Etiquette: Having lunch after 9

[Fourputt]

This is all really strange to me. I cannot think of one course that does not have a 9 hole rate in here in NE Ohio. Literally every course within 50 miles of me provides a 9 hole rate.

My home course has a 9 hole rate, but reservations for 9 holes are limited to the first 1½ hours after open, on the back 9.  There are no reservable 9 hole tee times on the front nine.  You can call on day of play, or walk on and take an unreserved tee time on the front for 9, but that's all.  Since reservations can be made 7 days in advance, most of the good times from open until noon are always going to be filled with 18 hole players, 7 days a week.  There is some flexibility in that restriction, but obviously the course would rather fill those times with players paying for 18 holes.

[Big C]

@whatwoodtigerdo , to me the whole debate boils down to this:

Do you feel it is all right to cut in front of somebody in line (after you have lost your place)?

If someone cut in front of you, how would you feel?

Here is my question. Assuming that you are taking longer than expected to grab your mid-round snacks and refreshments (whether it's due to an understaffed restaurant, some guy in your group needing to take a dump, whatever), how is letting the group coming off of the ninth green play jump ahead of you different than letting a faster group play through at any other juncture on the course?

If I let a faster group play through my foursome, I don't assume that I have lost my place on the course, nor would I if I suggested that the group behind us go ahead and tee of on 10. If it's a packed muni, it likely that we are all going to catch up with the groups in front of us within a few holes anyway, so there is no harm done to the groups behind.

[CarlSpackler]

Here is my question. Assuming that you are taking longer than expected to grab your mid-round snacks and refreshments (whether it's due to an understaffed restaurant, some guy in your group needing to take a dump, whatever), how is letting the group coming off of the ninth green play jump ahead of you different than letting a faster group play through at any other juncture on the course?

If I let a faster group play through my foursome, I don't assume that I have lost my place on the course, nor would I if I suggested that the group behind us go ahead and tee of on 10. If it's a packed muni, it likely that we are all going to catch up with the groups in front of us within a few holes anyway, so there is no harm done to the groups behind.

I would say this, talk to the starter and let him know that your friend unwisely chose Taco Bell for breakfast and might be a while or whatever the situation. Most starters I know are reasonable people.

[Fourputt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 14ledo81

@whatwoodtigerdo , to me the whole debate boils down to this:

Do you feel it is all right to cut in front of somebody in line (after you have lost your place)?

If someone cut in front of you, how would you feel?

Here is my question. Assuming that you are taking longer than expected to grab your mid-round snacks and refreshments (whether it's due to an understaffed restaurant, some guy in your group needing to take a dump, whatever), how is letting the group coming off of the ninth green play jump ahead of you different than letting a faster group play through at any other juncture on the course?

If I let a faster group play through my foursome, I don't assume that I have lost my place on the course, nor would I if I suggested that the group behind us go ahead and tee of on 10. If it's a packed muni, it likely that we are all going to catch up with the groups in front of us within a few holes anyway, so there is no harm done to the groups behind.

If it's a packed muni, why are you not keeping up in the first place, so that there would be any reason to let someone play through?  And if you are keeping up, and the following groups are bumping along right behind you, then by taking too long at the turn you are simply making a bad situation worse by squeezing in where there is no room to squeeze.  I guarantee you that those players you just cut in front of are going to be pissed at you.  They've been waiting on every shot the entire front nine, and now you appear out of nowhere to clog up the 10th hole even worse.  I know I'd be hopping mad.

On a busy course, you keep your place without undue delay, or you take the chance of a long wait to get back on.

I would say this, talk to the starter and let him know that your friend unwisely chose Taco Bell for breakfast and might be a while or whatever the situation. Most starters I know are reasonable people.

If it was me as the starter, I'd tell him that the rest of the group should go ahead and play, and if they get too far out, we'll run him out in a cart when he has taken care of his problem.  It wouldn't be the first time that I drove a player out to catch up with his group.  Still no reason to hold up the course.

[colin007]

If it was me as the starter, I'd tell him that the rest of the group should go ahead and play, and if they get too far out, we'll run him out in a cart when he has taken care of his problem.  It wouldn't be the first time that I drove a player out to catch up with his group.  Still no reason to hold up the course.

yeah, but you fail to realize that this is a logical/common sense solution and will therefore be eschewed by most people.

