Do you let a single pass when course is full??

[Clifford]

Opening day of golf. Course is busy, We are behind groups of fousomes as far as i can see. A single pulls up right behind us for a couple holes. Like right behind us. Couple of our group dont like this pushy guy behind them so they let the guy pass after 8 holes. I was not happy they did. We were not slow, we were right on pace for 4 hrs. Was i wrong in not wanting to let the guy pass? After that our pace was slow. We waited some every hole. The single did pass the group ahead of us a few holes later as well but the back nine took 2 1/2 hrs and the front took 2 hrs before we let him pass. It seemed he slowed down the whole course. Also the course should not of allowed a single to go as a single when course is booked solid...

Edited April 29, 2023 by Clifford

[jordan2240]

Would not have let him pass.   We will let players/groups pass if we can see an opening within 2 holes in front of us, but not if all groups within our vision are keeping pace.

[Greenie]

Sometimes the best way to get rid of a pushy guy or an irritation is to let them play through and be done with the problem. I will either do that or let the person know there is no where to go so it's going to be slow. I always play these situations by ear. 

A few members of your group chose to let the problem go through and to enjoy the rest of their round without the feeling of having this pushy guy behind you. If you didn't agree with their decision then you should have told the guy to back off there wasn't any place to go.

 

[Wooley12]

 That's a no win situation. Feeling pushed from behind by a single watching you hole out and then feeling slowed down after letting the single through.  

[Volnut]

Situation dependant for me personally. Most cases, I'd probably let him through as to not feel rushed and the extra 20 or 30 minutes would be a decent trade off. Sounds like more of a course issue letting him on with a full sheet.

[RobS]

I'm with you.  I wouldn't entertain letting anyone play through on a full course and I also agree that it's poor practice to let a single off in the middle of a full tee sheet.

[dropkicked]

No.

When playing in a 4some with traffic in front, the single can wait all day.

 

Singles aren't allowed to play alone when the courses are busy around here... One good thing that came out of pandemic golf..

[mshills]

Nope. No way. If the course is full in front of us you can’t play through unless we are behind. 

 

If we are a group of 2 or 3 you will be invited to pair up (as the starter should have required anyhow.) I’ve said this before, you are not Moses and that is not the Red Sea in front of you. Nowhere to go, so either pair up, or hang back and chill. 

[caniac6]

As long as we are in position, and there’s no place for him to go, no way he’s playing through. Also, I have played as a single, although not on a full course, and I’ve never pushed a group. Singles should be expected to have good manners, too.

Edited April 29, 2023 by caniac6

[ChipStrokes]

if he was up my butt id probably let him through so he could go get stuck somewhere else.  no reason not to. let him go annoy someone else. 

[Naptime]

Nobody's going anywhere.  Toss the "foursomes rule" out the window and let him join you if he's a nice guy.  If he's being a turd then the options have already been mentioned above.

[otto6457]

I was told by an older gentleman back when I was a kid that singles have no rights on a golf course.  I've followed that principle my entire career.  If my group is slow and there is a gap, I will always let a single through if they ask.  No issues at all.  If there isn't a gap, then the single has no right to a gap that does not exist.  If my group is a twosome or threesome, I'll invite them to join if they aren't jerks.  Otherwise, they will remain stuck behind us all day.  I've played enough 5-6 hour tournament rounds to know what standing around all day feels like.  It's not great, but it's better than being at work.  Just because you're waiting a lot as single doesn't mean you get some special dispensation.

 

I know the game singles sometimes play because I played it myself back in my younger days.  Just pressure the group in front by being close enough that they know you are always there waiting on them.  Often they will be uncomfortable (or just be really nice) and invite you to play through.  Rinse and repeat with each group in front of you.  Before you know it, you just played a 3hr round on a packed Sunday golf course.  It's not an honorable way to get around a busy course, and it only works because you take advantage of most people's discomfort at feeling rushed.

 

I play a lot of golf as a single and I feel like its a privilege to be allowed to do so.  I'm getting to practice on the course and what ever the pace of the group in front is, I'm fine with it.  I don't ask to play through.  If offered to play through,  I'll tell them I'm practicing and in no hurry.  If they prefer me to play though I will thank them profusely and wish them a great round of golf. 

