What do you do when the group playing in front of you is playing from the tips and has no business d

Is there a polite way of telling them to speed up, move to shorter tees, or to let you play thru?

Would this be a good time for us to play through?

Call the ranger?

Hit into them

I don't say/do anything. It's their game...though I do question their lack of intelligence.

Unfortunately I don't think their is a cure for slow play. Most slow players don't think they are.

This probably should be in the Etiquette forum.

But to answer the question, they can play anywhere they want unless there is a course policy against it. As to slow play, 30 yards, or so, longer on a hole doesn't cause slow play as much as poor etiquette, general unawareness, and selfishness.

Leave the policing to the ranger. Call the pro shop and have them send the ranger out. There is no reason to diminish your enjoyment of the day and golfing by becoming involved in a conflict.

So they are playing the back tees, but they're not good enough to play from there...are they actually keeping pace? I mean, I played Bethpage Black a few days ago and my group played the back tees, handicaps 2, 14, and 2 18's. So we didn't really have any business playing from back there, but we kept the pace. If they can't keep the pace, call the ranger or club staff. Certainly don't hit into them because if you manage to actually hit one of them, it could get very, very messy for you.

This has happened to us the last 2 rounds.

First round a group of Koreans playing off the tips, barely reaching the forward tees and no where near the fairway. They refuse to let you play through which normally involves the 2 of us skipping a hole and coming back to it. Due to it being low season here the majority of clubs seem unwilling to do anything about it. I presume they are scared of losing customers from the few rich Asian's that are holidaying at the moment.

Yesterdays round we caught up to a 5 ball (on a Sunday) 4 Thai policeman and one of their wife's. Again the 4 guys were off the tips and out of bounds on the majority of tee shots. Due to the Thai nature/fear/dis-trust the caddies refused to ask to let us play through, my wife said nothing can be done they are Police. Again we skipped a hole and returned to it.

When you are stood waiting for around 15 minutes between each shot it gets frustrating, especially knowing we could just play through and no one would be slowed down. Its all about face and showing power over here, no matter how ridiculous they look they can say we play from the tips and the felang plays from the tees in front.

I simply state that the group is off pace and ask to play through. No conflict.

Slow play is an attitude- has nothing to do with what tees you play.

SKip to the next hole

[quote name='GWD' timestamp='1410142758' post='10082131']
This probably should be in the Etiquette forum.[/quote]I disagree... Slow play threads should stay out of there.

--kC

Wait, are they slow or playing the wrong tees?

If slow, play through. If wrong tees, do nothing. Its none of your business.

Evaluate it in that order.

Was the course public or private?

How long was the round?

[quote name='Imp' timestamp='1410176034' post='10083043']
[quote name='GWD' timestamp='1410142758' post='10082131']
This probably should be in the Etiquette forum.[/quote]I disagree... Slow play threads should stay out of there.

--kC
[/quote]

Perhaps a better suggestion would be to create a sub-forum titled "Slow Play". Then the mods could move (quarantine) all the threads to there for those that want to read them. It probably would be the largest forum on WRX.

Another sub-forum might be "Blades vs. Anything Else".

[quote name='XJared' timestamp='1410141857' post='10082043']
Hit into them
[/quote]
And when you are driving in your car and someone in front of you is driving slower than you think they should, just ram them from behind and hope you don't kill someone.....

[quote name='XJared' timestamp='1410141857' post='10082043']
Hit into them
[/quote]

Hope you're just joking. If not, that's a really stupid comment.

Okay,

Some clarifications.

It is a private club and I always try to get the first tee time Sunday morning (7am), as it is possible if you play quickly, to get around in 3 to 3.5 hours.

The best thing about getting an early time on Sunday is you can be home for the family by 11am if everything goes right.

Last weekend, we were only able to get the 3rd time off, and the group in front of us was playing the tips.

I knew one of the players, and he was not someone who should be playing from the tips.

By the third hole, there was at least a one hole gap between the first group and the group ahead of us playing from the tips. As a consequence, our group was waiting on every hole.

The worst part was, these guys were rarely finding the fairway, on par 3s, the green was unchallenged off the tee.

So it may not seem terrible, but our round took 4 hours, but about 30 mins to 60 minutes longer than normal for this day and time. This caused problems at home.

In my opinion, morning groups should be fast and these guys would have been faster if they had played more reasonable tees.

So anyway, this thread was started less about slow play, but about unnecessary ego causing slow play.

[quote name='njlam' timestamp='1410193825' post='10084355']
Okay,

Some clarifications.

It is a private club and I always try to get the first tee time Sunday morning (7am), as it is possible if you play quickly, to get around in 3 to 3.5 hours.

