Advice for higher hc from lower hc's when paired

[Iowa Hawkeye]

Don't search for balls if you're just playing for fun and your score doesn't matter. When I put one in play but can't find it by the time I get to the spot, I drop about where the shot looked to land at and play. Usually we're not playing for a hard number, so I just play that shot as 2 or w/e the shot would be just to give myself an idea of my score.

[Lefty22]

Rules have only been expressed to me a by a good friend, i dont know them all yet, so I accept the advice...grounding in bunker was the first rule mentioned to me...otherwise no rule nazi's yet....

Which in the case you outline I deem very appropriate; the poster I quoted seemed to have the attitude that "I'm telling you the rules come hell or high water; if you don't like it then do what I tell you" which I would find very annoying and frankly would not tolerate from a random pairing on the course.

Rule books are $2.00 at any golf store - I'd highly recommend you get one if nothing other than to verify questions if you are playing by yourself. For quite a while I was adding a stroke to drop off the cart path and to drop out of concrete course drains, I was quite surprised to find the cart path was not a "play it where it lies" scenario...

[Iowa Hawkeye]

To the age thing:
I get this alot being 18. It never comes off as polite or informational. It always seems like a "oh no I have to put up with this kid." kind of way. I just tell them what they want to hear and go about my game.

As for picking up or not:

You shouldn't expect someone to pick up just because they take more strokes than you. If you hit ten, yes pick up, but if you take a few extra puts or shots in, play. You don't learn to get better by hitting a few bad shots and quitting half way through.

[LNCHBOX]

To the age thing:

Great post. This is exactly how I feel about it.

[TheNatural]

No, I'm not joking. Not sure who died and made you king of the course, but other people have just as much a right to enjoy themselves. From the sounds of things you'd love to be behind me because I play very quickly and encourage others to do the same. However, I know I have no right to tell someone to pick up his ball.

lncbx, here is a scenario,,,tell me whether it seems fair to you,,, you tee off at 2pm sunset is 730pm.....you are at the 16th hole and dont finish what should have been a 4 hr round.....how is this fair to the people that expect a 4 hour round and tee off after 2pm but up to 3pm? and get even fewer holes in......dont say get a tee time in the AM....thats whats ruining the sport....pace of play will only help and I know im not that good but i see no reason to take 10 strokes on any hole ever....let alone finish the hole to write it down on my card....sure maybe you get an 11 after 15 holes of bogey golf,,,yes finish the hole...but people have to be told to be respectful of those behind them...

[LNCHBOX]

I get what you're saying, but tell me where there is an expected time for a round? I think it's unfortunate in the scenario you describe, but not unfair. It's a risk associated with the game. Unlike many other sports, there is no set time period allotted. It's not like it happens every time you tee it up. If you're not OK with that risk, I don't know what to tell you.

Again, I would not be particularly thrilled about being behind a group like the one I'm defending. However, may day will not be ruined. All I'm saying is that every last one of us started out taking more than 10 shots to get the ball from tee to cup, who are we to say pick your ball up to a beginner?

[TheNatural]

If i were playing with Tiger Phil and Sergio, and I began to blow up a hole,,,say 3 hazard strokes and not on the green,,,Im picking up...better luck next hole. No big deal though.....either way you look at it.

[Doctorfro]

1. Play from the tee boxes you are comfortable with
2. Play "ready" golf

enjoy!

[Ian]

To the age thing:

Great post. This is exactly how I feel about it.

same i couldnt agree more, it never seems to come off in a nice way either.

[Ben]

Im a 20+ HC, but I tend to play like a 18 HC or better at times. I absolutely enjoy playing with better HC's, but I know low HC's dont enjoy playing with High HC's in general...

I don't mind playing with high handicappers. As long as they understand etiquette, are able to keep pace of play going and are nice and try and have a good time. Which the majority of the high handicappers I've played with, do.

[1dayIllBaPro]

Yeah, we should enjoy our round of golf. I always want that too. and yeah, there's no such rule that we should not spend more than 4 hours a round. BUT I FEEL LIKE AS LONG AS I SHARE THE COURSE WITH OTHERS, THEN I SHOULD THINK ABOUT OTHERS. You tell me how many golfers plan to spend 5-6 hours on the course, or wait 10 mins each shot..... If I want to take 10 minutes a shot, then I should have my own private course.

starting looking behind you. If you can't see the group in front of you, and you make the grounp behind you wait more than 10 minutes a couple times, let them pass by. Do it or build your own xxxx golf course.

[Slim 11]

The simple answer to the "pick up" debate is that if you are a slow golfer, you need to let other groups play through.