 

I'm just happy to be on a golf course. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Hawkeye77]

Have a word with the course is about all you can do, the guy shouldn't have been allowed out (but maybe he was told not to expect to play through).  A full tee sheet means a single or twosome, for example, takes the slot they get and that's that.

 

Some folks can't handle itchy people behind them so I guess you have to consider how much it's going to bug others in your group and make a decision.  If he's not dropping balls on the green while you are walking off kind of stuff, not sure how the lurking single really bothers anyone, but people are people. 

 

If it's foursomes all the way ahead and people keeping pace, letting the guy though is definitely going to slow things down as he works his way through, or gets stuck, lol.  

[mshills]

I play a lot of golf as a single and I don’t get the compulsion of some singles to play through group after group. Forget that, no fun at all.
 

I’m very pleased if asked to pair up and have met some great people that way. If there are wall to wall foursomes in front of me and I have a late tee time, I’m chilling, hanging back a bit, and maybe hitting some practice shots. All good, I’m not pushing you, that is DB behavior if the course is stacked. 

[getitdaily]

Yep. Let him thru. Ask him to join first. Let him go if he declines. 

[North Butte]

No, I would not wave a single through if my group is keeping up with the line of groups ahead of us. And no, when playing as a single I do not ask to play through or accept an offer to let me through in those circumstances. It's just not on as far as I'm concerned.

 

One exception would be if you could clearly and obviously see that there was your own group and just one other group ahead, then the course is wide open in front of that. It's not at all unreasonable for a single to play through two groups if there's literally nothing but open holes ahead of the two groups. Trouble is, on a lot of coruses it's hard to know for sure when that's the case. 

[ChipStrokes]

28 minutes ago, mshills said:

I’m chilling, hanging back a bit, and maybe hitting some practice shots. All good, I’m not pushing you, that is DB behavior if the course is stacked. 

 

3 hours ago, Hawkeye77 said:

Some folks can't handle itchy people behind them so I guess you have to consider how much it's going to bug others in your group and make a decision.  If he's not dropping balls on the green while you are walking off kind of stuff, not sure how the lurking single really bothers anyone, but people are people. 

this is what the decision comes

down to for me. 

 

if the single behind my group seems perfectly content moving at the pace the course is moving at and i see him practicing around the green or putting for a minute or two after he holes out…i’ll leave him be.

 

id the dude is pushing the pace, standing over his ball waiting for us, then hitting as soon as we move, im gonna wave him through.

 

like i said above, go annoy someone else. 

[Augster]

7 hours ago, North Butte said:

No, I would not wave a single through if my group is keeping up with the line of groups ahead of us. And no, when playing as a single I do not ask to play through or accept an offer to let me through in those circumstances. It's just not on as far as I'm concerned.

 

One exception would be if you could clearly and obviously see that there was your own group and just one other group ahead, then the course is wide open in front of that. It's not at all unreasonable for a single to play through two groups if there's literally nothing but open holes ahead of the two groups. Trouble is, on a lot of coruses it's hard to know for sure when that's the case. 

This. 
 

The only way I let him through is if it’s us, and then one more group, then it’s clear sailing for him. 
 

But if it’s stacked up group after group, as the OP says, then letting him through is going to slow down the entire course behind him. Most groups don’t know how to let a single through. I just experienced that this week. Just keep playing. The single will play along then it takes forever to have 4 guys putt out. Single putts out first and is gone. Not with the guys I was playing with. Par 5, we are at our drives and they wave the single up. And they stand there. I hit my second. They stand there. The single is walking. He walks up to his drive and hits, I’ve already walked to my second shot. Single hits his second shot. The other guys in my group are still standing there not hitting their second shots. I hit my 3rd shot onto the green. The single hits his 3rd shot into the green and starts walking.  I putt out while the single gets to the green. Finally my group starts hitting their second shots.  Then the single putts out and moves on. 
 

