Let singles through please!!!!!

[Aflighter]

There is a reason I dont play by myself because courses are generally too busy at some courses.There are one or two courses you can play alone cause theres not many big groups.It can cause problems letting singles go thru if you have groups ahead because your asking to be held up and in the fall when it gets dark earlier you cant afford to waste time.

[Harp stein]

Funny, but I ruined my round yesterday by playing through as a single. Course was swamped and the 3-some I was supposed to join up with disappeared while I was paying and there was no starter to help. So I played through a 5-some, then a 3-some, then another 3-some and there were at least three more 3-somes in front of them, so I just went home after the front 9. Nobody invited me to join them and they kept letting me play through so I kept figuring it must be open after them but nope...

I feel rushed when I play through, which puts pressure on to hit good shots and I hate looking for a ball when people are standing there waiting on me. I hit 2 really poor shots that I "never" hit during a normal round, which was frustrating. I wish the first 3-some had just said "there's a couple groups ahead of us, do you want to join us?" and I've have been happy to.do so.

Lesson learned, I never play on weekends by myself for this exact reason and should have just had some patience!

[Nosevi]

Pretty simple how it should work in the UK as the etiquette of golf is written down and published by the R&A. Singles have exactly the same priority on the course as groups, if you are holding up a group (or single) you are to wave them through and there is no requirement for a clear hole ahead. Only exception is in certain competitions and only if the competition committee has stipulated a change to the above for that competition only. People will try to 'legitimise' doing something else but the above is the etiquette of the game as it stands in the UK so they are wrong. 

That said, when I'm on my own and don't get waved through I don't lose any sleep over it. The group ahead is in the wrong but I just use it to practice playing at a much slower pace which is never a bad thing in preparation for competitions  

[bkuehn1952]

3 hours ago, Nosevi said:

...in the UK ... Singles have exactly the same priority on the course as groups, if you are holding up a group (or single) you are to wave them through and there is no requirement for a clear hole ahead.  (bkuehn added the emphasis)

Perhaps I am reading this incorrectly.  Under the scheme described, let's look at a scenario.  There is a 4-some on the green of a difficult par three and on the next hole a 4-some is preparing to tee off.  Two 4-somes are waiting on the  par three tee when a single comes along.  Once the green clears, the two waiting 4-somes allow the single to proceed?

We might have had a bit of a problem with that procedure a couple days ago.  We were near the tail end of a long line of groups creeping through the back nine.  The sun was setting and it was clear some of us were going to either play in the dark or have to quit before the round was complete.  There was a 2-some behind us.  While I like to think I have good etiquette on the course, it never even crossed my mind to allow them to proceed ahead of us.  I can't justify everyone stepping aside for the 2-some and allow them to finish the round in daylight just because they teed off with just 2 players.

Edited November 6, 2015 by bkuehn1952

[Aflighter]

6 hours ago, Nosevi said:

Pretty simple how it should work in the UK as the etiquette of golf is written down and published by the R&A. Singles have exactly the same priority on the course as groups, if you are holding up a group (or single) you are to wave them through and there is no requirement for a clear hole ahead. Only exception is in certain competitions and only if the competition committee has stipulated a change to the above for that competition only. People will try to 'legitimise' doing something else but the above is the etiquette of the game as it stands in the UK so they are wrong. 

That said, when I'm on my own and don't get waved through I don't lose any sleep over it. The group ahead is in the wrong but I just use it to practice playing at a much slower pace which is never a bad thing in preparation for competitions  

Sorry but the UK rule is the wrong rule.Talk about etiquette, letting a single finish his round while others dont because of running out of daylight isnt the right etiquette.See above post.Unless its open ahead then that single needs to wait just like everyone else.

[iacas]

16 minutes ago, Aflighter said:

Sorry but the UK rule is the wrong rule.Talk about etiquette, letting a single finish his round while others dont because of running out of daylight isnt the right etiquette.See above post.Unless its open ahead then that single needs to wait just like everyone else.

I disagree. Letting a single through (or a twosome) is still the appropriate thing to do except in rare cases (like a truly full course). Letting the single through does not delay your round significantly. You'll get right back into place.

I was let through five times yesterday on nine holes. Even the people who let me through on the ninth hole were delayed about 30 seconds… and they could make that time up on the tenth hole.

[colin007]

was let thru two days ago...pressure was on!  hit my tee shot (par 3) to about 8 feet, walked up with the group allowing me thru, and drained the putt like i know WTF im doing.  that felt good.

