Is it ever acceptable to hit into someone if they are in your range?

[Fourputt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fourputt

This is the only acceptable answer.  To be honest, it really sounds like a stupid question when you say it out loud.

When a course is crowded, I might just make sense for a longer hitter to leave the driver in the bag and play something shorter to keep the course flowing.  If you are the only one in your group who has to wait, then you might consider this.  I've seen log jams created on certain holes because one or two guys can't stand the thought of maybe having to play a par 5 as a 3 shot hole, or play a short par 4 in regulation.  This is fine if the course flow allows for it, otherwise you are at least partially to blame for the slow play problem - for a course getting one of those accordion effect, herky jerky flows that makes it hard to keep a good rhythm.

Sure, I've clubbed down on a few occasions. The problem with what was happening to me yesterday is that the two strangers in my group were hitting too early and were actively saying they were trying to push the group ahead (which was messed up; guys ahead were moving at a fine pace). Now I'm stuck waiting for the correct normal time to tee off (guys ahead are hitting their farther tee shots or moving up to the green), and being made to feel like I'm a prick for doing that. Especially under the circumstances: the course has 3 9s, and was swamped with people trying to play 18, so they told us to play the designated 9 holer twice. First 9 was very loose. Second time around, it got a tad crowded because groups were coming back around for their back 9 and the course was accidentally sending new groups out to just play 9. No big deal, but the guys I was with were taking it as some kind of affront. They insisted on teeing off early (from the closed regular tees, instead of the forward winter ones, no less, which I kept pleading with them was disrespectful to the course) to push the group ahead and then telling me to tee off. I told them to screw after a few times because I'd nearly driven the green with my 3 wood the first time we played the hole that day. I finally just hit a stinger 3 wood to make sure it would roll up to people ahead if I happened to hit it really well, as opposed to flying in, and it was fine, about 50 yards short of the green. But there's no good reason not to just wait another minute for the people to move up.

Clearly, the guys you were playing with were wrong.  They are the same sort of person who tailgates on the freeway during rush hour when there is no place to go - in fact they probably are those guys.

[Lihu]

It was then that my buddy and I started to get into a discussion as to whether it's ever permissible to hit if the group is within your range.

Is there ever an occasion where you'll hit into the group in front of you?

No, and he's only 179 yards away? Never.

[Lastpick]

It really depends on whom it is your going to hit

[RFKFREAK]

No, and he's only 179 yards away? Never.

IIRC, we started talking more about it because all 4 guys were in the bunker.  We didn't see them tee off so it could be all 4 hit into that bunker but it was more like, "WTF are all four of them doing in the bunker wasting time while we're trying to finish the round before the sun goes down," and it progressed from there.

[saevel25]

No, it is never acceptable to hit into someone who is in your range. I think the range should include that rare chance you hit one really really well. It shouldn't be your average distance, it should be your absolute max range. I think people don't realize they can actually hit one well and end up flying to a green in two.

I rather take personal safety above pace of play.

[JP golf]

I think I have to agree with almost everyone else.  Never hit into a group.  I had a friend hit someone in the head (the group was in the trees and he didn't know they were there).  The guy had to be airlifted to the hospital and my friend quit playing for a while because it shook him up that bad.

I think we've all hit up on people before.  I've done it numerous times on accident.  I promptly apologize and let them know to take there time (usually there is someone in front of them that is just as slow).  Pushing the group in front of you really doesn't do anything if the whole course is packed.  Where are they going to go?  They still have to wait on the group in front of them and you don't always see that.  I used to get really impatient and get out of my zone - take a couple practice swings and go through your pre-shot routine and you will be fine.

[vangator]

It's hard to say no sometimes. One time this summer a course marshal jumped in and played a few holes with us and basically ordered me to tee off on one hole even though I knew I was in range. It's a weird mentality people have where they don't want to wait on the tee even though they know they'll have to wait later that same hole.

20 or 30 years ago, I was waiting on the first tee for the group ahead to hit their next shot because I thought they were in range for a well struck tee ball. This was a geezer course and I was a long hitter. The starter got on the PA system to tell me to hit. I told him I needed to wait and he started to scold me. I still waited. People were watching. Most of the time a person would have dribbled a drive off the tee. I absolutely drilled a drive right where they were that easily could have hit them. I turned around to the starter and he said just said "wow".

