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Do You Tee Off While the Group Ahead of You Is Putting Out?


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If you think you can reach or come close enough for them to be disturbed, then wait. If your entire group thinks they can reach, then I guess you all wait. If shorter hitters can hit, play out of order if you plan to have a go.

On our first hole, the conventional path is about 320 with trouble at 230, then a dog-leg right. But, you can take a direct route which make the center of the large green about 280. The direct route requires a very straight shot as there is no room left or right and you must carry at least 210. A miscue has you re-teeing. So, on a good day, when the range work was excellent and the wind is not hurting, I'll go the short way. Getting all the way to the green is even narrower than about 40 yards short, so sometimes I hit 3-wood and sometimes driver. I always wait for the green to clear but is usually clear by the time the other three guys in my group have teed off.

Russ - Student of the Moe Norman swing as taught by the pros at - http://moenormangolf.com

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This is called ready play.

If you're not endangering the group in front of you, you should be swinging as soon as you are able to do so.

Personally, I try to maintain a pace where I am not frustrating anyone in front of or behind me. As long as I'm conscious of others in this manner, I typically play very well. It means I'm not dragging or speeding. A nice mellow pace and my partner and I will typically finish a round in 3.5 hours - which includes a pit-stop at the turn for drinks.

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Originally Posted by Golfingdad

I can feel your pain, it's just that I think the "guy waiting to hit because he's afraid of reaching a green he can't reach" part of it is way overblown.

I agree and honestly I'm not seeing it at all. I'm certainly not promoting hitting into people just saying that waiting until they're on the green isn't necessary on the longer par 4's. We have 9 par 4's, 410 372 411 333 449 385 291 344 430. The shortest one requires a perfect shot and nearly everyone lays up to avoid the trouble and I've never seen anyone put it on the green of the 333y hole. Again it's well protected and for most it's a 3w off the tee to keep it out of the traps and water. I don't really care I'm just bored at work. Just .02 that the majority of the people I see waiting, 1st shot, 2nd shot or whatever usually don't have a reason to and that if their waiting causes the others in their group to wait unnecessarily it can drag things out.

Ready golf is an easy enough concept and I wish more people played a little smarter. If I have time I don't mind being out there all day. But I do mind feeling rushed if I am in the group directly behind the slow group because now I have people waiting on me. Even if it's evident why we are all waiting it tends to make me rush out of consideration for those behind me. Then I become the guy I don't want to be when I lose my head and hit my 6i fat from 180y and it drops 30y short.

Par 3's I wait until they are far enough away that an errant mistake won't get to them. Though we have one at 151y where the next tee is somewhat close. But because most men hit a club with lots of loft so it's a shot that can be controlled and the green is huge. It can be a little dicey on that hole because there's water left and people play it safe to the right. Which is where the next tee is. But there's some trees that can knock down anything that's too far right.

Dave :-)

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Originally Posted by sean_miller

That seems to be the general consensus when people start a "the group behind hit into us" thread.

Haha maybe 100 yards is more like it.  I'm tall and lanky though so for me that's a long ways, which means I can always use the "I didn't think I could hit it that far excuse" and it seems believable...

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  • 6 months later...
Originally Posted by sean_miller

We need a recount. I follow those threads and estimate that > 95% percent of forum members have never even seen a 300 yard drive in person let alone hit them.

Length of drive threads x new driver threads x ball threads = 350 yard drives easy

Do not tee off until green ahead is clear because inevitable concusions and fist fights will result in slow play ... and any round longer than 2.5 hours is bad, m'kay.

In my bag ... 12 year old Balvenie DoubleWood

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I drove a green I never drove before last summer. Something like 290 a little uphill. I apologize but the group ahead just said nice drive. Does this mean I always have to wait on this hole to drive being that I drove it maybe 1 out of 100 times?

I guess so, or just hit an iron off the tee. One time hitting someone because they are too close is too many.

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Originally Posted by mtsalmela80

I drove a green I never drove before last summer. Something like 290 a little uphill. I apologize but the group ahead just said nice drive. Does this mean I always have to wait on this hole to drive being that I drove it maybe 1 out of 100 times?

I guess so, or just hit an iron off the tee. One time hitting someone because they are too close is too many.

But you still have to admit that driveable par 4 holes are rare, and always waiting for the green clear on a 380 yard hole is stupid, and contributes to slow play.  It would be just as bad as the idiot who just hit a 230 yard drive on a par 5 hole, then he waits to play his 2nd shot until the green clears, even though he's 260 yards out.  How many of you can hit a 3W from the fairway farther that you hit your driver off the tee?

Rick

"He who has the fastest cart will never have a bad lie."

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If it's a potentially reachable par4........I wait until the group ahead is on the green before I tee off.    The only relevant hole on my old home course is a 348yd dogleg par4.   it's about 310yds to the front edge on a straight line and it's a very narrow green and trouble everywhere that will gobble up stray shots.   There is some room to miss on the left.....missing right is much worse.

I've played the hole 1,000 times and only hit the green 3 times. Mostly because I don't hit my tee shots 310yds that often......LOL  If I get lucky and roll one on....they may turn and clap......surely they won't be pissed.   I missed my line from the tee when I hit the green.  If I'm playing aggressive, my tee shot comes up a little to the left in a safe area 20-30yds short of the green.  It's a dogleg to the right and anything to the right is dead...........

