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65nlovenit · 07-15-2007, 05:07 PM

Tried to squeeze in a round today. Because I’m playing by myself I check in with the marshal and wait till the foursome in front of me is well under way, hopefully they’ve teed off from number two, before I hit. I play the first hole and walk over to number two, only to find that the foursome is just teeing off. They had to wait for the foursome that’s in front of them. Watching the leading foursome is like watching a pin ball game, their all over the course, mostly in the woods, and of course they’re all helping each other hunt for the lost balls. Eventually they manage to make it to the green and the foursome in front of me tee’s off. What are the chances of finding eight golfers all the same caliber, playing back to back? Well I found them. Of the four I think one guy accidentally hit the fairway. So I figure this is going to be a slow round, but hopefully the foursome in front of me will realize I’m a single and will let me play through. Yeah Sure, no such luck. So I take this opportunity to hit 3 and 4 balls and do some serious practicing. That was great for two holes, till another foursome catches me. They’re not particularly happy about me hitting multiple balls, so I stop. The 5th hole is a long par 5. The 6th is 145 yard par 3. The 7th is another par 5. On the 5th hole as I’m finishing up, I look over and there’s a foursome on the 6th green. Across from them on 7 there’s another foursome just teeing off, and of course there’s the group in front of me. Well with that I’d had course, pick up my ball and walk to the clubhouse. As I near the clubhouse, I can see that number hole 9 is empty, so is 10, and looking across I can see that 11 is empty also. So I jump to 10, believe it or not I never seen another golfer till I got to 17. I think I’ll pass from now on Saturdays and Sundays, leave the course to people who want to play a 5 or 6 hour round of golf.

300Yards · 07-15-2007, 07:33 PM

I've had similar experiences..being stuck behind people, who shouldn't even be on the course, but at the practice range instead. The ability of the player, doesn't really bother me though, it's more, as you said, the lack of courtesy supoosed to be shown on the course. It's really quite simple: If I'm playing with a buddy or two, and someone who is a single comes up behind us, I will show good etiquette,, and let that single play through. It amazes me how people cannot understand this, surely most basic of all etiquette rules. Especially when look at you, know your there, but continue to hold up play for everyone. Really gets my collar hot.

**DennisM** · 07-15-2007, 08:32 PM

Some of my friends seem to feel I've become a curmudgeon in my old age. I can understand that golfers of every skill level have a right to be on the course, but I also believe every golfer, regardless of skill level, has an obligation to know the courtesies of the game as they are written into the rule book.

Topflite_d2 · 07-15-2007, 11:04 PM

Welcome to my world. Every Friday I go out and usally do about 27 holes. The first 18 are fine, then as I come back around to do the front nine again there is usally 4 or 5 carts lined up w/ 2 people each. Then usally when I do get to play all the people in front of me are waiting for some people who shouldn't be golfing anyways. All I know is when I grow up and get a job I am going a private course.

mkoreiwo · 07-16-2007, 09:03 AM

Wow! I had just about the same experience on Saturday afternoon! I figured around 4pm I could get out.... And I did, right away. I play 1 and two and as i approach 3, I see a foursome on the tee box... No one has teed off yet. Do ya think that they offered to let me play through - absolutely not. And like your group, they were all over the place. I had to wait every hole through the 9th. It really did effect my game.

So I get to the par 3 10th and nobody is on the green or in the fairway and I think - "great I'm clear". But when I get to the tee box, I can see a twosome hitting from the forward tees... I let them go, but after two shots to the green, they're looking for their balls.... I tee off an put it just off the green. When i get there I see it's two of the foursome I followed!!!

Now.... they could have offered to have me join them, or again, to play through, as they were still on the green when I got there. Nope. So there goes my 18. I almost picked up by the 13th and quit.

And golf isn't frustrating enough!

Fourputt · 07-16-2007, 01:38 PM

Actually, until a very few years ago, by the Rules of Golf a single had no standing on the golf course. That was because the amateur game was designed around match play formats, and a single, by definition can't play a match. That clause since has been dropped from the rules, but for a single playing alone to simply feel that he has the right to play through any foursome can be quite selfish too. I understand wanting to play through one foursome to get in the clear, but I've also been hassled by singles who feel that it's their right to play through 5 or 6 foursomes, and that is a s selfish as you can get. The single golfer needs to explore his own options too. On a busy course, a single attempting to play through several foursomes can become a one man road block as far as destroying the flow of play around the course for everyone else. Why should a dozen other players have to stand around and wait while HE plays through? What makes HIM so special?

