1st Tee Etiquette

[Gator Hazard]

I am not sure if this has been asked before but I did have an interesting situation on the first tee a few weeks ago.

I got out of work early on a Friday and picked up my daughter who is almost 10 so we could go play a quick round of golf on our home course with her being my "caddy", she gets a kick out of it and we have fun.  It is also a way to get her interested in golf.  So, the starter tells us to tee off whenever we are ready and there is no one around.  I did some practice chipping and putting and then looked, no one around and we went to the first tee.  As soon as we start pulling up, two carts with four men start pulling up to the first tee from the parking area.  I stopped the cart and was getting a few balls and tees when I noticed the guys got out of their carts and went and stood on the tees.  I found this extremely odd and not very courteous as we had pulled up and they knew we were going to tee off.  I know for a fact that they were not there before we were and did not have a tee time set up, otherwise the starter would have instructed us.

I was not sure of their intentions but I certainly was not going to let them tee off in front of us and have us wait on them.  I felt like that was what they were trying to do, trying to make me uncomfortable so that I would let them play ahead of us.  Anyway, I got out of my cart, made eye contact and acknowledged the two guys swinging clubs a bit and  standing on the area about 15 yards behind the white tees. I then proceeded to take a couple of practice swings and then teed off.   Fortunately I hit a pretty good first shot with my driver and put it out there about 200-220 yard or so with a nice slow short backswing.  As we hopped back in the cart they then mentioned my daughter being my caddy and driver and wished us a good round but I thought that was an unusual thing to do; drive up right behind another cart out of nowhere and jump out of your cart and grab your drivers and all right behind a single player about to tee off that has also just drove up to the first tee ahead of you.  I, and most golfers I have seen will always give some distance and remain back in a gesture of courtesy and respect and not be breathing down the neck of someone about to tee off. 

What is everyone else's take on this?

Edited October 20, 2015 by Gator Hazard

[colin007]

did they go on to the same tee box that you were hitting from?

 

i see nothing wrong with pulling up behind you and waiting in their carts, but going up to the tees is a little weird.

[Sante TwoGloves]

just a timing thing. sounds like it worked out.

[Gator Hazard]

did they go on to the same tee box that you were hitting from?

 

i see nothing wrong with pulling up behind you and waiting in their carts, but going up to the tees is a little weird.

Yes so to speak.  On the first tee there was about a 20 yard difference between whites and blues and they stood in the middle, not even behind the blues.  

 

just a timing thing. sounds like it worked out.

I guess so, but I feel that I should not have been put in a position where I have assert myself in any way, even if it is subtle.  It's the first tee and they just pulled up after putting their shoes on in the parking lot and not even warming up.  It gives the impression of "we were here first" when you really were not.

Edited October 20, 2015 by Gator Hazard

[MrDC]

It was bad etiquette, one should never stand on a tee box until their time, I actually don't like anyone from another group even close to the box during my tee off, so I keep away from other groups until it's my turn, you had every right to be upset.

[saevel25]

I try to keep some space between my cart or myself and the other tee box. Some courses it's tough because of how close you are to the previous green. I had one group pull their carts right behind my group. There was about 300 yards or more of room between the tee box and the previous tee. They go about chatting away, very loudly while I was preparing to hit.

[dazza78]

not quite on topic, but the car park on my course is right by the first, I don't even like driving past out of courtesy when people are on the tee.  I always stop, even when walking past I stop too.. 

[Gator Hazard]

OT in my own thread (LOL):

That same day we are teeing off on 4 which is a nice par 4 and some dude is walking towards us on the cart path (which for me is in play considering I am not too good).  So, okay, no worries, I will wait for the guy to walk out of the way.  Do you think he does?  NO.  In fact the cart girl just so happens to show up behind him driving up against the course the same way as he is.  Now, he has seen me waiting on the tee for him to clear the area and what does he do?  He stops the cart girl and takes his jolly time buying a beer from her.  I could not believe it, in general people just don't have manners anymore.  

