Chipping and putting green etiquette... and the lack thereof

[senorchipotle]

ok... so, i was under the impression that if the chipping green was crowded, then you should only hit a few balls, around 5 or so, pick them up and go chip again. i was also under the impression that thou shalt not chip on the putting green. and lastly, i had always assumed that one should not take up three putting holes when there are only 10 and there's 8 people on the green.
between last thursday and today, my previous assumptions were shattered. last week, a gentleman took out a sack of about 50 balls, and with complete disregard for the other four people on the chipping green, began to empty out his sack(no pun intended) on about three holes on the green.
today, on the putting green, which is 20 feet from the chipping green btw, i find not one, but two jackasses. one was chipping onto the green using about 20 balls on two holes. the other had about 10 and was dispersing them among three holes. which left 5 holes for the other 6 people.

does this ever happen at your club? have you had a similar experience? if so, here's your chance to vent.
thoughts...

[max power]

ok... so, i was under the impression that if the chipping green was crowded, then you should only hit a few balls, around 5 or so, pick them up and go chip again. i was also under the impression that thou shalt not chip on the putting green. and lastly, i had always assumed that one should not take up three putting holes when there are only 10 and there's 8 people on the green.

Don't usually have problems with people hogging extra holes on the putting green, but I hate it when somebody decides to chip 50-75 balls all over the chipping green. I just pick a hole and chip my 3-5 balls towards it.

[kris]

I know where I play at least, the pro shop would be having fits if you were chipping on the practice putting green. It's a definite no-no.

In fact, one time I was there and they had just installed two new practice greens in the area that was once the old chipping green. I, assuming that the area that used to be for chipping was still for chipping, started chipping two balls toward one hole. Before I could scarcely hit the 2nd ball a guy came flying by in his cart sternly telling me that this green was no longer for chipping. Well ok, i'm fine with that. But there were no signs in sight and this is at a golf course with two fairly large practice greens already so you may be able to see why i was a little confused.

needless to say I moved about 20 feet to the real chipping green and continued chipping.

[Jay-Bird]

A guy did the same thing the other day here. They allow short chips at this course - nothing that's going to leave a pitch mark, but this guy dumped a shag bag out and started chipping away. The 9 hole green was crowded.

I just putt to one of the holes he was Bogarting.

[RC]

Putting green = no chips or pitches allowed, not even bump and runs -- that is posted all around the green (and it is a huge green.) Chipping green and sandtraps permit a ball bag of balls if you want, but people typically respect others who are chipping and stick to one hole, and move closer and further, or change angle, to vary the shot. I like it when I am the only one on the chipping green because then it is no problem to chip to different holes.

[Kingfisher]

I have no problems at the prcatice greens I use, beacsue not many people use the facilities - they are all on the range trying to hit driver over the back fence.

Although there's no written rules on putting / chipping green ettiquette, I it boils down to common sense. If a guy empties a couple of dozen balls and starts hitting them to 3 different pins, he's a selfish •••••••. If however, he's just using one pin / hole to aim for then that should be acceptable? As somebody else points out, chipping on a 'putting' green is not usually good form.

My approach to this problem would be to also start hitting to the same 3 pins that he's using - he'll get the message sooner or later.

[microcrayfish]

My course only has one practice green so you can chip on it if you want to. I've never seen anyone with more than half a dozen or so balls out there - mostly it's just 3 or 4. It's only really busy on Saturday morning and people always stick to one hole each when they're putting.

[JSwiney10]

I guess i'm spoiled. All the courses near me are basically deserted with only a few dedicated guys whom all respect each other and keep to their own hole and never play more than 4 balls at a time.

[2bGood]

Never happens at our club. We have three (four) practice greens. One putting, one for chips, and one for both that is over by the range. We also have forth that is tucked away on the course with bunkers etc around it - a "short game" practice area.

Our club puts out balls ont eh chipping greens that you rake back and shoot away, sometimes there might by 4 or 5 us chipping, but as they are all range balls ther no issue of getting them mixed up.

[prutkows]

I was practicing 3' putts yesterday with 5 balls. I was just starting out so I had all 5 balls at my feet (my routine is to just hit all 5 balls from the same spot 3 or 4 times and then make a half circle around the hole and repeat). The putting green I go to is about 20 feet away from the driving range and at the time there was a group of guys causing quite a commotion in their driving range stall so i took a quick peak over and no more than 15 seconds later i turned back to my 5 balls to begin putting and there was a 25-30 year old guy standing no farther than 5 feet from me putting into the same hole i was standing at!

maybe i was wrong to be irritated because i hadnt officially "claimed" the hole as mine but I sure did think it was quite rude of him since it was obvious I intended to practice on the hole.

[lordhamster]

The other day, the wife and I went to our local Muni course' putting green to get in some much needed practice. On the green already are a father and young (8?) son putting towards one of the 7 holes.

My wife and I walked to the opposite side of the large putting green and began to put towards two separate holes off in the corner of the green furthest from the father/son.

We noticed that the Father/Son team were moving around the green trying out different holes. Suddenly, balls start rolling between my wife's feet and the hole she is shooting to. She was practicing 4 foot putts, so they really were passing right through her line. First one, then two then three.

