What would you do?

[Stretch]

  Fourputt said:

I don't let this one go at all. From inside of 150 (or even from inside of 200) he had no business hitting before you cleared the green. He is going to get an earful from me, and if he isn't abjectly apologetic, then he might hear even more. For that one there is no conceivable excuse.

Agreed. On a Par 5, maybe, it could be an accident with someone really smoking a fairway wood. But from 135 yards out, what could he possibly claim he was trying to do other than hit into you -- lay up with a nine iron?

[Bryan SD2]

One could also pick up his ball, leave a message on it with a Sharpie marker, and replace it. Something nice like "good luck today, your pal ____". =]

[Leftygolfer]

  Harmonious said:

OK, that's different than you originally said, which was that you were on the edge of their fairway. Either way, if I'm anywhere close to being in range of someone off the tee, I get well away from the landing zone, stand behind a tree, anything to stay safe. From 250 yards away, they really can't tell whether they will be hitting close to you.

I'm yelling fore if I am even close to hitting someone. It was rude. I am glad I still have teeth.

[Leftygolfer]

A pet peeve of mine is when the course is backed up and your walking off the green and they are already hitting there shots. I mean, just on the edge of the green. Why not wait until they are out of dangers way?? If you had to wait for this shot, the group in front had to wait, so why hurry. You have a better chance of missing the green than hitting it. That is just rude. What till they cleared the green area, not just the surface. Me personally, I don't want to get someone's medical bill or served with a law suit.

[hartwm]

i would have teed it up and hit it back at him... straight up

[Fat Slice]

Some guys kept hitting into us at Metro in Oakland. We called the proshop and they sent a marshal out to talk to them. They did it again (2 holes later!), we called again. This time the marshal just watched from another hole. They did it again and he kicked them off the course. Turns out they also paid to walk and grabbed carts at the turn. Douchebags!

Oh, and the guy who was laying up from 150 yards.

REALLY?

[Neco]

  hartwm said:

i would have teed it up and hit it back at him... straight up

3 people said this exact thing to me =-P

  Fat Slice said:

Some guys kept hitting into us at Metro in Oakland. We called the proshop and they sent a marshal out to talk to them. They did it again (2 holes later!), we called again. This time the marshal just watched from another hole. They did it again and he kicked them off the course. Turns out they also paid to walk and grabbed carts at the turn. Douchebags!

Wow, amazing how rude some people are.

[2bGood]

I am bit out of touch as I play 90% of my rounds at a private club and to be honest this sort of thing never happens. If any thing like this does, everybody know each other and knows that it wasn't intentional. Someone might say something if the groups are within earshot or you can be sure that half in fun and half serous something will be said in the club house. But like I say, nothing blatant happens, just the regular old hook or slice into the wrong fairway - followed by fore.

As for your story, the only excuse I can think of is the guy may of thought, you waved him up? I know slim chance, and if that was the case I am sure he would have gone out of his way to let you know.

As for what I would have done? I would have said something (nicely) to him and asked what he was thinking.

What I would not do is fight him, fire a golf ball at him or pull a club. Give me break!

I can't believe how often on the internet people say they would fight a guy for hitting into them - it is just a dumb idea on so many levels. The guy that hits into you most likely can prove that what they did was not done with intent to injure you, you can not say the same if you go after them. - So you win the fight, you end up in jail, charged or with a law suit. OR you find out buddy that hit into you likes to fight, and you could end in bad shape and then in jail, charged or with a law suit etc.

Anyhow old guy with kids and nothing to prove here.

[hoser]

I pick up his ball and keep it.

If he wants it back, we can have a friendly conversation about courtesy.

[TN94z]

  Neco said:

Was playing yesterday and we are were on #2 green putting. It is a double dogleg par 5 but from 180 or so in you can see your approach shot very well.

I would have had the same reaction. If someone is 220 yards out and just happen to really click one thinking they didn't have a chance at all in getting there, then that's a different story IMO. But from 135 out, anyone can do it and that is just crazy. What if that would have dropped in on your head or something?

No, from 135 or so, there is no excuse.

[alo1984]

I can tell you what I would do now, and what I DID do as a teenager.

Now: I would give the WTF arms too. Then I would pick up the ball and look back at him, and then hurl the ball as hard and far as I possibly could away from the green. There is no excuse for hitting onto a green from that distance. None whatsoever. People that do that weren't spanked enough as children.

