Intentional Deflecting - Rules and what to do?

[JohnTwing]

Lots of anger in the last couple of posts.

The baffling thing is that the guy apologized (why?) and then kept doing it (?????????). I'm very confused.

[Craig Mac]

Lots of anger in the last couple of posts.

Actually, I was joking about hitting the guy with the club and the OP probably knows my sense of humor well enough to pick up on that, I definitely wouldn't condone violence towards the guy. I did also offer this advice as well in my post:

At muni's around here I get paired up with a lot of guys who say, "that's good" on my putts. I usually just tell them, "gotta hole it out for my handicap" and that usually lets them know how I play. If not I just say it everytime they tell me it's good, they eventually catch on. The last time someone hit my ball back to me I said, "please don't do that" and put it back on the spot and putted my ball.

[Open-Faced Club Sandwedge]

1. What's my score for that hole? I want to think par (5), but I did technically hit the ball 6 times on that hole (3 to get GIR, first putt, deflected second putt, deflected third putt). Or would it be a no-score (DQ) for not holing out?

You made par. There's no way you were going to miss that 1-foot putt.

2. What should I have done?

You should have asked him in an annoyed tone after he blocked your ball rolling toward the cup: "What the hell, man? I'm trying to play golf here, do you mind?"

3. I see this guy at the course on a regular basis and I've been paired with him before (all random pairings). He hasn't done this before. What do I do if I see him again? What do I do if I'm paired with him again? What if he starts doing it and it's not just the 18th hole, but earlier in the round?

Wait until the first sign of impropriety, and then tell him not to touch your ball again under any circumstances. If he keeps doing it, have him thrown off the course.

-Andrew

[mdl]

Which course? Par 5 finish, you're in Westwood... Rancho? I love that hole. Makeable in 2. That's my best hole on that course. Birdied it to finish off my last two rounds there!

Anyway, just take your 5. Yell at the guy next time. If he does it back to back I'd calmly put away your putter, take out your 6 iron, and start breaking ribs...

[$2 Nassau]

That guy's actions completely baffle me. Never seen that before. I would not have been nearly as polite as you were.

[chrt396]

I don't know about the ruling, but I would have pulled my driver outta my bag and asked him to deflect the next one.

Now I don't care who you are...that was funny!!

[Shindig]

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. I ended up listing it as a par when posting my handicap, so it's good for a 16.2 differential.

Which course? Par 5 finish, you're in Westwood... Rancho? I love that hole. Makeable in 2. That's my best hole on that course. Birdied it to finish off my last two rounds there!

This happened at Woodley Lakes, although I likewise love the finishing hole at Rancho Park -- it was my first birdie at that course. I've never made it on in two at either, though. I think Encino and Alondra Park also end on par-5s.

[par3forme]

In this odd situation I would say that 1-4 does apply. However, technically since you never holed out you can't apply the rule as it's intended. Had it been a tournament the player's actions would have been unconscionable, but apparently it was not a competition round, so there is an out for a player in a casual round.

I agree, if this were a tournament he would have been removed immediately. Since it was not, I would not worry about the exact rules regarding this jerk's actions. I would just call it par and sleep well tonight. You did nothing wrong, therefore I do not see why you should be penalized.

[par3forme]

I have to admit I did "deflect" a ball once a couple weeks ago. I was playing with my father in law who was having a bad day all around. I was on the green and he was down below the green chipping up from about 35-40 feet. He could only see the top of the flag from where he was. He hit the ball way too hard and it was rolling fast across the green, though the line was very close to the hole he certainly would have rolled off and gone down the other side. I stuck my putter out and stopped the ball about 8 feet past the hole, he didn't see me do it. He came up the hill and was surprised at the ball's location. "This is the slowest green I have ever seen" I said. He made the 8 ft put, making par and was happy. Before you throw the rule book at me, we were NOT in a tournament and just playing for the fun of it. I just wanted to give him a break. Sometimes if my friends and I are playing a round and there is no-one behind us, we will re-put from the same location but take the original score for the hole, just go get a little more practice on that hole or while we are waiting for the group in front of us. I would never even think about doing what this guy did though, especially with someone I didn't even know.

[Surefire]

He hit the ball way too hard and it was rolling fast across the green, though the line was very close to the hole he certainly would have rolled off and gone down the other side. I stuck my putter out and stopped the ball about 8 feet past the hole, he didn't see me do it. He came up the hill and was surprised at the ball's location. "This is the slowest green I have ever seen" I said. He made the 8 ft put, making par and was happy.

It could all have gone wrong if he'd compensated for the 'slow' green and knocked the putt 10' past!

[Lefty731PM]

You made par. There's no way you were going to miss that 1-foot putt.

Methinks it may have been longer than a foot.

The guy is a jerk. Give yourself a par and don't play golf with strangers. Imagine his reponse if you did try to have him thrown off.

[TheGasman]

PM me the guys name because I had the same thing happen to me on the 18th at Rustic Canyon. I wonder if it is the same guy?

[JohnTwing]

PM me the guys name because I had the same thing happen to me on the 18th at Rustic Canyon. I wonder if it is the same guy?

Hmm, golf goalie.

[yeis20]

On the 18th green today, I'm facing a 20-foot birdie putt. I hit it about a foot past the hole, at which point one of the guys I'm paired with hits the ball. Deliberately, with his putter. He's already holed his, but he hits mine around a few times before hitting it to me, saying sorry, and telling me to hit my second putt. I go to do this - I go to about where I think the ball was after it stopped and before he hit it. I line it up, I hit it, it's rolling well... and he blocks it with his putter a few inches before the cup. He hits it back and says to hit it again, and I do. Same result.

1 - call it or score it whatever you want... it was a casual round 2 - Unrealistically, treated the green as the octagon and turned it into a UFC match... realistically, showed no signs of being bothered by this idiots actions so he received no satisfaction for his stupidity. 3 - do you really need us to give you the captain obvious answer? just dont ever play with him again