We gave the father a puzzled look, and he responded by saying something about practicing all the holes because of the slope of the green or something. We were quite annoyed because the putting green is huge, with 6 open holes. Why do they have to start shooting at one that is clearly "occupied?"

[senorchipotle]

The other day, the wife and I went to our local Muni course' putting green to get in some much needed practice. On the green already are a father and young (8?) son putting towards one of the 7 holes.

what? are you serious? people have some damn nerve. i wouldn't have been able to resist slapping his ball off to the side with my putter.

[Muttface]

We were quite annoyed because the putting green is huge, with 6 open holes. Why do they have to start shooting at one that is clearly "occupied?"

It's a social phenomenon that seems to be getting more pervasive in golf and elsewhere. Might have something to do with people being afraid to be alone. They get nervous being by themselves or are afraid they're missing out on something.

Examples: I'll park my car away by itself at a large store so that it does not get dinged up (as well as needing the exercise) and sure enough when I come back out some chucklehead is parked next to me. I was at the driving range a couple of weeks ago and was the only one there. I picked a stall about 1/4 of the way from the far end. Half a bucket later a guy name "Joey" parks himself right next to me with at least 20 other stalls to pick from. We're the only people out there. How did I know his name was Joey? Joey kept a loud running conversation with himself in the third person: "Joey got hold of that one", "Dammit Joey what are you doing?", etc. Reminded me of The Jimmy episode from Seinfeld. I ended up moving to the other end of the range.

[pxc]

The most frustrating part about these situations, both in and outside of golf, is that if you point out someone's rudeness to them, somehow you are now the rude one for daring to take offense at their rudeness. This might be an American or Western World phenomenon. I know in China if someone is rude they are called on it and shamed on the spot. Not that I want the US to become like China, but you shouldn't be forced to endure the idiocy of someone else out of fear of retaliation for pointing out said idiocy.

[JSwiney10]

The most frustrating part about these situations, both in and outside of golf, is that if you point out someone's rudeness to them, somehow you are now the rude one for daring to take offense at their rudeness. This might be an American or Western World phenomenon. I know in China if someone is rude they are called on it and shamed on the spot. Not that I want the US to become like China, but you shouldn't be forced to endure the idiocy of someone else out of fear of retaliation for pointing out said idiocy.

The greatest example of this happened last week at the practice green b4 i teed off. I was putting about 5 foot from one hole on the corner of the green and a middle aged man began putting 5 balls into each hole. He mad a stop at each hole until he came to mine. He completely ignored my prescence and casually began to putt into my hole which was clearly occupied. I politely told him i was tryin to putt but he just goes " well watch out of the way, you're not taking it seriously anyway" It took all my will power not to back hand him on the spot.

I decided to stop my practicing and begin my round. On the 2nd hole as i was teeing off i saw him hitting several blotched shots and ended up taking about 8 strokes to complete a par 4. As he pulled his cart up to the 2nd tee where i was at, i told him "Looks to me like you might need to take golf a little more serious huh?" and drove away.

[kris]

The greatest example of this happened last week at the practice green b4 i teed off. I was putting about 5 foot from one hole on the corner of the green and a middle aged man began putting 5 balls into each hole. He mad a stop at each hole until he came to mine. He completely ignored my prescence and casually began to putt into my hole which was clearly occupied. I politely told him i was tryin to putt but he just goes " well watch out of the way, you're not taking it seriously anyway" It took all my will power not to back hand him on the spot.

haha nice. I can't believe some people are so rude like that. It's just appalling. What do people gain from disrespecting someone like that?

[iacas]

It took all my will power not to back hand him on the spot.

I never understood why people - particularly kids - feel the need to add that. Either the the thought literally goes through their head and they have to actually restrain themselves from hitting someone over something as stupid as hitting putts to an occupied hole, or they're just trying to sound tough or macho or something.

Either way, what gives? How is that a mature, reasonable response? Either you've got some kind of temper or you have image issues... neither makes you a sympathetic victim of a guy - oooooh - putting towards your hole! And seriously, who cares? Go putt somewhere else, wait for the guy to move, make small talk with the guy and be nice about pointing out that you're practicing there... anything but "I told him he was a prick and then I had to will myself not to kick his ass so far up his throat he could give himself a rimjob." And why the snotty comeback later? There's a lot to be said for quietly taking satisfaction in knowing that you were, in one instance, a better person for simply looking the other way and ignoring the dumb behavior of someone else. To do anything else, why, you're all driving yourselves towards early graves or something.

[max power]

The most frustrating part about these situations, both in and outside of golf, is that if you point out someone's rudeness to them, somehow you are now the rude one for daring to take offense at their rudeness. This might be an American or Western World phenomenon. I know in China if someone is rude they are called on it and shamed on the spot. Not that I want the US to become like China, but you shouldn't be forced to endure the idiocy of someone else out of fear of retaliation for pointing out said idiocy.

I agree-there are so many unique American qualities that I love and treasure, but the complete lack of shame is not one of them. I expect it out of 14-18 year olds, but some never grow out of it.