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[9wood]

I don't know if any of you do this but sometimes when I get to a golf course to play a round without having a tee time and notice that there is a foursome getting ready to tee off on the first hole, and I can see another foursome just about to finish the 1st hole, rather than wait, I'll jump over to the 3rd or 4th hole and start my round of golf from there. Then once I've finished I'll circle back and play those holes which I missed.

Is that something that is common?

I know on a few courses I play, the pro-shop encourages me to do it.

Edited December 16, 2015 by 9wood

[imsys0042]

I'd say it's pretty common on courses that care about their customers.   And believe me, there are some that don't.   The pro shop at my course will do that if there is nothing available, with the caveat that if you come back around the tee might be jammed up and you can't do the first couple of holes.   One one of the nines where I play there is a nice way to go from the first green to the fourth tee where people do this.

Generally it's a way to get you out and play where you might otherwise not be able to, or would be waiting behind a couple of foursomes that may not allow you to.   That the pro shop encourages it shows that they are interested in getting you out.   If you do it on your own, I'm sure the guidance is to not get in anyone's way by jumping around.

[mcanadiens]

Starters will often put you off the back nine, but I've never had one tell me to start on No. 3 or No. 4. 

On the other hand, many courses have no starters for large portions of the day and it's pretty much the wild west. People play the holes they want, how they want and however many times they want.

[shanksalot]

It depends on the course. We have a nice nine hole course here that my wife and I play a few times a year. If there is a slow group on one the pro will sometimes tell us to jump ahead of them and go to number two. Our normal course when it is busy they don't let singles out unless they pair them up with another group. In the summer time we have a full course most of the time and it is impossible to be told to jump ahead because there is not an opening. A single would have to wait until they could put them with a threesome. 

[Abu3baid]

Did this the other day with my friend.. We started on one and the foursome ahead of us just got to the balls they teed off with..  The marshal came up to tell us to skip ahead to two because a tournament started on all of the back nine holes, we said ok.. Instead we played one and as soon as the guys teed off on 2 we went ahead to 3.. Came back and played 2 after we were done and it was great..  We didn't get slowed down at all the whole round.

[Rip62]

I have a 9 hole by me I play. Usually when I go there it is spur of the moment. They have always been good about letting people start at there 7 th hole if it is clear. The best part is when they do this you get to play 12 for the price of 9.

[GangGreen]

Yep, the starter at my home course will often let me go off on the 3rd hole (or back 9) if I show up as a single and there's a foursome ahead.  I play there a fair amount though and he knows I'm not going to slow things down while I'm out there.  I've also skipped holes mid-round if I'm a single and I hit slow group and there's no one in front of them.  If I can double back and play those holes afterwards I do but if it's still backed up later I'll just skip them altogether.

[vangator]

Other than a shotgun start, I've never started on anything other than #1 or #10.  In the thousands of rounds I've played, I've only teed off on the backside a handful of times.  I've lived a sheltered life.

Edited December 17, 2015 by vangator

[bkuehn1952]

Obviously, having a cart is key to most jumping of holes or mid-course starts.  It can be done on foot, as I have done, but it often takes a bit of extra effort and planning.  After mid-November, things get a bit "lawless" on the courses that remain open around here. 7-somes, 6-somes, people jumping directly in front of you or your group, etc... 

[Grumpter]

Sure, I have started on a hole other than number 1 to avoid being held up or having to play through a group. Some courses I can even wing it during the round. I might play the holes in order of 4,6,5,7 to get around a 4-some on hole 4 going to 5. That way I get all the holes in and they do not have to wait to let me through. It takes a lot of available space in front and back of you though so it is mostly for early spring late fall golf around here.

[9wood]

  On 12/17/2015 at 3:10 PM, vangator said:

Other than a shotgun start, I've never started on anything other than #1 or #10.  In the thousands of rounds I've played, I've only teed off on the backside a handful of times.  I've lived a sheltered life.

