Order of Play

[CoachCraigie]

Casual golfer here with a bunch of other casual golfers in my group. We play ready golf but will give honors on the tee box if that person is ready to hit. If they're on their phone checking a work email or similar in the cart then it's first man up and let's get going!

 

If someone tee'd off 'out of turn' and the person who had 'honors' said something, they'd get some comments/jokes thrown back at them for being slow or still being 'in the office' etc.

[jordan2240]

14 hours ago, Mr. Bean said:

Don't forget that we walk and you drive a cart

I walk almost exclusively, and generally take a cart only if the course doesn't allow walking.  We talk to each other as well, generally saying something like "I had double, so who's up?"

[Colin L]

13 hours ago, CoachCraigie said:

..on their phone checking a work email or similar in the cart....

No honour in that - it's sacrilege. 😬

[PoolPond]

Yes honors is a thing of the past, thankfully. Whoever is ready, go. Only those that are superstitious about teeing their double bogey ball off before a birdie ball should wait.  Otherwise let's go and if you're the one who get bent out of shape because you had the only par yet others are teeing off first, well then-suck it up. 

 

As for walking ahead, we should all be doing that more of time, as long as you're not standing in the line between their ball and the hole. The pros have always done it and armatures should too.  Keep your head on a swivel, know who's hitting, watch their ball and get a move on it. A fellow player(s) standing around the green should have no impact on a guy hitting from the fairway. Focus on your target and hit the ball. 

[Mr. Bean]

5 hours ago, jordan2240 said:

I walk almost exclusively, and generally take a cart only if the course doesn't allow walking.  We talk to each other as well, generally saying something like "I had double, so who's up?"

 

So, what seems to be the problem?

[Mudguard]

5 hours ago, PoolPond said:

As for walking ahead, we should all be doing that more of time. The pros have always done it and armatures should too.  Keep your head on a swivel, know who's hitting, watch their ball and get a move on it. A fellow player(s) standing around the green should have no impact on a guy hitting from the fairway. Focus on your target and hit the ball. 

Must be fun looking for a lost ball by yourself in your group. I think if someone was consistently on a green while I was hitting my approach I'd ask them to go ahead. The only time I've come close to this was during our club champs when they allowed carts for the first time. I and one other walked, the other two took a cart and were consistently stalking their putts while we hit in. It was gross.

 

Not to mention breaking that unwritten rule if there is a cart amongst walkers then they should shoot ahead and look for anyone's lost ball, not just hit their own. 

[jordan2240]

3 hours ago, Mr. Bean said:

So, what seems to be the problem?

There is none.  We do 'honors' when it's appropriate to do so, but never if it would hold someone up.

[finleysg]

In tournament golf, I enjoy the little rituals, and order of play on the tee is one of those in my mind. I am 61, so this is senior golf, and I have found that most players naturally fall into the rhythm of maintaining the order of play through the group. 

 

Casual play is a different animal,  and with the guys I play with, only eagles get respect on the next tee. Ready golf is always the rule.

[david.c.w]

Almost every round we play that is not part of a club event is fourball.  Maybe we just have just played together so much that we are all in a flow, but we almost never have a time when we have to wait more than 10 seconds for the fourball honors to take the tee box.  Normally it is putt out, move to the next tee, and the team with honors is ready to go.

[Mr. Bean]

2 hours ago, david.c.w said:

Almost every round we play that is not part of a club event is fourball.  Maybe we just have just played together so much that we are all in a flow, but we almost never have a time when we have to wait more than 10 seconds for the fourball honors to take the tee box.  Normally it is putt out, move to the next tee, and the team with honors is ready to go.

 

Good for you. I have seen dozens of players who having the honor at the tee start digging a pencil to mark the score, or starting to drink water, or some other equally wrong thing to do when it is their turn to play. That all has changed much after ready golf was described in the Rules.

[Hawkeye77]

2 minutes ago, Mr. Bean said:

 

Good for you. I have seen dozens of players who having the honor at the tee start digging a pencil to mark the score, or starting to drink water, or some other equally wrong thing to do when it is their turn to play. That all has changed much after ready golf was described in the Rules.

 

LOL, if I'm taking a drink from my container and have the honor nobody will care if I take the time to swallow and then tee it up.  I may even walk a few paces to my bag to get a tee if I've forgotten once or change clubs, takes less than 20 seconds.

 

Surprised to hear that large numbers of people who didn't understand ready golf (and likely knew little about the printed rules) would suddenly "know" what it is because it was described in the rules but you've seen them so that's your experience.

 

In general, I think people make way too much out of alleged delays in and around the tee areas - sure, there are always "those golfers" but in thousands of holes played over the years with other people I just haven't seen anything worth complaining about and can't even summon up any "war stories" from my memory, so much not be significant.  

 

Skip folks if they really aren't ready, but it's not a race to tee off and never needs to be.

[joelafives]

I play pretty much with the same group of 3 other guys.  We have a standard rotation, One guy likes to hit last, one guy likes to hit first.  It tends to speed things up.  I've always preferred ready golf. 