The best thing about getting an early time on Sunday is you can be home for the family by 11am if everything goes right.

Last weekend, we were only able to get the 3rd time off, and the group in front of us was playing the tips.

I knew one of the players, and he was not someone who should be playing from the tips.

By the third hole, there was at least a one hole gap between the first group and the group ahead of us playing from the tips. As a consequence, our group was waiting on every hole.

The worst part was, these guys were rarely finding the fairway, on par 3s, the green was unchallenged off the tee.

So it may not seem terrible, but our round took 4 hours, but about 30 mins to 60 minutes longer than normal for this day and time. This caused problems at home.

In my opinion, morning groups should be fast and these guys would have been faster if they had played more reasonable tees.

So anyway, this thread was started less about slow play, but about unnecessary ego causing slow play.
[/quote]

Sounds like a wife problem, not a "tee it forward" problem.

[quote name='njlam' timestamp='1410193825' post='10084355']
Okay,

Some clarifications.

It is a private club and I always try to get the first tee time Sunday morning (7am), as it is possible if you play quickly, to get around in 3 to 3.5 hours.

The best thing about getting an early time on Sunday is you can be home for the family by 11am if everything goes right.

Last weekend, we were only able to get the 3rd time off, and the group in front of us was playing the tips.

I knew one of the players, and he was not someone who should be playing from the tips.

By the third hole, there was at least a one hole gap between the first group and the group ahead of us playing from the tips. As a consequence, our group was waiting on every hole.

The worst part was, these guys were rarely finding the fairway, on par 3s, the green was unchallenged off the tee.

So it may not seem terrible, but our round took 4 hours, but about 30 mins to 60 minutes longer than normal for this day and time. This caused problems at home.

In my opinion, morning groups should be fast and these guys would have been faster if they had played more reasonable tees.

So anyway, this thread was started less about slow play, but about unnecessary ego causing slow play.
[/quote]

Hate to say it but 4 hours is not a "slow" round compared to information on other posts on WRX. Sure, it was not as fast as it should have been and not as fast as you would have preferred or are used to.

A ranger would have a bit of a hassle with them if their time was on pace for a four hour round. The course that I play has that measure. The GPS carts are all tracked in the Pro Shop and unless the time is off they won't do much. They won't even send a ranger out if all is as expected...that being a 4 1/4 round.

As a single, I've asked the occasional on course ranger to ask the group ahead if it is OK for me to play through. The complication is that my non-playing wife is along so the group ahead sometimes thinks it is a two-some with a women. Nobody wants to let a group play through and then have to wait on that group for the rest of the round.

While I agree that having a hole open ahead [u]should[/u] be a clarion call to let the group behind play through there is probably not an obligation if the pace is reasonable.

It is like a car in the fast lane going the speed limit with nobody ahead. Should they pull over, absolutely. Will a cop give them a ticket...never.

[quote name='GWD' timestamp='1410206912' post='10085387']
It is like a car in the fast lane going the speed limit with nobody ahead. Should they pull over, absolutely. Will a cop give them a ticket...never.
[/quote]

In Georgia, that will get you a ticket for obstructing the flow of traffic. They recently passed a law to allow the ticketing of left lane bandits.

[i]A 4 hour round and these guys were playing the wrong tees? Do you have any idea how many golfers would kill for the opportunity of a 4 hour round?[/i]

[quote name='GWD' timestamp='1410206912' post='10085387']
[quote name='njlam' timestamp='1410193825' post='10084355']
Okay,

Some clarifications.

It is a private club and I always try to get the first tee time Sunday morning (7am), as it is possible if you play quickly, to get around in 3 to 3.5 hours.

The best thing about getting an early time on Sunday is you can be home for the family by 11am if everything goes right.

Last weekend, we were only able to get the 3rd time off, and the group in front of us was playing the tips.

I knew one of the players, and he was not someone who should be playing from the tips.

By the third hole, there was at least a one hole gap between the first group and the group ahead of us playing from the tips. As a consequence, our group was waiting on every hole.

The worst part was, these guys were rarely finding the fairway, on par 3s, the green was unchallenged off the tee.

So it may not seem terrible, but our round took 4 hours, but about 30 mins to 60 minutes longer than normal for this day and time. This caused problems at home.

In my opinion, morning groups should be fast and these guys would have been faster if they had played more reasonable tees.

So anyway, this thread was started less about slow play, but about unnecessary ego causing slow play.
[/quote]

Hate to say it but 4 hours is not a "slow" round compared to information on other posts on WRX. Sure, it was not as fast as it should have been and not as fast as you would have preferred or are used to.

While I agree that having a hole open ahead [u]should[/u] be a clarion call to let the group behind play through there is probably not an obligation if the pace is reasonable.

