Is this bad etiquitte or not?

[Smallville]

Thanks. Good info to know.

[Chief Broom]

A crowded course isn't the place or time to practice using more than one ball, especially if you have a group behind you waiting to hit. I would play as fast as I comfortably could and attempt to play through a slower group in front of me if there was space in front of them to occupy. If there was a group in front of them I'd just settle in and resign myself to waiting. As to using that time to practice I see that as bad form if in so doing you are holding up play behind you (even though you yourself would just be waiting on the next hole). Also playing as a single I would attempt to join up with the group in front or allow the group behind to join up with me if either one of them were less than a full foursome. If they are both foresomes then you're all resigned to wait. But to be honest I can't believe the starter would have allowed a single out onto the course when it's crowded. And if you started out with more and somehow wound up as a single a complaint to the clubhouse could result in you being pulled off the course. Singles in the midst of a full course needlessly slow play down for everyone.

[JerseyThursday]

I was always under the impression that a single has no standing on the course. So even if there is somewhere for him to go, although it would be nice to let him go through, a group is under no obligation to let a single through at any time. (Especially a foursome). You definitely don't need to let anybody behind you through if you are waiting on people ahead of you. You get through first, if you can, then if it's open you can let people through if you want and if you aren't holding up play. It amazes me how singles think they are in charge of the course.

I agree. Singles on a busy course are a PIA. You feel obliged to let them play through, but if there is nowhere for them to go they are clogging up a slot on the course that could be used by four people instead of one.

I’m surprised the course management even let the OP out alone instead of paring him up.

[Fourputt]

I agree. Singles on a busy course are a PIA. You feel obliged to let them play through, but if there is nowhere for them to go they are clogging up a slot on the course that could be used by four people instead of one.

I'll give you a definitive answer on this. I am a starter on a public course here in Colorado which is very busy year round, weather permitting (we started over 9000 golfers just in October). It happens that a single might be the only player signed in for a certain tee time, with no other available openings to put him with another group. You don't deny him the right to play just because no one else chooses to play at that time. I certainly won't squeeze a single out on the course between regular tee times, and no other starter I know will do so.

Sometimes we get a tee reservation for just two or three players, and a single reservation or walk-on joins to fill the group. Then the threesome cancels and the single is left alone. Maybe an entire group cancels, leaving a tee time open, then a single walk-on puts his name in that slot. He still has the right to play, although I will warn him that he is going to be waiting a lot on the full course ahead of him. It's still his choice to play or not. I will also say that we have no issue with a single playing a second ball in such a case, as long as the group behind him isn't held up during the play of a hole because of it . If that happens then the course assistant will ask him to restrict his play to one ball. A single riding should be able to keep ahead of a full group, even playing 2 balls.... I know that I can. And some walking singles can do so, although I've known players who were too inconsistent to even consider it unless in a cart. But that still means that you don't delay clearing the green once the group behind you is ready to play their approach shots. It's never going to be easy to play as a single on a full course. That is just a logistical fact, and the player who chooses to play under those conditions has to do so with the understanding that he has a responsibility to clear the green at a reasonable pace for the players behind him. Almost every round I play, even with a foursome, we wait on several of the tees for the fairway to clear, sometimes even wait for the group ahead of us to play their tee shots. That still doesn't give us the right to delay on the green until the tee box is open. The same principle applies to a single golfer.

[Smallville]

A single riding should be able to keep ahead of a full group, even playing 2 balls....

Unless he's waiting to hit two balls on the group ahead. And especially if his first ball is on one side of the fairway and the other ball is way off in the rough on the other side of the fairway.

[JerseyThursday]

Sometimes we get a tee reservation for just two or three players, and a single reservation or walk-on joins to fill the group. Then the threesome cancels and the single is left alone. Maybe an entire group cancels, leaving a tee time open, then a single walk-on puts his name in that slot. He still has the right to play, although I will warn him that he is going to be waiting a lot on the full course ahead of him. It's still his choice to play or not.

I’ve heard many a starter tell a single they couldn’t let them off until there was position free to pair them up. Until then the single would have to wait.

If I ever played a course goofy enough to send singles out on busy day, it would be the last time I would play there.

[tjy355]

Only if the guys behind you aren't waiting to hit to the green. If so then you are wrong. You can practice chipping on the tee box too, and that is where it should be done if others are waiting on you to clear the green.

I guess this is where I have an issue. I can't go practice on the next tee because the next group is still teeing off. The group behind me is waiting to hit. I gotta think my only obligation is to move to the next tee when the group in front of me has teed off.

Back to the original discussion.

I have to agree with the others, if there are people waiting in the fairway behind, etiquette would require you to putt out and move off of the green.

[Fourputt]

I’ve heard many a starter tell a single they couldn’t let them off until there was position free to pair them up. Until then the single would have to wait.

If I was denied a tee time just because I was the only one who was slotted in that time, it would be the last time I played at that course. Why is a single such a bad thing to you???? I'm just using a tee time that nobody could fill with a foursome.

Forcing a single golfer to sit and wait when there are open tee times is just stupid. I guess I'm just thankful I don't live in New Jersey.

[Elvisliveson]

I’ve heard many a starter tell a single they couldn’t let them off until there was position free to pair them up. Until then the single would have to wait.

