Going For It in a Casual Round -- Anecdotes on Etiquette

[bplewis24]

Quick backdrop: In my round this past Sunday, I was on good position on a par 5 from about 235 yards out.  For reference, this par 5 was playing just under 500 yards for the day.  The problem--as with most casual weekend rounds at a public course--is there was a foursome on the green, and a foursome on the tee box.  Nobody else in my group was in a position to go for the green in 2, so the only thing holding up the group on the tee box was me hitting my 2nd shot. So, I was put in the position I sometimes find myself uncomfortable in: deciding whether or not to go for it out of consideration of those playing with and just behind me.

I ended up laying up despite feeling I could likely reach.  On more than one occasion I've let my partners know that I was "going for it" only to hear grumbles and get impatient gestures while they wait.  Sometimes I put my approach shot on the green, but it will often be in my head that if I hit a horrible shot, their doubts/antics would be validated and I would look the delusional-go-for-it guy.  Rather than deal with that, I tend to lay up much more often than not.

Have any of you experienced this?  Have you felt compelled to lay up so as not to create tension among the group with or behind you?  Or do you always disregard it and play your game regardless?  If this was tournament play, I wouldn't care and I would simply do what I wanted to do.  But in casual rounds IF pace of play is at stake and/or people are waiting on us, I tend to lay up.  What about you?

Brandon

[MiniBlueDragon]

Yes, you should under-play and screw up the round of golf you've paid for solely so that everyone else can play a fast or relaxed game.

(Translation: Play YOUR round YOUR way and leave others to moan/cry as they want to.)

If I had the capability to "go for it" I most certainly would do if I felt it was a better option than laying-up.

[Paradox]

Echo the dragon.  As long as you are not doing something unrelated to playing a round of golf that is holding up play, then you have every right to wait to attempt getting on in 2.  You aren't obligated to play faster and hit shots you don't want to hit just because of other groups or even playing partners.  If they can't wait then rush them when they are hitting their shots and see how they feel?  lol

The only time its annoying is when you just watched a group tee off and they haven't hit there driver 230 yards, let alone straight but then they are sitting 260+ out and waiting for the green to clear.  THATS when you should be thinking you're doing things wrong.

[meenman]

I think we have all gone through this. If you hit there is no doubt you will hit the green, if you wait - not a chance of being close.

With us, we let the others hit first (maybe they have a bad angle to go for it or they are playing it safe)

I've screwed up too many holes laying up when I wanted to go for it. Just wait and play your game. It's not like you aren't going to be ready to hit the second the green is clear.

[MSchott]

As long as you are playing ready golf, there's no need to change your strategy to accommodate other groups.

[saevel25]

I find myself in this position at least once every round. I can go after most par 5's, up to about 570 yards, thats probably my limit, though i really haven't tried the driver off the deck, so maybe.. I might try that this week if it i comes up. But, i usually weight, because i want to try to make it if possible. If people bitch, its golf, get over it. I am not there to make sure you make it under 4 hours for 18. I am there to play my game and enjoy my round.

[jshots]

Yeah you should certainly not be laying up just because of that. More than likely you will catch them on the next hole or 2, which just means that the only thing you gained by laying up was an extra stroke!

[Neitmrh15]

At least you're one of the considerate ones!

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by bplewis24

: deciding whether or not to go for it out of consideration of those playing with and just behind me.

Almost every time I play I face that decision. If my chances of getting on the green are pretty good and time won't be wasted if I miss the green (penal hazards or long rough) then I'm likely to wait and go for it. I don't do that so early in the round that my playing partners (assuming they're strangers to me) or the guys behind think I can't possibly get there. If I'm waiting in a landing area for a blind carry, then I lay up and vamoose as quick as possible.

[tx_basser]

the majority of people I see wait for the green to clear when they are 225 to 245 yards out never get there.  I usually go for it, then apologize if I accidentally hit it flush.