[Slowcelica]

People are just rude and have no manners, it's not just the younger generation. I was playing last year, waiting to tee off at the first tee, there was a group in the fairway that I was waiting for, so I was letting my 5 year old son hit a few tee shots, this old man who was in line to tee off behind flew around us and went up to the senior tees and teed off, into the group on the fairway. Not only did he tee off out of turn but he hit into the group in the fairway. 

[Gator Hazard]

People are just rude and have no manners, it's not just the younger generation. I was playing last year, waiting to tee off at the first tee, there was a group in the fairway that I was waiting for, so I was letting my 5 year old son hit a few tee shots, this old man who was in line to tee off behind flew around us and went up to the senior tees and teed off, into the group on the fairway. Not only did he tee off out of turn but he hit into the group in the fairway. 

I would have told that dude "we aren't standing here for our health, we are teeing off next when they are out of range sir", what a jerk.  Yeah, the guy buying the beer looked to be in his late 40s or early 50s. 

[iacas]

I often play farther back tees, so I'll sometimes be near my tee while the group in front is teeing off, but I'll never go ON the tee. If I want to take some swings, I'll make it clear that I'm just taking some practice swings by facing a totally different direction and not being anywhere near the tee. It's not cool to make others feel rushed on the first tee given how few people even warm up before they play.

[rkim291968]

Bad manners but I have seen worse.  

 

On a slow weekday afternoon, I was playing by myself with push cart and I was in the 1st tee box.   A couple of guys drive up with their cart, parks next to my push cart, and one immediately yells out "can we go ahead of you?"   Huh?  The guys think that b/c they drive a cart, they can go faster than a single player.   I play pretty fast so  I matched their voice with a firm "no."   Predictably, they played slower than me, and soon fell behind at least a hole - I couldn't see them after awhile.   Idiots!  At least, they should wait to see for a few holes before asking to play ahead.   Besides, they got a cart and can drive ahead to play the next hole.  

[Lihu]

I was not sure of their intentions but I certainly was not going to let them tee off in front of us and have us wait on them.  I felt like that was what they were trying to do, trying to make me uncomfortable so that I would let them play ahead of us.  Anyway, I got out of my cart, made eye contact and acknowledged the two guys swinging clubs a bit and  standing on the area about 15 yards behind the white tees. I then proceeded to take a couple of practice swings and then teed off.   Fortunately I hit a pretty good first shot with my driver and put it out there about 200-220 yard or so with a nice slow short backswing.  As we hopped back in the cart they then mentioned my daughter being my caddy and driver and wished us a good round but I thought that was an unusual thing to do; drive up right behind another cart out of nowhere and jump out of your cart and grab your drivers and all right behind a single player about to tee off that has also just drove up to the first tee ahead of you.  I, and most golfers I have seen will always give some distance and remain back in a gesture of courtesy and respect and not be breathing down the neck of someone about to tee off. 

What is everyone else's take on this?

I wouldn't worry about this in the future. Just play like you did except no need for hard stares.

It seems like they expected you to tee off first, anyway. There might have been some apprehension on their part regarding seeing your daughter in the cart. They might have simply thought you would let them pass as you were playing with your daughter, which could account for their comment about her being your "caddy" as opposed to playing. Once they saw you were a single playing, they were probably somewhat relieved they didn't need to wait.

[Gator Hazard]

I wouldn't worry about this in the future. Just play like you did except no need for hard stares.

It seems like they expected you to tee off first, anyway. There might have been some apprehension on their part regarding seeing your daughter in the cart. They might have simply thought you would let them pass as you were playing with your daughter, which could account for their comment about her being your "caddy" as opposed to playing. Once they saw you were a single playing, they were probably somewhat relieved they didn't need to wait.