 

 

dont ask what happened on my next hole.

[DaveP043]

54 minutes ago, Aflighter said:

Sorry but the UK rule is the wrong rule.Talk about etiquette, letting a single finish his round while others dont because of running out of daylight isnt the right etiquette.See above post.Unless its open ahead then that single needs to wait just like everyone else.

I was surprised when I read what @Nosevihad written, so I went back and looked at the Rules.  In fact, both the R&A and the USGA have the following language:

"It is a group's responsibility to keep up with the group in front. If it loses a clear hole and it is delaying the group behind, it should invite the group behind to play through, irrespective of the number of players in that group. Where a group has not lost a clear hole, but it is apparent that the group behind can play faster, it should invite the faster moving group to play through. "

I can see practical issues if the course is truly packed, and I wouldn't expect to be automatically invited to play through if I couldn't see "daylight" up ahead somewhere, but that's what the rules say.  The argument I'd suggest, when the course is truly packed, is that the following "faster" group really can't play any faster if there's no open space on the course.  

Edited November 6, 2015 by DaveP043
accidentally posted when half-done

[Fourputt]

On Tuesday I was playing with 3 guys I never met before.  There were nothing but more foursomes in front of us and we were keeping up.  A twosome had started in the tee time behind us, and they were waiting on most shots, as would be expected for a twosome on a full course (we were waiting a lot too, despite having the slowest player I played with all year in the group - I called him Robot Guy).  

We were waiting on the 6th tee when they finished on #5 and drove up.  Robot guy invited them to play through, and I just gave him a look of amazement.  I said that there were nothing but more foursomes ahead of us and all playing through would accomplish is that we would trade places with them and add 10 minutes to what was already looking to be a  slow round.  I couldn't argue much without looking like a know-nothing jerk, so I just bit my lip and let it play out exactly as I had envisioned it.  

We waited on them for about half of our approach shots the rest of the day, cruising to a smooth 4:50 round, actually losing a bit more ground starting on 16 because we had to wait constantly for Robot Guy to hack his way up the long par 5, losing two balls and taking his full 5 minutes to search for each one.  We finished a hole behind, with groups backing up behind us, yet until then we had kept up only because the entire course was not moving very fast.  

I think that Robot Guy often lets others play through because he expects to be slower that anyone else.   He showed no awareness or concern for pace of play.  It was a situation where letting others play though was not really a viable option.  The only proper procedure on a day like that was to simply keep up with the group in front and let the ones behind do the same, regardless of group size. 

[iacas]

25 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

I can see practical issues if the course is truly packed, and I wouldn't expect to be automatically invited to play through if I couldn't see "daylight" up ahead somewhere, but that's what the rules say.  The argument I'd suggest, when the course is truly packed, is that the following "faster" group really can't play any faster if there's no open space on the course.  

The problem is, the course is rarely "truly packed."

For example, a twosome tees off. It runs into people on the second tee. They have a group in front of them, and they think they saw a group in front of them, so they say "sorry, nowhere to go."

One of three situations can be true:

• The course is jam packed. The twosome can stay or, if the foursome doesn't want to feel rushed all day, be let through.
• There are a few scattered foursomes ahead. The twosome should be let through.
• There are only two foursomes and then a big hole. The twosome should definitely be let through.

The problem is… the foursome (and the twosome) has no real idea which of those three situations is true. But since more are "they should be let through," I default toward that. Heck, often the twosome declines, saying "nah, there's nowhere to go" or "nah, we're working on our game. Don't let us rush you."

[mcanadiens]

A bit of familiarity with the course really helps. At the home course, I can tell from the parking lot if it's jammed or not. You adjust your pace expectations accordingly. Often, when it is really packed and I'm alone, I'll consign myself to the par-3 course. Otherwise, I'll get a cart and some beverages so I can put my feet up.

More commonly, it's one slow group that is really killing it for everyone. 

[Nosevi]

1 hour ago, Aflighter said:

Sorry but the UK rule is the wrong rule.Talk about etiquette, letting a single finish his round while others dont because of running out of daylight isnt the right etiquette.See above post.Unless its open ahead then that single needs to wait just like everyone else.

