How close is "hitting into"

[mirv]

if the ball lands behind me and rolls past me, i'm not going to be very phased.  the only time i get legitimately upset is if the ball carries to where i'm standing and lands in line with me or in front of me.  if it's got enough on it to get to where i am, then it's still a danger.  rolling on the ground isn't going to hurt anyone, but a ball that hasn't come down to earth yet still has plenty of power to crack someone's skull open.  that's just flagrant disregard for safety there.

but to more specifically answer the question, if a ball gets to where i'm standing, in the air or rolling, then i've been "hit into."  i'm just not going to get mad about it if it's on the ground, where i will if it's flying.

[bnz506]

When I get hit in the leg with a ball... I usually feel like I might be getting hit into :)

Really though, I usually feel like Im getting hit into when I hear the thud and Im getting ready to hit my shot or make a putt.  I dont mind after Ive hit my shot or im walking off the green (unless I get hit in the leg with a ball).

[funkyfred72]

That GPS is great.  I played a course earlier this year that had it.  It showed every cart within range, even carts where someone hit an errant shot and was heading in our direction.  I know some courses cannot afford it or do not want to pay for it, but I would like to see more courses use it.

Originally Posted by Fourputt

One of the best features offered with some GPS carts is the ability to see the range to other groups around you.  I really like it when I pull up to the tee and see the guys ahead of me in the fairway of a par 5, and I can glance at the GPS and see that they are still just 250 yards away.  .

[B-Con]

My usual rule of thumb for when I hit is to leave a buffer of twice my standard variance in distance beyond my stock yardage, and to never hit onto an occupied green. Since most of the time I'm hitting is at the green, this only applies to the teebox or the second shot on a par 5. So if I'm holding a club, say my 3-hybrid, that I usually hit 200 yards and a buffer of 20 yards would contain 90% of my shots with that club, then I'd give myself about 240 yards. It's rare for me to hit it that far, but if I do it's because it's rolling like crazy and it's unlikely to offend someone else if a ball lazily rolls up a few yards behind them. I don't think I've ever hit into anyone save for one or two times that I grossly mis-estimated the yardage of a landmark from a teebox.

[Teamanglerx]

If you accidentally get near someone because you didn't see them I can understand.  If you hit into someone accidently (slice, bad draw, etc.) and you yell "fore" I can also understand.  However, if you are in a hurry and hit into someone to make them "hurry up" then its a problem.

A month or so ago a group of us were putting on a par three.  We weren't slow.  The group behind us hit into us intentionally because they were in a hurry.  I had my back turned to the tee but I heard the ball being hit and it came within 10 feet of hitting my wife.  I am normally a calm guy but that really angered me.  As I walked toward the tee box the hitter tried to look really tough but then realized his mistake seeing how I am built like a small tank.  His buddies, who I guess had encouraged him to take his shot with us on the green, decided to retreat a safe distance, leaving him standing on the tee box alone.  I warned him if he did it again that he needed to be wearing his seat belt because it would be a bumpy ride.  He agreed he made a bad judgement and his group stayed well back from us the rest of the time.

While I don't encourage going off everytime someone hits into you because in most cases it may be an accident and most people are willing to apolgize and admit the error, but the people who intentionally do it need to be sometimes reminded why its a bad idea.

[Tumbler]

If a ball lands within 20 yards of me or my group (from the tee we're playing), it gets tee'd up and sent right back. Had an uncle lose teeth to someone hitting into us, so I have zero tolerance for it.

[TourSpoon]

Originally Posted by mikelegacy

If the ball is landing within 50 yards of me then that is hitting into me.

For example, if I'm playing a 400 yard par 4, I better be on the green, or just before the green before the group behind me starts hitting, or I'm going to be upset.

50 yards? That wouldn't phase me. I agree with being close to the green on a par 4. That is just good form. What really pisses me off is if I am walking off the green and someone hits. That is ridiculous. I haven't had an issue in a long time, and I will offer the person a chance to apologize before saying something really sarcastic, like "Next time wait and I will tend the flag for you."

