Hey Old Guys...

[baseballfrk8998]

Originally Posted by phillyk

There are some courses that have Natural Life Observation areas or some variation of that, which means that any entry into water, fescue grass, or woods that is protected, is prohibited with fines associated with entry.  However, these rules are seldom followed.

Our course doesn't that I know of. Everyone that works there knows I do it and they don't seem to care.

Originally Posted by colin007

yeah, it is.  how do you know that others on the tee cant see you?  theyre waiting for you to come out of the woods and hit and youre in there dicking around.  youre assuming they cant see you, but you cant be sure.

you might not realize it, but letting groups play thru causes more of a backlog than just keeping up with the group ahead.  the starting and stopping is just not efficient and adds to slow play.

Well I also do this in the afternoon when it's not as crowded.. Usually between 1-5 PM. And I definitely park my cart where it can't be seen. You can moan and groan about it all you want but if they can't see my cart then there's no problem and if they do happen to see me out by the woods then I tell them to play through, which they already were, and no one is slowed down at all. I do understand your frustration though. I'm not the most patient person in the world so I understand exactly where you're coming from and I would definitely never slow someone down if I could help it. I'm always the guy trying to get my partners to play faster, partly because of what I read on these forums about slow play. Hahaha.

[Joe Mcc 69]

If there is someone behind you playing at a faster pace and there is an open hole in front of you,you should let him through,I have played 18 hole rounds in under two hours by myself and shot a good score,if that makes me a speed racer,so be it.No one should have to wait on every shot at any time,just shouldn't happen.I always let anyone behind me through if he or she is playing faster than me,and there is an opening in front of me.

[MackJL06]

i guess i dont get why people feel entitled to "free" golf balls...you pay a greens fee to play the golf course, not to fish in the ponds and woods. playing around in the woods while people are surely waiting on you DOES slow down play...whether you think it does or not.

those are not YOUR golf balls. it is not YOUR land. pretty sure the course is more entitled to those balls than you are. why not let the course let an employee go and pick them up, and re-sell them so they can put more money back into your course? just because i "find" a golf-ball doesnt mean it wasnt someone elses or that they didnt know it was there.

tee up your ball, hit it, find it, hit it, putt it, leave the hole in better condition than you found it....and repeat...and have fun.

[Joe Mcc 69]

Well said!!!

[tristanhilton85]

Originally Posted by MackJL06

i guess i dont get why people feel entitled to "free" golf balls...you pay a greens fee to play the golf course, not to fish in the ponds and woods. playing around in the woods while people are surely waiting on you DOES slow down play...whether you think it does or not.

those are not YOUR golf balls. it is not YOUR land. pretty sure the course is more entitled to those balls than you are. why not let the course let an employee go and pick them up, and re-sell them so they can put more money back into your course? just because i "find" a golf-ball doesnt mean it wasnt someone elses or that they didnt know it was there.

tee up your ball, hit it, find it, hit it, putt it, leave the hole in better condition than you found it....and repeat...and have fun.

This argument has been had here before, for the most part... If you search, there is a thread about somebody "stealing" a good ball that was in a bucket of range balls... great thread actually.

The fact that you paid greens fees to the course doesn't make any ball you loose the property of the courses, nor does the fact that they are lost on their land...  I understand that the person searching for the balls didn't pay for them, but neither did the course.  How about this, what if you're not on an expedition for abandoned balls, what if you are just looking for your own wayward tee shot and happen to find an abandoned ball, maybe a nice one like a Pro V, do you leave it?  I mean by your argument, it's not yours to take.

If the situation is truly as he describes it and his cart is parked where it can't be seen, then there is no way he is going to slow anybody down... I know my home course well enough to know where on a hole a cart can and can't be seen and I'm sure he knows his course like that too.  I play as a single a lot and if I were to drive up on him while he was on his hunt I'd have no problem as long as he let me through.  Now if it was Saturday morning and the course is busy, then I agree move on and do your searching at a slower time but if it's Tuesday afternoon and it's him and maybe two other groups on the entire course then whatever.

[JCoop]

Originally Posted by max power

Hitting balls at you isn't cool.  But if there's just a guy behind you going fast and you're not waiting on anyone then let him through.  What's your problem?

I always let faster players and groups play through. But if somebody behind me is unwilling to be NORMALLY patient because I have to wait for the group ahead to move along, I do NOT appreciate shots over the bow from some punk who has no sense of decorum.

