Golf etiquette

[harold baines]

that sounds rude to me,

I would imagine that 140 yards ahead of you may not have been far from where you'd be trying to hit the ball to if you were laying up rather than going for it in two

[Ken Harris]

heated debate respond please (ASAP)

Here is the scenario:

- World Am golf tournament
- Flight 1 (-1.2 thru 3.2 handicap)
- 1st Hole
- Par 5
your opponent drives his cart 140 yards ahead of you while you are in the middle of the fairwary, on your approach shot.
he checks the yardage of his next shot, which in the middle of the fairway, then stands near the cart path 140 yards ahead.

How would you react to this?

I have alot more to the story, which I will post, but I need to first get reaction of this situation from golfers here.

Is this normal behavior, something that is fine, not fine. You just don't care. Give me your opinion, greatly appreciated.

[rkruff]

He was clearly out of line....You should have waited on your shot until he came back.

[Freak2]

As long as he's not jumping up and down, I wouldnt make a big deal out of it.

[Ken Harris]

my first shot was in this crazy crab grass they have in south carolina and I needed 180 to carry water. I chose to layup to 200 yards, 120 from my initial tee shot. I was on my 3rd shot, He was on his third 140 yards ahead, he didn't have to layup short of the water, he was in the fairway after his tee shot.

[BEND OF THE RIVER GC]

[quote name='Fr3ak' post='1925491' date='Aug 31 2009, 07:22 PM']As long as he's not jumping up and down, I wouldnt make a big deal out of it.[/quote]


Did you ask him to move?

[flushedshot]

In a tournament situation it is rude. At home with my buddies we do it all the time to speed play

[rehberg]

I know that during my PGA PAT you are not allowed to scout ahead on the carts.

[Ken Harris]

[quote name='flushedshot' post='1925505' date='Aug 31 2009, 07:28 PM']In a tournament situation it is rude. At home with my buddies we do it all the time to speed play[/quote]


Here is where the situation gets interesting. Out of 48 guys in my flight, I get paired up with one of my local golf buddies in my normal foursome. I didn't ask him to move how do I ask someone to move 140 yards ahead. YELL and screw up guys on the other holes. Long story short, because I knew this guy the fact that he was ahead didn't bother me. The fact that he is a local golfing buddie that I happened to get partnered up with in a tournament and I felt like because he knew me he was taking liberties that he would not if he didn't know me. Especially since this was in a tournament, this pissed me off, my fault I got pissed off. The result, (not of him being there but because of me allowing it to piss me off. Double, Double, Quad, way to start off a 4 day tournament. I ended up going 2 over for the rest of the round but the damage is done. On the first hole I said to him don't go ahead of us while we are hitting. He did it several more times during the rounds, I did it back to him to prove a point that it's just wrong because it messes up with your preshot routine, he made bogey on that hole which sucks that I had to do that to get him to stop. The after the round I said something to him about it in a nice, hey dude not going to make a big deal of this but, that's just wrong not blaming you for how I played but if you didn't know me you would not do that, and another guy would rip you a new one if you did that to them. He got all self righteous on me, which took something that could have been a my bad, to something that is really pissing me off.

[volrus]

I personally wouldn't care if it wasn't affecting my concentration due to him being in my sight line. We do this all the time around here and I guess I just don't think anything of it.

[Sawgrass]

[quote name='Ken Harris' post='1925480' date='Aug 31 2009, 07:19 PM']he checks the yardage of his next shot, which in the middle of the fairway, then stands near the cart path 140 yards ahead.

How would you react to this?[/quote]

If he respectfully and motionlessly stands to the side in the rough, I'd have absolutely no problem that he rode ahead. I'd appreciate that he was keeping the pace of play up. I may be wrong, but I believe that the pros often walk ahead to their ball and stand aside and wait there while the shorter hitter works things out.

That said, if you had already sensed some disrespect from him, I'd "Trust the Force, Luke."

[Tmiller72]

[quote name='rehberg' post='1925573' date='Aug 31 2009, 07:50 PM']I know that during my PGA PAT you are not allowed to scout ahead on the carts.[/quote]

I think the guy ahead to his ball, not to scout out where to hit it. In any case, it's certainly rude.

[carn9698]

You are correct Ken. He was wrong. Especially on the 1st hole of a big tournament. 1st 4 holes you`ve got to tread lightly with non regular playing partners and he did`nt with you, probably because of familiarity.

Its a shame it got to you with the bad start. Tension in the start and anger not a good combo. Bet you don`t let bad etiquette get to like that again for a while. Hope you turn it around the last 3.

Self righteous reaction was him deflecting a bit of guilt no doubt.

[scarywoody]

[quote name='Sawgrass' post='1925607' date='Aug 31 2009, 05:00 PM'][quote name='Ken Harris' post='1925480' date='Aug 31 2009, 07:19 PM']he checks the yardage of his next shot, which in the middle of the fairway, then stands near the cart path 140 yards ahead.

How would you react to this?[/quote]

If he respectfully and motionlessly stands to the side in the rough, I'd have absolutely no problem that he rode ahead. I'd appreciate that he was keeping the pace of play up.
[/quote]

That's my thought too. If he gets to see his lie and judge distance he is speeding up the pace of play. If it bothers you then by all means ask him to wait until you hit your shot.

[bigred90gt]

I wouldnt really care if someone did that. As long as he was just there, off to the side, being still and quiet, I see no reason to even bring it up.

[hbear]

If he moves off to the side way out of the way, then why does it matter?
We see pros do this all the time. Or are we to expect that Mike Weir after hitting a layup, stands and waits with Quiros 300 yards out while Quiros is waiting for the green to clear? No, Mike Weir walks ahead to his ball 200 yards away and waits there with a wedge in his hand.
If he's standing in the middle of the fairway, it's different....but it doesn't sound like he was.

However, just a quick question....if he was 5 yards ahead does it matter? how about 10? 20? 40? What is the difference?

[corky]

can't believe you're playing in big tournament driving buggies/carts..... that just seems wrong to me.

[20something]

Driving up to his ball is okay if he stays out of while you hit. It speeds up play.
Going out to the middle of the fairway before you hit is out of line.

[OpusX20]

Honestly, I don't see what the big deal is. If you were sharing a cart, that might be a bit different. But, being at the cart path up ahead, soesn't seem like that big of a transgression. But, he certainly could have handled it better when you brought it up. Either way, sorry it influenced your round.

[dpark]

The issue to me would be if he was in your intended path of your ball. If he is off to the side, get over it. If he is in your landing area or in the flight path of your ball, you ask him to move.

You said you didn't want to yell. That's fine. Just wait until the guy looks back at you to figure out why you haven't hit yet and motion to him to move out of the way. He moves, you hit, problem solved.

[Ken Harris]

thanks for the comments guys, just needed to vent that one out. One of the reason's I love this place. The consensus seems split to me. however, i think one of the guys hit it on the head. If it was a new playing partner I think i would not have thought two farts about it. But because it was I guy i knew i think "especially 1st hole of a big tournament" he was taking liberties he wouldn't with someone else.

I understand that guys go to their ball especially on tour when someone is laying up. However, i'm sure they are not in the middle of the fairway with their caddie checking yardages while another player behind them has yet to go.

with guys that are near scratch in a tournament, i don't think that flies at all!

the guy told me he would do it with anyone. I challenged him to on the first hole of the next three rounds, to go ahead of the guys playing with him and check his yardage, 5, 10, 15, or 200 yards ahead, I don't think it will fly at all.

again thanks for allowing me to vent