When is it time to say: ENOUGH! (mini rant)

I was all excited to leave my office yesterday EARLY! All of the papers for the rest of the year's tours & shows have been signed & I thought I'd treat myself to an unexpected twilight round. I get to the course around 5:05, Gregory sees me & knows I like to play at a quick pace. He's nice enough to ask 2 foursomes if it's ok if they let me go. They say ok, and I thank them and say, hopefully I won't hold you up. Greg tells me there's a 2some about 2 holes ahead of me, and I probably would catch them, but I should be okay to finish 18.

par, par, bogey, par, par...then I run into the 2-some guys who are skulling tee shots into the woods, reloading, and going at it again. meanwhile, the 4-some in front of them are already on the NEXT GREEN! They see me coming, and decide to fairway drop. I'm standing there waiting patiently. It's a short par 4... about 380. I just finished 5 holes in 35 minutes WALKING UP HILLS & now it takes me 20 minutes to finish 6. The guys are still on the tee box when I finish up my 20 minute hole b/c of them and I finish with a bogey... AND NOW IT BEGINS

they hit...3 times, and I hit my drive, and I'm about a flop shot away from the green. they putt out (triple bogey for both of them for the last 2 holes) and I get up and down for par. They're standing on the tee box, haven't even hit yet, and I walk up b/c it was shoot, 1 putt. They hit their balls into the woods. ignore the fact that I'm standing there and this is the 3rd tee box they've done this to me. didn't invite me & they could see the frustration...instead 1 started making fun of me & talking sh** in his native tongue...
they hit, and then I wait for another 10 minutes for them to skull 3 shots out of the rough and then I finally hit my drive... 280ish on the right side...they're on the green and they 4 putt this time. meanwhile, i get on in 3 after knocking out of the rough from underneath a tree and I get up and down for a tough par. I get to the 9th, you can see the 10th, 11th & 12th from the tee box. The group ahead of the the 2some in front of me is already on the 12th teeing off. The 9th is a pretty good one. you're about 60 - 80 feet above the fairway. it's about 450 par 4. into the wind. i understand that these guys can't get to the 150 mark after the drive. the wind was blowing hard and I only made it to the 200... f'in wind... so i finally finish the hole after waiting another 15 minutes... i finish 5 holes in like 35 and it takes me 1.3 hours to finish 4 holes..what the crap. what's worse is it was like this for the next 5 holes.... i got so frustrated and out of my game I had 2 double bogey's in a row...which basically shot my hopes of finishing with a score in the 70's out of it... what i'm mad about is how they saw me.. i attempted to ask if I could play thru..and they finally didn't let me until a ranger came out and told them that they should let me play thru...i finally finish 16, 17 & 18 in 30 minutes and these guys are chunking shots, skulling balls, dropping, reloading...

1. when is it enough and you skip ahead without feeling like an *******. i would've marked myself for hole max on a hole that I normally par so I could go ahead.
2. when is it enough....and you forcefully ask to play through
3. when will quadruple bogey golfers stop practicing on the range and dropping 2.3 or even reloading 4 times to hit a shot?
4. when is it enough and you call a ranger?

i call the clubhouse if I am held up on one hole and I know its the group in front of me holding play. I ask them if they can send a marshall out

I would give them one opportunity to invite me to play through. And then I would ask to play through. After asking if I can play through I would call the club house.

I wish my course had marshalls that actually came on the course... you can go that route or just skip ahead of them if you see an open tee / fairway. Obviously you cant submit the round but I guess if its a twighlight round you're trying to squeeze in its better than sitting behind clowns.

I never wait for someone to invite me, I'll just flat out ask them... do you mind if I play with you or let me through... I always drop the confident "Trust me, I won't slow you down"

that seems to work for me

I always tell my kids that they'll never get anywhere in the world being shy.

Just ask. If they're disrespectful enough to say no, stay right on their asses and put unwanted pressure on them. There's nothing worse for a 20+ to be pitching to the green on their 5th shot and have a decent player 20yds behind him watching and waiting. I know it's not the most ethical things to do, but it's also not ethical to hold up better players. I'm not suggesting that you literally hit into them, but stay right on them.

This is my first year of golfing so obviously, I am not very good. I have no problem waiting for people to catch up if they are close and offer to have them play ahead of us or join us if they don't mind our lack of skill. It goes for the opposite, if it's just me or my buddy and I, and there are a slow group of 4, we will approach and ask if we can play through and it's not a problem.

