Not being let through!

Recently found myself playing alot midweek and on more than one occasion i have caught up to the group infront a four ball of ladies, group of elderly gents and a slow two ball, and none have offered to let me through, even though i am on my own and of a decent standard. I am all for all types of people playing golf but surely a bit of courtesy and common sence wouldnt be too much to ask for?

Am i within my right to ask them if i can play through? as i sort feels that an unwritten rule of golf, or am i just being too polite.

I feel the responsibility should be with the guys in the golf shop etc to make sure all golfers are asked to let smaller parties through where they can.

A lot of old dragons will not accept the NEW outlook of allowing single Players a standing.

As a single, you can't be playing a comp or marking a card so why not jump holes?

Good advice David, but it should not be required. What is it with people who won't let others through? It's common courtesy and sense. It's almost as though people think they are giving up something to let others through. They are not!! Thankfully it's not a problem I have on my home course. It's always quiet and often we are the only ones on the course..

i play abit on my own ,, i just play the ball right up to the group in front ,and tell them i,am coming passed ,, works for me ,, we all pay the same money

It's just bad manners to hold up another golfer!

How long does it take to let a single player go through, especially if you are holding him up to start with.

Tee off, walk to your ball, wave him through, let him play his shot, once he starts walking play your ball.

By the time you reach the green he should have putted out and be on the next tee.

By the time you reach the next tee he will be out of sight!

Russ

i dont mind waiting if there are more groups infront of the people infront of me but its esp annoying when the course infront of them is clear. I look forward to winter golf to get a nice steady paced round in. I also tried to cut holes recently on a 36 hole course and tried to play the 18th quickly as it runs beside the 9th and the group infront were in buggys and did everything they could to sprint off the green and onto the 10th where i was heading! They knew exactly what i was trying and purposely sped up. Just really gets my back up. Maybe will try playing up to a few of these groups and blatently asking them or telling them im going through, must add though this is a minority mainly, as most big groups or slower groups know the score n are happy to assist and use common sence.

It can be frustrating, but if your not in a rush, just hit 2/3 or even 4 balls off the tee and use the round as practice, score each ball & try to use it to practice shots you wouldn't normally chose to hit...i.e play the hole differently with each ball, maybe a driver with ball 1, punched 3 wood with ball 2 etc etc. might help improve your course management? that's what i tend to do if the group in front won't let me through on the odd occasions i play on my own.

With you on that one Andrew. If I'm out on my own and not in a hurry I will always play 2 balls all the way around and take extra shots when one doesn't go well or I get in a position where I want to practice something. Am working on my short game at the moment and had 6 balls on the green at one point on Sunday trying to get a neat shot working.

Occasionally I find that I'm playing 2 balls and then see someone else on their own catching me up. Decision time... do I revert to 1 ball and keep the pace up, invite him to join me or let him through - depends on my mood but find it difficult to refuse to join someone if they ask... annoying when you just want a practice though.

If you are caught playing more than one ball on our course you would be in trouble! Isnt that the norm for all courses?

Interesting Judy.

What is the reason behing that? I'd have thought that as long as you are not holding anyone up it would be ok.

There's no excuse for not letting a player(s) through if your next hole is clear and anyone who doesn't should be told so. I've never done what Peter Boyd does but it did make me laugh... you tell' em Peter. I don't see anything wrong with playing two balls if you're on your own and the couse is not busy, it certainly happens at Moorallerton.

I follow Paul's lead. If I'm out on my tod I'd get bored playing a full 18 anyway, so play 2 balls down the front 9 and aim for 10 pars or better between the 2 balls. Still taking as many shots as a full 18 and throwing in the challenge too

yeah i have found myself playing a few balls or just lingering around the green and practise chipping but its annoying that a round taht could be under 3 hours easy, turns into a 4n a half hour round. Suppose also i want to test myself just playing one ball and taking as many shots as i can without practise inbetween as its more real, but its certainly better than getting angry and frustrated so i might just remember this time i play. One young kid who like me was stuck behind a group decided he would practise on the green for 5 mins whilst he waited but i was stuck half way up the fairway waiting to be able to play my shot to the green. So its a fine balance i say, id never play two balls if i had someone behind me, but think that goes for most people really.

I was always under the impression that a single player had no standing on the course? having said that we tend to have 1 or 2 players in our groupings that have only been playing for just over 12 months and tend to be a little slower than the rest. we generally let most people through providing the holes are clear infront.

On the other hand though you have the people who are happy to drive there ball right up behind you and try to push you along. i've seen some holes where there is 3 groups on one par 4 (i think they were playing alternate shot comp) and we had the lead group playing there drives whilst we were still on the fairway playing our shots and 1 of our players was close to being hit. there was a total of 9 groups over 3 holes yet nothing behind so i think some kind of common sense is needed by all.

