Slow Play / Hitting into people

Just curious to get some opinions here. I used to get really uptight about slow play and bent out of shape over slower groups. Then I realized I'm out there with friends doing what I love. Having a great time. I've learned to just relax and play and have a good time. At the same time, I've actually started to play a bit slower as I'm trying to get good yardages and try to play better. I went to Birmingham, AL this past weekend and played at a pretty decent course called Eagle Pointe. There were a couple of times that we had to wait a few minutes for the group in front of us to clear. We didn't care. But we had an even quicker group behind us. There was nowhere to go, even if they played through. And we spend most of the back nine getting driven into on every damn hole. Finally on the 16th somebody got a hold of one and landed in about 5 feet from my buddy who immediately went berzerk. It was quite a feat that it didn't get out of hand. But everybody finished the round super pissed and playing poorly. I've heard people here complaining about slow play on a couple of occassions. But you're on the golf course. Doing what you love. Why the rush? Relax. Enjoy it.

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Mitch A

10* Off-Brand w/ Aldila NV 65 Reg
13* MacGregor V-Foil 3W
18* Lynx Black Cat 5W
3-PW Taylor Made SuperSteel
56* Srixon I-201
52* / 60* Purespin Wedges

PB 18 - 91
PB 9 - 41

Oh yeah. Forgot to mention. I drove a par 4. Granted it is only listed at 291 and it was 30-40 ft below the tee box and I had a lot of help from the wind. I average only 220. But still. I drove a par 4. It stayed on the green. I three putted for par! Haha

hi
i think you make a good point, relax and enjoy it so what if your held back 5 mins does it matter that much, i do agree you can get worked up and lose your game thinking about it, so its about control and staying relaxed.
bill

it happen all the time a couple weeks ago while out with a foursome, we were out about 230 yards and the group behind us (2 of them anyway) decided to let er rip one ball hit are cart and the other flew just over head, we picked up there balls and hit them into the lake on the other fairway, they were pissed. they were more pissed when the organizer and the course manager came and kicked them off the course, lost balls lost 60 bucks a person just because to ---holes that cant wait a couple minutes.

Congrats on driving the par 4!

I can boom it with the best of them but I think that it is a horrendous breach of etiquette to drive into the group in front. I don't mind 1 or 2 a round as sometimes you catch a flyer or hit one flush and you end up in the group in front or at least within 20 yards. As we're not tour pros, sometimes we can't judge the distance right.

If the group behind you is repeatedly knocking the ball into your group then I've always felt fair in taking some mild action such as stamping on the ball to embed in the ground or kicking it into the rough. A few times I've been tempted to whack the ball back at them but so far I've been able to resist the impulse. Knocking the ball into a hazard seems fair enough if it's be happening repeatedly.

That being said, if one of your group is playing badly and there's pressure from the group behind, then I would ask my playing partners to pick up after they hit their double bogey shot. Of course if it's a comp it's different but for a social round I think it's a little unfair to add to the congestion.

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Cleveland Launcher 460 - Aldila NV 65 x-stiff
Callaway Big Bertha 3W - Aldila NV 75 x-stiff
TaylorMade Rescue Dual TP (16°, 19°) stiff
Mizuno MP-32 2-PW Rifle Flighted 6.0
Titleist Vokey Wedges 52°, 56°, 60°
Scotty Cameron Circa 62 #3 35/330

I used to get really squirrley when waiting for foursomes ahead of me. I used to hit when it was 'close', rather than 'safe'. I stopped when I hit into a group twice, then realised that they, too, were waiting for a group in front of them, who was waiting for a group in front of them. I felt like an absolute ass. I've been hit into on a couple of occasions. IMO, once is a mistake, twice is a threat, and 3 times is a declaration of war. For the first offense, I'll shout and wave. For the second (depending on how I'm feeling and/or playing) I'll either tee up their ball, or roll it into a bad lie. I've never had to exercise option 3, but again, my plan is one of two routes: Either take their ball (treat it like a found ball), or hit it back at them. I think the first route would be much more diplomatic.

