Playing Thru

[The Rambler]

What do you all think of playing though and where do you think is the best place(eg a par-3)

[AndrewM]

There should be an option for "I *should* always be playing through... but no one ever lets me" lol

Down here it seems almost impossible to get a group to allow you to play through... case in point, I was playing as a 4some at ChampionsGate just a few weeks ago, the 2SOME in front of us was playing slower than we were!

Not really a huge deal there, the story is the 2some behind us... Behind us there were 3, 2somes in a row... on the 17th tee (short par 3), 2 of the 2somes pulled up at the exact same time (we had waited for the 2some in front of us, so the 2some behind was on a tee for a bit, the 2some behind them pulled up with them while they were waiting).... the 2some that pulled up first PLAYED OUT ALONE! lol so these other guys were waiting on the tee with them at the same time, and they didnt let them finish out together, they made them wait on the tee! I couldnt believe it.

[scotton]

I prefer par 3s. It gives more options, because if the slow group has already hit, they can still wave you through the green. On a long par 4 or par 5, there is a lot of potential for stupidity if a group lets you through and you get skeert and hit a bad drive. You can actually hear them thinking "Why are we letting these guys through again?"

I had a group let us through on the first tee the other day. That was greatness. They said, "Hey, we're slow, why don't y'all go ahead".

[lamebums]

I usually play through when I'm in a twosome or threesome. In a foursome, I don't bother. As a single, I'm always playing through people. I prefer par 3's, but it doesn't matter where, really. Sometimes if I'm looking for a ball I'll let the guy behind me go through, if he's also a single.

[sonicblue]

I'll only ask to play through if there's actually room in front of the nearest group. If I see that they have groups in front of them, I'll just drop a few balls on the green and putt/chip while I wait. If there's a group coming up on me as well, I'll look to consolidate, if possible.

[ndredsox]

I had a little kid and father team that let me play through tonight. I could tell he was teaching him and I thought it was very cool to see. They allowed me to play through on the second hole par 3, so yes par 3's are a little easier to play through on.

[bflat450]

Yeah par 3s are ideal... I was playing with 3 other people about a week ago as a 4 some and we let a single play through us on a par 3 because he was pretty good and you could tell he was waiting to hit his shots so we let him through. Whenever I play as a single I usually play through groups. Today we were a 3 some and there was a 4 some in front of us who was sooo slow. The thing that annoyed me the most was that they would rush off the tee so we couldn't play through, then they would hit bad shots and be looking for them and all over the place holding us up big time. We had to wait on every tee. Major bummer, but I still played well.

[getinthehole]

Par 3's are the best, or long par 4 and 5's. I sometimes get to play through, but some seniors are so full of themselves that they wont let juniors through, even though we are like breathing down their neck. It's annoying.

[Buckswin]

Nothing makes me madder than groups not letting faster groups play through. On Wednesday (yes, 7/4), we had to tee off on the back 9 at 8:20am. We were the 3rd group off and were in carts. The group in front of us was a 3some and were walking (and had a senior). We waited on every shot on that side and the group in front of them (a 2some with a 5 year old) was more than a hole ahead of them until they started having the 5 year old play because they were so far ahead. Not once did the group in front of us offer to let us play through. Getting pretty frustrated, I said "maybe they'll pick up the pace or let us play through) loudly a couple of times when they were teeing off and we were on the green.

Fortunately, they only played that side. When we made the turn, there were 3 groups waiting to tee off on 1, including 2 groups of seniors who couldn't hit the ball more than 100 yards but refused to play from the yellows. Hole #1 is a reachable par 5, so we were sloooow there, too. I screwed up twice in 2 holes, though. On #2, my drive leaked a little right and my view of the green was partially blocked. I thought that they were clear of the green so I hit my approach. It came within 15 feet of them as they walked off the green. On #3, there's a tree that overhangs the tee box on the right side, but you have to hit a 20 yard fade to get maximum use of the fairway. I clipped the tree and wound up with 231 to the front edge. I pulled out my hybrid, which should be 200 if I absolutely nuke it. I swumg away and the ball game to rest on the back edge of the green (250 plus) while they were still on it. I felt terrible, but as you can imagine, they were in no mood to accept another apology.

The round took 4 hours to play, but this course (Reeves) shouldn't take more than 3.5 at any time.

[erniebanks]

I tend to hurry myself if there is someone or a group waiting behind me. I would rather be held up than hold up others. I have to let them thru it there is any opening in front of me.
I do not like playing thru because of the “hurry factor” that comes into my subconscious. Even if I am a single I would prefer to sit under a tree and wait for the group in front of me to finish the hole.
I guess it’s a matter of personal preference. Golf is not a timed sport like auto racing, but a round shouldn’t take 5 hours either. I assume 4 hours when I go.

[Mhinderaker]

I think I enjoy playing through because I enjoy playing with a gallery.