Exactly right. I know that the county courses I play attempt to only put out foursomes. Threesomes are a rarity and twosomes and singles are non-existent. Singles MUST learn to play with others. This is why all weekend rounds on the county courses I play are under 4 hrs 20 mins.

[Fourputt]

Exactly right. I know that the county courses I play attempt to only put out foursomes. Threesomes are a rarity and twosomes and singles are non-existant. Singles MUST learn to play with others.

What happens when a single shows up and there are no short groups to put him with. Does the course sit empty for 3 or 4 tee times while he cools his heels waiting? That's just silly. I've literally never heard of such a policy, and I've been playing golf for more than 35 years.

[JawjaDawg]

I'd go crazy if I had to golf in New Jersey then. Seems utterly ridiculous to me.

[JerseyThursday]

Why is a single such a bad thing to you???? I'm just using a tee time that nobody could fill with a foursome.

I’ve got nothing against singles. I have played alone on spontaneous days I know the course will have very light play.

But to sandwich a single between groups on a day where it is busy (groups waiting to tee off and waiting to hit approach shots) is a mess. Regarding the original thread. Yes. A single hitting multiple balls while a group waits behind is bad etiquette.

[Elvisliveson]

What happens when a single shows up and there are no short groups to put him with. Does the course sit empty for 3 or 4 tee times while he cools his heels waiting? That's just silly. I've literally never heard of such a policy, and I've been playing golf for more than 35 years.

That never ever happens on a normal weekend. All tee time are booked and people get charged a penalty if they don't show up. And there is a plethora of walkons to completely fill these extremely rare (read:never) foursome no-shows anyway. These county courses are the best in the state, so there just aren't any completely open slots on a weekend.

[Fat Slice]

I only play multiple balls if there's nobody behind me waiting. Otherwise, it's my job to finish up and get off the hole so they can continue their game.

[Fourputt]

That never ever happens on a normal weekend. All tee time are booked and people get charged a penalty if they don't show up. And there is a plethora of walkons to completely fill these extremely rare (read:never) foursome no-shows anyway. These county courses are the best in the state, so there just aren't any completely open slots on a weekend.

Typically we don't have an issue with it either. It is very rare that an open tee time won't be filled on a midsummer day. But it DOES happen, and we don't refuse anyone just because they happen to be alone. We don't get as many walk-on golfers as we once did, because they usually know that the wait can be quite long. I've had days in the starter booth when I couldn't get a single on the course for more than 5 hours. But I've also had late cancellations (we do NOT charge for that), and if a single is the only player waiting, then he gets the time.

Like you say, we try to put out more players when possible... that's just logical for income if nothing else. But if there is nobody else to go, we will still take the single green fee. And there is no way that a single player can cause a problem on the course when he is just using the tee time for a foursome (unless he is playing multiple balls and ignoring the players following).... the space is there, and any delays on the course would have been there whether the space is used by a single or 2 golfers or 4. And if you think that it's necessary to leave such times unused in order to open up any logjams, then the course is at fault for scheduling tee times too tightly anyway. It's not the fault of the single hoping to be able to play, and he shouldn't be penalized for the course's shortcomings. I've had my say.... back to the OP's topic....

[Chief Broom]

Forcing a single golfer to sit and wait when there are open tee times is just stupid.

Singles aren't bad, but if the course is crowded and you've got groups lined up and waiting then giving a single a slot that a foursome could take slows down play. Under such conditions a single can't play any faster than a foursome. The single can't play through because there isn't open space, so a single takes up as much space on the course as four people. It just makes sense that a single wait for an opening, which usually doesn't take very long. I play as a single quite often and I have no problem waiting for the clubhouse to pair me up with another group, and if they do elect to send me out to play the back 9 first I likewise have no problem joining up with a group (or letting them play through) out on the course if the opportunity presents itself all with the goal of keeping play moving as fast as possible. At the courses I play tee times are at best a rough outline for the order of the morning and what usually happens is that if you can tee off prior to your time slot the starter will ask you if you are ready to go. Likewise it isn't unusual for starting times to be running behind and when that happens you can bet that the clubhouse won't be willing to let a single go off in the place of a full foursome.

[Chief Broom]

But if there is nobody else to go, we will still take the single green fee. And there is no way that a single player can cause a problem on the course when he is just using the tee time for a foursome (unless he is playing multiple balls and ignoring the players following)....

Obviously if the space is there and no one is waiting around to use it then allowing a single to tee off makes sense and shouldn't be a problem.

[Elvisliveson]

Typically we don't have an issue with it either. It is very rare that an open tee time won't be filled on a midsummer day. But it DOES happen, and we don't refuse anyone just because they happen to be alone. We don't get as many walk-on golfers as we once did, because they usually know that the wait can be quite long. I've had days in the starter booth when I couldn't get a single on the course for more than 5 hours. But I've also had late cancellations (we do NOT charge for that), and if a single is the only player waiting, then he gets the time.

Again, at my county courses on a normal weekend, NO TIMES GO UNUSED. I don't know how much clearer I can be on this. They have a strict front-nine back-nine regimine for several hours in the morning and once again several hours later in the afternoon. The tee-time system is completely automated. Singles can access it anytime during the week to book a time, which will put them with others who couldn't get a complete foursome or in a former foursome that sized down. I have never gotten off as a twosome much less a single on courses in my county.