Accidentally hitting into people...

[DaveP043]

28 minutes ago, Groucho Valentine said:

Ive never flown a ball into another group. But I've rolled one up several times. It happens.  Especially on courses that have a lot elevation changes. Its usually no big deal. Anyone who gets pissed off because you accdientially roll up a ball on them is just an asshole that probably doesn't deserve an apology to begin with IMO. 

If I accidentally hit a shot close to someone, I'm going to apologize, no matter how they act.  If I hit it that close, I'm wrong, and they deserve an apology.  It doesn't matter if they are as gracious as possible, or if they're assholes, they deserve an apology.  

6 minutes ago, Natural Patrick said:

1991 Ryder Cup. Seve  Ballesteros  did not have to dream of clearing his throat during a players swing. He did it on more than one occasion. 

Similarly, just because one excessively competitive player acts like an ass, I'm not going use his behavior to excuse mine.  And just because a rolling ball won't hurt (much), I'm not ever going to intentionally hit a shot that has a decent chance of rolling up close to someone.

[Natural Patrick]

4 minutes ago, DaveP043 said:

If I accidentally hit a shot close to someone, I'm going to apologize, no matter how they act.  If I hit it that close, I'm wrong, and they deserve an apology.  It doesn't matter if they are as gracious as possible, or if they're assholes, they deserve an apology.  

Similarly, just because one excessively competitive player acts like an ass, I'm not going use his behavior to excuse mine.  And just because a rolling ball won't hurt (much), I'm not ever going to intentionally hit a shot that has a decent chance of rolling up close to someone.

I agree.

[Groucho Valentine]

Just now, DaveP043 said:

If I accidentally hit a shot close to someone, I'm going to apologize, no matter how they act.  If I hit it that close, I'm wrong, and they deserve an apology.  It doesn't matter if they are as gracious as possible, or if they're assholes, they deserve an apology.  

Similarly, just because one excessively competitive player acts like an ass, I'm not going use his behavior to excuse mine.  And just because a rolling ball won't hurt (much), I'm not ever going to intentionally hit a shot that has a decent chance of rolling up close to someone.

Im not saying don't apologize. Just that they probably didn't deserve one. I remember an remember a similar altercation i had years ago. It was on a par 5 (where these things always seem to happen) and this clown came after me like i just shot his dog or something because i rolled a ball up on the group that stopped like 10 yards away from them. Middle fingers were deployed. 

[DaveP043]

17 minutes ago, Groucho Valentine said:

Im not saying don't apologize. Just that they probably didn't deserve one. I remember an remember a similar altercation i had years ago. It was on a par 5 (where these things always seem to happen) and this clown came after me like i just shot his dog or something because i rolled a ball up on the group that stopped like 10 yards away from them. Middle fingers were deployed. 

So given a choice between apologizing, because you really were in the wrong, and giving the guy the finger, you'd prefer to be confrontational, based on the other guy's attitude.  If you hit it that close, the guy deserves an apology.  Yeah, he's wrong for overreacting, but that doesn't make you any less wrong for hitting it that close.  I'd apologize and walk away.

[Groucho Valentine]

Just now, DaveP043 said:

So given a choice between apologizing, because you really were in the wrong, and giving the guy the finger, you'd prefer to be confrontational, based on the other guy's attitude.  If you hit it that close, the guy deserves an apology.  Yeah, he's wrong for overreacting, but that doesn't make you any less wrong for hitting it that close.  I'd apologize and walk away.

Yep. We dont roll like that in Jersey, homey. 

[Natural Patrick]

+1 handicap is how you roll, gotcha.

[paininthenuts]

Hitting into people, that's made me think of something that happened at my club a short while ago.  

 

A friend of mine was playing golf with his wife, when she was hit with a ball. He rung the emergency services immediately, and was asked exactly where she was hit. He answered, between the 1st and 2nd hole. The person on the other end of the line replied, there won't be much room for a plaster then !!

[natureboy]

1 hour ago, DaveP043 said:

So given a choice between apologizing, because you really were in the wrong, and giving the guy the finger, you'd prefer to be confrontational, based on the other guy's attitude.  If you hit it that close, the guy deserves an apology.  Yeah, he's wrong for overreacting, but that doesn't make you any less wrong for hitting it that close.  I'd apologize and walk away.

I'd like to add a caveat. If the ball goes 20 yards over your head and you were in full view of the group behind (not having finished the hole) the apology has to be pretty convincing and genuine to not come across as BS snideness.

[DaveP043]

1 minute ago, natureboy said:

I'd like to add a caveat. If the ball goes 20 yards over your head and you were in full view of the group behind (not having finished the hole) the apology has to be pretty convincing and genuine to not come across as BS snideness.

If you go back and look, both @Groucho Valentine and I were talking about accidentally rolling a ball up near someone.  If its hit well over my head while I was completely visible, its pretty damn unlikely that it was accidental.  That's not a caveat, its a completely different situation.

[natureboy]

1 minute ago, DaveP043 said:

If you go back and look, both @Groucho Valentine and I were talking about accidentally rolling a ball up near someone.  If its hit well over my head while I was completely visible, its pretty damn unlikely that it was accidental.  That's not a caveat, its a completely different situation.

Fair enough. I'd agree. I've experienced a drive landing 20-40 yards away and rolling up to me due to landing on a down-slope. I think it was a d$%k move to tee off while I was there, but I just gave the guy a thumbs up for the decent drive.