Yoshi,

Man, after reading a few posts of yours over the last few months it seems like you definitely have it rough. Are you ever able to enjoy the game?

If you're not absolutely set on getting in a full 18, and you know the course like the back of your hand, perhaps next time you make it out you can spot some shortcuts to other holes to just bypass them.

But some of the other guys are spot-on--you gotta ask to play through if they're either clueless or intentionally ignoring you.

It's time to say enough the second you notice an entire open hole ahead of you. Just walk up and ask if you can play through. If they say no drive to the next tee - you know they're not catching you. If you have to get the entire round in, call the clubhouse and have the Marshall come out.

It can be kind of a fine line between being a gentleman when you're behind a group of slow or poor players, and taking the lead when you're behind a group of *******s. The rules of golf protect players of standup character, not the sorts of dudes you're describing.

I am not at all advocating what these gentleman were do as right, but when is it time lower handicappers started helping others. I am in no way saying that some don't help but in my experience by in large most wait with their arms crossed staring you down with body language stating " you need to get out of my way" or as even in another post on this message board hit into the group in front of them (I am not saying you are one of these guys). I am fairly new to golf and have had to learn as I go and due to some helpful people and this message board have learned for the most part what is right and wrong. Maybe those gentlemen were out there for their first time and really knew no better, and by chance your body language was showing your frustration, causing them to "talk s**t" in their native tongue as you put it.In what is supposed to be a gentlemens game, it just seems to me that most serious golfers dont take into account that not everybody playing have been taught the rules and ettiquite of golf, and instead of being polite and asking to play through, or teaching them, just give off an attitude of disgust. Golf is frustrating enough when you are learning to play and add into that equation a more experienced golfer breathing down your neck and you will just become more frustrated and likely become pissed off. Just remember at one time you too were just learning the game and most likely did similar things on the golf course so maybe next time try to be more of gentleman and politely ask to play with them or play through. Your actions could mean the difference of what these guys pass on as accetable in this sport to others. This was in no means trying to put you down DJYoshi, maybe just another pespective on what those guys may have been feeling. Best Regards.

that's a great way to put things from someone else's perspective. We've ALL been there learning the game. My father taught me last year, and yeah, I was the slow golfer of any group that I played with. BUT, they always taught me, if you can't keep pace with the GROUP IN FRONT, then pick up and drop...the course isn't a place to practice your new swing. I was always scared to play the game b/c I didn't want to be "that guy" that held up any groups. I turned out to be that dude, but my father said as long as you keep up with the pace of play, nobody can say anything to you. if you're playing THAT slow, then let others pass. My 1st 2 rounds out playing, we let 7 groups ahead of us.

I've seen the 2-some before so I definitely know it's not their 1st time out on a course. I honestly didn't think that I was breathing down their neck. I was on in regulation for the most part except for when I had to save par on 2 holes and took bogey on 3 other holes. I didn't have the crossed arms or anything. When they were DRIVING to their ball, I did something like puffed on a fine Hoyo Epicure #2, then an Epicure 1. then a Monte #2...while stretching and then grabbing the club I'd be using for the shot and thinking how i'm gonna hit it, where i'm gonna aim, etc. I have no problem asking to play through or asking to join with people... these guys just avoided me & didn't give me an opportunity to even get that question in....even when I said excuse me. As far as giving tips & advice, I don't consider myself to be that great of a player to give a tip or advice on someone's swing. It's only my 2nd year, and I'm still learning my own swing. The only time I will is if someone asks: "what did I do wrong?" Then I'll tell them if I saw anything wrong...most commonly alignment, fast take away, jerky swing, extremely open or closed stance. Or when they ask me how do I draw or fade the ball... I'll show them how I do it and if they try it on the next shot, i'll watch to see what they're doing... but unless I'm someone like Erik's caliber...mr scratch out in vegas... i'm not that great of a player to give advice....but when I 1st started out, I did appreciate advice of those that were MUCH MUCH better than me...single digit handicappers that helped me get to where I am today... and I do firmly believe that with the Tiger boom of golf, it's a love-hate thing. It got people like me interested in the game. But it also got everyone out there buying a set of name-brand clubs thinking they can go out and do whatever without being a real student to the game....I just don't understand how you can FULLY enjoy something without knowing the history and rules/common courtesy/etiquette of the game... and do I get to enjoy 18?? you're damn right..b/c i'm not gonna let any b.s. stop me from focusing on getting better and becoming a solid single-digit handicapper

I had a problem once.

