Accidentally hitting into people...

[Slice of Life]

Ever had it happen? I've had it happen twice...both on freak shots. First time was a couple years ago on a par 5...I was 300+ yards out and went to lay up with my 3 wood and ended up on the green. Immediately drove up and apologized to the guys...they were cool, we shook hands and all was well. 

2nd time was last night...went to lay up with a 5 iron and it got enough bounce and roll to hit the green. Again, immediately drove up to apologize and the guy was outraged walking towards me club in hand. I explained that I was laying up and the ball kicked and rolled all the way up there...dude was still wide eyed and pissy while his playing partner was calming him down. Both times I expected the ball to be a good 40 yards short...even if I hit a really good shot

I mean, I can understand being upset if it hits up by you on the fly...but are you really outraged if a ball rolls 40 yards and ends up 25 ft away from you? Are you in danger? Maybe I should just wait until people leave, but I don't want to be the guy who says "Nah I'll wait" when they're 300 yards away and then hits it 150 yards 

 

What's the etiquette here? Am I wrong? Should I just wait until it's clear if there's a 1 in 10,000 chance that the ball may get a miracle kick and roll up by them? 

[Groucho Valentine]

I cant count how many times I've accidentally hit into another group. But i think in general it happens a lot of par 5's. If a ball just rolls up to our group and doesn't land in it, i don't really care. If you get to a par 5 in 2 from 300 out i cant see how anybody can hate on that. Good shot. 

[rehmwa]

You did it right IMHO - I do what you do - I go to them immediately.  usually with a smile  "I'm really sorry to have hit that, I don't hit the far........Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled with the shot, just not happy that it interfered with you"  sometimes, I'll send the cart girl up and buy them a round if they are cool about it. 

Outraged ***holes don't get anything after the original apology as I did my part - temper tantrums are for 6 year olds

most of the time they just smile and say "nice shot"

I just wait most of the time now if the distance is any question at all - I'm fast, I don't need to take the chance, I'll catch up to them anyway

the only time I've hit near anyone lately is super slow days and they went into a blind spot and I never saw them in the first place.  I think the other group has to own that if they don't leave someone in view.  (i.e., par 4 with a blind hill, you see the group leaving the green and go ahead and tee off, not knowing someone in between was over that hill and waiting themselves.  they need to wait in a visible area)

[Jeremie Boop]

I've done it a few times, usually either with an exceptionally long drive or an approach/layup that goes further than expected. Can't say I've ever had anyone upset with me about it. Usually they just say, "no problem, that was a good shot" and that's it.

[natureboy]

Rolling up from 30+ yards away is an entirely different animal than landing close on the fly.

If it's a low trajectory shot and before the second bounce is a bit dicier.

A ball trundling up on the ground from 30+ yards wouldn't even damage the shoe polish if it hit my foot.

[Braivo]

I've done that twice myself. Both times the guys were cool with it. 

Now, I've been hit into more than a few times with usually much less than an apology after the fact. 

[Slice of Life]

39 minutes ago, natureboy said:

Rolling up from 30+ yards away is an entirely different animal than landing close on the fly.

If it's a low trajectory shot and before the second bounce is a bit dicier.

A ball trundling up on the ground from 30+ yards wouldn't even damage the shoe polish if it hit my foot.

 

Glad to see I'm not alone. I didn't think I was being an a-hole...

 

I've never come close to hitting into anyone on the fly. Like I said, both of these were rolling up to them when they got there...not zipping or even bouncing.

[jamo]

I don't know why or how anyone could have a problem with a golf ball rolling towards them. You were in the right, as far as I can tell.

[saevel25]

7 minutes ago, jamo said:

I don't know why or how anyone could have a problem with a golf ball rolling towards them. You were in the right, as far as I can tell.

I agree. You can control the carry, you have very little control over the amount of roll. For me I don't hit into a green if my landing area is with in 30-40 yards of the green. In the end I always error on the side of waiting over hitting. 

[No Mulligans]

What feels like a well hit drive to me can run out to anywhere between 220 and 275 (I guess some are more well hit than others).  So, I'm overly cautious.  Now adjacent fairways, I do have a problem there with hitting into people.

[mcanadiens]

When you are a high handicapper, it can be tough to know when to hit or not. 

There was one occasion a few years ago, where I hit a 3-wood from about 220 and came about 10 feet from beaning a single on the fly. Especially at that point, it was 1%-type shot for me. Obviously it wasn't intentional, but, as it was, I was pissed at him for his slow play. He knew it and he wasn't sticking around. He went straight to the parking lot and  was gone before I got anywhere close to the green to apologize.

Lesson learned. When in doubt, I hold off.

[Fairway_CY]

I agree with everybody who has said that if it's rolling... no harm - no foul.  