[mikelegacy]

This is ridiculous.  If you do this then you are one of the causes of slow play.  I guarantee you that If you are 300 yards ahead of me, I'm not waiting any longer.  My typical drive is about 240, and these days my long drives might reach 280 if I get crazy roll.  If my laser says you are 300 yards away then I'm not waiting.  99.9% of all 300 yard hitters only exist on the internet.

I don't see what's so ridiculous about this. You're AVERAGE drive is 240, but that doesn't mean you can't get a hold of one. My average drive (when it stays straight) is about 270-75. I think the if the ball is landing 50 yards or more from me that is acceptable, but any closer and it's just irritating to me. On average, I play 9 holes is about 1 hour and 15 minutes with a partner. I would say that I'm a pretty damn fast player. I'm never holding anyone up and if I EVER do, which is rare, I have the courtesy to let them play through. No one should be hitting into me because they are faster. What's so hard about driving up to the next player or walking up and just asking if you can play through because you are playing at a faster pace? Or just waiting, golf isn't supposed to be a rushed game anyways. I play to relax, and just have an enjoyable time outdoors.

[Inebriated]

If I can hear your ball land, and don't even have to scan to find your ball, you hit into me, and I'll let you know. If I just happen to hear your ball land about 30 yards away, I don't really care. It's the ones that you hear right next you that I get angry at.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by saevel25

what i don't get is why even bother discussing this, just wait till they get up near the green period. Whats waiting an extra minute going to hurt. I don't get this fascination with trying to finish a round of golf in record time. Honestly i have laid down a few times to rest on a golf course before, just to enjoy the day. I am not holding anyone up because there is no were to go, so might as well not press the issue.

Not to mention i have seen someone get knocked out before by a golf ball, its not pretty, the kid just went down like a sack of bricks. So i don't even try to come close.

If every player or group thought that way, the group which teed off at 10:30 on Saturday morning would be looking at a backup already on the 1st hole, and be facing a 6+ hour round. That would be totally unacceptable.  Courses plan the tee reservations with a pace of play in mind.  For my home course that is about an average of a little over 14 minutes per hole.  It is not planned for every group to wait on the tee until the group in front is no the green.  My home course spaces tee time at 9 minutes, and that is plenty of time to hit driver, get to your ball and play your approach shots.  It isn't enough time to wait for every player to get to the green, nor is that necessary, even though the 1st hole is only about 390 yards long.  Maybe some of you only play wide open country clubs or something, but on a busy golf course, your philosophy is totally unworkable.

[GaijinGolfer]

For me, anything within 30' without a, "fore" or an apology afterwards is considering hitting into me.  People make mistakes sometimes, so Im OK with it as long as you yell fore or apologize afterwards but if Im playing at a reasonable pace and you hit into me because youre in a hurry and are trying to send a message; its going to be a problem.

[shades9323]

You have zero tolerance, but you are going to intentionally hit back into somebody? That is awfully hypocritical, don't you think?  Not to mention dangerous and opening yourself up to liability.  Don't be a douche bag.

Originally Posted by Tumbler

If a ball lands within 20 yards of me or my group (from the tee we're playing), it gets tee'd up and sent right back. Had an uncle lose teeth to someone hitting into us, so I have zero tolerance for it.

[trackster]

Out of curiosity is there a law or some sort of golf rule that governs what you do with some ones golf ball.  In most cases that person payed (sometimes quite a bit)  for that golf ball and if you just hit it back at them or throw it in a lake then you just cost that person money.  Is it just you acting like a dousche? or does the person who's ball that was have any case against you.

Hitting into someone is word against word.  Some one posted that 50 yards is hitting into them, others said 20 yards.  Since there is no set number (unless you actually hit the person), then I would think the person who's ball it was has the upper hand in this dispute.

[saevel25]

It wouldn't play 6 hours, believe me i have played enough courses, ones that are chalked full and ones that are not, and there is no use even thinking, "Eh i think there out of my range."