[Paradox]

You can also always get safe and let the group behind you tee off and then by the time they have reached their tee shots you will have already been able to hit your shot to the green and your playing partners can be moving to theirs to play their third shots.  It saves a LITTLE bit of time.

[zeg]

I rarely have this come up, but it did a couple weeks ago.  No one behind me, but I'd just caught up with a single ahead of me and was playing the last hole with him.  In this case, I was away but had a fair chance of hitting the green if I hit a solid but not career-best 3W.  I let him know I was going to go for the green and let him play his shot first.  IMO that's all you need to do.  You know your game, and you have every right to play to your game.

Also, my personal feeling is that you have a duty to the group ahead to wait until they're out of range of your best plausible next shot.  It's not enough for your typical shot to come up a little shy of them, you need to assume you catch it just square and hit it straight at them.  If you're going to hit into them in that case, wait for them to move on.  Not worth risking hitting someone.  Just be honest about your distances.

[tristanhilton85]

I think it would be just fine to wait and go for it...  I mean it's your round and you should play whatever strategy you want.  It is nice that you keep others in mind but at the end of the day you have to play your game, so if 235 is within your reach you should wait and go for it... you'll probably make up any lost time within a hole or two anyways.

[bplewis24]

You guys make a very good point that I sometimes forget since I golf so much: I've paid for the priviledge of being there.  I should get my money's worth :)

Originally Posted by sean_miller

Almost every time I play I face that decision. If my chances of getting on the green are pretty good and time won't be wasted if I miss the green (penal hazards or long rough) then I'm likely to wait and go for it. I don't do that so early in the round that my playing partners (assuming they're strangers to me) or the guys behind think I can't possibly get there. If I'm waiting in a landing area for a blind carry, then I lay up and vamoose as quick as possible.

You bring up two points that I usually consider.  The first is how bad would a bad shot actually be and how much would it further slow the hole?  In the case of this particular hole, it wouldn't have been too penal to hit a bad shot.  No hazards in play.  But it was still very early in the round and my partners didn't know me well (it was the 2nd hole).

In fact, later on the back 9, I went for a par 5 in two (but nobody was on the green) from about 220 yards out, and flew it on the green and it rolled out to the back fringe.  By that time in the round they knew I was capable, probably.

Brandon

[TourSpoon]

I don't worry about the group in back of me because if I am close enough to hit the green then the time factor comes out in the wash as I will most likely be close to the green and will finish before they get close. I think that if you have the others in your group hit their layups then they can get into position while you wait for the green. Either way, you have to wait for for the green to clear so the perceived time delay is negligible.

[Clambake]

Originally Posted by bplewis24

You guys make a very good point that I sometimes forget since I golf so much: I've paid for the priviledge of being there.  I should get my money's worth :)

It's even more simple than that: if can legitimately do the shot, then the privilege of going for the green in two is a core part of the strategy of the game and one of the game's true joyful moments.    You're simply playing the game as it is meant to be played.   Enjoy it!

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Clambake

It's even more simple than that: if can legitimately do the shot, then the privilege of going for the green in two is a core part of the strategy of the game and one of the game's true joyful moments.    You're simply playing the game as it is meant to be played.   Enjoy it!

I wanted to add this, too: just as on a par three, if you want to let the guys tee off, wave them up. Sometimes I do that, though, since they're going to have to wait for not only your shot but the shots your buddies laid up. But then they should be able to play (if they're laying up). Plus it'll give them time to look for their balls in the trees. :-)

[turtleback]

This hardly ever comes up for me, since I'm pretty short, but I can tell you how I would feel as someone in the group either ahead or behind the person making this decision.  If I am in the group on the green I certainly don't want you hitting into me.  If I am behind you, I don't mind waiting while you wait for the green to clear.  Realistically I am going to have to wait again by the next tee whether you lay up or wait and go for it, because I am definitely going to be laying up.  Just be ready to hit when the green clears and play at a decent pace all of the rest of the time.