Letting A Single Play Through While Backed Up

[Goshdangit]

If it matters, we had about 1.5hrs of daylight left and were trying to play as many holes as we could and we're both high handicappers(30-40) and steadily improving, also had to skip hole 3 because a threesome was painstakingly delaying the pace. Around the 7th hole we were starting to get a 'little' backed up, in hindsight, the order was: foursome, single, twosome, twosome(us), and a single. At hole 8, a par 3, I suggested to my friend that we let him play through as he was already on the green at hole 7 and we didn't even tee off yet and I also still don't like people watching me tee off or we could just tee off and just let him through anyways. We get into a little disagreement and end up playing the hole. By the time we get to hole 9, the twosome were already hitting their 2nd shots. As I type it out, the pace wasn't even that bad.

 

So, what do you guys think? Let the single through or not?

 

We actually end up skipping hole 10 cause the twosome in front stopped to buy drinks and were just teeing off as we were pulling up and eventually play though hole 16, so all was moot. It was my first time playing with this friend and I would probably never play with him again as I was embarrassed with his golf etiquette and wasn't pleasant to play with in general. He drives up on people teeing off, drives up and or through the fringe, doesn't wait for fairway to clear before hitting, gets mad at slower players. I knew something was funny after asking him why he tees off from blue, his reasoning because our "lower handicap friends play from blue and he wants to compare himself/scores to tour and college players", which he then proceeds to tee off into the water hazard twice and gives himself a 7 on the first hole, a par 4. I just needed to vent that out. ?

Edited September 14, 2020 by Goshdangit
Format

[naj959]

I think it depends on how truly backed up the course was. The problem with letting the single play through is that there is no guarantee the twosome ahead of you would do the same. Having the single in front of you would only further slow down your round. However, if the singles were allowed to play through all of the groups things would have flowed better. In your position I would have asked him to join and make a threesome. And the other single and twosome should have done the same but people are apprehensive to play with strangers during these times.  Having 2 threesomes as opposed to 2 singles and 2 twosomes would have put everyone around the same pace.

[Goshdangit]

Yeah I don't really think it was all that backed up, although he did skip the previous threesome as well as he was behind us originally. I think we had to wait no more than 5 minutes for the twosome to hit their 2nd shot. I guess I was assuming the twosome ahead would have let him play through as well. I just play a lot worse when people are watching let alone playing with them, but i'm understanding that I need to build that mental fortitude. Thanks for your reply!

[Twism86]

As someone who plays as a single a lot, I prefer to join a < foursome than play through, unless there are lots of open holes ahead. Im only going to catch the next group and have to either wait or play through another group. I hate playing through a group as it forces to play quick, with the added pressure of everyone watching. Then you have to play the next hole fast to create some distance. Ask the single to join you. 

[nitram]

Offer to let him play through.

[Warrior42111]

If the course was backed up I would say no, offer to let them join but not play through.

 

My reasoning is that I play as a single a decent bit. If the course is stacked the 5 min delay for me to hit my ball get to it and get out of range will be passed on to every group behind me every time someone lets me through. Also as others have stated there's no guarantee other groups will oblige 

[Hawkeye77]

You're pretty much playing through and around everyone else so why not?

[david.c.w]

23 hours ago, Warrior42111 said:

If the course was backed up I would say no, offer to let them join but not play through.

 

My reasoning is that I play as a single a decent bit. If the course is stacked the 5 min delay for me to hit my ball get to it and get out of range will be passed on to every group behind me every time someone lets me through. Also as others have stated there's no guarantee other groups will oblige 

 

This is my POV as well.  If there is space ahead, let him go.  But I am not going to let a single just weave around the course interrupting 10+groups of golfers just because he is a single.  My rule of thumb is that I am not going to let someone through if I am then going to wait on them. 

[bladehunter]

The issue wasn’t the single. It was the two twosomes. Make that a 4 some and the two singles could go or join together.   A twosome isn’t any better than a single in my opinion.  3 should be the minimum on a packed course.  

[ArtMBgolf]

When I am a single and see there are groups on every hole, then I will hang back or join the 2-3some ahead.  
 
As a single, if there is nobody behind me, I also hang back, because it's an opportunity to hit extra shots, putts, etc.   
 
When running out of daylight, a single or 2some should not expect to go through a bunch of groups so they can play more holes 
than anyone.     
 
It also depends if you are on a course where you can see a lot of holes and know it's backed up or not.      

[bortass]

I'd invite him to join you and your friend.  I've done it a few times as a single when someone in a cart catches me and there's no place to go. You can join me if you want or wait. If there was an actual gap such as I knew there's a twosome in front of me but I'm not waiting on them when I it, I'll let them through unless it looks like it'll cause more things to back up somehow.