[Mr. Bean]

1 hour ago, Hawkeye77 said:

 

LOL, if I'm taking a drink from my container and have the honor nobody will care if I take the time to swallow and then tee it up.  I may even walk a few paces to my bag to get a tee if I've forgotten once or change clubs, takes less than 20 seconds.

 

That is just fine if your group has not fallen behind. If it has, that is far from being ok. In a group of four there must be another moment to take that sip than just that moment when one is due to tee off.

  

1 hour ago, Hawkeye77 said:

Surprised to hear that large numbers of people who didn't understand ready golf (and likely knew little about the printed rules) would suddenly "know" what it is because it was described in the rules but you've seen them so that's your experience.

 

 

You'd be surprised how many golfers I have seen in my time who have insisted to keep their honor at the tee and how many golfers just have waited for the slow one to take their place at the tee. Nowadays one just needs to say 'ready golf' and everyone is happy.

[vandyfan]

I play a lot by myself as a single at a public course. Typically pace is slow. If we are waiting on every shot it is typically not an issue...just let people have honors..or not...we are not going anywhere. 

 

However, when we have open holes in front of us and the group is slow, I will typically hustle to the next tee box (not run, mind you, but hustle) and then tee off to get everyone moving. I have almost entirely dispensed with playing "in turn" once we get to the green. Many times I will be playing a casual round and have someone 5 yds short of the green skull a chip 10 yds long over the green and everyone waits for that person to march all the way over to their next shot because that person is "still out." Obviously in this instance I will just go address my putt and get on with it. Rarely have an issue and when I do we generally just talk it out. I did one time have a guy say to me "someone must be in a hurry" and I had to tell him we were currently on pace for a 4.5 hour round which was unacceptable. Didn't make any friends that day. But we finished in under 4 hours 😃

 

As for walking way ahead of another player, that must not be at the level of public golf that I play at. If I did that I would be getting hit left right and center as many of my playing partners have no idea where their next shot is going. I do try to get as close to my ball as possible without being in the other player's line of sight. 

[MountainKing]

On 1/3/2022 at 5:21 PM, jordan2240 said:

For those who don't like the 'honor' system, I'm curious about how order is determined if you all arrive at the tee box at approximately the same time - or do you just start heading over to the next tee as you putt out, so order is essentially determined by who putts out first.

 

Whoever steps up and puts their tee in first, no need to over complicate it.   I'm curious how you and your friends handle going through a door if you all arrive at the same time. 

Edited January 5, 2022 by MountainKing

[vandyfan]

I would assume someone who gets their feelings hurt not getting the "honor" in a non-competitive/casual setting is the same type of person who has an exceptionally complicated Starbucks order or celebrates a "birthday week" well into middle age. 

Edited January 5, 2022 by blackbdmillsaps

[MountainKing]

21 hours ago, Mudguard said:

Must be fun looking for a lost ball by yourself in your group. I think if someone was consistently on a green while I was hitting my approach I'd ask them to go ahead. The only time I've come close to this was during our club champs when they allowed carts for the first time. I and one other walked, the other two took a cart and were consistently stalking their putts while we hit in. It was gross.

 

Not to mention breaking that unwritten rule if there is a cart amongst walkers then they should shoot ahead and look for anyone's lost ball, not just hit their own. 

 

In junior/high school/college golf we were always told everybody should play their shots before helping somebody look for a lost ball.  After you play your shot you can go help out if you want.  Turning a lost ball search into a party before hitting the approach shots is part of what slows things up. 

[MountainKing]

2 minutes ago, blackbdmillsaps said:

I would assume someone who gets their feelings hurt not getting the "honor" in a non-competitive/casual setting is the same type of person who has an exceptionally complicated Starbucks order or celebrates a "birthday week" well into middle age. 

 

They'll be accepting gifts all month!

[Mr. Bean]

18 minutes ago, MountainKing said:

 

  I'm curious how you and your friends handle going through a door if you all arrive at the same time. 

 

I guess the order is dictated by how they went through the most recent door.

[Hawkeye77]

40 minutes ago, Mr. Bean said:

 

That is just fine if your group has not fallen behind. If it has, that is far from being ok. In a group of four there must be another moment to take that sip than just that moment when one is due to tee off.

 

 

Add whatever qualifiers you like, in a group of one, two, three or four there is time to grab the thermos from the bag and take a drink before teeing off and it isn't causing any real delay or problems for anyone, lol.  No reason to niggle just for the sake of niggling.

[david.c.w]

1 hour ago, Hawkeye77 said:

 

Add whatever qualifiers you like, in a group of one, two, three or four there is time to grab the thermos from the bag and take a drink before teeing off and it isn't causing any real delay or problems for anyone, lol.  No reason to niggle just for the sake of niggling.

 

It all depends on the expectations of the group.  If everyone expects honors, then honors should be followed.  If everyone sort of lines up when they get to the tee, then go whenever.