Just to clarify, I wasn't stating what I think should happen, I was saying what the etiquette actually is. The etiquette of the game is laid down by the R&A for us and the USGA for guys over in the States and on this issue it apparently agrees. We can't all choose our own etiquette any more than we can choose our own rules. People can ignore it and decide not to let singles or faster groups through etc but when they do they are acting in a way which is contrary to the etiquette of the game. Just the way it is  

Edit: regarding sigle players this is how the R&A deal with it, would be surprised if the USGA differs but they might do:

Priority on the course

Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, priority on the course is determined by a group’s pace of play. Any group playing a whole round is entitled to pass a group playing a shorter round. The term “group” includes a single player.

Edited November 6, 2015 by Nosevi

[DaveP043]

The USGA rules agree to the letter with the R&A rules on this.  

 

[rkim291968]

On 2/27/2011, 10:35:30, sean_miller said:

 

 

Even if it was faster to wave groups up, which it isn't, the annoyance factor makes it a bad idea. Whether you hit the green or miss it and have to chip on, there's a certain rhythm to playing a hole that's incosistent with stepping aside and waving the next group up. It's also annoying to have to hit up to a green where 4 or so people are standing just off the green glaring at you.

Waving groups up is a bad idea based on my experience.   Some people don't know about waving up vs waving through and gets confused.  It is not any faster either unless there is a marshal to manage the traffic.  

 

I got int a fight once with a foursome in front.   They had no groups in front and didn't let me (single) through.   Finally, I've asked one of those foursomes to let me through and  he agreed.  Apparently, one guy didn't know his group member let me pass and when I proceeded to hit while they were walking to the next hole, he got really upset.  Argument ensued and it almost went to a physical fight.  The group never let me through, and proceeded to cheat the course by playing another round (go back to #1 hole, no starter in the afternoon) after they played the 18th hole.   It happened at a cheap public course where they attract more of not-so-properly-etiquetted players.   Soon after the incident, I signed up for a yearly membership at an upscale course.    It cost me big $$$ but not running into clueless golfers (well, relatively speaking)  gave me a piece of mind.

[saevel25]

13 minutes ago, rkim291968 said:

Waving groups up is a bad idea based on my experience.   Some people don't know about waving up vs waving through and gets confused.  It is not any faster either unless there is a marshal to manage the traffic.  

Depends on the hole. A par 3 it can speed up play. We have this 168 yard, 25 yard up hill par 3 that just backs up the course. It is much faster to hit your shot get up to the green, let the next group hit up then putt out while they make their way up the hill. 
 

15 minutes ago, rkim291968 said:

I got int a fight once with a foursome in front.   They had no groups in front and didn't let me (single) through.   Finally, I've asked one of those foursomes to let me through and  he agreed.  Apparently, one guy didn't know his group member let me pass and when I proceeded to hit while they were walking to the next hole, he got really upset.  Argument ensued and it almost went to a physical fight.  

I never once encountered a person getting upset about letting a single or faster group play through. Most of the time I find people just speed up play, usually in putting and rushing to the next tee, so they don't have to let a group play through. 

 

[rkim291968]

1 minute ago, saevel25 said:

I never once encountered a person getting upset about letting a single or faster group play through. Most of the time I find people just speed up play, usually in putting and rushing to the next tee, so they don't have to let a group play through.

 

I think the guy in question had a bit of psychological issue.   A simple majority of golfers in similar situation will volunteer to let a single through.   The rest will agree to let a single guy through when asked, given that there were no groups in front & especially, when the single player keep catching up with them in the tee box. 

[Fourputt]

11 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

Depends on the hole. A par 3 it can speed up play. We have this 168 yard, 25 yard up hill par 3 that just backs up the course. It is much faster to hit your shot get up to the green, let the next group hit up then putt out while they make their way up the hill. 
 

 

My course tried that years ago and gave it up as wasted effort.  While it made play at the par 3 go smoother, the groups just stacked up on the next two tees instead.  It did not change the average time for a round by even one minute.

[bkuehn1952]

"Where a group has not lost a clear hole, but it is apparent that the group behind can play faster, it should invite the faster moving group to play through." 

I think the above guideline has to be viewed in context of the round being played.  Where a course has a light mix of 4-somes and 3-somes, of course faster groups should be allowed to play through, regardless of the size of the group.  I do not believe it was ever the intent of the writer(s) of that guideline to apply it to a public access course on a beautiful Saturday in June where every tee time is filled and every group is waiting on the group in front much of the time. On a relatively full course, there are no "faster moving" groups.

To take the above statement as a blanket rule that a single (or 2-some) must always be invited to play through makes no sense.