Etiquette on when to hit?

[StudentGolfer4]

On 5/20/2022 at 12:33 PM, Mr. Bean said:

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

If that’s the case I would never be allowed to hit! My group yelling FORE as my ball snap hooks towards the wrong fairway may disturb someone on an adjacent hole 😂😂😂 

[MountainKing]

4 hours ago, Girevik said:

 

Not at all - if you're not able to reach par 4's in two, you're playing the wrong tees and holding the rest of us up. 

[Girevik]

7 hours ago, MountainKing said:

 

Not at all - if you're not able to reach par 4's in two, you're playing the wrong tees and holding the rest of us up. 

How are you being held up if the question on the table is whether or not I should wait for the green to clear if there's even a small percentage chance of hitting it?  If your short game is solid you don't need to hit a lot of greens to play really solid golf.  Pros only hit about 65% of their greens.  Does it matter if I miss 10 yards left or 10 yards short?  I would argue short is preferable as you're much more likely to be on the fairway as opposed to a trap or the rough.

 

I believe the tees you play should be determined by the number on your scorecard, not the number on the Trackman. 

Edited May 26, 2022 by Girevik

[shizblam]

Definitely hit! Try to fly it there!

[MountainKing]

2 hours ago, Girevik said:

How are you being held up if the question on the table is whether or not I should wait for the green to clear if there's even a small percentage chance of hitting it?  If your short game is solid you don't need to hit a lot of greens to play really solid golf.  Pros only hit about 65% of their greens.  Does it matter if I miss 10 yards left or 10 yards short?  I would argue short is preferable as you're much more likely to be on the fairway as opposed to a trap or the rough.

 

I believe the tees you play should be determined by the number on your scorecard, not the number on the 

 

If you're playing the wrong tees, and needing an extra shot to reach the green, how are you not holding things up? At best it's an extra 30 seconds per hole, if all 4 are having the same issue, you've added 30 minutes  (on the low end) to your round by playing the wrong tees.   

[copperjeff]

Group on the green has no idea if you have 20 yards in the tank when you hit one up just short of the green.

 

Wait

[Girevik]

30 minutes ago, MountainKing said:

 

If you're playing the wrong tees, and needing an extra shot to reach the green, how are you not holding things up? At best it's an extra 30 seconds per hole, if all 4 are having the same issue, you've added 30 minutes  (on the low end) to your round by playing the wrong tees.   

Again, how is it an extra shot?  If Long Hitter misses the green left with his 7 iron, chips on, and two putts for bogey he's made the same number of strokes as Short Hitter who misses the green short with his 4I, chips on and two putts.  But maybe Short Hitter chips it close and knocks it in for par, or averages 1.2 putts per green.  Stats show that a GIR is not all that common for most golfers regardless of distance if you're not driving it to wedge distance.  

 

As I said,  total on the score card should determine tees, not how far you hit it.  I've played with a lot of guys who just keep it in play,  and get up and down for good scores while not hitting it long.  Just because you may not have the distance to get on in regulation doesn't mean you're playing the "wrong tees" if you're scoring well.   If you're shooting 120 from the tips, yeah,  move your arse up.

 

You made the assumption that the OP is playing the "wrong tees".  I have no evidence to show that,  and given that he's waiting on the group ahead it sure doesn't seem like he's holding anyone up.  

[MountainKing]

4 hours ago, Girevik said:

Again, how is it an extra shot?  If Long Hitter misses the green left with his 7 iron, chips on, and two putts for bogey he's made the same number of strokes as Short Hitter who misses the green short with his 4I, chips on and two putts.  But maybe Short Hitter chips it close and knocks it in for par, or averages 1.2 putts per green.  Stats show that a GIR is not all that common for most golfers regardless of distance if you're not driving it to wedge distance.  

 

As I said,  total on the score card should determine tees, not how far you hit it.  I've played with a lot of guys who just keep it in play,  and get up and down for good scores while not hitting it long.  Just because you may not have the distance to get on in regulation doesn't mean you're playing the "wrong tees" if you're scoring well.   If you're shooting 120 from the tips, yeah,  move your arse up.

 

You made the assumption that the OP is playing the "wrong tees".  I have no evidence to show that,  and given that he's waiting on the group ahead it sure doesn't seem like he's holding anyone up.  

 

Missing a green (what you're taking about), is very different from not being able to reach a green. The former means you have a chance to hit it,  the latter means you're always taking a third shot (assuming a par 4) to get it up around the green.   It takes time to play a shot, so if you have to take an extra shot every hole to get up around a green,  yes you're adding time to a round.  

