How many here are guilty of ever hitting into anyone?

[meenman]

Never have, not going to say that i didnt want to, but some of us high handicappers face this dilemma on every shot. Hit away and it is sure to hit into the next group or wait and duff one.

One reason I hate playing with my father in law - he is always in a rush to get nowhere. He will tell me if I dont hit into them that he will hit my ball. (i guess he is always in a rush to go search for balls)

[jetsknicks1]

I think we've all hit into somebody unintentionally. Hitting into someone on purpose is crazy because it's not only dangerous to them but in today's society, dangerous to you as well. I played in a scamble once and hit a drive that was easily 60 yds further than normal and rolkled up next to one of the guys in front of us. Well the guy goes crazy, screaming at me from the fairway, we catch them on the next tee and I apologize but the guy doesn't want to hear it and keeps yelling so I just walk away. After the round we go to get lunch and he gets in my face sayin how he should kick my ass, blah blah blah. Needless to say, we ended up having to be seperated.

My point being, you never how that guy in front of you is going to react. Just not worth it.

[rehmwa]

Not on purpose....ever.  It's a bit childish.  Have you ever seen a picture of someone who's been hit by a ball?

This works for me - I figure you can't always see the next three or four groups in front of them (no matter how it 'appears' to you) so the slow down might not be their fault.  Then you have a group frustrated at the slow play in front of them and an ******* is now hitting into them.

Once you hit into them on purpose, it doesn't matter how they play - it's your fault.  No excuses.  You are in the wrong no matter what.

However, if it's slow and were all catching each other, I'll always let the group behind me know if we're being backed up too and there's no reason to play through.  That's all it takes and everyone is friendly and commiserating with each other.  if there is a gap, they can play through, or, play along for one hole to get in front of us, etc.

Slow days, I'm also a fan of small groups catching each other and combining - it's amazing how many people just refuse to do that.  For that matter, if a 4way is sandwiched by two 2-ways, even on a slow day, it makes sense to send that 2way through as long as they join with the other 2way asap.

you gotta talk, quiet and stewing is what children do

[lumpuckeroo]

I'm not saying I've never done it, but I haven't done it in many many years.  I think as I got older I am in less of a rush to get nowhere.  Don't get me wrong slow play is a big pet peeve of mine, just like most of us on the forum, but I think I have become more appreciative of just being out on the course and playing golf.  When I was in my 30's and had a young family and had things going on, it was more of a challenge to get a round of golf in knowing I was taking time away from family.  But now with my kids grown I don't have those obligations anymore, so I tend to be a little more tolerant.

Now, all the BS aside, if I had been dealing with a group that was playing slow all day and I just hit a drive on a 325 yd hole into a greenside bunker, I would not have felt the least bit bad!

[el shanko]

I have experienced being hit into before, a couple weeks ago spring break we went out for a quick 18 (yea right), well we go out and the course is some what busy, i start scanning the course to see how play is shaping up in front of us (looking several holes ahead) well we stumble upon a slow 4 some no biggie every thing behind us is clear, we play on and then later i noticed a couple holes behind us a group of 4 small kids and 2 adults (assuming they are their dads) so i keep my eye on this group. well this foursome in front starts dragging ass and gets us backed up now here come this group behind us one little kid probably 4 yrs old just hacking away up through the holes and a couple of 12yr old slapping it around and  their adult chauffeur, we are playing a par 5 we are on the green and i notice they are starting to crowd us and then a ball comes flying past me, i did not say anything just looked back at them and they was oblivious of what they did, we cleared the green and jumped in the carts, well on the way to the next tee box i conveniently ran over the guys ball and sunk it deep in the grass, damn if they did get the gesture, at the turn they decided to stay in the club house till things was open for them to continue

[mailman]

Only a couple of times spring to mind...the first was when playing twilight golf so things were starting to get murkey. Anyway on this whole it has about a 270 yard narrow fairway with a hard dogleg left in to the green. After waiting for the three ball ahead of me to move to the green I teed up, connected like no ones business BUT just after the ball takes off I notice a guy walking from right to left at the end of the fairway...and of course the ball flies right past him and in to the water at the very far end of the fairway!

When I got up to them I apologised profusely but they didnt seem to fazed.