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

No, and he's only 179 yards away? Never.

IIRC, we started talking more about it because all 4 guys were in the bunker.  We didn't see them tee off so it could be all 4 hit into that bunker but it was more like, "WTF are all four of them doing in the bunker wasting time while we're trying to finish the round before the sun goes down," and it progressed from there.

I can see joking about it, but that's way too close.

[RFKFREAK]

I can see joking about it, but that's way too close.

Well, we were tempted but we ended up waiting for them to get out of range.

Never found out why all four of them were in the bunker, though.

[dkolo]

Well, we were tempted but we ended up waiting for them to get out of range. Never found out why all four of them were in the bunker, though.

Probably looking for buried treasure.

[RFKFREAK]

Probably looking for buried treasure.

Haha.

I haven't been playing golf for very long but I had never seen that before.

[Shindig]

Haha. I haven't been playing golf for very long but I had never seen that before.

If you play more courses that have wild cats, you'll see it often.

[14ledo81]

No. Unless they wave you up. You could potentially kill someone with a golf ball.

[mcat12]

Golf ball straight to the dome....thats something out of a horror movie! I worked on a golf course a few summers and got smacked on the leg, back a few times. It really hurts. ;-)

[Deryck Griffith]

Not under any circumstance is it acceptable to purposely hit into a group, no matter how slow, clueless or ignorant they may be.  If you hit someone and they die, you will be screwed for the rest of your life.  It isn't worth it.  You are better off catching up to them somehow and having a discussion about their slow play OR contacting the clubhouse to have a Marshall come and try to speed up the pace.

[lumpuckeroo]

Not under any circumstance is it acceptable to purposely hit into a group, no matter how slow, clueless or ignorant they may be.  If you hit someone and they die, you will be screwed for the rest of your life.  It isn't worth it.  You are better off catching up to them somehow and having a discussion about their slow play OR contacting the clubhouse to have a Marshall come and try to speed up the pace.

Completely agree.

[Dave2512]

Sounds like the question is would it be acceptable to hit into someone if we think it will lead to being able to finish before it gets dark. Obviously the answer is no regardless of the reason but it likely wouldn't help get around the course any faster if it's full.

Not being able to finish due to late tee times is the risk you assume booking late in the day. I experience this all the time in the summer booking after work. I can get around pretty quick as a single, have booked after 6:30PM and often try to finish 18 holes. Sometimes I catch several groups that probably teed off around 4:30 on the last 3-4 holes. I can't push through them so if I don't finish it is what it is.

[Fourputt]

Sounds like the question is would it be acceptable to hit into someone if we think it will lead to being able to finish before it gets dark. Obviously the answer is no regardless of the reason but it likely wouldn't help get around the course any faster if it's full.

Not being able to finish due to late tee times is the risk you assume booking late in the day. I experience this all the time in the summer booking after work. I can get around pretty quick as a single, have booked after 6:30PM and often try to finish 18 holes. Sometimes I catch several groups that probably teed off around 4:30 on the last 3-4 holes. I can't push through them so if I don't finish it is what it is.

Also at this time of year, when you book a 1:00 tee time it's getting dark at 4:30.  It always got me soon after daylight savings time went off.  That time of year, it was likely that there would be frost delays in the morning, and an early sunset, so there were only about 3½ hours of decent 18 hole tee times, say from 9 to about 12:30.  On weekends they always filled up fast, so it made it hard on a working stiff to keep his game up even when the winter weather allowed golf.

Taking a leftover time at 1 PM meant that you probably wouldn't finish, and I remember being impatient with the groups ahead of me, trying to gauge the setting sun with the pace of play and hope that I had  a chance to get close to finishing.  But no matter how impatient I was, I certainly never used it as an excuse to hit into another group, although I did holler at them a time or two if the group in front was really dragging their heels.  The funny thing is that almost invariably there were still other groups behind my group who were likely having the same evil thoughts about us.