Etiquette: Eating/Break at the Turn

[NM Golf]

Nothing like reviving a 12 year old topic. To answer the OP, it's considered bad form to stop for more than a few minutes at the turn. In fact the course where I work if you stop for longer than 5 minutes you lose your spot and we give you a rain check for the back 9. 

You have to realize that you can't just work your way back in after you lose your place. How would you like it if some group just decided to jump in in front of you as you make the turn? Not cool. 

I myself might grab a quick drink or a banana at the turn, I never grab anything heavy. Most of my summer rounds are complete before 11:00am though so not much need to eat.

[dennyjones]

I've never sat down to eat after between 9 and 10.   I believe it's inconsiderate of everyone on the course, slowing play and causing backups.   

At most, I'll grab a drink and continue to the next tee.    I usually bring a small bag of almonds and a Nature Valley bar for a snack. 

[Double Mocha Man]

I am in the camp of stopping at the turn for the infamous big, greasy, grilled polish dog.  With a side of fries.  Cat on a warm, sunny windowsill syndrome kicks in about two holes later. 

Seriously, I eat a light but extremely high protein breakfast and rarely get hungry on the course.  If I do then my "go to" is a protein-rich Clif Bar.  They're tasty, no prep, stay soft in your bag for months and do the trick.  If I handle the Clif Bar just right it improves the tackiness of my grip.

[pganapathy]

I fail to understand the problem with stopping at the turn.  Depending on which course we play and who I am playing with, sometimes we stop and have a meal after 9 holes and other times we just play through 18 holes with maybe a snack/drink that we carry or at the snack bars on the course.

 

The only thing is if you are eating and a group behind you passes through, you have no right to stop them

[boogielicious]

52 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

If I do then my "go to" is a protein-rich Clif Bar. 

That’s what I eat too. Comes from my bike racing days. Eat something that refuels you that is easy to get down.

[NM Golf]

44 minutes ago, pganapathy said:

I fail to understand the problem with stopping at the turn.  Depending on which course we play and who I am playing with, sometimes we stop and have a meal after 9 holes and other times we just play through 18 holes with maybe a snack/drink that we carry or at the snack bars on the course.

The only thing is if you are eating and a group behind you passes through, you have no right to stop them

Different countries may have different thoughts on this, I don't know. On every golf course I have ever played in the US, it is considered a big no-no to stop more than a few minutes between nines. Heck, a lot of courses only have half way houses that sell quick bites for that exact reason. 

To be honest, I am not sure why you would want to stop and have a meal between nines. You tighten up, you lose focus, it would just screw up the whole vibe. There's plenty of time to get a beer and a sandwich after the round.

[pganapathy]

11 minutes ago, NM Golf said:

Different countries may have different thoughts on this, I don't know. On every golf course I have ever played in the US, it is considered a big no-no to stop more than a few minutes between nines. Heck, a lot of courses only have half way houses that sell quick bites for that exact reason. 

To be honest, I am not sure why you would want to stop and have a meal between nines. You tighten up, you lose focus, it would just screw up the whole vibe. There's plenty of time to get a beer and a sandwich after the round.

While I understand the point of you losing focus and tempo if you stop, there is a point to be made for a light-ish meal to help fuel you for the second half of the round.  Many times I find that by the time I have come to the 15th hole or so, especially if it is hot, I am tired and occasionally dehydrated.  Then I find myself playing badly because of fatigue.  A break helps me stay fresh on the back 9.  Of course, you cannot sit down and have a full 3 course meal, but a light meal/snack is a good option

[bweiss711]

I'm surprised to see people saying its fine to take your time to stop and eat at the turn.  The way I've always seen it is you've always got to keep pace.  Its ok to make a quick stop.  Halfway houses exist for a reason.  But it then has to be grab and go.  If you're falling behind and people are passing you, for whatever reason, its a problem.  Scarf if town on the 10th tee between your playing partners shots, or on the way to your next shot.  The whole process of getting your drink/snack/bio break shouldn't take much more time than when the cart girl comes around on the other holes.  I've never seen a sign that says "Keep pace with the group ahead of you, except on the 10th tee."

[NM Golf]

1 minute ago, pganapathy said:

While I understand the point of you losing focus and tempo if you stop, there is a point to be made for a light-ish meal to help fuel you for the second half of the round.  Many times I find that by the time I have come to the 15th hole or so, especially if it is hot, I am tired and occasionally dehydrated.  Then I find myself playing badly because of fatigue.  A break helps me stay fresh on the back 9.  Of course, you cannot sit down and have a full 3 course meal, but a light meal/snack is a good option

The cool thing about light snacks are that you can eat them while walking....like down the fairway for instance. I would also suggest maybe adding some form of exercise to your weekly routine if you cannot complete 18 holes in a row without fatigue setting in. I am a 50 year old fat guy, and I have no problem what-so-ever walking 18. 

As far as dehydration is concerned, if you're only drinking during the turn, that's your issue. You should never become dehydrated because you should be hydrating the entire round. 

[mdl]

2 hours ago, pganapathy said:

I fail to understand the problem with stopping at the turn.  Depending on which course we play and who I am playing with, sometimes we stop and have a meal after 9 holes and other times we just play through 18 holes with maybe a snack/drink that we carry or at the snack bars on the course.