Call me crazy but I hit the ball much better when I put pressure on myself to perform.

[Soup Fan]

My brother and I were playing a par 3 course on my lunch break a week or two ago. We were behind a foursome on the first tee. 2 moms and their young sons. The first hole is dead straight, wide open and about 150 yards. It took them about 15 minutes to make it through. My brother and I got it done in well under half the time, and they were still in the process of teeing off when we took a seat on the bench on the next tee. They didn't ask if we wanted to play through. I was flabbergasted. After 10 minutes on the teebox and none of their balls on the green yet, we decided we would just skip that hole and go straight to the 3rd tee. Halfway down the fairway they FINALLY asked if we wanted to play through, so we had to truck back up the hill to the teebox and play the hole. My tee shot was just off the green, but I was still putting. My brother was a short chip off. We got the hole done in about 3 or 4 minutes and were happy to leave them in our wake.

There is more to it than just group size. 4 scratch golfers can walk a hole faster than my Dad and I can ride it, just because they won't be one or two fairways over or searching for balls out where the bugs live. I golf at a fast pace, but that does not necessarily mean I am a fast golfer. I spend a lot of time looking for my ball. The other people in my group spend a lot of time looking for their ball...if I could hit the damn ball where I wanted to, I feel like I could play 18 in like 2 hours.

Playing thorugh is a matter of common courtesy and common sense, something that many people apparently know nothing about.

[Jeepthrills]

Yesterday we had two twosomes play through us. They were in carts and about 20 minutes apart from eachother. They didn't have to ask, we just let them go. We are fast and normally have no problem keeping pace. These guys were faster and there was nobody out in front of us. In these cases it happened on the tee of a par 4. We were putting out on 12 when they came up the fairway. We went to 13 and hit our tee shots and just waited for them to come up and hit. We did the same thing with the second group on 17. After they hit, we just started walking to our balls. That way there was not a big hold up on the tee and the group behind them would not end up catching us. We only had to wait a few minutes for them to hit their second shots and ultimately hole out. Sometimes a par 3 is not always the best place to do this.

[rmgr]

Yesterday we had two twosomes play through us. They were in carts and about 20 minutes apart from eachother. They didn't have to ask, we just let them go. We are fast and normally have no problem keeping pace. These guys were faster and there was nobody out in front of us. In these cases it happened on the tee of a par 4. We were putting out on 12 when they came up the fairway. We went to 13 and hit our tee shots and just waited for them to come up and hit. We did the same thing with the second group on 17. After they hit, we just started walking to our balls. That way there was not a big hold up on the tee and the group behind them would not end up catching us. We only had to wait a few minutes for them to hit their second shots and ultimately hole out. Sometimes a par 3 is not always the best place to do this.

this might seem a bit off topic but it's also happened to me when I've played. Why did you hit your tee shots and then let them hit? wouldn't you get your balls confused?

[Jeepthrills]

this might seem a bit off topic but it's also happened to me when I've played. Why did you hit your tee shots and then let them hit? wouldn't you get your balls confused?

We just tell them whats out there and where we hit it. Besides, we are walking down there as soon as they have teed off, so we are right there to identify our ball if need be.

[rmgr]

We just tell them whats out there and where we hit it. Besides, we are walking down there as soon as they have teed off, so we are right there to identify our ball if need be.

ahh ok, thanks for clearing that up. I just thought it was easier if you just let the group behind you hit without you hitting first, but I guess it's not a bad idea.

[Guest]

if they are trustworthy then hopefully ball confusion is a veru unlikely siutation and par 4s are often a good place to do this

[erniebanks]

I had a bad morning round and went back out at 3:30, alone, to work on a few things.
I wasn't any hurry and thought that because of the heat(94 deg) the course would be relatively empty. Well it was.
I went to the first tee and was in my backswing when a cart slid, to a stop behind me. Scared the whatever out of me.
I walked off the tee and told the group to go ahead because I was practicing and wanted to take my time.
After they left, I continued on without incident till the eighth hole when they suddenly appeared behind me, waiting for me to tee off. They apparently knew a short cut back to #8 from wherever.
I again stepped aside and asked they to play through.
I really was not any hurry and the wait did not bother me at thay time. They went on as did I.
When I finished #8 I noticed another single waiting to hit his approach shot.
I waited on #9 tee to let him play through.
Thinking I would never see any of those people again, I resumed my very deliberate(read slow) pace.
Believe it of not, As I was preparing to hit my second shot on # 12, the
original group of a**holes from #1 and #8 appeared on the tee behind me!
How did they do that?
Again i waited on the next tee for them.
Well to make a long story short ( I know it's too late for that) the single passed me again and the same group of "nice people" did also.
I wonder if they ever finish, or just cycle around and around till darkness sets in?
I was so ticked my practice was for naught!
Where are rangers when we need them?