Some years back I was playing with 3 young Swedish ladies in Portugal (yes they were that nice, and good golfers, but my wife was pulling my trolley). A group behind us were constantly firing their balls very close and sometimes through us. It was pointless as play was generally slow and we had lost no ground on the group in front. As another ball rolled past me on a fairway, I gathered it and hit it back from where it came. As we waited on the tee of the next hole, a par 3, they arrived and asked why we didn't let them through (no mention of my returning their ball previously). I finally lost my temper and pointed out that the group in front were still playing on the green and there was absolutely no reason for us to let them through. The lady in their group got rather upset, but they did rather ask for it. We had no problem from that point on. As I have said before I am quick to let someone play through if it is warrented, but on this occasion it wasn't.

Hi Paul - you aren't allowed to practice on the course at Moortown. There is a driving range with free balls and a chipping green and a putting green. I think the reason is to protect the course. I have heard the greenkeepers complaining when they find 5 divot marks all together from someone obviously practising on the course in the evenings.

Well wouldn't you know it....

I went out for a bit of practice yesterday afternoon at East Brighton. There was a 3-ball in front of me but they had buggies and were good players so were playing pretty quickly. I started playing 2 balls as this kept me nicely about a hole or 2 behind them. No problem you would have thought. However...

I played my first off the 5th then put another down to tee off. A shout came over from the 17th hole "one ball only please". To be honest, I couldn't be bothered to get into an arguement so waved him off, walked down the fairway and took 2 from there. There was no-one at all on the course behind me. I'll check the course rules but to me it all seems a bit rediculous and jobsworth.

Hey-ho...

I like to play two balls when on my own, 1 that is a scoring ball and the other as the experimental ball with me trying to manufacture shots and try things out. I am as likely to pick this ball up as play it again on any given hole and certainly wouldnt play two balls if i had a group behind me.

Hi Gilbert i think the fact i am not a member of these courses plays a big part in not being let through, if i was a member i'd probably expect a different outcome when stuck behind a larger group of members. I suppose its just par for the course (excuse the pun) for a single player to get slowed up by members or none members on a course. Its just like being let out at a junction in your car i suppose, some people are conciderate and let people out and some just dont care.

I think Mr Boyds comment has probably come out of years of being in the same situation and just him being slightly forward with how he would approach the group in front doesnt make him a thug. A thug is someone who would use their 3 wood in a more, lets say, hands on approach !!!!!!!!!

Gilbert,

Please be aware that I have been playing this game for over 40 years and seen most things in that time. The written word on a Forum comes across a lot different to a spoken word so if you have taken offence to the whole sentence in my post I am sorry. How would you describe the older golfing generation set in their ways?

Gilbert,

I will reiterate a comment I have made to you before. You are entitled to your opinion but personal slights such as name calling will not be tolerated. Your post has been edited

Gilbert,

You seem to have missed the total meaning of my original post so here it is again for you.

A lot of old dragons will not accept the NEW outlook of allowing single Players a standing.

Old dragons are the people who think Golf today should be the same as it was back in there time, 50's ish. The NEW outlook (to them) of giving a single a standing will never be accepted by them. This is a fact.

Gilbert,

Thinking about what was put, maybe Old Dragons may have been the wrong thing. Old Dinosaurs may have been better.

Gilbert, it's getting to the stage now where if I see your name I wont continue reading the thread because inevitably it's will be turned away from golf and end up about you and something stuck up your arse. Think of others because we're all the same...if I think your rantings are tiresome and predictable then I'm certain others will too.

I agree with Gilbert about hitting a ball right up to the group in front is no way to behave on the golf course and there are much better ways to ask to be let through. I do take umbrage about 23 handicappers not being able to hit straight though. I am a 23 handicapper and I can clearly remember the May medal earlier this year when I hit a ball straight on the 3rd hole. It still makes me smile.

i still think the pro shop should make more of an effort to make everyone aware of the fact if the course is busy or even not busy, you should let people through who are either quicker as a group or a single. I just think a gentle reminder to the groups going out would solve this problem.

A group may think they are quicker, but they aren't always. We used to play a four ball each day and once we went out with a clear course in front of us. A two ball ran onto the tee behind us and when they reached the 1st green they shouted to us as we left the 2nd tee to be let through. We said that we would let them through when they caught us, they never did, in fact we had a clear hole behind us all the way round.

If you can keep station behind the group ahead then no one should expect to play through your group unless they have a special standing. Club Captain, Pro, or Match for instance. Of course if you are searching for a ball then that is another matter, the group behind shouldn't need to ask to be called through.

A few weeks ago my husband played in the final of the club championships which is 36 holes of matchplay off the stick on a Saturday. A normal Saturday competition was happening at the same time.

They did not have to wait once during the 35 holes the competition was played over (he lost on the 17th second time round). Not only did people step aside to let them through but they watched out for them and did it in good time so both players were able to keep in their rhythm. I was caddying for Pete and the pace allowed them to play some fantastic golf, it was a joy to watch.

Fantastic courtesy by all the other players including a few dinosaurs!

Judy,

That's what you get at a Club like Moortown. Total respect from their fellow golfers.

Perhaps we can put this theme to bed now, as Judy has given us the perfect example of what can happen when sportsmanship and manners are applied. On the other hand David's second paragraph says it all in respect of what should happen in other circumstances. Well done both.....