Their round might be delayed a little on a hole or two until they are able to pass you by, but it won't cause them undue delay. The slow golfer may end up with a 6 hour round (or longer because he is waiting a lot to let a group play through on each hole) but that is the price of slow play.

It is a problem if you are randomly paired with a slow golfer because now you are subject to his speed of play and you shouldn't have to let all these groups play through you. In that case, a really slow/bad golfer should have to pick up for the better of the group. Another risk of being a slow player. Maybe not fair that he doesn't get to hit all of his shots, but he probably needs to spend more time at the driving range or play when it isn't so busy.

[LNCHBOX]

The simple answer to the "pick up" debate is that if you are a slow golfer, you need to let other groups play through.

The problem with this situation is that if it's a busy weekend day, I'm not letting anyone play through. Two weeks ago I played on a gorgeous Friday afternoon, and there was an hour and a half wait on the first tee. I was paired with 2 higher handicappers and one a little better than myself. Somehow a twosome was behind us, and they rode us the entire round. On the 7th green one of them hit into us (not sure if it was intentional). One of the high handicappers asked if we should let them play through. I said not a chance in hell. If we let them through, they will just be waiting on the million groups ahead of us, and then we are expected to let everyone that is right on us through. We offered to let them play with us to slow them down, but they didn't want that. So they stayed behind us.

Point is sometimes you're just going to have to live with a 6 hour round. Yea it's no fun when it happens, but life isn't always fun is it?

[Norm3333]

The problem with this situation is that if it's a busy weekend day, I'm not letting anyone play through. Two weeks ago I played on a gorgeous Friday afternoon, and there was an hour and a half wait on the first tee. I was paired with 2 higher handicappers and one a little better than myself. Somehow a twosome was behind us, and they rode us the entire round. On the 7th green one of them hit into us (not sure if it was intentional). One of the high handicappers asked if we should let them play through. I said not a chance in hell. If we let them through, they will just be waiting on the million groups ahead of us, and then we are expected to let everyone that is right on us through. We offered to let them play with us to slow them down, but they didn't want that. So they stayed behind us.

You must be a liberal. Same old attitude of it's OK to inconvenience 90 players just so you won't make one player "feel bad".

Well I say tough sh$#! If you are too slow, get out of the way. It is not OK to take 6 hours. And, you are wrong when say there is no expectation of how long a round should take. Read the course rules sometime. Every course I have been to stipulates how long a round should take.

[Slim 11]

The problem with this situation is that if it's a busy weekend day, I'm not letting anyone play through. Two weeks ago I played on a gorgeous Friday afternoon, and there was an hour and a half wait on the first tee. I was paired with 2 higher handicappers and one a little better than myself. Somehow a twosome was behind us, and they rode us the entire round. On the 7th green one of them hit into us (not sure if it was intentional). One of the high handicappers asked if we should let them play through. I said not a chance in hell. If we let them through, they will just be waiting on the million groups ahead of us, and then we are expected to let everyone that is right on us through. We offered to let them play with us to slow them down, but they didn't want that. So they stayed behind us.

If you are waiting on groups in front of you, then there is no reason to let another group play through. Basic rule of keeping up with the group in front of you. In that case it really doesn't matter how slow you are playing because everyone is bunching up at each tee box. I am referring to letting people play through if you are not keeping pace with the group in front of you.

[GDWindowpane]

If you want to play a four hour round on a weekend join a private club or get an early tee time.

[Norm3333]

If you want to play a four hour round on a weekend join a private club or get an early tee time.

I agree. A 4 hour round on the weekend is a bit much to expect. However, there is a huge difference between a 5 hour round and a 6 hour round.

If someone is causing rounds to be 6 hours long, then that person should not be able to play on the weekends. IMO, a player needs to have a certain level of competency before being allowed on the course. It is NOT OK if one individual holds up 90 people. And yes, some courses do not allow teenagers < 15 years old to play on weekends before 2 pm. They tend to be slower.

[LNCHBOX]

You must be a liberal. Same old attitude of it's OK to inconvenience 90 players just so you won't make one player "feel bad".

You're not very good at guessing things about me. I just don't think it right for someone that payed just as much as you to have to pick up his ball because he doesn't play to your impeccable standards. Not sure how that makes me a liberal.

The only guidelines my course has for pace of play is to keep up with the group in front of you. Unless the only people that play your course are single digit or better, there will plenty of people on the course with multiple double digit scores. It's a fact, deal with it and don't be a pr*ck about it. And I feel like you aren't understanding what I'm saying, Norm. I'm not saying being stuck behind a slow group is OK on a slow weekday afternoon. Obviously, the slow group should let you play through. I'm defending them on a busy weekend when the course is just packed and the pace for everyone is slow. I really can't see how you have a problem with that