Probably cost my group 8 minutes on the play through ONLY because my group was a bunch of nimrods. If the single plays through another group or two that have NO IDEA how to let a single play through, it’ll back up the course and cause the 2.5 hour back 9 the OP mentions. 
 

 

[Hawkeye77]

17 hours ago, otto6457 said:

I was told by an older gentleman back when I was a kid that singles have no rights on a golf course.  I've followed that principle my entire career.  If my group is slow and there is a gap, I will always let a single through if they ask. 

The singles have no priority thing is a thing of the past - based on pace of play now.  

 

I guess my answer on a full tee sheet is above, but sure, if the sheet isn't full and there is a place for a single to go we don't even make him or her ask, we'll just roll over to the next tee box and wait and usually if the person wants through they are looking for some sign, any sign, so a wave or just ask him or her, so the person knows they are going through and sometimes the offer is declined and no problem.  Then like me, the putt and/or chip are rushed, the tee shot is rushed and . . . through! But a stroke or two the poorer, lol.  

[Mr. Bean]

No, I do not. There is absolutely no point.

[jdl]

If he's being pushy, I'd simply explain to him that there's nowhere for him to go. If he's still pulling up right behind you on the tees, he simply may not know any better re: etiquette. Just have to ignore him at that point.

[Warrior42111]

Sucky situation, IMO I'd just say the course is stacked up sorry.

 

The way I see it is if it take a few minutes to let him through ok, but then you have to have every other group let them through or now you're just waiting on them every hole. However, if every group lets them through that few minute delay compiles to every group behind since the course is packed. 

[Abh159]

I'm typically a big proponent of letting faster groups play through, but in this case I think the guy is just SOL. He has to wait just like everyone else.

 

The course probably shouldn't have ever let a single go out if it was that packed, and if they did the guy needs to be aware that he isn't going to be able to play through all day.

[RCGA]

The only thing about letting a single play though on a busy course is that you'll walk up to a tee box and won't see anyone. Your group starts teeing off and then all of a sudden see the single pop out of the trees. 

 

 

[golfinbrad]

This seems to happen a lot in my area.  Courses should pair up singles or not allow singles on very busy days.  I'm no way against singles as I play that way some evenings or very slow days.  On packed days, singles actually slow play down.  They still have to wait for everyone else.  We don't let singles play through if there is no place for them to go.  All that is going to happen is the group behind the single will be rolling up on you while you are waiting for him to play his shot.  This falls on the player for thinking he can fly through everyone and the course for not thinking about the players. 

[ae1985]

No. If I want to play as a single I try to be the first one out there. I've turned around and come home before when I went to a course that was jam packed and I wanted to play alone. Too much hassle.

[betarhoalphadelta]

I'd say that the consensus here (with which I agree) is that there's no reason to let a single through on a packed course. There's nowhere to go, so you're just swapping places in line. 

 

However for OP, if this guy was being a real pill about it, and visibly rushing your group, your playing partners may have also been right to just let him through so he's someone else's problem. In the grand scheme of things, I know that's just enabling bad behavior, but it's not your job to enforce the rules of etiquette if having this guy breaking down your neck is ruining your round otherwise. 

 

I'm wondering, though, what kind of courses are allowing singles to go out on busy days? Every single course around here has online booking, and tee sheets are full of foursomes from sunup to closing time. You can try to book "as a single", i.e. taking one of the four slots up for a tee time, but you're going to have three other players on the first tee with you because they booked the other slots. 

[mshills]

I’m pretty good at ignoring what is behind me, so I don’t really worry about someone getting overly excited behind me.
 

My focus is on my current shot, next shot, and enjoying myself. If my group is keeping up with the group in front of me, I’m probably never looking behind me, not my concern. 

[klebs01]

I agree with @mshills.  I don’t really get the concept of being pushed. If it’s open in front let the group go through. If I’m in position and the course is full, then I don’t pay any attention to anything behind me. I don’t think I’ve ever felt pushed on a course. 

[Is Golf Fun or Work]

I'm all for anti-slow play, and if there's a single behind me/us, we'd let through provided there is somewhere to go....in other words, if course is just packed, what's the point?