 

I play as a single a lot and never expect to be let through groups even if there is space. I have caught 4somes on tee boxes with open hole in front and they just finish hitting and drive off. I also have some that are sitting in the fairway and wave me through. The only time I get frustrated and will start to ride the people in front of me if if there's bad weather coming in. I don't want to get caught in a thunderstorm because the doofus in front of me is practicing 3 bunker shots as I wait in the fairway with thunder in the distance and headed our way(true story) and yes I got caught in it on 9 but the guy in front just went back to the range instead of playing 9 so I was able to get off the course fairly quickly, just very wet.

[Carl Spackler3]

Clear ranger/starter issue, those groups need to combines. That being said I’d let the single through

[Augster]

A week ago we were playing 36 and were going to be up against the end of daylight. We were a 5some but we waited on a packed course. Waiting every shot, 3 groups on every hole. Group on the green, group on the fairway, group on the tee box. We had a twosome in a cart behind us. All day. 
 

It’s getting late and we get to 12 tee box. It’s a par 3. From the 12 tee you can see there is a group putting on 12, a group teeing on 13, a group in the fairway on 13, a group on the green on 13, a group on the tee on 14. You can also see a group putting on 15, a group in 15 fairway, a group on 16 tee, a group on 16 fairway, and a group on 16 green.  There is a LOT of visibility and the course is clearly packed. We’ll likely be finishing in the dark. 
 

The twosome finishes putting on 11, drives up, and says, “Do you mind if we play through?” We thought it was a joke and kind of laughed. Ha ha. You know. 
 

Then it turned out they were serious. They said, “No seriously. We’d like to play through. You’re a 5-some and we’re a two-some, so you’ll wait less than we are.” My mind was blown. The group ahead of us was still on the putting green and the group ahead of them (all 3-somes and 4-somes) was just leaving the 13 teeing ground. 
 

I was shocked and nearly started shaking with rage. I spoke for the group, it’s my course, and said, “No. There’s clearly nowhere to go. We’d just end up waiting on you. So no.” 
 

One of the guys then said, “Fivesomes aren’t allowed. You guys shouldn’t be out here anyway.” 
 

I said, “We pretty much do what we want. We’re waiting on every shot anyway.”

 

We hit our shots and played. Then ignored them behind us the rest of the round. 
 

Sorry for the rant. Sometimes there just isn’t anywhere to go. If it had been a single behind us, I would have invited him to play as a sixsome. We really weren’t going anywhere and I’m certainly not letting anyone through when we aren’t going to finish before dark. 

[hammersia]

10 hours ago, Augster said:

A week ago we were playing 36 and were going to be up against the end of daylight. We were a 5some but we waited on a packed course. Waiting every shot, 3 groups on every hole. Group on the green, group on the fairway, group on the tee box. We had a twosome in a cart behind us. All day. 
 

It’s getting late and we get to 12 tee box. It’s a par 3. From the 12 tee you can see there is a group putting on 12, a group teeing on 13, a group in the fairway on 13, a group on the green on 13, a group on the tee on 14. You can also see a group putting on 15, a group in 15 fairway, a group on 16 tee, a group on 16 fairway, and a group on 16 green.  There is a LOT of visibility and the course is clearly packed. We’ll likely be finishing in the dark. 
 

The twosome finishes putting on 11, drives up, and says, “Do you mind if we play through?” We thought it was a joke and kind of laughed. Ha ha. You know. 
 

Then it turned out they were serious. They said, “No seriously. We’d like to play through. You’re a 5-some and we’re a two-some, so you’ll wait less than we are.” My mind was blown. The group ahead of us was still on the putting green and the group ahead of them (all 3-somes and 4-somes) was just leaving the 13 teeing ground. 
 

I was shocked and nearly started shaking with rage. I spoke for the group, it’s my course, and said, “No. There’s clearly nowhere to go. We’d just end up waiting on you. So no.” 
 

One of the guys then said, “Fivesomes aren’t allowed. You guys shouldn’t be out here anyway.” 
 

I said, “We pretty much do what we want. We’re waiting on every shot anyway.”

 

We hit our shots and played. Then ignored them behind us the rest of the round. 
 

Sorry for the rant. Sometimes there just isn’t anywhere to go. If it had been a single behind us, I would have invited him to play as a sixsome. We really weren’t going anywhere and I’m certainly not letting anyone through when we aren’t going to finish before dark. 

So, er, were fivesomes allowed? Not sure if you’re joking, but if see a fivesome... yeeesshhhh 

[MtlJeff]

In general i think you let someone through if there is actually somewhere for him to go. This happens all the time in late rounds at my course, because you get a healthy mix of singles starting on one of the 9's combined with groups coming through (we're 27 holes)

 

I've played as both a single and in a group many times. 

 

If there's like 3-4 holes open ahead let someone through, if they're just gonna catch like 3 foursomes in 5 minutes....than sorry the single is SOL. I don't think it's reasonable to play late in the day as a single and expect like 6 groups to let you through.