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Either that, or you play on courses that aren't very busy

[Grumpter]

  On 12/17/2015 at 7:21 PM, 9wood said:

Either that, or you play on courses that aren't very busy

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Could be courses that are very busy. If the course is full there is no room to start on other holes.

[Fourputt]

  On 12/16/2015 at 4:42 PM, 9wood said:

I don't know if any of you do this but sometimes when I get to a golf course to play a round without having a tee time and notice that there is a foursome getting ready to tee off on the first hole, and I can see another foursome just about to finish the 1st hole, rather than wait, I'll jump over to the 3rd or 4th hole and start my round of golf from there. Then once I've finished I'll circle back and play those holes which I missed.

Is that something that is common?

I know on a few courses I play, the pro-shop encourages me to do it.

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Most courses I play you wouldn't be allowed to do it.  First of all you couldn't tell if there was any open spaces on most courses I'm familiar with because you can't see that far ahead - you would just be disturbing others as you raced by. Since the courses I've played around Denver and the mountains west of town go by an often full tee sheet, if there are gaps they are not open times, but instead are gaps caused by the play of the golfers involved.  As such, you jumping in front of them just adds to the flow problem.  

When I was working as a starter, nobody headed out onto the course before checking in with me, and 99 times out of 100 I'd tell them to wait their turn.  Only if I knew that there was a significant gap 3 or 4 holes in would even consider telling them to skip ahead, and even then they might forfeit the chance to play the missed holes later because I'd still have players starting on #1 when they finished with their 14 holes.  I was always used to playing full courses, so there simply weren't any opportunities like what you describe.

[Club Rat]

I'm sure it happens on occasions at many courses. I've often asked a starter if the back was open in the morning on a busy day.

Many members at our club will play a loop on front or back after work if there's a gap.

I'll sometimes play 7-9 on my way to the club house since I drive my own cart.

I've also joined players at various holes when they call and ask me.

 

[vangator]

  On 12/17/2015 at 8:26 PM, Grumpter said:

Could be courses that are very busy. If the course is full there is no room to start on other holes.

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Yep, very busy.  One of the busiest in the country.

[Fourputt]

  On 12/17/2015 at 11:57 PM, Club Rat said:

I'm sure it happens on occasions at many courses. I've often asked a starter if the back was open in the morning on a busy day.

Many members at our club will play a loop on front or back after work if there's a gap.

I'll sometimes play 7-9 on my way to the club house since I drive my own cart.

I've also joined players at various holes when they call and ask me.

 

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We took reservations for early 9 hole players on the back 9 for the first 1½ hours each day, so there was often not much room for walkons, front or back.  After that first hour and a half, we were not allowed to slip anyone else in, even if there appeared to be room before the first 18 hole group made the turn.  The reason was to ensure that there were no back 9 road blocks ahead of the early 18 hole groups.  We still ended up occasionally with a conflict when the first 18 hole group turned in less than 1½ hours and I still had a 9 hole group on the tee sheet for #10.  In that case the we basically worked it like a crossover - the group turning had to wait a few minutes to tee off on 10.

[garush34]

We can start at either the 1st, 9th, 11th, or 14th if it is busy. I'm sure there is a notice up that discourages playing from anywhere other than the first unless it is designated by a comp. But at the end of the day I'm not going to wait for a few groups to go through then go out behind them. I'd rather start at the 11th and work my way back to the clubhouse and then play holes 1-10.

[Dave325]

I can jump on the front or back nine at my course if it's open. I always walk and play fairly fast by myself.... There are two holes on the back nine (hole 15 and 16) that match up perfectly tee-to-green, so if no one is playing at that time I'll replay those holes and finish up. I have unlimited play at my course, so jumping around on slow days is not a problem. However, I always avoid slowing down play for others. I noticed a couple foursomes doing a shotgun start and slowing up play for the others already on the course.... So maybe my course is a bit too loose on this. There isn't a starter most of the time.