Me and two guys asked a group of old women and a man if we could play through. They guy gave us a huge attitude. I watched these people play. 80% of the time they hit the ball 30 yards on the ground.

I wanted to tell him off and tell him how bad he was. But we just said screw it and moved to the next hole. Damn that man for making miss an entire hole. We were 2 holes ahead of them the entire time after that.


Some people stink.

If you have seen the 2-have some out on the course before, then by all means you had the right to be upset, and should have said something and if they didnt acknowledge you had the right to breath down their neck. I totally agree that if your going to play the game you should become a student of the game. And if you are just out there to casually play you should have common courtesy for others. And for the record You have more patience than I do, due to the fact if I had even suspected they were talking s**t, I would have called them out on it. I am a firm believer if you cant say it to someones face dont say it at all!

This is the best way to handle this situation. I've got to be honest, When I got to a tee box where they were teeing off, if they denied my request to play through, I probably would have teed off right after they did(not while they were in the fairway, but like we were playing as a threesome), and just moved through them while they were still skulling their shots all over the fairway. I truly believe in the civility and decorum of the game, however it goes both ways, and these tools did not respect you or the game, in my opinion. I am a hack, but I can keep pace with the best of them, and if someone is playing fast, and gaining ground quick, the first thing I do is ask if they want to join us(if less than a foursome) or play through. What good does it do anyone to hold up play? It frustrates the timely players, and I don't know about you, but I hate people breathing down my neck!!

I would have jumped ahead a hole or just hung back, I personally enjoy having about two or three open holes around me, I can enjoy the day a little. You're a DJ, just get a Portishead song stuck in your head and relax

The thing now is one of my buddies is fairly new to the game, he shoots upper 90's to low 100's but he doesn't like to have people waiting behind him or watching him play. So we always end up letting small groups through our foursome when we are waiting anyway, which I think is rediculous.

Yoshi,

You need to ask if you can play through. When they say "no", you pick up the phone and call the clubhouse. In a loud voice, use the manager's name and ask what twosome's teed off during X time. Tell him that they have poor golf etiquette, that they are unnecessarily re-hitting and making a mockery of the course. Emphasize how they won't let you play through.

If that fails, skip them. Go to the next hole and take care of business. I understand your frustration. However, what's worse? You being frustrated for a round or miss out on playing one hole?

This is why I stopped playing with some folks. I could not take using the Pinseeker when you're standing to the right of the 150 marker, looking for balls that you know you can't find and lininup up a double bogey putt...and these were my relatives.

I had a similar situation today...

I am on the 3rd hole, 300 yards (VERY slightly downhill) and the group just got down to the green. I usually hit the ball 230 yards so I just hit it out there figuring it wouldn't even come close to the green...Well, I really got a hold of this one and I ended up 15 yards from the green (maybe there was wind behind me?)...So, they are STILL putting when I walk all the way to my ball. The guy reads his TWO foot putt, goes on the other side of the hole, READS IT AGAIN, and comes back and does some type of pre-putt routine that took another 30-50 seconds. And he proceeds to miss the two footer. The rest of them must have been furthur out and maybe the other gentleman said, "can I finish out?" because the rest of them just started their putting. What I wanted to ask was, what is taking you so long? You were on the green when I hit my drive!"...

So anyway, I'm standing there for a good five minutes before I can hit my pitch shot. I end up pulling the pitch shot after the wait (it really does get in your head and you lose your rhythem after a great drive like that, and you have no one to talk to so you just get "too focused" on your shot)...I ended up with par so I wasn't TOO upset, but I blew an easy up-and-down for birdie.

I get on the tee box on 4, and of course, they haven't even begun to tee of yet. I'm just standing there, and I figured they'd say, "Hey, kid, go ahead and play through." Most of the time the people at this course are VERY friendly...But nope, no one said a thing. They all tee'd off and finally I just spoke up, "Mind if I play through? Won't hold you up."...And they said "sure...", they were angry, but I'm not sure why. There was two holes open in front of them and I was only +1 at that point, I wasn't going to hold them up...they weren't even good players.

But that's my point Yoshi - sometimes you just really have to speak up and most of the time people will let you go through...I tried waiting for someone to LET me go, but sometimes you have to ask...it's annoying, but it happens.