[14ledo81]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 14ledo81

@whatwoodtigerdo , to me the whole debate boils down to this:

Do you feel it is all right to cut in front of somebody in line (after you have lost your place)?

If someone cut in front of you, how would you feel?

Here is my question. Assuming that you are taking longer than expected to grab your mid-round snacks and refreshments (whether it's due to an understaffed restaurant, some guy in your group needing to take a dump, whatever), how is letting the group coming off of the ninth green play jump ahead of you different than letting a faster group play through at any other juncture on the course?

If I let a faster group play through my foursome, I don't assume that I have lost my place on the course, nor would I if I suggested that the group behind us go ahead and tee of on 10. If it's a packed muni, it likely that we are all going to catch up with the groups in front of us within a few holes anyway, so there is no harm done to the groups behind.

The point is, it is only a problem when the course is packed/busy.  If the course is that busy, there would be no letting of groups through because there is nowhere to go.

If the course is slow, the whole debate is moot.  I am sure the starter would not care if you took an hour getting food, if when you came out to play there was room to fit you in.

[Big C]

If it's a packed muni, why are you not keeping up in the first place, so that there would be any reason to let someone play through?  And if you are keeping up, and the following groups are bumping along right behind you, then by taking too long at the turn you are simply making a bad situation worse by squeezing in where there is no room to squeeze.  I guarantee you that those players you just cut in front of are going to be pissed at you.  They've been waiting on every shot the entire front nine, and now you appear out of nowhere to clog up the 10th hole even worse.  I know I'd be hopping mad.

Keeping up in general is not the issue. The issue is an unexpected delay at the turn. I have actually had this happen to me fairly recently. Our group bought our sandwiches at the turn and headed off to the 10th tee. We get there only to realize, whoops! One of the members of our group left his sandwich back at the condiment station. It is about a 2 minute cart ride back to the snack area and by this point, the group behind us (who presumably did not stop for sandwiches) is approaching the tee box as well.

Our solution was to simply let them play through, while we remedied the situation. In that case, we didn't involve the starter at all. The starter doesn't need to know every time one group let's another play through, whether it's at the turn or on the 5th tee box.

[14ledo81]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fourputt

If it's a packed muni, why are you not keeping up in the first place, so that there would be any reason to let someone play through?  And if you are keeping up, and the following groups are bumping along right behind you, then by taking too long at the turn you are simply making a bad situation worse by squeezing in where there is no room to squeeze.  I guarantee you that those players you just cut in front of are going to be pissed at you.  They've been waiting on every shot the entire front nine, and now you appear out of nowhere to clog up the 10th hole even worse.  I know I'd be hopping mad.

Keeping up in general is not the issue. The issue is an unexpected delay at the turn. I have actually had this happen to me fairly recently. Our group bought our sandwiches at the turn and headed off to the 10th tee. We get there only to realize, whoops! One of the members of our group left his sandwich back at the condiment station. It is about a 2 minute cart ride back to the snack area and by this point, the group behind us (who presumably did not stop for sandwiches) is approaching the tee box as well.

Our solution was to simply let them play through, while we remedied the situation. In that case, we didn't involve the starter at all. The starter doesn't need to know every time one group let's another play through, whether it's at the turn or on the 5th tee box.

And this is a fine solution as long as there is not another group coming, and another group coming, etc......

If there was room behind the group that you let go, all is well IMO.

[Big C]

And this is a fine solution as long as there is not another group coming, and another group coming, etc...... If there was room behind the group that you let go, all is well IMO.

Well as with many real world dilemmas, it wasn't black or white, but rather shades of grey. There was enough space behind for us to let the group in front clear the fairway and for us to tee off. As we were leaving the teeing area, the next group arrived. They asked where we came from and we explained. They seemed a bit put off, but the total additional wait to them was perhaps 3 minutes. Maybe I have poor golf manners but there was no way I was offering to let them play through as well.

[Fourputt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big C

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fourputt

If it's a packed muni, why are you not keeping up in the first place, so that there would be any reason to let someone play through?  And if you are keeping up, and the following groups are bumping along right behind you, then by taking too long at the turn you are simply making a bad situation worse by squeezing in where there is no room to squeeze.  I guarantee you that those players you just cut in front of are going to be pissed at you.  They've been waiting on every shot the entire front nine, and now you appear out of nowhere to clog up the 10th hole even worse.  I know I'd be hopping mad.