Why not just play a second ball? Practice your putting and chipping between holes. Accept that as a single you are the exception rather than the rule, and you are going to have lots of times when you are NOT going to get your way. Maybe you need to find some friends to play with, so that you aren't always alone on the course. I play alone, but I do so rarely... not usually even possible on my home course, which is a busy public facility. I play in groups of 2, 3 or 4 golfers, and we adjust our play as needed to deal with the situation. I accept that when I'm playing in a short group, waiting is going to be part of the round. We play chipping games on the tee box when waiting to start a hole, shoot the breeze, swing each other's clubs, etc. Golf is supposed to be a game of patience, and that includes being patient with other players.

To tell the truth, I'd rather have to wait occasionally than be rushed around the course by a pushy ranger. That will ruin my game faster than anything else I can think of.

BTW, don't get the idea that I'm typically a slow player from this post. I've played 18 holes in 3:45 as part of a fivesome.... and we were waiting on 2 threesomes in front of us for the last 4 holes.

65nlovenit · 07-16-2007, 08:16 PM

I guess you missed part of my posting FourPutt, when I realized that the foursome was not going to let me play through, and that there was another foursome in front of them, I did play 2 and 3 balls. The problem arose because of the slow play, another foursome caught up with me and did not appreciate my hitting more then one ball, so rather then get embroiled in a shouting match I hit one ball (though now that I think about it, if four can hold up one, then one should be allowed to hold up four). I can appreciate your standing on single players, there is no hard and fast rule that says singles will be allowed to play through, that has just come to be as an unwritten courtesy to golf etiquette. As far as finding friends to play with, why should I have to go round up four friends just so we can all wait on the group ahead. Most of my friends would go fruit loop watching and waiting for the groups that were in front of me, they’re really not much into playing tee box games to pass the time. We all have been in these scenarios, brain dead people playing croquet and speedy gonzalis trying to set the course record for rapid play. At least the speedy guy I can deal with, I LET HIM PLAY THROUGH.

Fourputt · 07-17-2007, 12:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 65nlovenit

I guess you missed part of my posting FourPutt, when I realized that the foursome was not going to let me play through, and that there was another foursome in front of them, I did play 2 and 3 balls. The problem arose because of the slow play, another foursome caught up with me and did not appreciate my hitting more then one ball, so rather then get embroiled in a shouting match I hit one ball (though now that I think about it, if four can hold up one, then one should be allowed to hold up four). I can appreciate your standing on single players, there is no hard and fast rule that says singles will be allowed to play through, that has just come to be as an unwritten courtesy to golf etiquette. As far as finding friends to play with, why should I have to go round up four friends just so we can all wait on the group ahead. Most of my friends would go fruit loop watching and waiting for the groups that were in front of me, they’re really not much into playing tee box games to pass the time. We all have been in these scenarios, brain dead people playing croquet and speedy gonzalis trying to set the course record for rapid play. At least the speedy guy I can deal with, I LET HIM PLAY THROUGH.

My post was made as general comment, not aimed at you... sorry if it came off that way. I play most of my golf on a very busy public course... a typical year is more than 115,000 paid rounds (in a climate where we have winter

). The option of playing alone is a rare occurrence, and the course is usually loaded up enough that when you do have that very rare solo tee time, playing through is simply not a viable option. Most of the time, a single is going to be grouped up with 2 or 3 other players and they will play together. Whether you play with friends, or play with strangers, you WILL almost always be playing with someone. The good thing is that you meet a lot of like minded people that way.

So that is where I was coming from when I posted my views on this subject. Around the Denver area golf is very popular and we have a lot of very good public courses, so you either develop a good deal of patience, or you try to find another activity to pass the time.

Foster4 · 07-17-2007, 02:18 AM

yea i don't play much on sat's and sundays cuz its more expensive but yea i hate playing slow especially when its wide open in front of them and they won't let me pass ...it turns into a game where i try to shoot the best i can w/o hitting anyone till they let me pass...once i passed 3 groups in a 2 hole stretch lol ...i was sick of it after about 11 holes

beachbuzzard · 07-17-2007, 08:57 AM

I understand that if there is a backup that extends more than a couple of groups, there is little sense in letting the single through. My feeling as a single is that if there is a group ahead of me and they are not up on the group ahead of them, they should let me play through... so I stay right up on them until they let me (although sometimes I'm up on a group the whole day and they never let me through). When they don't ask I don't demand, although it does make me a little crazy. It is in this particular situation that I feel they are wrong by not letting a fast group through. If they are up on the group ahead of them then I just do as Fourputt mentioned... I practice putting and chipping.

I play often as a single because many of my friends aren't golfers. I don't let the fact that I don't have too many golfer friends stop me from going out solo. I just go. And yes, many times I'm paired up with others from the start... especially in the morning. But later in the day it isn't unusual to go out alone... and it is then that I run into these type situations.

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