Next one was only last week actually...we had teed up and nek minute a chap in his cart drives right across our front just as I was about to unleash a vicious power slice :)

He apologised profusely but we explained to him that being right in front of us was probably the safest place to be...and that he should move from where he had stopped to apologise on the left hand side of the tee box (as THAT was in our line of fire!:)

Regards

Mailman

[rehmwa]

Originally Posted by el shanko

i conveniently ran over the guys ball and sunk it deep in the grass,

I'm amazed at how grown men are so proud of these little passive aggressive gestures.  I find them escalatory and childish  (sorry, shanko - yours is just one of MANY examples of this kind)

Pretty easy to be friendly to the dad figure when they catch you at the tee anyway - and ask him to teach the kids (if they didn't feel bad for hitting into you already - lots of kids are a bit oblivious about the safety issue and need to be calibrated anyway).  Then, if they continue to do it or are unfriendly for your talk, then go ahead and step on balls etc all you like.

Most people here would respond just fine to that - so why would assume everyone else wouldn't if we treated them the same.

I've yet to meet a single person on a course that didn't feel crappy about hitting into a group.  I suspect there are some self righteous types out there that would, but they must be pretty rare and easy to identify from the start.

[rehmwa]

Originally Posted by mailman

being right in front of us was probably the safest place to be...

this is a great line and applies to my hitting

[MS256]

I do my best to never get mad on the golf course, either at any of my bad play or putting up with things other people do.

As I've said before I'm lucky to live in a place where a slow round is 4 hrs. Sometimes it actually does me some good to have a group in front that is a little slower than usual.

Last year I was playing alone on a very nice spring morning. There were a couple of women on the third hole when I started and I quickly caught up with them but decided to just sit on the tee box and wait until they cleared the green so they wouldn't think I was in a hurry.

As I played along behind them just taking my time and relaxing I started to notice that I was pretty much in the zone and was making a lot of birdies.

It went along like that until I went around the corner to the 18th tee box (thinking they would have already teed off) but they must have taken a break or something and were still at the tee box. They asked me if I wanted to play through and I told them I was 5 under and that I wasn't about to jinx it by playing through on the last hole.

I've only gotten mad on the course two times and both times were when sombody hit me with a golf ball, and both times they were doing something stupid. One is on a par 4 that by course rules is supposed to be played around a lake. Sometimes idiots decide to break the rules and try to go straight across the lake to the green which is over a 300 yard carry over water, and also directly over the green from the previous hole. Not only stupid golf-wise but dangerous.

I was getting ready to putt the ball on that previous hole and one of them hit a low line drive trying to go across the lake and hit me right in the chest. Pretty sure he will never do that again.

[tuffluck]

i did it yesterday.  par 5 and some guys were on their third shot, i was playing from the tips.  i drove it about 330 which is very unusual for me, and in fact i think it may have hit the cart path.  at any rate, it was only about 20 yards behind them, and when i came up to my ball they told me to play through.  i really didn't want to play the whole "i didn't mean to, i've never driven that far in my life" card, but it was true for that moment.

[el shanko]

Originally Posted by rehmwa

I'm amazed at how grown men are so proud of these little passive aggressive gestures.  I find them escalatory and childish  (sorry, shanko - yours is just one of MANY examples of this kind)

Pretty easy to be friendly to the dad figure when they catch you at the tee anyway - and ask him to teach the kids (if they didn't feel bad for hitting into you already - lots of kids are a bit oblivious about the safety issue and need to be calibrated anyway).  Then, if they continue to do it or are unfriendly for your talk, then go ahead and step on balls etc all you like.

Most people here would respond just fine to that - so why would assume everyone else wouldn't if we treated them the same.

I've yet to meet a single person on a course that didn't feel crappy about hitting into a group.  I suspect there are some self righteous types out there that would, but they must be pretty rare and easy to identify from the start.

there was no teaching my freind if you knew the whole scenario you would understand , watch these kids just running around with no regards, so you or someone else will "teach" these types of players, don't think so. i guess should have conveniently whip his ass then. understand i am a mild manner man i have had many oops happen to us (hitting into us) all are apologetic this group could care less

[rehmwa]

No issues - sorry to use your post as my example, bringing the kids up right is tougher and tougher these days.  Sometimes I'm sure they have 'activities' just so the parents can dump them on the world.  We see that at a local ski place.  little or no respect - and that's what it's all about - a little mutual respect and we all talk to each other and not mess around in this fashion.

me? - I give the benefit of the doubt up front at all times and open with friendly and up front, no matter how certain my preconceived notion is of the other person/group's actions/attitudes/stance.  It's up to them if they don't respond in kind.  At that point, it'll become their problem.  So far this has worked fine.

(unless they're wearing cargo shorts, or watches - you just can't work with some people.... )

and I realize the inconsistency of this professed attitude and then calling out people on an anonymous website - I apologize for that, hard to stay consistent and I'll keep trying.....

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by el shanko

... and they was oblivious of what they did ...

Originally Posted by el shanko

... this group could care less ...