 

20 seconds is an eternity if there is simply dead time.  If all 4 people take a drink at the same time, that is 20 seconds wasted.  I would like to make it clear that I am not a fan of speed golf, and I don't understand people who believe the lowest amount of time spent on the golf course is the best measure of their game.  If it is your honor, tee it up, hit the ball, and then take your sip while others are hitting their balls.  Of course there are exceptions.  If it is your honor and you need a sip or a second to catch your breath walking up a hill, say "go ahead I need a minute".  If it is your turn, and everyone expects it to be your turn, then go and fumble with your stuff later.

 

This is like people who don't follow honors in a car at a 4 way stop.  If it is your turn, you should go.  If you break the expected flow either no one goes or everyone tries to go at the same time.  

 

 

 

[Hawkeye77]

20 minutes ago, david.c.w said:

 

It all depends on the expectations of the group.  If everyone expects honors, then honors should be followed.  If everyone sort of lines up when they get to the tee, then go whenever.

 

20 seconds is an eternity if there is simply dead time.  If all 4 people take a drink at the same time, that is 20 seconds wasted.  I would like to make it clear that I am not a fan of speed golf, and I don't understand people who believe the lowest amount of time spent on the golf course is the best measure of their game.  If it is your honor, tee it up, hit the ball, and then take your sip while others are hitting their balls.  Of course there are exceptions.  If it is your honor and you need a sip or a second to catch your breath walking up a hill, say "go ahead I need a minute".  If it is your turn, and everyone expects it to be your turn, then go and fumble with your stuff later.

 

This is like people who don't follow honors in a car at a 4 way stop.  If it is your turn, you should go.  If you break the expected flow either no one goes or everyone tries to go at the same time.  

 

 

 

 

Getting some water isn't "fumbling with your stuff" (lol, at "catch your breath").  You say you aren't a fan of speed golf but . . . God forbid someone sets their bag down and takes a chug from their water bottle.  Less time than a lot of PSRs.  

 

What's "dead time"?  Waiting on the odd occasion in a polite way for someone to take care of something with dispatch? You can't exchange a few words in between tee shots I guess - sounds like a comatose round of golf.  

 

It's short attention span theater for some in the name of pace of play over trivial things that don't affect pace of play in any significant way.

 

Come join us, you can quench your thirst, have a bit of conversation, "fumble" in your bag, breathe and . . . enjoy a 3 - 4 hour round of golf depending on who is in front of us and still observe some of the traditional etiquette and spirit of the game.

 

If all four took 30 seconds on every single box, which never happens, that's a whopping total of 36 minutes out of a round of golf for a foursome, which is nothing - perspective folks! 

 

 

Edited January 5, 2022 by Hawkeye77

[Mr. Bean]

49 minutes ago, Hawkeye77 said:

You can't exchange a few words in between tee shots I guess - sounds like a comatose round of golf.  

 

Your group must have lots to talk about if you cannot make it while walking to your balls, to the green and to the next tee box. Well, as long as you are not holding anybody up.

[jordan2240]

3 hours ago, MountainKing said:

 I'm curious how you and your friends handle going through a door if you all arrive at the same time.

Is there a known methodology for addressing such?  If so, I'm unaware of it, but I'm willing to listen.

[Hawkeye77]

11 minutes ago, Mr. Bean said:

 

Your group must have lots to talk about if you cannot make it while walking to your balls, to the green and to the next tee box. Well, as long as you are not holding anybody up.

Bean, extrapolating the odd exchanges on tee boxes to the extreme of all over the course really isn't useful and doesn't make any sense except to simply mischaracterize and take something to an unreasonable extreme.  Par for the course on this sub-forum at times, but again, really isn't useful.

[Hawkeye77]

3 minutes ago, jordan2240 said:

Is there a known methodology for addressing such?  If so, I'm unaware of it, but I'm willing to listen.

LOL, here in the midwest we'd all be trying to hold it open for the others and probably never get through!  Hazards of being polite!

[sui generis]

1 hour ago, Hawkeye77 said:

all four took 30 seconds on every single box

 

In the referee world we are often called upon to time players. A common method is to start the watch when 1) it's the player's turn to play, and 2) when they can play without distraction. Commonly, times range from 20 seconds to right around 40 seconds. When we see groups playing like that from the tee we know that their play from the tee isn't what's causing them to be out of position.

[MountainKing]

56 minutes ago, jordan2240 said:

Is there a known methodology for addressing such?  If so, I'm unaware of it, but I'm willing to listen.

 

I dunno,  you're the one who seems lost with how to proceed when playing ready golf. 

[jordan2240]

3 hours ago, MountainKing said:

 

I dunno,  you're the one who seems lost with how to proceed when playing ready golf. 

We always play ready golf other than on the tee when no one is impacted by it.  It's just a way to show your buddies some respect and honor tradition.  Respect and honor, imagine that.

[denkea]

Keep this in mind.  If everyone in your foursome shaved 15 seconds off during the each hole you would save 18 minutes off your round time.  

And really.  15 seconds is nothing.  

 

Somebody say something about 20 seconds?????