[CarlSpackler]

6 minutes ago, natureboy said:

Fair enough. I'd agree. I've experienced a drive landing 20-40 yards away and rolling up to me due to landing on a down-slope. I think it was a d$%k move to tee off while I was there, but I just gave the guy a thumbs up for the decent drive.

I would have chosen a different finger. 

[natureboy]

2 minutes ago, CarlSpackler said:

I would have chosen a different finger. 

Likely deserved and in a different mood, who knows. But that was probably a great dive for meat-for-brains while mine had missed the downslope 'speed-slot' and mostly carried to where I was. Why spoil his glorious moment. I certainly wasn't jealous of his drive.

[Shooting29]

I have been playing golf for close to 30 years and I can't recall a time when I felt the person who hit into my group had done so with the intent of causing the ball to land or roll past me. Same with me hitting into groups.

I was hit into during my club championship two weekends ago and it was my fault. #8 is a 90* dogleg right where the landing area of an aggressive drive is out of sight of the tee box. Not everyone chooses to go the aggressive route and that landing area is in view.  Our group all chose the conservative route but one guy hit  terrible layup and was hitting his third from the aggressive landing area. Instead of staying in sight we all moved out of site and then a ball landed in our midst. Completely our fault as we know driving out of sight signals to the group behind it is safe to hit. It would be akin to ringing a bell on a blind hole before you are out of range.

I also recently hit into a group. I was in the fairway on  par 5 waiting for the green to clear. The group putted out, put away their clubs and drove towards the next tee. I went into my preshot routine and hit. While I was fixated on my target they drove back and I didn't see them. I hit and see my ball will land about 10 steps left and beyond their cart. I immediately drove up to them and apologized. They laughed and said "we shouldn't have came back after driving away"

If you play golf with any regularity you will hit into someone and you will be hit into. We aren't tour pros so don't be an ass in either case.

 

[hamishmacduff]

My son and I had a weird experience a month or so ago. Playing a short par 4 with a dogleg left, we waited for the (very, very slow) foursome ahead of us to make their way around the dogleg, out of sight and out of range. My son hit a nice drive right down the middle. I hit a horrible high slice into the treetops to the right. After we holed out, we headed drown the path to the next tee, where we found the slow group sitting on a bench and glaring at us. "Want us to play through?" I asked, in my pleasant and polite way. Less pleasantly, they said yes, we hit into them and they didn't feel safe with us behind them. They got pissy when we didn't apologize, but they were just wrong. Neither of us hit anywhere near any of them. If a ball landed near them, it must have been a stray from an adjacent hole. The course layout makes that almost impossible, so I have no idea what they were on about. Kind of soured the whole outing. 

[phan52]

I've done it twice, once in Myrtle Beach and once on my home course. At Myrtle Beach I just miscalculated how far out the group in front was, I hit a great drive (for me) and the ball rolled up to them. One of the guys screamed and yelled and was going to hit it back at us but his buddy intervened. I drove up and apologized and everything was cool. At my home course, the group in front was playing on pace and never made us wait when we got to a dogleg par four with some trees obscuring one side. I didn't see anybody and drove the ball and, right after I hit, two guys came walking onto the fairway from the side that was obscured. I yelled FORE as loud as I could, even though the ball was well right of them. They were looking for a lost ball. They understood and all was well.

Just last week I was waiting to putt on a par 5 and I heard a ball hit short of the green. I turned to look and it bounced up onto the green and rolled past me. The guy who hit it drove up and was very apologetic, saying he was laying up and hit the best shot of his life. I know the guy and I would never think he could hit that par 5 in 2, so I guess, neither did he :-).

 

Edited September 23, 2016 by phan52

[RussUK]

Never hit into anyone, but had it done to me the last two rounds ive played. Playing partner almost got hit. He was chipping onto the green when some bell end played his approach over his head just missing him. He actually said "sorry, thought you were further away"!

[arturo28mx]

A few months ago an errant caddie walked into the fairway out of the trees and my drive hit him right in the head. He was knocked unconscious for a couple of minutes. I thought he was dead. A couple of caddies drove him quickly to a nearby hospital. Doctor said he would be ok, except for some bad headaches for a few days. Within a week he was back working like nothing had happened. To be safe I hired a lawyer to be prepared in case the caddie sued me. Fortunately nothing happened and we get along just fine. He knows it was his fault.

However, now I NEVER hit a ball unless I'm absolutely certain there's nobody even remotely close to where my ball could land. I don't ever want to have that experience again.

Edited September 23, 2016 by arturo28mx

[Yukari]

20 hours ago, arturo28mx said:

A few months ago an errant caddie walked into the fairway out of the trees and my drive hit him right in the head. He was knocked unconscious for a couple of minutes. I thought he was dead. A couple of caddies drove him quickly to a nearby hospital. Doctor said he would be ok, except for some bad headaches for a few days. Within a week he was back working like nothing had happened. To be safe I hired a lawyer to be prepared in case the caddie sued me. Fortunately nothing happened and we get along just fine. He knows it was his fault.

However, now I NEVER hit a ball unless I'm absolutely certain there's nobody even remotely close to where my ball could land. I don't ever want to have that experience again.

True that!

I never hit unless I am certain that I cannot reach a group in front.

I had one of my buddy get hit by a golf ball on his head by an errant shot from a group behind us.  He bled profusely. Fortunately it wasn't life threatening. But he had concussion for a few days. 

After seeing that, I never hit unless I am certain that I can not reach the group in front.