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A new highlight: Golfing the home course on Christmas Day.

I say it too often: If it's golf club shaped, you can play with it.

For the record, I'm a club doctor, not a swing doctor.

Ha! Teeing the ball up is a fantastic idea! It's the perfect mix of gentlemanly disdain with the implied threat of next time, the tee gets used

Back when I was bullet proof, I had a different answer for those who hit into our group. After a warning of course. Now days however, I just pick up the idiot's ball, and put some marks on it with my sharpie pen. I replace the ball with the newly marked side up. It is comical to watch them from a far as they try to figure where their ball is, since what they see appears to be someone else's ball. If they continue to hit into my group, I just pick up their ball and put it in my bag. GJS

When I first read this post I was ready to have a soap box moment, then read on to see everyone is of the same vain as me.

If you havent got 4-5 hours spare then you havn't got time for a game of Golf, I don't want to play if I have to rush.

We have the same as you guys no doubt the group of 35years plus memberships who tee off at 8 every week and need to be home for 12, all hitting at the same time, no marking balls on the green, no waiting for each other and even more anoying hitting their second shots at the green when your on it because they know they can't reach, if it wasn't for the hearing aids I would tell them that the ball landing puts me off.


Thats me done

Ian.

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Once you learn the swing, your next step is mastering golf psychology................

This post is making me LOL. I've been on both ends of this tale.

In my earlier days I once hit my ball onto the green (rolling) while the group ahead was still putting. It was a total accident as I had never hit one that far from the fairway before. I was quite prepared to apologize until one of them picked up my ball and threw it into the pond. When we got to the green I realized that one of the fellows was actually golfing without a shirt on! I lost it and, much to the chagrin of my playing partners, lit into him. It went downhill from there ....

I have also been hit (hard) by a golf ball hit from behind. Lost it again!

I'm calmer now but honestly believe there is no reason for a golf game to take more than 4-5 hours. But I would also never intentionally hit into the group ahead!

Tigress

Just a note. Our round was 4:03 from start to finish. Including snack time and a busy course. 4 hours wouldn't be considered slow play would it?

No it wouldn't.

Tigress

I hate slow play but give it another 20 or so years and no doubt someone will be complaining about me.

I'm quick in nature and thus hate standing around. Having said this though I am learning to be more patient, taking in the surrounds and blah blah blah.

I do at times deliberately hit up on people IF I notice that they could be quicker, eg, walk to their ball rather than huddling together in the centre of the fairway chatting and then deciding to find their ball in the rough

If slow play can't be avoided so be it, however, the lowest marker in that group has the responsibility to speed things up.

PS I have been hit up on before - not doubt accidently.

Can you answer me this? If I was to hit their ball back to them would it be a penalty and secondly, what would be the case if it happened to me?

Nicole

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VP

Has anyone deliberately hit “close” to the group ahead, and was it an “accident” if you hit them...

Sometimes the optics are bad. The last time we had a problem, the course was backed up. We were waiting for the group ahead of us to clear (they were on a lower elevation) so the group behind us couldn’t see them. My friend was fielding calls on his cell phone. A guy in the group behind us went ballistic and their balls were flying above us.

Once he learned that the course was backed up he said it was a misunderstanding and that my friend shouldn’t use his cell phone on the course. The exchanges got pretty heated. I thought at one point, if you accept the proposition that “hitting into the group” ahead of you is acceptable, then my apologies I misunderstood the rules. Since are slowing you down you can play thru, and we are sure to be quicker for the group behind us since we will let them rip as soon as we are ready regardless of where you are…!


James.

In a stroke play tournament, to hit their ball back would be considered playing the wrong ball - 2 strokes I believe. If you hit into someone (bad form!) and they hit your ball back, it's a ball moved by an outside agency - replace it as close to its original spot as possible, and carry on.