It is like a car in the fast lane going the speed limit with nobody ahead. Should they pull over, absolutely. Will a cop give them a ticket...never.
[/quote]

Well said.

I guess its just frustrating, but not breaking any rules. Sort of like farting in public....

That being said, there is noting better than being with a few friends, playing a fast round (with no waiting) on Sunday morning and being home by 11am....

I've seen golfers out there with no business playing from the forward tees let alone the tips. It's not my job to tell them hey you should go tee off from the 150 yard marker. However if they're slowing up the day I have no hesitation in driving up and asking to play through.

I caught up to a twosome on #9 (176 yard par 3). They had just tee'd off. I counted one golfer's shots to pass the time...12 strokes later the hole was completed. I didn't know whether I should be annoyed, or admire this intrepid soul's persistence. Fortunately they left after nine holes.

[quote name='njlam' timestamp='1410193825' post='10084355']
Okay,

Some clarifications.

It is a private club and I always try to get the first tee time Sunday morning (7am), as it is possible if you play quickly, to get around in 3 to 3.5 hours.

The best thing about getting an early time on Sunday is you can be home for the family by 11am if everything goes right.

Last weekend, we were only able to get the 3rd time off, and the group in front of us was playing the tips.

I knew one of the players, and he was not someone who should be playing from the tips.

By the third hole, there was at least a one hole gap between the first group and the group ahead of us playing from the tips. As a consequence, our group was waiting on every hole.

The worst part was, these guys were rarely finding the fairway, on par 3s, the green was unchallenged off the tee.

So it may not seem terrible, but our round took 4 hours, but about 30 mins to 60 minutes longer than normal for this day and time. This caused problems at home.

In my opinion, morning groups should be fast and these guys would have been faster if they had played more reasonable tees.

So anyway, this thread was started less about slow play, but about unnecessary ego causing slow play.
[/quote]

Understand and agree with your assessment. Many private clubs around here for 7:00 to 8:00 have a POP of 3:30....and the pro shop and GM ought to make sure that everyone knows this BEFORE they sign up. Sometimes you get slow folks who forget or don't know. Then the remedy is to call the pro shop and speak with the pro or the GM and let them handle it.

But don't resort to "self help"...fights can start.

I see this every round I play. I'm a first year player and I play from the forward tees because that's where I belong. I see guys every week play from the tips when they barely or simply don't clear the forward tees. Getting stuck behind these guys is a drag.

If there was an increasing gap between them and group in front the nice thing to do may be to offer to let you play through. But if they are "on pace" and there was a group behind you then it would slow things down more and they would still have a group on their butt so no incentive to let you through. In that situation I try to look at it like this...I'm at a red light and I can see I will get caught by the next light in front of me. I do not pound the gas when it turns green just to sit and wait longer at the next light. Text wifey and let her know you will take an hour or so longer than usual. Hit some extra shots around the course. Take a few extra putts/chips around greens. Hit an extra ball or 2 on the par 3s and maybe try a few "hero" shots after playing your real ball. Also, if you weren't playing the tips it would be a good time to do so. After a few holes you should be able to return to your normal pace of play or continue getting some extra practice if they havent sped up. I have found that riding someone's butt all day on the course does the same thing as in a car. If they don't get out of your way fairly quickly then a few things are almost garaunteed to happen. Both parties get irritated. Person in front goes slower either because they are paying attention to you or simply out of spite. Only thing you get is a better view of their backside. If the group behind you catches up to you make a point to let them know what is going on. That the group in front won't let you through so they understand there is nowhere for them to go and it isn't because of you. That way they are less likely to push you the rest of the round.

So what's the ruling?

Keep up with the group in front of you?

or...

Play on a pre-determined pace, regardless of having holes open in front and having people wait on you when you're not waiting on anyone? (Which stinks of entitlement, regardless if you're on pace or not... you're still holding up faster groups).

Let's see what the USGA says:
http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Rules-of-Golf/Etiquette/

[QUOTE]Pace of Play
Play at Good Pace and Keep Up
Players should play at a good pace. The Committee may establish pace of play guidelines that all players should follow.

[B]It is a group’s responsibility to keep up with the group in front.[/B] If it loses a clear hole and it is delaying the group behind, it should invite the group behind to play through, irrespective of the number of players in that group. Where a group has not lost a clear hole, but it is apparent that the group behind can play faster, it should invite the faster moving group to play through. [/QUOTE]

THe course only gets involved if you're exceeding that pace... but if you're not keeping up with the group in front, and you've lost ground to the group in front... you should be a) picking up your pace or b) inviting players behind you through. Period.

--kC