Cutting at the Turn

[Preduck]

Today was one of the first really nice days around here. Granted it was pretty windy, it was the first day I've gotten out and played in shorts all year. Anyway, the course is packed with a fair number of twosomes and singles on the course. I'm playing by myself with a twosome in front of me and a twosome behind me. The group behind me is playing somewhat slow, but there is no one behind them. The group in front of me made their intentions early that they weren't going to let me play through and I'd rather play by myself than with them. As I finish on 9, I see the twosome in front of me leaving. 10 is a very short par 4 with a reachable green. There's a group on the putting green and another group on the box ready to tee off. I notice a foursome at the practice green putting. (you can probably see where this one is going) I stop in the clubhouse to grab a drink and use the restroom. As I'm walking to number 10, I notice the foursome that was on the practice green is in the box. Needless to say I'm pretty ticked off at this point. One of the guys in the group behind me comes up and I invite him to play the back 9 with me. I'm a walker and it's a pretty short course, so I never really have an opportunity to catch up to them to ask to play though. I'm already waiting on them on the second shot of the 11th hole. I figure there's a group holding them too so I'm not super upset. We play a couple of holes and I wait on just about every shot. 2 of the guys had sticks and 2 of them were pretty bad. (not to say I'm any good) We get to the box on 14 and I see there's no one in front of them for 2 holes! Ok, now I'm mad. I have no opportunity to catch them and ask to play through and I'm never invited. Short of hitting into them, what else do you guys suggest? (I lost my Scotty Divot tool too....add fuel to the fire)

[Hateto3Putt]

How long did you stop at the turn?

While they were on the teebox, I would have teed one up and said "This is 10, I'm making the turn".

One question... What course routinely lets the groups go out twosome, single, twosome without hooking the singles up?

Sucks about your divot tool

[profsmitty]

Confrontation is not my thing so I use the coward's way out - the cell phone. I have no compulsion about talking to rangers about those who abuse the groups behind them by not keeping up. Unfortunately, there seem to be fewer and fewer rangers around these days. So that's where the cell phone comes in. I always have the course telephone number in my address book. I call the clubhouse and complain - loudly if necessary. That's what these guys are paid for, after all - to keep the course flowing. JMO

[Radagast]

+1 on calling the clubhouse for the marshal.

Small caveat, I'd only do this if the round was turning out to be longer than the recommended pace of play. Basically, if a group is playing slow I think its a must for them to let you play through. If you are simply playing fast, than letting you play through is not required, though a bit rude not to.

[highergr0und]

So the foursome started off the back? I would've called the office most likely. I hate when they let guys off the back when there are groups making the turn, even if it is a single. I know a lot of courses have rules that a foursome trumps a single, but it shouldn't apply there.

[ballzo]

There is a pretty decent track in my old neighborhood that I used to play from time to time. The pro shop does that same thing all the time there for some reason. They send out groups off both tees for some reason. The last 3-4 times I've played there I watch groups walk over to 10 and tee off as I'm putting on number 9. When I see that I'll usually play the front again but I would really rather play the back. My solution; I don't play there anymore. The track is Woodcreek in Roseville, CA.

[marrigo]

Whoever is running that course should have told the foursome that if they wanted to tee off #10 they needed to let whoever was making the turn play through. At my course they will look up the ninth fairway to see if any groups are getting ready to make the turn. Stopping in the clubhouse may have given the foursome the impression they were clear, so possibly an honest mistake. Even so, once they saw you behind them it would have been courteous to let you play through. I often play nine alone after work (well at least when I was gainfully employed) and often have groups in front of me. More often then not they let me play through immediately, occasionally it takes a few hole, and rarely I run into groups thet ignore me. I agree with those who say you should have called the clubhouse.

[Preduck]

I was in the clubhouse for about 5 min. I had to drop the kids off at the pool...I didn't really get a chance to confront them. At first, I thought it might be an honest mistake or at worst, they just wanted to get out on the course then let me play though.

This isn't exactly the country club. They sell a bunch of cheap year memberships for $200, so the course is usually packed except during the afternoon. It's a pretty short course, with a very wide range of skill levels. They let singles go out all the time, but most of the time, people just end up playing together or joining up with a group. Heck, most of the people don't check in.

Calling the clubhouse leads to a couple of problems. There's only 1 person inside ever, so even if i called, they wouldn't have anyone to send out. Second, most of the guys who play there a ton know each other, so I'd rather not ruffle feathers this early in the year.