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So, Saturday afternoon (man was it hot) my wife and I went to play Red Wolf Golf Resort northeast of Houston in Huffman. We were on the third hole, a par three, finished play and walked to our cart. I was putting my club in my bag when I glanced back to the tee and saw the guy behind us (a single) start his swing. I hollered at him "DON'T SWING THAT CLUB." He did stop his swing and we drove off. I should point out that we were even with the flag distance wise and to the right (the slice side for a right hander) about 10 or 15 paces.
Pace of play was not an issue; we were stuck behind a slow foursome and were pushing them. Well, on the next tee the single drives after us and comes to talk to me. He snarls at me for yelling at him and I told him I didn't want him hitting into us while we were still in range. He snarled back at me "hell, I've been playing for 25 years." I responded; I don't know that. I don't know who the heck is behind me. I don't want people hitting into me. He just snarled at me again and went back to finish playing the par three.
On the next hole, a par four after we reached the green I turned around and watched him hit his tee shot. He yanked it dead left into the woods about 175 yards from his tee. We let him play through on the following hole and did say thank you.
I had a good friend get hit in the head with a golf ball at Bear Creek Golf World. He required 14 stitches to close the wound. I do worry about guys thinking that they will always hit the green on an approach so they hit when the group in front is still in range. So, just in case, I always wait to make sure the guys in front are completely out of my range if I hit a poor shot.
What do you all think about guys doing this? Or are you one of those guys that think you will hit it right on the green and you don't need to wait for the group to clear the green.
| Comments (35) | |
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Nalga
7/5/2011 10:30:32 AM I've learned too that if someone is in my range I won't hit the shot I want. I'll pull it, push it, slice it, dice it, you name it; I just can't do it. If you want to hit a good shot, you'll wait until the group in front of you is gone. My Dad used to call people who hurry around the course like they've got something else they'd rather be doing "Indians" (No offense meant, it is just his funny way of saying we were about to be overrun). As kids we would see them coming and my Dad would say "Here come the Indians!", and we'd get the heck out of the way. |
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HIGH_LANDER
7/4/2011 8:59:45 PM I,Agree with you Gilbert,People should wait,for the green or fairway to clear before anyone hits. |
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BobKarrer
7/1/2011 12:24:20 PM The only place safe from a golfer like that is standing right next to the pin. That is where there ball never ends up for them. |
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aphia1
6/30/2011 5:36:33 PM I wait primarily because my ball usually goes toward anyone in my focus area. I've figured out that when people are in my landing area, my focus generally turns toward them instead of my intended target. I once had a guy complain because they were on the green and I was in the next fairway (after an errant tee shot), so I decided to play toward the next tee box (BEFORE they cleared the green and headed to the box). Well he reacted because he heard me hit the shot and assumed I was hitting at the putting surface. I explained the play I was making, dropped the next shot next to the flag and saved the par. We all got a good laugh, but I think we handled it in a way we could both learn from. Yelling on the golf course is never a good method of accomplishing ANYTHING. Especially when you consider the 2 of you are not the only people affected by your behavior. |
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cpfitness
6/30/2011 7:10:36 AM sorry but you were a bit out of line on this one and i'm also wondering, how you didn't know that he wasn't just taking a practice swing? there was no need to yell out loud and potentially distract others on the golf course. if you saw him swinging you could have let him hit, watched the ball and then politely asked him if he would mind waiting til you clear the green. As someone else mentioned, people don't take kindly to being yelled at, even if they do deserve it! |
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golfkantu
6/29/2011 11:57:04 AM some people jsut don't get it untill they get hit by a golf shot that has gone arye. I have been hit TWICE!!! once by don't know who cause they did not yell 4!!! nor did they come get their ball. (drop me to the ground like a deer that had been shot from 175 yards out.) 2nd time by my own group..he did yell, but when the ball was 2 feet from striking me on the hip and dropping me like a sack of potatos. |
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bmoody16