Heck the concept is the same for an assembly line. You actually end up doing better if your patient. If you start pushing, then you start making those infront of you axious, they might play worse and then your looking for lost balls..

Hell how do you deal with that on your busy golf course, by rules i got 5 minutes to find a lost ball. If that guy drives it 220 to the heather, or into the trees, he has 5 minutes, do you just bash into him.

I just don't get the concept, that you have to adbide by 14 minutes per hole, its golf, i loose two golf balls in one hole, i might take the 10 minutes to look for the ball, deal with it. If a pro ask me speed up, i will tell him i got 5 minutes here to look for my ball, and i will try to catch up as quickly as possible.

Heck, if your on a busy course, there isn't any place to go anyway, your time is based on the slowest group that is ahead of you. So really its out of your control. If you got 4 hacks in the earliest tee time, they might let a few groups go through, but your looking at a long day no matter what you do.

All i ask for is to make sure they are seriously out of your range. No saying, hey there at the 100 marker, thats 280 out, i only hit it 250, just let them hit there approach and move. Its what, 30 seconds more of your time, big deal.

[Yukari]

Realistically, would you spend the time and energy to sue for $3 golf ball?

Originally Posted by trackster

Out of curiosity is there a law or some sort of golf rule that governs what you do with some ones golf ball.  In most cases that person payed (sometimes quite a bit)  for that golf ball and if you just hit it back at them or throw it in a lake then you just cost that person money.  Is it just you acting like a dousche? or does the person who's ball that was have any case against you.

Hitting into someone is word against word.  Some one posted that 50 yards is hitting into them, others said 20 yards.  Since there is no set number (unless you actually hit the person), then I would think the person who's ball it was has the upper hand in this dispute.

[Stretch]

I wish more people were like the older lady that my friend (almost) decapitated (by accident) today. He pushed his drive right off the tee and had to play a draw around a clump of trees to our green, taking his ball down the side of the adjoining fairway. As he lets it go, she and her companions wander into sight from off the next tee, which is screened from view by the aforesaid trees. Said he just about shat himself as his punch 4 iron whistled over their heads and went rushing up to copiously apologize. "Oh, don't worry," she says brightly. "It was rather exciting!"

[trackster]

Originally Posted by Yukari

Realistically, would you spend the time and energy to sue for $3 golf ball?

True, but I could see it as means for you to get kicked off the course.

[rustyredcab]

Originally Posted by trackster

Out of curiosity is there a law or some sort of golf rule that governs what you do with some ones golf ball...

Hitting into someone is word against word...

Is there a law? If you hit someone on purpose, it is assault. Hitting the ball back could be attempted assault -- provided you miss them. Perhaps criminal negligence if you can prove that you just meant to send them a message.

Word against word? So is armed robbery. You hit me and it will be your word to the judge. And perhaps your words to your new prison lover.

This whole thing is crazy -- people hitting into groups to "speed them up" and then others hitting the balls back at them. Just be polite and wait until your best shot is nowhere near the group in front of you. It can be frustrating when wildly inconsistent yet sometimes long hitters wait for the group ahead to get out of that once-in-lifetime-300-yard-drive range, only to bang it 175 yards into the woods. But that is golf. One should not risk hitting someone. The potential for hurting someone are to real. As a 20 handicap, I used to hate standing in the fairway 230 yards out, waiting for the green to clear so that I could hit a 3-wood. Almost no chance that I was going to hit the green. Very little chance that I was going to hit it 230 yards.  But if I was going to try, I had to wait. It is easier to wait now that I am more consistent. The waiting does not seem like a waste of time.

As said here before, mistakes can happen. Best to be polite or good humored about it when someone accidentally hits into you. I sometimes tee the ball up where it finished so that they know how close they were. Hit into my group clearly on purpose and I'll be calling the ranger and I'll ask to have you thrown off the course. Not much else the ranger can do other than throw you off the course since leaving you on the course after I've reported your dangerous conduct opens the course up to liability if you do in fact hit me. You may keep your ball. I'll take your playing privileges.