The play is to miss the green to the left and short and score with the short game.  I've made a deuce four times on this hole.  When the conditions aren't good and the hole is playing long......I play even further left and sometimes approach from 100yds or more.................

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Sorry Mr. Tiger! c5_banana.gif

I mentioned this on a facebook post when Nike posted it. That commercial makes Tiger look like a jerk for being the ONLY one who wanted to take issue with someone driving up onto the green. Not exactly the best for his image, huh? How about having him ask about the kid's new driver on the next tee after saying "nice drive" or something? They may as well have had him back his SUV down the fairway trying to run them over or something. I posted earlier in the thread and I have another comment- If you can CONSISTENTLY (90-95%) put a 320+ yd drive straight down the middle, then wait. Let the other guys who CAN'T do it tee off and to heck with the 'honor'. People who wait because their best drive ever went 300 should hit. Why? because the odds of doing it again are minuscule. This business of adding 20yds to your best ever as a cushion is silly. You go with your AVERAGE drive distance. Anyone here(not on tour) AVERAGE 300yds plus? And for it to be a real danger is CARRYING 320 yards... as mentioned, most times the ball is rolling and crawling up to the putting surface. IF that hole is such a problem, do what I do- if it IS a driveable(?) hole keep an eye on the tee box. A quick glimpse when someone is teeing off will let you know if you are in any danger anyway. Usually you can see the ball heading off to one side or the other within a half second of impact. The straight ones will land in a couple of seconds and you can judge whether it will make it or not (I'm guessing that 99.999% it will be 'not'). If it has some hangtime AND it's straight, then pay attention. Likely it will STILL be short but you won't be unprepared. The dangerous holes are the 300-325yd 90 degree doglegs where the green is out of sight. depending on the terrain and vegetation, many ARE reachable by a LOT more people. It may only be 220 or 240 carry to the green. People see the fairway is clear and may not take the time to check to see if the green is clear and just fire away over the trees or the hill. That is a much more likely scenario that I've come across.

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We have 1 short par 4 about 270 yards, it follows 2 par 3s and there is a reasonable walk to it from the previous hole.

WIth the natural gap with the 2 par 3s built in the group in front is usually putting out when you get to the green.

In winter, unless the ground is frozen or the wind is howling, we hit straight off in the summer you always wait unless its playing into a gale (not often).

Its been said before don't fly it into the group ahead, if you roll it in no one is going to care.

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  • Administrator
Originally Posted by RayG

I mentioned this on a facebook post when Nike posted it. That commercial makes Tiger look like a jerk for being the ONLY one who wanted to take issue with someone driving up onto the green. Not exactly the best for his image, huh? How about having him ask about the kid's new driver on the next tee after saying "nice drive" or something? They may as well have had him back his SUV down the fairway trying to run them over or something.

I think it was funny. Especially given the tone of the "hitting into people" threads.

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
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I think it was funny. Especially given the tone of the "hitting into people" threads.

Oh, yeah- I got the joke... but... considering his history and all.... they MIGHT have taken a lighter tone with his reaction instead of implying anger and revenge. Why not have the kid's ball roll up and hit his ankle- then show him hobbling around, talking with the kid in the ER about what a great drive he hit and what club did he use? "A Nike? wow- they didn't tell ME about it!"

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  • Administrator
Originally Posted by RayG

Oh, yeah- I got the joke... but... considering his history and all.... they MIGHT have taken a lighter tone with his reaction instead of implying anger and revenge. Why not have the kid's ball roll up and hit his ankle- then show him hobbling around, talking with the kid in the ER about what a great drive he hit and what club did he use? "A Nike? wow- they didn't tell ME about it!"

Because that wouldn't have been funny.

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

Check Out: New Topics | TST Blog | Golf Terms | Instructional Content | Analyzr | LSW | Instructional Droplets

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I think you're overanalyzing it trying to find something wrong. I've seen the commercial at least 20 times now and it's light hearted enough. IMO it'd be more corny to put too much fluff into it and make it about trying to portray a certain side of Tiger. It's not about Tiger, the new Nike driver is the subject.

Dave :-)

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  • 2 months later...

I have an update for this thread (I've been subscribed for months).

Day was sunny but still wet from morning rain.  Was on a 385 yd par 4.  Drove a limp shot (but straight) 200 yds to the fairway.  I'm up first in the group as i'm away.  About to strike from the fairway with a 25* hybrid to the green.  I'm looking at about 185yds to the center of the green slightly uphill.  I pull a 25*  hybrid and wait for the green to clear.

The group behind us has already rolled a ball past us once.  We are sticking directly behind the group in front of us and not slow playing.  So when a guy rolls a ball past us again, I walk up to it, turn around and line up, aiming at the tee box.   I crush his ball and it soars right on target and lodges itself right in front of his group on the dampened downslope from the tips/blues tee box.  I didn't wait to see if he went digging it up or left it.  Me and the group were cracking up.

They caught up to us on a par 3 because of the slow group in front of our group.  Our group carried on like nothing happened while we waited to tee off.  His group said nothing and was obviously feeling sheepish because of his poor manners.

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Note: This thread is 1621 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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