When I was a teenager: Had a guy hit into my twosome from no more than 145 yds out. Dude was in the center of the fairway looking right at us as we putted out. No hazards between him and the green so he clearly wasn't laying up. The ball stopped about 6 feet from me so I walked to my bag and grabbed my 7 iron, moved the ball to the fringe and took dead aim at the guy. I hit a pure shot and literally bounced it off the top of his cart. Now, I would never do that again. I was too immature and hot headed to consider the fact that I could have hurt the guy at that point. I look back on that with regret that I reacted the way I did, but I am fairly certain that guy never hit into anyone again...

[tristanhilton85]

I probably would have done what the OP did... but really, as others have said, from 150 in or less there is no excuse... I'm sure all of us have thought that the group ahead was far enough up when we were on the tee box and caught one flush... that's a different story. But when you're less than a 150 in, it's not like you're trying to lay up... you're going for the green... the guy is a dick, especially if he didn't apologize the first chance he got.

[TaylorMadeTaylor]

Give him the WTF arms and enjoy the free ball that the gave me.

[SouthernILGolfer]

I get nervous sometimes at some courses I play at because the green is too close to the next teebox, if I miss the green I might risk hitting someone. Or at my home course, the fairways basically are right on top of each other so a slice might hit someone approaching the green on the next hole so I am aware of where that group is. And par 5's, although im not a long hitter by any means, ill wait until i know i cant hit the group ahead of me before I hit my 2nd. Like a couple months ago, I was playing the 2nd hole at Mcleansboro,IL(485 yard par 5) and had about 240 or so to go. The group ahead of me was parked right to the right of the green just short of the green on the cart path. I waited until they finished to hit my 2nd shot. I hit a solid 3 wood short just short of the green and to the right or almost exactly where their cart was parked, I probably would have hit it if they had still been there. The next hole is a short, drivable par 4(245 yards) and you have to wait until the group ahead of you clears the green to tee off though im not sure everyone realizes this as groups behind us have teed off before and came up just short of the green while we were on it, the front is protected by huge bunker so that will slow down most shots unless someone can carry it all the way to the green.

[cphacker]

  newtogolf said:

That's a bogus excuse, how could he have miscalculated? It makes no sense, basically he was trying to make you believe he was not aiming for the green?

Good point.

Maybe we shouldn't have let it slide so easily, but he did come up and apologize and it seemed genuine. And he didn't do it again.

[sean_miller]

  cphacker said:

Good point.

Nobody was hurt, he apologized, you accepted his apology, and everybody moved on. He may have told a white lie, but you let him save face and make peace with you. That's how things work when you're not a dick.

[Tarantula]

A couple weeks back we were playing a course on a Saturday and the field was VERY slow. At the 2nd par 3 there were two full four balls waiting on the tee box in front of us. We waited patiently for our turn. While we were playing our 1st shots another fourball arrived on the tee box (complete disregard that one of us was in mid swing when their noisy petrol carts arrived). It was a 210 metre par 3 (not sure how far that is in yards, 230?) and pretty tough. While we were finishing off our hole, we could see the 4ball, hands on hips, looking very frustrated. We then hear a loud "FORE" and we instinctively ducked, only to realise it was a cynical joke from them in a perceived attempt for us to hurry up.

As we climbed into our carts, a ball pitched about 1 foot away from my left leg, and was so close to our cart that when the ball bounced up it hit the underside of my cart. less than a foot further it would have hit me square on the knee. Unfortunately we did not get a chance to challenge them about it as the field sped up afterwards.

I find these actions completely unacceptable. Sometimes the field is slow, and its not the four ball in front of you at fault, it is most likely a four ball about 5 holes ahead. I am not a violent guy, but if that had hit me, things would have got very messy.

[Mrd19abhs]

  Tarantula said:

A couple weeks back we were playing a course on a Saturday and the field was VERY slow. At the 2nd par 3 there were two full four balls waiting on the tee box in front of us. We waited patiently for our turn. While we were playing our 1st shots another fourball arrived on the tee box (complete disregard that one of us was in mid swing when their noisy petrol carts arrived). It was a 210 metre par 3 (not sure how far that is in yards, 230?) and pretty tough. While we were finishing off our hole, we could see the 4ball, hands on hips, looking very frustrated. We then hear a loud "FORE" and we instinctively ducked, only to realise it was a cynical joke from them in a perceived attempt for us to hurry up.

If the group behind me cant hit the green and doesnt wait for me to get in my cart to drive away and hits it near me. I just gained a ball and if the d-bag wants to know why I took his ball I would explain that I thought it was a gift since it was hit right @ me. But as I said earlier If I am on a green and get hit into from 150< yrds. The S-it might hit the fan.