Keeping up in general is not the issue. The issue is an unexpected delay at the turn. I have actually had this happen to me fairly recently. Our group bought our sandwiches at the turn and headed off to the 10th tee. We get there only to realize, whoops! One of the members of our group left his sandwich back at the condiment station. It is about a 2 minute cart ride back to the snack area and by this point, the group behind us (who presumably did not stop for sandwiches) is approaching the tee box as well.

Our solution was to simply let them play through, while we remedied the situation. In that case, we didn't involve the starter at all. The starter doesn't need to know every time one group let's another play through, whether it's at the turn or on the 5th tee box.

And this is a fine solution as long as there is not another group coming, and another group coming, etc......

If there was room behind the group that you let go, all is well IMO.

This is the real key.  If the course is packed, then it's packed and there are no convenient gaps to allow for this.  That is why, if it was my group, the rest of us would play and the tardy member would just have to catch back up after he retrieved his lunch.  After all, it's his own absentmindedness that put him in that position.  The following groups shouldn't have to pay for his foolishness.

It's a poor design that puts the snack bar 2 minutes away by cart (that is a long distance away - I can easily drive 400 yards in a minute in the carts I'm used to) from the track between the 9th green and the 10th tee.  If stopping involves that much of a trek, I don't bother.  The way I look at it, if the course wants me to patronize their food service, they are going to have to make it more accessible than that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 14ledo81

And this is a fine solution as long as there is not another group coming, and another group coming, etc......

If there was room behind the group that you let go, all is well IMO.

Well as with many real world dilemmas, it wasn't black or white, but rather shades of grey. There was enough space behind for us to let the group in front clear the fairway and for us to tee off. As we were leaving the teeing area, the next group arrived. They asked where we came from and we explained. They seemed a bit put off, but the total additional wait to them was perhaps 3 minutes.

Maybe I have poor golf manners but there was no way I was offering to let them play through as well.

And now you see why we are saying what we are.  You caused someone else to have to pay for your group's bad decision.  You had no right to do that - and yes, you have very poor etiquette, since etiquette involves showing respect for the other players on the course.

[MS256]

Definitely play them when you can. They have really nice food, and you can order it from your cell phone.

What part of AL are you from?

Extreme NE. About 3 or 4 miles from Georgia and, hmmm, maybe 30 miles from Tennessee.

My car has a tendency to go in whichever direction my son lives when I want to play golf. When he lived in Tuscaloosa I played there a lot, when he lived in Auburn I played there a lot, and now that he lives in Chattanooga I play there a lot.

Special occasion we go to Gulf Shores.

[Big C]

The problem was the 10th tee itself, which was very remote relative to the clubhouse. The snack bar was actually quite accessible coming off the 9th hole, but having to double back from the 10th tee was an ordeal.

That said, it is amusing to me that you speak so authoritatively about a situation that you weren't party to. I would love to see the looks on your playing partners' faces when you suggested allowing another group to play through, while your balls were all sitting 250 yards away in the fairway. My guess is that they would have laughed you and your good etiquette off the tee box.

[shootaglock]

I would say this, talk to the starter and let him know that your friend unwisely chose Taco Bell for breakfast and might be a while or whatever the situation. Most starters I know are reasonable people.

You assume there is a starter. The two municipal courses that I have played don't have starters. You just line up and play.

To be honest, it usually goes pretty smooth.

[CarlSpackler]

Extreme NE. About 3 or 4 miles from Georgia and, hmmm, maybe 30 miles from Tennessee.

My car has a tendency to go in whichever direction my son lives when I want to play golf. When he lived in Tuscaloosa I played there a lot, when he lived in Auburn I played there a lot, and now that he lives in Chattanooga I play there a lot.

Special occasion we go to Gulf Shores.

Nice. My wife and I are eying the south once the kids are out and on their own. We lived in N Va before they were born and loved it. Still not sure why we moved back... Golf is much more affordable and courses less crazy here though.

If it was me as the starter, I'd tell him that the rest of the group should go ahead and play, and if they get too far out, we'll run him out in a cart when he has taken care of his problem.  It wouldn't be the first time that I drove a player out to catch up with his group.  Still no reason to hold up the course.

What about for a more significant medical issue like low blood sugar, attending to a colostomy bag, feminine hygiene, and so on? Would they have to skip a few holes because of their condition?

You assume there is a starter. The two municipal courses that I have played don't have starters. You just line up and play.

To be honest, it usually goes pretty smooth.