6/27/2011 3:16:33 PM Well I know my game pretty well. I wait until I am comfortable before I hit. What I mean by that is: If I am worried that someone is too close for me to chance it, I won't hit a good shot, so I make sure I have no concerns about hitting them. For example, you mentioned being in a slice position for a right handed player. My friend and I both rarely ever slice the ball. We both play pretty prominent draws (especially him). If someone is 20 yards right of the green, neither of us would probably think twice about hitting. That being said, we try to be considerate of what others think as well. Like you said, the person in front of you doesn't know your game, so that needs to be considered as well. I don't like making people mad at me. I try to consider other people's safety as well. Now if someone is slowing my group down and has no one in front of them, I might fire a little early to get their attention (I still wait until I feel confident I won't hit them though). One thing to consider--and I don't know your handicap--so this is just a general statement. Higher handicappers do not understand sometimes the consistency of a low-handicap player. I promise you crowds wouldn't surround the fairways to watch me hit a drive (i'm a 6.5-7 handicap right now), yet they will a PGA pro. The pro is much more consistent and people are not as concerned. Similarly a 15-20 handicapper firing at the green with someone 15-20 yards off the right side of the green is totally different than a 5 handicap player doing the same. I promise that the 5 handicap player will not hit someone that far away and to the right. They are much too consistent for that....unless they are in a divot or something, and then they will probably wait anyway. In some ways it is all relative, but I do get your point. |
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thomasbrown
6/25/2011 2:02:13 PM I always wait.....i was once on a tee box about to tee off (atleast 50 yards to the left from the previous green) and i was nearly hit in the head from an approach shot unto the green we had just played. Same situation, the guy apologized and said he had been playing for 20 years and he didn't know what had happened..... i believed him, but none the less its my head, my life, and I always wait until the group ahead of me is out of range........... its either "wait" now or "wait" later......either way you are waiting...... |
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bradley894
6/23/2011 8:43:53 PM i always wait... and guys i play with dont seem to be as concerned.. its funny how when you wait a bit to make sure they are out of range you seem to top or worm burn the next one.. you never know when your going to catch it sweet and its not worth hurting someone.. what i do not like is when the group behind pushes.. they can plainly see the 3 holes ahead are being played.. take a chill pill and enjoy the day... wait to tee off and you might get to hit your second when you get to your ball and stay in your rythem.. just a thaught. it also may give you a chance to introduce yourself as a gentlemen to the group behind you.. exchange a comment of a little slow today but a great day to enjoy a relaxing round... you would be surprised how someone behind will give you room knowing there is no place to go .. and the fact that you looked them in the eyes means in the clubhouse you will recognize exactly who your hitting into or who is hitting into you... seems to make folks think before they tee it up. |
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paul luna
6/22/2011 10:03:32 AM almost all the time I wait , unless the golfers in front of us are selfishly playing golf. |
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PISC
6/22/2011 7:35:57 AM The safest place to stand is next to the flag!!!!!!!!! LMAO |
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gj24
6/22/2011 5:41:12 AM There's no guarantees, even for Pro's. Its always better to wait until the cart leaves the green before firing away. Now, if you can just get people to right their scores down until they get to the next tee box, that would be helpful as well. |
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Mark Simmons
6/22/2011 1:01:17 AM I wouldn't hit my tee shot under those circumstances and I'm a 3-handicap! The point is you weren't paying attention, not how close you were to the green. If a group waves you up and stands just off the edge of the green watching your shot. I have no problem pulling the trigger. They're paying attention. Now if I can alter your scenario a bit. I do have a problem with players who doddle once they've finished a hole. You know the scenario. They finish the hole, chat by the edge of the green, clean their clubs, rearrange things, sit in their cart by the edge of the green chatting and drinking. Mind you I still won't hit into them, safety first, it's not worth a manslaughter charge. But that doesn't change the fact that what they are doing is insensitive, dead wrong, and subject to other repercussions. |
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ByeByeBirdie
6/21/2011 9:32:52 PM I agree with you. People should wait until you leave the green area. Not even the best pro hits 100% GIR!! |
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Robert Premeaux Jr.
6/21/2011 9:29:52 PM It falls in line with my thinking that no matter how frustrating slow play can be at times, it's the guys behind me that bother me the most. We've covered it ad nauseum at this point: Golf etiquette is a dying thing. So few people play with any concern for almost anything ... fixing ball marks or divots, letting faster groups play through, marking balls, hitting into groups, raking traps, et. al. I wouldn't have yelled at the guy. The only thing I yell on the golf course is "Fore!" But I might've stood there and watched him hit, just to see if he really was hitting into me. And if he had, I might've stayed right there, sat in my cart and told him to please play through if you're in that big a hurry. And then "good luck with your bottom." |