I've only ever hit into (actually over) someone once.  It was a few weeks ago.  I got paired with a threesome on a course I had never played before.  After playing with nobody in front of us for a few holes, we got to a hole where there is a sizeable dip/valley in the fairway at about 230 yards.  Beyond that, you can see the green.  We saw a group on the green, and seeing as it was the first time we'd seen anybody all day, we assumed that was the group in front of us.  

2 of the other guys hit, but none of them got to that valley.  I hit my shot and because it was one of the few I catch solidly, it carried the valley and landed on the top of the hill on the other side.  As the 4th in our group was teeing up, we saw a cart come up from that valley and head towards the green.  

I felt like a complete idiot and when we caught up to them on the next tee, I apologized profusely.  They shrugged it off and said it was funny to watch the ball sail over their heads.  I still felt horrible, but... I legitimately had no clue there was anybody on the hole between us and the guys on the green.

What happened was the group ahead of them was ridiculously slow, so we ended up catching them and not realizing it.  Luckily, that group left after 9 holes, so the pace picked up for the back.  

CY

[jkelley9]

Hm, I'm not sure but I think I disagree with some folks in here. 

Of course a ball on the fly is much more dangerous and that's a no-no. But I'm not sure why you would make a shot that had the potential to roll past someone else in play. It's distracting and frankly if it checks up on a rock and clocks me in the knee it can definitely cause a bruise. I'm splitting hairs here, but is pace of play ever that important to where that would be necessary? I never want to have to think about a ball coming even close to me. 

Also, has no one ever skulled a 5i (or any club) that flew an extra several yards on the fly? Sure the lower hc players won't do it as often, but it still happens from time to time right? Heck I just played with a 2 HC this weekend and he was having such a bad bay that he completely shanked 3 shots. And he's a real 2 HC, I've played with him several times.

[DrvFrShow]

I was playing last Thursday. I was hitting my tee shot. The group in front of us was about 250 yds out, I checked with my rangefinder. I average about 215-220 off the tee. Chances of hitting them were 1 in 100. I asked the woman I was playing with if I should wait. It was a 360 yd par 4. She said, "I'd wait." I waited. I hit my second shot from the 100 yd marker. Good thing I waited.

[Swungover]

7 minutes ago, jkelley9 said:

Hm, I'm not sure but I think I disagree with some folks in here. 

Of course a ball on the fly is much more dangerous and that's a no-no. But I'm not sure why you would make a shot that had the potential to roll past someone else in play. It's distracting and frankly if it checks up on a rock and clocks me in the knee it can definitely cause a bruise. I'm splitting hairs here, but is pace of play ever that important to where that would be necessary? I never want to have to think about a ball coming even close to me. 

Also, has no one ever skulled a 5i (or any club) that flew an extra several yards on the fly? Sure the lower hc players won't do it as often, but it still happens from time to time right? Heck I just played with a 2 HC this weekend and he was having such a bad bay that he completely shanked 3 shots. And he's a real 2 HC, I've played with him several times.

Totally agree; I wait as I hate rushing around a course, and you never know...how far it will go.

A member of my foursome got nailed right on top of his head once, as we were putting out. I'd be loathe to do that to someone.

[GolfLug]

I hit up a blind drive on a group over a hill at a Baltimore inner city course once. One of my playing partner (a local) drove up to signal clearance. He did. Apparently he didn't think I could hit over 220. Ball rolled up to them but I could sense some serious muffled anger from these guys. Never felt so uneasy while offering a profuse apology (an absolute must) to the group. Have never done it since. I just wait.

I don't get it. I don't care what your best expected distance is - Why risk an unusual bounce or a career shot show up at the wrong time? Some people also see it as a pointed message to 'hurry up'.

I don't care who my playing partner is, I never ever give them $hi+ or take $hi+ for wanting to be safe and waiting a minute or two longer to be completely clear of any doubt.

[Das_onionknight]

6 hours ago, Slice of Life said:

What's the etiquette here? Am I wrong? Should I just wait until it's clear if there's a 1 in 10,000 chance that the ball may get a miracle kick and roll up by them? 

I have to agree you did the right thing, if this had happened to me I would have given you a great shot more so if you came with an apology. 

But last Sunday I was playing a round and a person nailed me with a ball from 100 yards away and offered me a hey did you see my ball. I am assuming proper etiquette is not to punch him in the face but man I really wanted to. Even after I told him he hit hit me his answer was to accuse me of lying. 

So what should I have done?

[chilepepper]

I did it once. Par 5. On a course I was asst supt at, it was a member I hit into. I immediately drove up and apologized. He was cool with it, had it been some other members they would have flipped. I never nutted a 5 W like that! I give people plenty of space but sometimes the stars align.