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

[Tomboys]

Originally Posted by bplewis24

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.

You're not some 36 'capper sportin' blades that's suffering from delusions of grandeur; you're a good golfer that's working hard to become a better one.  IMO, you certainly have the firepower / ability to hit a 235-yard approach shot accurately, so there's nothing delusional about (attempting) it.  Sure, the likelihood of you successfully executing that shot may be lower now only because you're in the middle of taking lessons and you may have a t'aint swing (t'aint the old swing and t'aint the new swing).  Nonetheless, I have no doubts you can and will pull off that shot.  Maybe not today, and maybe not tomorrow, but you'll do it in the not too distant future.  You can practice and practice that shot all you want, but at some point, you got to bring it to the course.  The only way to gauge how close (or far away) you are from making that shot is to "just do it" when the opportunity presents itself on the course.

Also, you seem to be a well-mannered, conscientious player.  So, unless you got some Jekyll and Hyde personality going on between this forum and the golf course, I fail to see how you would hold up anyone on the course by going for it in two.

Originally Posted by bplewis24

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.

Brandon

Hate to say it, but if you acquiesce to their grumbles and gestures by playing the hole the way they want you to rather than the way you want to, then you've already validated their "antics".  To quote Shakespeare's MacBeth, Lady MacBeth says to her husband, "Yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o' the milk of human kindness ."  Bottom line; you worry too much about offending others when you have no reason to.  As long as you're playing at the appropriate pace and respectful of your fellow golfers, use your time at the course to your benefit.  If they have a problem with that, then politely let them know they have two options; they can play with a different group or they can leave the course.  However, changing your game to suit their desires is not an option.

TTTTTTTT

[MSchott]

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!

Well put!

[AmazingWhacker]

As a bad golfer, I find myself quite often in these types of positions.  Not just at par 5's but on every hole . .for example:  Let's say I'm on the tee box and there is another group 250 yards out.  For me to hit them would be 1 in 500 at best but I feel like courtesy dictates that I wait . .since *most* people could hit them.

Then of course I wait . .and step up and hit it a whopping 150, lol.

For whatever reason I always seem to be at that awkward distance . . ie . .the group ahead is within range of a normal golfer but not me.  I have taken the approach of one of the posters above . .I just hit and figure I'll apologize if I hit that once-in-a-lifetime shot.  It's just going to roll up on them, anyway . .it's not going to laser-beam them in the head from that distance, lol.

So far I've not had to apologize to anybody yet.  Once I have had to once or twice I will probably change my strategy.