I'm with Rehmwa on this.  You said it yourself that they were oblivious to what they did, how do you know that they "could" care less when it appears that they simply weren't aware of what they had done?

[MS256]

Originally Posted by rehmwa

I've yet to meet a single person on a course that didn't feel crappy about hitting into a group.  I suspect there are some self righteous types out there that would, but they must be pretty rare and easy to identify from the start.

Thank goodness that's usually true. I have seen exceptions though. There are idiots out there.

One time a single (and obviously a beginner) was ahead of me with a group of maybe 20 year olds between he and I. He was playing a little slower than we are used to but nothing outrageous.

When I pulled up to a tee box on a driveable par 4 he was on the green getting ready to putt and the guys in front of me started hitting balls at him and yelling "four". Each time he would run under a pine tree close to the green and come back out and get ready to putt again and each time they would hit another ball at him and yell "four" again.

It was none of my business and I didn't know any of them but I couldn't help myself and told them that it was a good thing it wasn't me down there that they were trying to hit. One of them said they thought they could handle him and I just said if it was me you would surely get a chance to find out.

After that hole they stayed back away from the guy and didn't bother him anymore the rest of the ground.

[el shanko]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

I'm with Rehmwa on this.  You said it yourself that they were oblivious to what they did, how do you know that they "could" care less when it appears that they simply weren't aware of what they had done?

that was not the first time it happened that day (from this group) but it was the closest to us ON THE GREEN (actually pin high left) i was just off the edge left. i watched them on several holes because of the running around with the carts (this just was not normal) plus a couple of (i assume 10-12 yr old kids)running around notice the father figures not "teaching etiquette" that's when i paid a little more attention. believe me fellas you would have concerns yourselves if you saw that. our group was a liitle pissed about their actions not just me. there was no harm done.

[Golfingdad]

Quote:

Originally Posted by el shanko

that was not the first time it happened that day (from this group) but it was the closest to us ON THE GREEN (actually pin high left) i was just off the edge left. i watched them on several holes because of the running around with the carts (this just was not normal) plus a couple of (i assume 10-12 yr old kids)running around notice the father figures not "teaching etiquette" that's when i paid a little more attention. believe me fellas you would have concerns yourselves if you saw that. our group was a liitle pissed about their actions not just me. there was no harm done.

That's all fine, but his whole point, which I completely agree with, is that the passive-aggressive approach solves nothing.  Here's what I gather from your three posts ...

They were oblivious.

They could care less.

They didn't have etiquette.

They had little kids.

Why do you automatically assume that the dads even know etiquette?  Maybe they are just as clueless as the kids and aren't trying to be jerks to you, they just have no idea what they are doing.  If it's a danger to you (sounds like it was) then you can't let it go, but stomping on their ball and walking away tells them nothing.

Go talk to them, tell them what happened, and like rehmwa also said ...

Quote:

I've yet to meet a single person on a course that didn't feel crappy about hitting into a group.

I would bet that you'd get nothing but apologies and it wouldn't happen again.

Also, read ms256's story above.  Notice how those guys were clearly tools, yet a little communication straightened them out?

If you can't tell ... passive-aggression is a pet peeve of mine.  In any sense.

[tmf9]

Originally Posted by lumpuckeroo

I'm not saying I've never done it, but I haven't done it in many many years.  I think as I got older I am in less of a rush to get nowhere.  Don't get me wrong slow play is a big pet peeve of mine, just like most of us on the forum, but I think I have become more appreciative of just being out on the course and playing golf.  When I was in my 30's and had a young family and had things going on, it was more of a challenge to get a round of golf in knowing I was taking time away from family.  But now with my kids grown I don't have those obligations anymore, so I tend to be a little more tolerant.

Now, all the BS aside, if I had been dealing with a group that was playing slow all day and I just hit a drive on a 325 yd hole into a greenside bunker, I would not have felt the least bit bad!

lol at the time I didn't feel bad at all.  I was actually happy that I had done exactly what I wanted to, and sent my message without hurting anyone.  But i realize hitting into someone is not the way to go about things as well.  I know that they were playing for money, and that is why they were playing slower, but these guys act like they own the damn course and it was honestly many rounds of pent up anger being stuck behind them, and them not letting anyone play through.  From the hole I hit my drive on you can see the entire 15th hole and the teebox on number 16, and there was no one on either hole.

[el shanko]

believe me GD i have no issues with the i call "mistakes" on the course most if not all come up and apologize , just one more on this, same day there was a 2 some dad and his small son 6-7 yr old in front of us 2-3 holes a head totally different scenario, dad was teaching his young son it was precious seeing that, 2 total different actions on the course.