In this hypothetical discussion, there is a starter. At most courses around here, the starter punches your ticket, tells you the cart path policy and sends you on your way when the fairway is clear. They don't even monitor the 10th tee.

[Fourputt]

The problem was the 10th tee itself, which was very remote relative to the clubhouse. The snack bar was actually quite accessible coming off the 9th hole, but having to double back from the 10th tee was an ordeal.

That said, it is amusing to me that you speak so authoritatively about a situation that you weren't party to. I would love to see the looks on your playing partners' faces when you suggested allowing another group to play through, while your balls were all sitting 250 yards away in the fairway. My guess is that they would have laughed you and your good etiquette off the tee box.

I don't know who that was aimed at, but I said that we wouldn't have been in that position because 3 of us would have played on while our idiot fourth went back to get his stupid sandwich.  As I said, it wasn't our fault, nor the fault of the groups behind us that he was delayed, so there is no reason for anyone except him to pay for it.  My group would not have lost their place in the flow.  I've done exactly what I describe more than once over the many years that I've played golf, and the one who made the mistake and caused the issue has never had a problem with doing that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fourputt

If it was me as the starter, I'd tell him that the rest of the group should go ahead and play, and if they get too far out, we'll run him out in a cart when he has taken care of his problem.  It wouldn't be the first time that I drove a player out to catch up with his group.  Still no reason to hold up the course.

What about for a more significant medical issue like low blood sugar, attending to a colostomy bag, feminine hygiene, and so on? Would they have to skip a few holes because of their condition?

A busy course is a busy course.  If they have a medical issue which might cause such delays, then it's just possible that they'll have to plan their play during non-peak times.  If the delay is going to take more than one hole, then maybe the problem precludes playing golf at all.  Sometimes we have to just give up things we love for no particular fault of our own.

[14ledo81]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 14ledo81

And this is a fine solution as long as there is not another group coming, and another group coming, etc......

If there was room behind the group that you let go, all is well IMO.

Well as with many real world dilemmas, it wasn't black or white, but rather shades of grey. There was enough space behind for us to let the group in front clear the fairway and for us to tee off. As we were leaving the teeing area, the next group arrived. They asked where we came from and we explained. They seemed a bit put off, but the total additional wait to them was perhaps 3 minutes.

Maybe I have poor golf manners but there was no way I was offering to let them play through as well.

Not only them, but everyone else behind them as well.

Again, IMO, if the course is slow, there is no problem.  If it is packed, you had better maintain your place in line.  If not, to me it shows a serious lack of respect for others.  "My hotdog and drink are more important, I don't care if I inconvenience 50 other golfers".

[Big C]

I don't know who that was aimed at, but I said that we wouldn't have been in that position because 3 of us would have played on while our idiot fourth went back to get his stupid sandwich.  As I said, it wasn't our fault, nor the fault of the groups behind us that he was delayed, so there is no reason for anyone except him to pay for it.  My group would not have lost their place in the flow.  I've done exactly what I describe more than once over the many years that I've played golf, and the one who made the mistake and caused the issue has never had a problem with doing that.

I believe you when you say that you wouldn't be in that position under normal circumstances. In my case, it was client golf - treating a few industry associates that do a lot of business with my company to a friendly round. Unfortunately, leaving that "idiot" behind, wasn't a good option, as I'm sure you can understand.

At any rate, we seem to have gotten a bit sidetracked here. And I agree with the majority that a sit down lunch at the turn is not advisable. My only addition to this thread was my opinion that there are certain circumstances when allowing a single group to play past you at the turn might be a reasonable middle ground in the case of an unexpected delay.

[CarlSpackler]

I don't know who that was aimed at, but I said that we wouldn't have been in that position because 3 of us would have played on while our idiot fourth went back to get his stupid sandwich.  As I said, it wasn't our fault, nor the fault of the groups behind us that he was delayed, so there is no reason for anyone except him to pay for it.  My group would not have lost their place in the flow.  I've done exactly what I describe more than once over the many years that I've played golf, and the one who made the mistake and caused the issue has never had a problem with doing that.

A busy course is a busy course.  If they have a medical issue which might cause such delays, then it's just possible that they'll have to plan their play during non-peak times.  If the delay is going to take more than one hole, then maybe the problem precludes playing golf at all.  Sometimes we have to just give up things we love for no particular fault of our own.

Wow... I hope that is made clear to everyone before they pay their green fee. Seems rather harsh to me.