Etiquette on when to hit?

[Davegolf1357]

The course is busy, there is a group in front of you and behind you.  You have teed off and are hitting 2nd shot, 200 yards out with a group on the green.  You or anyone in your group is probably not going to hit the green, but could get it close and maybe run it up.  

 

Do you hit?  Or wait for the green to clear?  

I usually would wait.  I hate to hear a ball drop close behind me when I'm putting, but a lot of times in that situation, I hear people wanting to go ahead and hit.  What is the right thing to do?

[ChipStrokes]

the only time i’ll hit with a group on the green is if i’m laying up on a par 5. 

 

anything else seems like a richard move. 

[puttingmatt]

Its Always safety first for me

I wait till the green is clear

[Augster]

My friend couldn’t hit a ball 200 yards. He hits driver, off a tee, maybe 180 if he crushes it. He’s only going to hit his 3-wood 170 if he crushes it, and he’s not going to. 
 

He should hit every single time. 
 

My son hits 7-iron 200 on a bounce and carries 6-iron to that green. 
 

He should never hit. 
 

So the answer is: it depends. 

[2bGood]

If you can 'maybe run it up' don't hit. Simple as that . 

[Neo1]

never hit if you can make it even 10% of the time

[SNIPERBBB]

200 yards out is too close unless you cant hit your driver 150. 

[Girevik]

If there are people where you are trying to hit, or a chance you could accidentally hit someone, then wait.

 

[Hawkeye77]

20 hours ago, Davegolf1357 said:

The course is busy, there is a group in front of you and behind you.  You have teed off and are hitting 2nd shot, 200 yards out with a group on the green.  You or anyone in your group is probably not going to hit the green, but could get it close and maybe run it up.  

 

Do you hit?  Or wait for the green to clear?  

I usually would wait.  I hate to hear a ball drop close behind me when I'm putting, but a lot of times in that situation, I hear people wanting to go ahead and hit.  What is the right thing to do?

 

Wait.

[Krt22]

You accomplish nothing getting within 20-30 yards of the green if the course is backed up. Hitting up on a group on the green just means the group behind you will be waiting more in the fairway vs on the tee box 

[MarcellusW]

Would you be annoyed if you were putting and a ball rolled through your green?  How about if you heard a thud and a ball rolled onto the green?  How about if it hit a sprinkler head and shot forward into you?

 

I've heard that argument before - “You’re  not going to hit them and if you do it’ll be rolling so it won’t hurt anybody.”

 

Say this, “If I hit it perfectly, I could get there, so I have to wait”

[596]

We always say, "No one's going anywhere anyways". 

 

The course is all backed up, no room in front, no room behind, Wait !

 

Though from 200 yards out only 2 of us can hit anything off the fairway that far.  2 of our group will hit and 2 of us will wait.

[mrshinsa]

Like others have said, don't hit. Especially on Par 4s.

Forget the group behind you.  The group on the green may not take it too kindly.  

 

[llewol007]

Every one’s personal call on that decision. If your group has any sliver of hitting the green from that distance, I would wait. No sense in catching one and having to explain why you hit somebody. Who cares about the group behind you since they aren’t on the hook for any medical bills.

Edited May 19, 2022 by llewol007

[mshills]

In OP example, wait. 
 

Never hit an approach shot when the green is not clear. Never!

 

Only hit a second shot on a par 4 when the green is not clear if you are PURPOSEFULLY laying up. Otherwise, wait. 

[Masterplan]

Not only would I not hit in that situation.  I always let the group clear the green AND drive away.  I have been hit more walking off of a green than anywhere else on the course.  

 

FWIW: Every person who has to make "the drive of shame" to the group in front of them after hitting into them always says the same thing, "I never thought I would get a hold of it like that...blah blah blah."  Let's keep each other safe....

[Girevik]

11 hours ago, llewol007 said:

Every one’s personal call on that decision.

Really?  It's up to each individual person as to whether or not to put another person's safety at risk?  NEVER hit a ball if there's someone standing where you are aiming, nor if there's someone close by where you might hit on accident.  Pace of play does not trump safety, and in this case there's no speed benefit to hitting since you'll be waiting on the next tee anyway.

[Roejye]

I'd wait unless something is forcing me to layup, especially since 200 yards is at the higher end of my range and I would be hitting a club with less control.

[Mr. Bean]

IMO it is simple. If you think your ball may disturb someone, do not hit.

[bobfoster]

2 hours ago, Mr. Bean said:

IMO it is simple. If you think your ball may disturb someone, do not hit.

Big point. Obviously if there is even a remote chance of actually hitting someone you never hit. But even if there isn't a chance, if I'm on a green standing over my ball getting ready to putt, and hear a ball land (even if its 20 yards from the green), I'm still going to be pretty irritated. It would feel like I was being hit into. 