[baseballfrk8998]

Originally Posted by MackJL06

i guess i dont get why people feel entitled to "free" golf balls...you pay a greens fee to play the golf course, not to fish in the ponds and woods. playing around in the woods while people are surely waiting on you DOES slow down play...whether you think it does or not.

those are not YOUR golf balls. it is not YOUR land. pretty sure the course is more entitled to those balls than you are. why not let the course let an employee go and pick them up, and re-sell them so they can put more money back into your course? just because i "find" a golf-ball doesnt mean it wasnt someone elses or that they didnt know it was there.

tee up your ball, hit it, find it, hit it, putt it, leave the hole in better condition than you found it....and repeat...and have fun.

If the balls belong to the course and the course wanted the balls then you'd think they'd go in and get them, right? No one has been in the woods where I was in years I would guess. It's a Saturday afternoon and the course isn't busy because it's 100*+ outside so I really don't have to worry about slowing folks down. If the marshal or any other course employees had a problem with it at all then I wouldn't do it, but fact of the matter is that a couple employees and one of the marshals asks me to be on the lookout for certain balls that they like to play and when I find those balls I clean them up and give them to them. I see no problem why I can't go into the woods and find balls that no one else is going to bother looking for. The funny part is you'd probably be one of the many people to drive right by me and never notice me at all, yet you're the one on here complaining about it. I'm sure you'd be okay with it if you just shanked your ball 30 yards deep into the woods near where I was and I came out and returned it to you.. Or were you gonna go get it yourself?

[phillyk]

Originally Posted by baseballfrk8998

If the balls belong to the course and the course wanted the balls then you'd think they'd go in and get them, right? No one has been in the woods where I was in years I would guess. It's a Saturday afternoon and the course isn't busy because it's 100*+ outside so I really don't have to worry about slowing folks down. If the marshal or any other course employees had a problem with it at all then I wouldn't do it, but fact of the matter is that a couple employees and one of the marshals asks me to be on the lookout for certain balls that they like to play and when I find those balls I clean them up and give them to them. I see no problem why I can't go into the woods and find balls that no one else is going to bother looking for. The funny part is you'd probably be one of the many people to drive right by me and never notice me at all, yet you're the one on here complaining about it. I'm sure you'd be okay with it if you just shanked your ball 30 yards deep into the woods near where I was and I came out and returned it to you.. Or were you gonna go get it yourself?

I don't know, personally the way I see it, is that you are only paying to play golf, not stomp around the forests and fescue destroying the life that might exist there looking for balls.  If you lose a ball to one of those areas, drop one, and continue playing.  If you do look for balls and are out of the way of people behind you, fine.  But, at least at my course, we strive to keep the fescue grasses and forests, human-free, to promote natural sanctuaries and keep what wildlife we have there safe.  However, the one possible exception to this might be winter, when everything is mostly dead or hibernating anyway, so people do like to try and look for balls during the winter months.

[baseballfrk8998]

Originally Posted by phillyk

I don't know, personally the way I see it, is that you are only paying to play golf, not stomp around the forests and fescue destroying the life that might exist there looking for balls.  If you lose a ball to one of those areas, drop one, and continue playing.  If you do look for balls and are out of the way of people behind you, fine.  But, at least at my course, we strive to keep the fescue grasses and forests, human-free, to promote natural sanctuaries and keep what wildlife we have there safe.  However, the one possible exception to this might be winter, when everything is mostly dead or hibernating anyway, so people do like to try and look for balls during the winter months.

I guess we will have to agree to disagree on this one.. I understand what your course is trying to achieve and I can assure you that if this course was that way then I wouldn't be out in the woods..

[Spyder]

I see a lot of mention about "drinking while golfing" in this thread and its being said as if it is a crime or "trashy", or rude or non-conforming to the sport.

First of all, I am 26 and I do love my beer (as most men do). I do not sneak my beer in my bag on the course. I do not throw my cans anywhere but the trash cans that are provided at EVERY HOLE. I am never to the point where I am being obnoxious or distracting to other people around me. Lastly, I was raised to respect everyone (especially elders).

I think it's pretty poor judgement by anyone to judge a whole entire generation/class/group based on one experience. If I see a 60 year old man commit one of the disgraces mentioned here, I won't be coming back to summarize the entire age group as classless. Nor do I expect anyone to see an irresponsible, "I remember my first beer..." moment, 21 year old getting blasted and being a fool - and then come here and classify drinking while golfing as "stupid" or "classless", or say that the people in their 20's are mostly idiots.

I will have my beers and I will have my fun. I can drink and be responsible and enjoy the game and be very competitive all at once. Unfortunately, some people cannot multi-task in regard to being responsible with their liquor.

