Losing your spot at the turn.

[Wi-Golfer]

Got out of work at 10:00 today so I hit Tumbledon Trails for 18. Don't people work anymore?? There was a decent sized amount of people playing but I will save the worst for a different topic.

Anyways, there was nobody in front of me for the 1st 5 holes, on the 6th I caught up to an older husband & wife, they were probably early 70's. The man was slicing everything horribly & had maybe 150yd drives, his wife was outdriving him, yet the 4some in front of him would be 250+ yds out & he wouldn't hit. Fine I took the extra time to screw off in the middle of the long par 5 & just worked on my Burner Hybrid since nobody was behind me. They finish up the 9th & I am right on their heels. They head off & go into the clubhouse while I proceed to the 10th tee. There is a 4some teeing off & just as they are far enough out where I can proceed, the old couple come pulling up & he is eating a hotdog.

The guy tells me "you are supposed to be behind us". I tell him that he lost his place in line when he went into the clubhouse for food, he starts to argue & his wife starts bitching about it too. They would not accept the facts as presented & he was getting riled up, never mind that I could play 4 holes in the time they play 1. Now I am getting a bit pissed off about this but I don't want it to affect my game so I tell him to step up & hit another 100 yarder into the woods. Just as he starts to walk up to the tee, I decide there is no way I can have these coots in front of me because now it's a matter of ettiquette & principal. So I make the easy decision & simply drive straight down the fairway & skip the damn hole. The rd was going bogey/par/bogey/par, etc. Very easy hole so I just mark down a par & go to the 11th.

Why do some folks need to get all pissy about stupid shit like this? Do they like me playing right up their ass???? Should I have told him to just sit down & wait his turn?

 

[rubber314chicken]

I would have said "I'll be 300 yards out of range after my first hit. Then you guys can go on ahead so I don't have to tail you."

even if you only hit a 200 yard drive you'd be off the hole before they got a tee into the ground.

 

[Harry Longshanks]

Many of the courses I play have signs at the 10th hole that say "Do not stop at turn or you will lose your position" for that very reason.

I suppose you could have said "I'll tell you what. We will both hit our drives, and the longest gets to go first, because logically that person will clear the hole first."

But truthfully, you did the right thing. You were the better man - on all fronts.

EDIT: I also suppose you could have acquiesced as soon as he said something, then immediately play right up his arse and quickly say "Excuse me, do you mind if we play through?"

But see above about taking the high road.

 

[King Par]

I've noticed a lot of older people that just like to cry and moan over anything. It just seems like they will jump at any reason to argue.

At most of the courses I've been to, there's a 5 minute time limit inside the pro-shop at the turn. It gets abused left and right though. In your shoes, I would have done the same thing. If anything it makes everyone happy. You don't wait, these fools don't have to worry about anyone behind them.

When this happens to me though, I'll hit 5 from 150, 5 from 100, then just practice putting on the green.

 

[Augster]

First off, a single has not standing on the golf course as per the Rules of Golf. Just a little FYI.

Next it seems to me that they got back to the teebox in time to hit following the group they had been following. So "technically" they hadn't lost their place in line. They wouldn't have hit yet anyway had they been standing there the entire time with their ball on a tee.

All that said, you were a gentleman and a scholar to let them tee it up. You did the right thing. THEY are total dimwits for not letting you through at the turn. A single in a cart? How long could you POSSIBLY hold them up?

And therein lies the problem. You can tell by their actions that they were oblivious to you during the entire front nine. They could give two shits about anyone behind them.

Situations like this is why hitting in to people was created.

You did the right thing just driving around them. The 10th hole is easily accessible after you finish 18 as it seems it's close to the clubhouse. You can just ask whatever group is up there after you finish 18 to let you play it as you only have 1 hole to play. I have yet to have a group say no to me doing exactly this.

 

[Dannykos]

First off, a single has not standing on the golf course as per the Rules of Golf. Just a little FYI.

not quite right there....

"Priority on the Course
Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, priority on the
course is determined by a group’s pace of play. Any group playing a
whole round is entitled to pass a group playing a shorter round.The
term “group” includes a single player."

Taken from R&A Rules of Golf 2008-2011

 

[mont86]

If the group ahead was out of range and the couple was coming from the clubhouse..I would excused my rudeness and tee'd off and went on merry way...Some of the rudest people I have meet are on the course.

 

[Wi-Golfer]

Comes down to common courtesy. I haven't mentioned the bachelor party that was on the course yet...yep it was day full of every bad group that could possibly show up. Anyways there were 2 4somes in this party & about the 12th hole I caught up to a twosome who was waiting on the 2nd group of this bachelor party. They told me the guys refused to let them play thru. I joined up with them & we played the next 3 holes together, then we got to a par 3 & all 8 guys were on the tee box at the same time. I told the 2 guys I was now playing with that we should ask to play thru but they weren't real good & said they didn't want to tee off with 8-9 guys watching them. So I said adios to them & told the 8some I was playing thru. Not 1 guy said anything except "ok", & of course I hook the damn shot. Chipped up & 2 putted for a bogey but at least they were all behind me now.

I looked back & they played at least the next 2 holes as an 8some.

 

[Wi-Golfer]

If the group ahead was out of range and the couple was coming from the clubhouse..I would excused my rudeness and tee'd off and went on merry way...Some of the rudest people I have meet are on the course.

I don't like to be rude on the course, I really try to play the game in a gentlemens way. And I would say the vast majority of the people I meet on the courses are nice people. This was just a freak day but the course also happens to be on the far west side of Madison in Middleton. The people who live there like to look down on others & overall have a snobby attitude.

 

[Harry Longshanks]

DannyKos beat me to it, but here is the corresponding USGA rule:

Etiquette

Priority on the Course

Priority on the Course

Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, priority on the course is determined by a group’s pace of play. Any group playing a whole round is entitled to pass a group playing a shorter round. The term “group” includes a single player.

And here (HAH!) is the corresponding Animation:
Priority on the Course | United States Golf Association

 

[Harry Longshanks]

Okay, I know this is waaaaayyyy off topic, but I ran across this when I ran across the animation above.

The 10 - 25 second portion cracked me up:

Etiquette Towards Maintenance Personnel | United States Golf Association

 

[goatster]

i havent run into to many jerks on the course.but i probably just would have asked them if i could play along.then when they seen that i was not gonna hold them up and there was room in front i would have played ahead.

i always heard a single has no rights on a course but i have always let them play thru just because it made sense.

 

[mont86]

I don't like to be rude on the course, I really try to play the game in a gentlemens way. And I would say the vast majority of the people I meet on the courses are nice people. This was just a freak day but the course also happens to be on the far west side of Madison in Middleton. The people who live there like to look down on others & overall have a snobby attitude.

I really try to be polite on the course, but in what you described I would have tee'd off ahead of them..

I have never heard that about single players.

 

[warbirdlover]

Okay WG, I'm getting AARP after you!!!

 

[Nikonut]

CRAZY day ! Perhaps a full Moon that night ?