time I don't want to hold up my group.
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I don't think you're going to be unfairly holding up your group. So you wait a few min on the box. Then you get to play the hole faster. Just wait.
 
Accidents happen, if you come and apologize no big deal to me honestly. A yell is appreciated as well. Maybe I should stop giving people the benefit of the doubt but I just assume no one is trying to hit me on purpose.
 
I think you are better off just waiting and playing it safe just in case. I think you did the right thing and they over reacted to the whole situation, if you are on a green on a drivable Par 4 you have to know that something like that might happen and have to know someone didn't mean to do it. I know we all have been in a situation where we hit the ball on the screws like we rarely ever do and happens to go further then we thought it would. I know I usually try to wait for people to clear the green on Par 5's on my second shot even if I know I can't reach the green just for the fact that I don't want the ball getting close to the hole and the group in front of me thinking that I was trying to hit them.
 
I'm not sure I would have been able to control myself if someone intentionally picked up my ball and tossed it to "teach me a lesson"... I've driven a green once that I never thought I had a shot to, and the guys on the green actually congratulated me and didn't care a bit. Mind you, it rolled the last 30 yards so there was never any danger to them.
 
GillPier said:
I'm not sure I would have been able to control myself if someone intentionally picked up my ball and tossed it to "teach me a lesson"... I've driven a green once that I never thought I had a shot to, and the guys on the green actually congratulated me and didn't care a bit. Mind you, it rolled the last 30 yards so there was never any danger to them.
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My sentiments as well. There's a big difference between a ball screaming at you and one that's on it's last legs rolling at you. If I was on the green of a 330 yard par 4 and someone drove the green, I'd congratulate them, not get mad.
 
JBJGolf said:
So I was playing the other day and we came up on a 330yd par 4. My teammates had no concern about driving the hole as they typically hit about 270. I stepped up and thought, with the way I am swinging today there is not a chance I'll drive the green.

I laid into the ball and carried 305 to the front of the green and rolled to the right side. Once we realized how well I hit it we all started yelling "fore" so they would hopefully hear us.

The group in front of us was putting and they obviously where less than happy. They threw my ball in the rough behind the green and made it clear to me they felt I hit into them on purpose. (which I didnt) they even said I could have killed them and need to be more careful.

I truly didn't expect to hit the green or anywhere near it.

So my question is, should I just wait from now on? Obviously my playing partners from that day will understand but when playing with someone else they will have raised expectations if I wait. It's almost like calling your shot. If I don't drive it then I look like an ass.

And then they threw my ball off the green... What about that part.
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You say you were swinging well so you laid into one. That to me is intent and you should have waited. Why take a chance if you have that kind of power in reserve.
 
Looking back with the tee placement being forward in the box the hole was shortened a bit so I should have considered that in my choice to hit. I didn't use gps that day so I just went with the book at 330.
 
It didn't warrant throwing your ball and I guess calling you out of name. Rough crowd on that course
 
They threw your ball into the rough? Now that was uncalled for. Now, that being said, if the rest of your group was waiting then why not do the same esp. since you know you could have reached on one good swing. But your telling me you flew it 330 to the green? Then yes, you should have waited.....but I highly doubt you can fly it 330, so their lives were not threatened. If anything it ran up on them. When that has happened to me in the past, I applaud the shot. Driving a par 4.......nice.
 
Nate said:
They threw your ball into the rough? Now that was uncalled for. Now, that being said, if the rest of your group was waiting then why not do the same esp. since you know you could have reached on one good swing. But your telling me you flew it 330 to the green? Then yes, you should have waited.....but I highly doubt you can fly it 330, so their lives were not threatened. If anything it ran up on them. When that has happened to me in the past, I applaud the shot. Driving a par 4.......nice.
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Nate,
I am actually not clear on Exact distance since I didn't have gps. The book said it was 305 from the front tee position to the front of the green so that is what I have to assume it was closer to. The tee box for the blues was about 20yds long. I don't think I flew 330 but I truly don't know the exacts. I know I landed close enough to freak them out (tough to say from 300yds away)

The rest of the group did not wait they had zero concern about the green being in play for them. So I was just standing there after they all hit.
 
JBJGolf said:
That's the thing. That day the way I was off with my swing I didn't feel it could happen. I know I have the distance to hit 300+. But I can also gauge when I'm not playing well.
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You can get your swing back on any swing and if you have the distance potential to reach you must wait or change how you want to attack the hole. Would you want someone rolling up the green if your putting.
 
I'd wait, but their actions are also uncalled for. I think that you're both in the wrong, but they should've been a lot more understanding. Especially since you were yelling.
 
I have had people hit into me and the only time I have thrower their ball is when they laughed about it when they noticed we were on the green (blind shot in). If they had said sorry and been sincere I would have left it be. To the other side it's always better to safe and wait if you can get there by any chance you should wait.
 
I always wait even if there is the slightest chance I may hit into people. Then 10 times out of 10 I top one 20 yards after waiting.

On the flip side, I've never gotten angry if someone hits into our group. On the courses I play, it happens quite a bit, but I have played with people who do get upset if they are hit into. Their level of anger does seem to be quite lower when "fore" is yelled though.
 
JBJGolf said:
Nate,
I am actually not clear on Exact distance since I didn't have gps. The book said it was 305 from the front tee position to the front of the green so that is what I have to assume it was closer to. The tee box for the blues was about 20yds long. I don't think I flew 330 but I truly don't know the exacts. I know I landed close enough to freak them out (tough to say from 300yds away)

The rest of the group did not wait they had zero concern about the green being in play for them. So I was just standing there after they all hit.
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Ok, got ya. Still, my point is that your ball didn't fly on top of them....probably rolled up. Zero threat. Yes, in hindsight you should have probably waited but you hit a great shot and they were not in harms way.
 
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