TL/DR

You cannot cast judgement on an entire age group of people after seeing one or two people being idiots. People are people and the balance of stupidity equals out with people of all ages. I am very competitive and I take the game seriously, but I also know how to enjoy the game and make it fun for myself and those around me.

Ron White - " You can't fix stupid ." - So don't try.

[MackJL06]

Originally Posted by tristanhilton85

The fact that you paid greens fees to the course doesn't make any ball you loose the property of the courses, nor does the fact that they are lost on their land...  I understand that the person searching for the balls didn't pay for them, but neither did the course.  How about this, what if you're not on an expedition for abandoned balls, what if you are just looking for your own wayward tee shot and happen to find an abandoned ball, maybe a nice one like a Pro V, do you leave it?  I mean by your argument, it's not yours to take.

correct...whether it is a pro v 1 or a rockflight....i would not take it. plain and simple.

say you pay to go in one of those corn maze things...you get to a dead end but find...a rolex? just because you 'found' it does not make it yours...not even a little. and the fact is there ARE laws saying that the item left there, after a given time, DOES belong to the owner of the property. so what you deem as an abandoned golf ball is by no means yours. now whether the course decides to hire someone once a year or once a week to collect balls should have no bearing to you. the difference i guess is that we are talking about .50cent things to 6$ things...not rolex watches. it is absolutely more of an inconvenience factor than a theft thing. just because 'everyone' picks up golf balls and its almost expected/accepted...doesnt mean youre allowed. if you want to play golf, bring some clubs and pay a greens fee...if you want to romp around in the woods for "free" stuff, go ask the clubhouse if they'll let you do that...or become a marshall and get paid to do it

[Spyder]

On top of my previous rant, we're now on the topic of "finding lost balls". People really need to learn to have a little patience. Golf is a sport that should be enjoyed and is really relaxing. Are the people complaining about people looking for balls the same people that hit the turn at 9 and continue to 10 with no break? People complain too much period.

Go find your golf balls guys - who cares! I will play at my own pace, slow down if needed, or even speed it up. Just lay back and relax and have fun. Go ahead and lose your ball in the woods and take a drop, that's your right.

Clearly the guys in this thread aren't hunting balls. It seems like if they hit a bad shot and go looking for it, they come out with a pocket of balls. Who cares. it's not like they're parking their carts 200 yards off the tee, dead-center fairway and scavenging balls from hazards.

Please, relax. After 9 holes go get yourself a cold one and a 'dog' and just breathe. A bad day of golf is better than a good day at work. Live a little, you're not on tour and you're most likely not cashing over-sized checks if you're witnessing people looking for balls!

[baseballfrk8998]

Originally Posted by Spyder

On top of my previous rant, we're now on the topic of "finding lost balls". People really need to learn to have a little patience. Golf is a sport that should be enjoyed and is really relaxing. Are the people complaining about people looking for balls the same people that hit the turn at 9 and continue to 10 with no break? People complain too much period.

Go find your golf balls guys - who cares! I will play at my own pace, slow down if needed, or even speed it up. Just lay back and relax and have fun. Go ahead and lose your ball in the woods and take a drop, that's your right.

Clearly the guys in this thread aren't hunting balls. It seems like if they hit a bad shot and go looking for it, they come out with a pocket of balls. Who cares. it's not like they're parking their carts 200 yards off the tee, dead-center fairway and scavenging balls from hazards.

Please, relax. After 9 holes go get yourself a cold one and a 'dog' and just breathe. A bad day of golf is better than a good day at work. Live a little, you're not on tour and you're most likely not cashing over-sized checks if you're witnessing people looking for balls!

Amen.. If I spend 40+ bucks to play golf then why would I want to rush it and finish as quickly as possible? You're there to enjoy your time and the game, not to finish the round as fast as possible so that someone on a 3 and a half hour time limit doesn't get in trouble by the wife.. I'm in no way promoting slow play but I do think we are too rushed sometimes in thinking that we have to finish as quickly as we can.

Originally Posted by MackJL06

correct...whether it is a pro v 1 or a rockflight....i would not take it. plain and simple.

say you pay to go in one of those corn maze things...you get to a dead end but find...a rolex? just because you 'found' it does not make it yours...not even a little. and the fact is there ARE laws saying that the item left there, after a given time, DOES belong to the owner of the property. so what you deem as an abandoned golf ball is by no means yours. now whether the course decides to hire someone once a year or once a week to collect balls should have no bearing to you. the difference i guess is that we are talking about .50cent things to 6$ things...not rolex watches. it is absolutely more of an inconvenience factor than a theft thing. just because 'everyone' picks up golf balls and its almost expected/accepted...doesnt mean youre allowed. if you want to play golf, bring some clubs and pay a greens fee...if you want to romp around in the woods for "free" stuff, go ask the clubhouse if they'll let you do that...or become a marshall and get paid to do it

That comparison doesn't even make sense and it definitely doesn't warrant a response.. As for asking the clubhouse if they'll let me "romp around in the woods for free stuff," I've already mentioned about 324534 times that everyone that works on the course knows that I'm in the woods, even the marshals. Some of you guys need to loosen up and actually try having a good time..