 

The OP  says that maybe they can run it up,  but unlikely.  This indicates to me they don't think they have the distance to get it there.   Common sense should tell you that he's not contemplating this because he figures even tho he can get it pin high, he probably won't hit the green, so why not hit. 

 

Don't know how else to explain it to you,  seems pretty basic to me,  but I guess words are hard. 

[Girevik]

5 hours ago, MountainKing said:

Don't know how else to explain it to you,  seems pretty basic to me,  but I guess words are hard. 

I feel exactly the same way.  If a person is keeping up with the group ahead of them, as they obviously are in this case, I see no reason to give a flying fig what tee box they started on.  What do I care if they're waiting 200 out or 120 out as long as they're keeping pace?  I prefer to chill and let people play  their way.  If they start falling behind then maybe they need to think about making a change.

 

 

[lowndes]

10 hours ago, MountainKing said:

 

If you're playing the wrong tees, and needing an extra shot to reach the green, how are you not holding things up? At best it's an extra 30 seconds per hole, if all 4 are having the same issue, you've added 30 minutes  (on the low end) to your round by playing the wrong tees.   

 
Don’t you need to know how fast people play?  They might not be holding anybody up if they actually play quick.  I’ve played with all sorts of folks who can’t hit most fours in two shots who are very quick golfers.  And some long golfers who are scratch that are slow as molasses.

[mshills]

13 hours ago, MountainKing said:

 

If you're playing the wrong tees, and needing an extra shot to reach the green, how are you not holding things up? At best it's an extra 30 seconds per hole, if all 4 are having the same issue, you've added 30 minutes  (on the low end) to your round by playing the wrong tees.   

 

If you keep up with the group in front of you, you are not holding things up, whether you hit 18 greens in reg or lay up 18 times.

[MountainKing]

2 hours ago, lowndes said:

 
Don’t you need to know how fast people play?  They might not be holding anybody up if they actually play quick.  I’ve played with all sorts of folks who can’t hit most fours in two shots who are very quick golfers.  And some long golfers who are scratch that are slow as molasses.

 

I generally just assume 30 seconds a shot.  Also assuming most golfers aren't walking to their ball to prep for the next shot while the rest of the group is playing theirs.  Assumptions are just based on what I've seen over the however man thousands of rounds I've played and the almost decade I spent working at a course.  I could be very wrong about the OP, but I have enough of a sample size of day in and day out observations that I kind of have an idea of what this is.

 

I'm a big fan of you do you, but once it starts impacting others on the course you need to have some consideration.  Week in and week out I see the group playing the back tees, driving it 200 yards, then waiting to hit their second shot from 240 despite not having a single thing in their arselnal that would get them close, then we get to see a third shot from 100 yards miss the green. Just like that you now have a 5 hour round thanks to this group (and a course tht does nothing to enforce pace).  With all these shots, I'm also assuming they're easily findable, or not 3 extra chunked/thinned/shanked shots.

 

The reality is, if this group would play the right tees, that second shot would be happening from 100 yards, and we can all get through in 4 to 4:20 and not spend time watching grass grow. 

[lowndes]

1 hour ago, MountainKing said:

 

I generally just assume 30 seconds a shot.  Also assuming most golfers aren't walking to their ball to prep for the next shot while the rest of the group is playing theirs.  Assumptions are just based on what I've seen over the however man thousands of rounds I've played and the almost decade I spent working at a course.  I could be very wrong about the OP, but I have enough of a sample size of day in and day out observations that I kind of have an idea of what this is.

 

I'm a big fan of you do you, but once it starts impacting others on the course you need to have some consideration.  Week in and week out I see the group playing the back tees, driving it 200 yards, then waiting to hit their second shot from 240 despite not having a single thing in their arselnal that would get them close, then we get to see a third shot from 100 yards miss the green. Just like that you now have a 5 hour round thanks to this group (and a course tht does nothing to enforce pace).  With all these shots, I'm also assuming they're easily findable, or not 3 extra chunked/thinned/shanked shots.

 

The reality is, if this group would play the right tees, that second shot would be happening from 100 yards, and we can all get through in 4 to 4:20 and not spend time watching grass grow. 

Maybe or maybe not.  They could be playing in 3 hours if nobody was in front of them or 5 hours (I’ve got no idea).  Lots of things cause slow play in my experience starting with the fact that we think it should take 4 hours to play 18.  The fact that so many think playing in 4 hours is a normal pace is the start of the problem.