I wasn't worried about it, I just thought it was at a minimum inconsiderate of them (and in reality I am a pretty easy going guy although that may not always come accross in my posts), as it was the first tee and they pulled up right behind us and race to get out and swing their clubs basically where I should be doing that before teeing off.  I didn't give any hard stares, just made eye contact with them and said a few things then teed up and hit my ball.  It all worked out fine, hell, them being there might have even made me hit my first shot better, I usually put at least the first one into the woods on the right and play a provisional but that day I hit it onto the first cut on right hand side.

[vangator]

I think Lihu got it right.  They thought your daughter was playing and wanted to jump ahead of you.  They were probably relieved when they saw she wasn't playing.

As for the guy getting the beer, tee off and it heads toward him yell fore.  Personally, if I were buying the beer, I would stop and back away from the cart path and stand still so you could hit your tee shot knowing I was watching what you were doing.  This is just common sense.

[Yukari]

I would consider it being rude to be on the same tee box as another "group" is teeing off on the same box. 

I I always make sure I am not even close to a tee box when a group in front of me is teeing off. 

Edited October 21, 2015 by iacas
removed unnecessary returns

[Fourputt]

I am not sure if this has been asked before but I did have an interesting situation on the first tee a few weeks ago.

I got out of work early on a Friday and picked up my daughter who is almost 10 so we could go play a quick round of golf on our home course with her being my "caddy", she gets a kick out of it and we have fun.  It is also a way to get her interested in golf.  So, the starter tells us to tee off whenever we are ready and there is no one around.  I did some practice chipping and putting and then looked, no one around and we went to the first tee.  As soon as we start pulling up, two carts with four men start pulling up to the first tee from the parking area.  I stopped the cart and was getting a few balls and tees when I noticed the guys got out of their carts and went and stood on the tees.  I found this extremely odd and not very courteous as we had pulled up and they knew we were going to tee off.  I know for a fact that they were not there before we were and did not have a tee time set up, otherwise the starter would have instructed us.

I was not sure of their intentions but I certainly was not going to let them tee off in front of us and have us wait on them.  I felt like that was what they were trying to do, trying to make me uncomfortable so that I would let them play ahead of us.  Anyway, I got out of my cart, made eye contact and acknowledged the two guys swinging clubs a bit and  standing on the area about 15 yards behind the white tees. I then proceeded to take a couple of practice swings and then teed off.   Fortunately I hit a pretty good first shot with my driver and put it out there about 200-220 yard or so with a nice slow short backswing.  As we hopped back in the cart they then mentioned my daughter being my caddy and driver and wished us a good round but I thought that was an unusual thing to do; drive up right behind another cart out of nowhere and jump out of your cart and grab your drivers and all right behind a single player about to tee off that has also just drove up to the first tee ahead of you.  I, and most golfers I have seen will always give some distance and remain back in a gesture of courtesy and respect and not be breathing down the neck of someone about to tee off. 

What is everyone else's take on this?

My first comment is, if the starter told me to go ahead when ready, I'd have told him that I planned to chip and putt for bit before I went to the tee.  My assumption would have been that when he said that, he expected that I was making my way to the tee in a more direct manner.  

When I was working as a starter, and a player checked in during a slow period, I might say the same thing to him, but I'd also caution him that if he dallied, to check with me again before going to the tee, as I often got a lot of walk on players in the 3 to 4 PM time frame (especially on Fridays) and I still needed to have control of the first tee.  

I never had to worry about players going to the tee without checking in, because it simply wasn't allowed.  If I saw someone on the tee who wasn't on my sheet, he didn't tee off.  I'd page him over the PA system to come and check in.  Nobody played a stroke in that course without the starter's permission.  During slow times when there was no starter, the tee sheet was kept in the pro shop and you were slotted into a time when you paid your fees if you didn't have a reservation.  It was expected that you would be on the tee when your time came up.

 

[Aflighter]

Sounds like the same thing that happens everyday in the world.Some people think they are the only ones that matter.They also could be speed demons who  just cant wait.