 

Consider that while the OP might know that even if he flushed it he'd still be 20 or 30 yards away, the people on the green don't know that. Even if there is no physical danger, it would still be - IMO - a pretty serious (and completely unnecessary) breach of basic etiquette.

[trilerian]

Group on the green:  Man I hope they wait to hit into the green, I don't want to get hit.  

Group waiting to hit:  Can I hit it that far?  Should I hit, maybe wait.  If I don't hit soon that group behind me will hit into me.

Group on the tee:  What are these clowns waiting for, did you see their drive.  They can't make the green from there, no way.  Come on guys, hit the ball already.  

Edited May 20, 2022 by trilerian

[Pepperturbo]

On 5/18/2022 at 5:02 PM, Davegolf1357 said:

The course is busy, there is a group in front of you and behind you.  You have teed off and are hitting 2nd shot, 200 yards out with a group on the green.  You or anyone in your group is probably not going to hit the green, but could get it close and maybe run it up.  

 

Do you hit?  Or wait for the green to clear?  

I usually would wait.  I hate to hear a ball drop close behind me when I'm putting, but a lot of times in that situation, I hear people wanting to go ahead and hit.  What is the right thing to do?

If you can even run it on the green, do NOT hit, wait for green to clear.   Having a ball run up even accidentally while people are putting can distract those putting.  Error on the side of caution. 

 

The other day, I was on a long Par 4 and hit a good drive.  I had 205 into a back pin, and hitting 4i.  I knew it wouldn't reach the pin, but would reach the front of green, so waited.  That same day we were walking onto the green to putt, a jerk behind us in the fairway hit.  His ball came up 10yds short of the green, rolling next to my walking wife, she was startled.  I turned and walked toward him with intent, but he came up and apologized. 

[larrybud]

On 5/18/2022 at 8:02 PM, Davegolf1357 said:

The course is busy, there is a group in front of you and behind you.  You have teed off and are hitting 2nd shot, 200 yards out with a group on the green.  You or anyone in your group is probably not going to hit the green, but could get it close and maybe run it up.  

 

Do you hit?  Or wait for the green to clear?  

I usually would wait.  I hate to hear a ball drop close behind me when I'm putting, but a lot of times in that situation, I hear people wanting to go ahead and hit.  What is the right thing to do?

"probably not"? I mean, are your max fairway woods 150 yards? If so, hit. But 200 out to the center means you're about 185 to the front. Just wait.

 

"speeding up" to hit in a case like this doesn't speed ANYTHING up, it just changes where you're going to have to wait. You're already on the guys in front of you, there's nowhere to go.

[larrybud]

15 hours ago, Masterplan said:

Not only would I not hit in that situation.  I always let the group clear the green AND drive away.  I have been hit more walking off of a green than anywhere else on the course.  

 

FWIW: Every person who has to make "the drive of shame" to the group in front of them after hitting into them always says the same thing, "I never thought I would get a hold of it like that...blah blah blah."  Let's keep each other safe....

And in fact, more danger when on the path since a wayward shot in that direction might hit said path.

[larrybud]

On 5/18/2022 at 10:56 PM, Augster said:

My friend couldn’t hit a ball 200 yards. He hits driver, off a tee, maybe 180 if he crushes it. He’s only going to hit his 3-wood 170 if he crushes it, and he’s not going to. 
 

He should hit every single time. 

Until your buddy lands one on a yardage marker or sprinkler head and gets another 40 yards...

[Masterplan]

11 hours ago, bobfoster said:

Big point. Obviously if there is even a remote chance of actually hitting someone you never hit. But even if there isn't a chance, if I'm on a green standing over my ball getting ready to putt, and hear a ball land (even if its 20 yards from the green), I'm still going to be pretty irritated. It would feel like I was being hit into. 

 

Consider that while the OP might know that even if he flushed it he'd still be 20 or 30 yards away, the people on the green don't know that. Even if there is no physical danger, it would still be - IMO - a pretty serious (and completely unnecessary) breach of basic etiquette.

This is a good point.  There have been plenty of times I have been on the green of a par 5 and see a ball land just short of the green.  Clearly, the person who did it was laying up and didn't figure they would hit us on the green.  True.  But, it does stop our group, see the ball that landed, feel like we were hit into, etc.  So, even though no danger was presented, it does disturb our game.

[Carl Spackler3]

Hitting up to chipping range will do little if anything to increase pace of play. Just wait

[Unplayablelies]

I learned my lesson when I worked on a grounds crew. I dropped a 5w onto a green that a MEMBER was on. That shot never should have made it, but it did. It ended well though, I apologized, the member was cool. From that day it’s been safety first

[MountainKing]

If you're 200 out and can't reach the green,  might want to consider moving up a few tee boxes!

[Girevik]

9 hours ago, MountainKing said:

If you're 200 out and can't reach the green,  might want to consider moving up a few tee boxes!