Players Crossing Fairways

[VinoGolfer]

So I'm out doing 18 last Sunday. Again, pretty new to the game. A foursome from an adjoining fairway are smack dab in the middle of my fairway, as I pull up to the ball I have just driven from the tee box. One of them actually tells me to wait while they "play through." I told them to get out of my way, they were quite clearly out of bounds (being in the middle of my fairway) and that if they wanted to continue playing like that, they could just wait until I took a swing and had them behind me. Same guys says, "We were here first, wait for us to play back to our fairway." Not wanting to escalate the verbal nonsense, I just got out and hit my ball and drove by them.

Is this common? Should I have let them "play through" as they were by their balls when I pulled up?

[snofrog]

post edited 3 times and I gave up

[VinoGolfer]

post edited 3 times and I gave up

I screwed up that badly?

[Wildcat]

So I'm out doing 18 last Sunday. Again, pretty new to the game. A foursome from an adjoining fairway are smack dab in the middle of my fairway, as I pull up to the ball I have just driven from the tee box. One of them actually tells me to wait while they "play through." I told them to get out of my way, they were quite clearly out of bounds (being in the middle of my fairway) and that if they wanted to continue playing like that, they could just wait until I took a swing and had them behind me. Same guys says, "We were here first, wait for us to play back to our fairway." Not wanting to escalate the verbal nonsense, I just got out and hit my ball and drove by them.

First, being on an adjoining fairway isn't out of bounds unless there is out of bounds marked between the two fairways. If it was so marked, then they should have played it properly (stroke and distance) or, if not playing by the rules, at least have taken their strokes and dropped on their own side of the OOB markers. Either way, they didn't belong on your fairway.

However, if OOB isn't marked, I'll usually let the folks on the "wrong" fairway play through before I continue. It seems more important for overall pace to get them back on the right fairway than for me to continue my play on the "right" fairway, first.

[VinoGolfer]

Yes, two sets of white stakes (one bordering their fairway, one bordering mine).

I'm starting to think this is a screwy game that facilitates odd behavior.

[snofrog]

I screwed up that badly?

no, its just that golf is supposed to be a gentlemans game . a bunch of guy`s arguing in the middle of a fairway over a trivial issue ( they should have picked up or waited ) and you charging through just leaves me wondering...

[Mattplusness]

I bet you're happy when people wait for you to play when you end up shanking one god knows where.

[Dave H]

Whenever I've hit onto the wrong hole and there's someone playing that hole, I've always thought it common sense to wait until they're out of the way, being that its "their" hole. Whether that's proper etiquette or not, I don't know. As many times as not, when I've taken that approach I've been waved through to play first.

[mdbuschsr]

I would have let them play on. If I hit my ball, drive up and see another group in the general vicinity of where I hit, my first concern would be that I may have unknowingly hit into them. The other thing is that if I'm driving up to my ball and I see someone in my fairway holding a club, I make the assumption that they are going to be hitting towards me, and I would have stopped and/or tried to find some cover. If you play the game long enough, you will end up in the wrong fairway at least once. Their ball technically being OB has no bearing in my mind, as not everyone on the course strictly follows the rules.

[saevel25]

Yes, two sets of white stakes (one bordering their fairway, one bordering mine).

Thats strange, usually when its in course OB, there is one line of stakes, inbetween the two holes. But to have a row next to there fairway and one next to yours isn't right. I don't think there OB, maybe there the 150 stakes, some places put them on the edge of the fairway instead of the middle of the fairway.

To me it depends, if they are waiting for there green to clear before playing back over to there hole, then i say you have to go to play first. If they don't and are getting ready to hit, just wait till they leave. There's to little patience in the golf game anymore. Also, i have played a par 5 down the wrong hole once, because the trees lightened up down near the green and i couldn't punch through or hit it over to get it back on my hole. So its not uncommon to play the wrong hole ;b.

[steelernation]

I get the feeling that the OP has a bigger problem with someone else in "his" fairway. Is this the case? Or is it the behavior of the other group that irks you?

If just the presence of another golfer gets to you, your in the wrong game. Otherwise just be the big man and let them polay through, they feel dumb enough being on the wrong hole. Hell I do when I'm on the wrong hole.

[kfowler]

If there were white stakes for OB, he should have played stroke plus distance or at least dropped his ball on his side. I play on several courses that have this and they have the OB stakes for a reason. Typically because the fairways are tight and they don't want golfers slowing play by hitting from adjacent fairways. IMO, you should never hit from anywhere considered to be OB.

That being said it sounds like you approached the situation wrong and didn't do anything to help it. It sometimes makes sense for a player who to an adjacent fairway to hit first before you do as to not slow play. Both players need to be courteous and considerate to the other player.

[bruce]

Were all guilty of spraying our drives,i would have no problem letting them play first,Who cares,whats the problem?

[VinoGolfer]

Thats strange, usually when its in course OB, there is one line of stakes, inbetween the two holes. But to have a row next to there fairway and one next to yours isn't right. I don't think there OB, maybe there the 150 stakes, some places put them on the edge of the fairway instead of the middle of the fairway.

We have these little things called arroyos in Tucson. They are basically dry river/stream beds that become raging torrents during our monsoons. There is a small wash between the two fairways with the white stakes on either side.

I get the feeling that the OP has a bigger problem with someone else in "his" fairway. Is this the case? Or is it the behavior of the other group that irks you?

Other golfers do not bother me and yes, it was the attitude of the other group that bothered me. It's why I just detached from the verbal escalation.

I find it funny you would say something about other golfers bugging me, considering we seem to have entire threads dedicated to how other golfers bug people here. ;)

[jetsknicks1]

Isn't it just a question of who's there first? If I tee off and as I'm driving to my ball somebody comes from the other fairway to his ball, I just let him hit, no sense in him waiting for me to get to mine, line up the shot and hit.
The other side of the coin is if I'm already at my ball and he comes over then he should wait until I'm done.

[sean_miller]

Isn't it just a question of who's there first? If I tee off and as I'm driving to my ball somebody comes from the other fairway to his ball, I just let him hit, no sense in him waiting for me to get to mine, line up the shot and hit.

Sounds logical. Maybe the OP needed to back off on this one.

[chilly]

Yeah, the ball in the wrong fairway deal can be a little confusing. Generally, I think the "right of way" should be given to the person hitting from his correct fairway...he shouldn't be forced to wait for someone that doesn't "belong" on that hole. That said, if there are multiple people on the fairway, I think it's pretty simple. Play "ready golf" for the first ball, meaning whomever gets to their ball first hits. Then, the guy in his "correct" fairway is away if he didn't hit first...he should have priority...then just alternate shots in there until everyone is done hitting if there are multiple guys that need to play the shot from wrong fairway. This way, guys on the wrong fairway aren't holding up play too badly and guys on the correct fairway aren't waiting an eternity. Little compromise goes a long way.

Obviously I wasn't at this particular instance, but if guys told me that "I need" to wait while they hit their shot from "my" fairway, I'd be a little annoyed as well.

[$2 Nassau]

I believe the correct thing to do is for them to wait for you to hit, after all they are in the wrong fairway.