[iacas]

Originally Posted by baseballfrk8998

Amen.. If I spend 40+ bucks to play golf then why would I want to rush it and finish as quickly as possible? You're there to enjoy your time and the game, not to finish the round as fast as possible so that someone on a 3 and a half hour time limit doesn't get in trouble by the wife.. I'm in no way promoting slow play but I do think we are too rushed sometimes in thinking that we have to finish as quickly as we can.

Completely disagree and think this sort of entitled attitude is one of the biggest reasons for slow play. A single group playing slowly backs up the course for the rest of the day .

Nobody's asking for 3 1/2 hours (though, frankly, they should) - but 4 is reasonable. If you want to spend 6 hours at the golf course, play 27 holes at a 4:00/18 clip.

Slow play - the time it takes the average guy with a family and a honey-do list and so on - is the single biggest reason people stop playing golf.

[Elvisliveson]

Originally Posted by iacas

Completely disagree and think this sort of entitled attitude is one of the biggest reasons for slow play. A single group playing slowly backs up the course for the rest of the day.

Nobody's asking for 3 1/2 hours (though, frankly, they should) - but 4 is reasonable. If you want to spend 6 hours at the golf course, play 27 holes at a 4:00/18 clip.

Slow play - the time it takes the average guy with a family and a honey-do list and so on - is the single biggest reason people stop playing golf.

I'm with Erik. Paying your greens fee does not entitle you to play at your own pace. You have a responsibility to keep up with the group in front of you.

[baseballfrk8998]

Originally Posted by iacas

Completely disagree and think this sort of entitled attitude is one of the biggest reasons for slow play. A single group playing slowly backs up the course for the rest of the day.

Nobody's asking for 3 1/2 hours (though, frankly, they should) - but 4 is reasonable. If you want to spend 6 hours at the golf course, play 27 holes at a 4:00/18 clip.

Slow play - the time it takes the average guy with a family and a honey-do list and so on - is the single biggest reason people stop playing golf.

You didn't read my entire post. I clearly said that I didn't promote slow play, I only said that you shouldn't have to rush your round. You pay just as much as the next guy so why should you have to rush the next shot? I apologize if my posts are being taken the wrong way, that's not my intention. I'm a very fast player and never slow anyone down but I do have patience. I won't heap and holler at the group in front of me if their foursome is playing slower than my threesome. That's going to happen more often than not..

[iacas]

Originally Posted by baseballfrk8998

You didn't read my entire post. I clearly said that I didn't promote slow play, I only said that you shouldn't have to rush your round. You pay just as much as the next guy so why should you have to rush the next shot? I apologize if my posts are being taken the wrong way, that's not my intention. I'm a very fast player and never slow anyone down but I do have patience. I won't heap and holler at the group in front of me if their foursome is playing slower than my threesome. That's going to happen more often than not..

I read it.

"I don't promote slow play" is what entitled people say. The full text is "I don't promote slow play, only play as slow as I want to play." This is followed with "Anyone who wants to play faster is crazy and should enjoy their time more. I paid my money!"

Nobody's asking you to "rush." However, unless your average round time is not 4:00 or less, then you should play faster. "Finish as quickly as you can"? Nobody's asking that, because that's literally probably about 90 minutes.

[MackJL06]

i do have a good time....golfing. if i want to play in the woods, i go for a hike

Originally Posted by baseballfrk8998

Amen.. If I spend 40+ bucks to play golf then why would I want to rush it and finish as quickly as possible? You're there to enjoy your time and the game, not to finish the round as fast as possible so that someone on a 3 and a half hour time limit doesn't get in trouble by the wife.. I'm in no way promoting slow play but I do think we are too rushed sometimes in thinking that we have to finish as quickly as we can.

That comparison doesn't even make sense and it definitely doesn't warrant a response.. As for asking the clubhouse if they'll let me "romp around in the woods for free stuff," I've already mentioned about 324534 times that everyone that works on the course knows that I'm in the woods, even the marshals. Some of you guys need to loosen up and actually try having a good time..