The only thing is if you are eating and a group behind you passes through, you have no right to stop them

The key thing is whether the course full or fairly close to it. If it is, it's unbelievably rude to stop. Groups will play through, but by stopping you've suddenly made it so the group behind you is a hole behind. When you jump back in the group you jump in front of will suddenly have to stop and wait an entire hole's worth of time. So rude. I wish more courses were like @NM Golf's and would just end your round if you stop (assuming they don't do this if the course isn't busy at all and there are lots of gaps between groups where it would have no effect on anyone for you to jump back in).

[pganapathy]

41 minutes ago, NM Golf said:

The cool thing about light snacks are that you can eat them while walking....like down the fairway for instance. I would also suggest maybe adding some form of exercise to your weekly routine if you cannot complete 18 holes in a row without fatigue setting in. I am a 50 year old fat guy, and I have no problem what-so-ever walking 18. 

As far as dehydration is concerned, if you're only drinking during the turn, that's your issue. You should never become dehydrated because you should be hydrating the entire round. 

i suppose it depends on what you are eating.  A sandwich yes.  For example egg and toast, not that simple. Or fresh fruits for example. I definitely carry water with me on the course and generally have at least 1 litre while playing.  Usually more. Maybe it is the hunger that is causing fatigue sometimes

[Double Mocha Man]

4 hours ago, pganapathy said:

I fail to understand the problem with stopping at the turn.  Depending on which course we play and who I am playing with, sometimes we stop and have a meal after 9 holes and other times we just play through 18 holes with maybe a snack/drink that we carry or at the snack bars on the course.

 

The only thing is if you are eating and a group behind you passes through, you have no right to stop them

If the course is full and everyone is keeping pace and there are no gaps between groups are you just going to saunter up to #10 tee, napkin in hand, wiping the last dripping of polish dog grease off your chin?  "Excuse us, we just finished stopping for a meal, so we're gonna jump in here."  See how that works on the course when everyone's weaponized.

[Darkfrog]

4 hours ago, pganapathy said:

I fail to understand the problem with stopping at the turn.  Depending on which course we play and who I am playing with, sometimes we stop and have a meal after 9 holes and other times we just play through 18 holes with maybe a snack/drink that we carry or at the snack bars on the course.

 

The only thing is if you are eating and a group behind you passes through, you have no right to stop them

I have read that in some places, it is customary to stop at the turn for a meal. I think it might have been was Japan. So if this is an normal part of a round of golf, and every group is doing it, then it is totally manageable.

Stopping and eating at the turn at my home course, and I suspect any busy course where the tee sheet is completely packed is impossible. Courses where I live have gotten even busier since the surge of interest in golf during the pandemic. If you get out of position because you stop for food, there is no way you are going to squeeze back in ahead of another group.

Last summer I played at a popular, and always busy local course. I was a single, and was playing with a threesome. After the 9th hole, they stopped to order food and drink from the "pandemic food/drink order" window, which I skipped because I always bring my own snacks and water. I waited on the 10th tee for a bit and I saw the group behind us finish the 9th hole and start walking toward the 10th tee. I made an executive decision to tee off and keep playing. The threesome I was playing with eventually met me on the 11th hole, but they had to skip the entire 10th hole and tee shot on the 11th.

[Double Mocha Man]

When I was in my late teens and playing Paddock Hills every Sunday with my buddies it was totally acceptable to stop at the turn for a sandwich... it was the norm.  We're talking St. Louis and 90 degrees with 90% humidity.  The air-conditioned restaurant was a welcome respite to rejuvenate for the back 9.

Seemed almost everyone did it... I think the course saw it as added revenue and even encouraged it.  When we walked back into the blast furnace the 10th tee was usually wide open.  Probably because everyone else was stopping for food, too.

15 minutes ago, Darkfrog said:

I made an executive decision to tee off and keep playing. The threesome I was playing with eventually met me on the 11th hole, but they had to skip the entire 10th hole and tee shot on the 11th.

They missed you...

[Zippo]

No need to stop. I carry a rare t-bone steak, a potato in foil, and a couple margaritas in a cooler bag. By the time I get to the turn the steak is a nice medium rare from the hot summer sun here in the great PNW and the potato is baked and dang but those 'ritas taste good! Ok, maybe not - but I do carry what I need on the course with me so no need to stop at the turn.

[Esox]

Years ago I regularly played at a club where stopping for 10-15 minutes between 9's was pretty much expected. It always seemed to work out great, they gave a group a front and back tee time, the back tee time being 2:21 after the front.  If you were ready to go early and no one was on the tee or hitting to the green on the 9th, you just went.

[ncates00]

On 5/21/2021 at 12:03 PM, NM Golf said:

Different countries may have different thoughts on this, I don't know. On every golf course I have ever played in the US, it is considered a big no-no to stop more than a few minutes between nines. Heck, a lot of courses only have half way houses that sell quick bites for that exact reason. 

To be honest, I am not sure why you would want to stop and have a meal between nines. You tighten up, you lose focus, it would just screw up the whole vibe. There's plenty of time to get a beer and a sandwich after the round.

Moreover, I don’t want to have to take a dump during a round! 

[Double Mocha Man]

4 minutes ago, ncates00 said:

Moreover, I don’t want to have to take a dump during a round! 

Well, that mental image just ruined my Sunday morning, and my cup of coffee.