Ball on wrong fairway - who has priority?

[trickyputt]

I always look at it like a train. Engine goes first, then the 2 car, 3,4,etc. Whenever the 15th car gets in front of any car ahead of it, you have a trainwreck. So I let them keep chugging along.

[Pretzel]

I just let them hit their tee shots while I make all preparations for the shot. This means I take a yardage, pull a club, and set my golf bag on the path that I will use to walk towards the green (a straight line between my ball and the green) after I hit my shot. Once they're finished teeing off I just step up to my ball, take my practice swing, and let her rip!

By getting all the preparation out of the way, especially setting your bag in an appropriate location, you waste as little time as possible and don't hold up anyone behind you while still giving yourself the opportunity to hit a good shot. Win-win all around.

[WUTiger]

The group on the correct hole has right-of-way, but often will let the single "visitor" hit his shot so he can get out of the way.

If the others are still teeing off, the visitor should wait to the side, and probably hit his shot before the others reach the landing area.

[Fourputt]

The group on the correct hole has right-of-way, but often will let the single "visitor" hit his shot so he can get out of the way.

If the others are still teeing off, the visitor should wait to the side, and probably hit his shot before the others reach the landing area.

And if possible I even stand behind a tree or something so that I'm not doing anything to cause a distraction for those teeing off.

[MrFlipper]

The group on the correct hole has right-of-way, but often will let the single "visitor" hit his shot so he can get out of the way.

Maybe a little OT, but when I was first starting to get better it seemed the most pressure packed shots were this one or playing through someone. Hit a bad shot, it makes a bigger mess and makes you look like an idiot, and makes folks question whether they made the right decision by letting you hit.

I still get a little extra satisfaction when I hit a decent shot under those circumstances. Everything is a test for how we perform under pressure, right?

[Osmond]

Haven't yet read the other replies, but I thought this was easy (and in the rulebook?). The player further up the course plays first... Of course common sense has to be used as well, usually it's pretty easy to know whose turn is more natural.

[Fourputt]

Haven't yet read the other replies, but I thought this was easy (and in the rulebook?). The player further up the course plays first... Of course common sense has to be used as well, usually it's pretty easy to know whose turn is more natural.

Nothing like that in the rule book.  And it's another one of those common sense issues.  If the guys playing the correct hole are playing or nearly ready to play, then let them play.  One player waiting is better than 4 players waiting, and one player can catch up to the rest of his group easier than 4 players can regain their place on the course.  This can be a hazardous situation.  I've had a cart race out from the tree line after I've started my swing, and I don't even know that they are there until I hit and look up to follow my ball.  I've had this or similar things happen quite a few times, where they never even look to see if anyone is on the tee.  I even got a dirty look from a guy once when my ball landed about 15 yards from him, even though he was in clearly in the wrong and we yelled "Fore!" as soon as we saw him come out.  No accounting for some people.