League Players vs Regular Players - Etiquette

[colin007]

When leagues go out, are they expected to follow common etiquette and pace of play? Or do they basically have free reign?

Should they be expected to allow faster players to play through who are following and are NOT playing in the league?

[amished]

Where I play, non-league players cannot play during designated league time so I've never seen this be an issue.  Pace of play can sometimes become an issue but generally if you're going to be slow, you would do that as a league or non-league player.  In my limited past experience, league players stick in their order and play as fast as they deem appropriate and can be slower than "normal" pace of play.

[jamo]

They should absolutely be expected to follow etiquette and pace of play rules. And if there's a single or a group behind a league group in a situation where playing through would help, they should let them. My group let a threesome of non-league players play through in our match just last week. 

[jkelley9]

Pace of play is a part of golf. I don't care if you, or I, are in league play. I don't care if you're a +4 or if you're a HC - play at a normal pace. 

If you're going to play slow, at LEAST let the group behind you play through. You aren't entitled to SQUAT unless specifically addressed by the course that you have squat. 

Slow play if freaking terrible for this game. #1 pet peeve.

[colin007]

So basically, if I am in the first group that goes out after the leagues go out, and we come to the back of the league and we ask to play through, and they tell us "we can't let you go because we are a league" and I called the pro shop and the pro shop says "it's a league there's nothing we can do", I'm SOL? 

[bkuehn1952]

The few times I have knowingly followed league play, I have no expectation of playing through.  Yes, all players should be subject to generally accepted etiquette.  But as the clubhouse guy indicated, many courses do not expect leagues to allow trailing groups to play through.

[saevel25]

1 hour ago, colin007 said:

When leagues go out, are they expected to follow common etiquette and pace of play? Or do they basically have free reign?

Should they be expected to allow faster players to play through who are following and are NOT playing in the league?

The course I play on will not allow any tee times during league play. They will tell people no tee times are open till 5:30 or so. I would also expect slow play depending on the league. You may or may not be able to play through. Depends on the group you run into. 

 

[iacas]

2 hours ago, colin007 said:

So basically, if I am in the first group that goes out after the leagues go out, and we come to the back of the league and we ask to play through, and they tell us "we can't let you go because we are a league" and I called the pro shop and the pro shop says "it's a league there's nothing we can do", I'm SOL? 

Yep. Some courses have their bread buttered by leagues.

[billchao]

2 hours ago, colin007 said:

So basically, if I am in the first group that goes out after the leagues go out, and we come to the back of the league and we ask to play through, and they tell us "we can't let you go because we are a league" and I called the pro shop and the pro shop says "it's a league there's nothing we can do", I'm SOL? 

Yes I think you're SOL. My question is, if you're following the last group of the league, how big is it and where do you expect to go if they let you through anyway?

[dennyjones]

1 hour ago, bkuehn1952 said:

The few times I have knowingly followed league play, I have no expectation of playing through.  Yes, all players should be subject to generally accepted etiquette.  But as the clubhouse guy indicated, many courses do not expect leagues to allow trailing groups to play through.

this has been my experience.

[WUTiger]

 

4 hours ago, colin007 said:

When leagues go out, are they expected to follow common etiquette and pace of play? Or do they basically have free reign?

A well-run golf course blocks off time for the league to avoid conflict with other golfers. Leagues basically own the time bloc.

4 hours ago, amished said:

Where I play, non-league players cannot play during designated league time so I've never seen this be an issue.

[David in FL]

4 hours ago, colin007 said:

So basically, if I am in the first group that goes out after the leagues go out, and we come to the back of the league and we ask to play through, and they tell us "we can't let you go because we are a league" and I called the pro shop and the pro shop says "it's a league there's nothing we can do", I'm SOL? 

Often, sadly, yep.  

 

[DaveP043]

League players SHOULD show the same consideration for other golfers that we expect from everyone.  However, many feel entitled.  And from the course's standpoint, league players have made a long-term commitment to the course, so the course may (quite appropriately) allow the league more leeway when enforcing pace of play.  Its hard to argue, that's a financially-fueled decision.

[boogielicious]

13 hours ago, billchao said:

Yes I think you're SOL. My question is, if you're following the last group of the league, how big is it and where do you expect to go if they let you through anyway?

If there is no where to go, I would just relax and play. My league is four groups. We try to set it up so the faster groups are first and that way the whole league plays faster. We are only 16 players though, so it is easy. If the commissioner sets up the groups wrong, and it is slow, we give him hell.

[chilepepper]

I play in a couple leagues. One shotguns with about 10 foursomes,the other goes off #1 tee with a 4 foursome average. We play a 4-415 pace for 18. We get slowed down by golfers in front of us occasionally. If someone catches the tail end of the bunch it would be unrealistic to expect to play through that many groups. I've never known it to be an issue though. 

[DaveP043]

2 minutes ago, chilepepper said:

If someone catches the tail end of the bunch it would be unrealistic to expect to play through that many groups. I've never known it to be an issue though. 

If the groups are all playing at the same very reasonable pace, I agree completely.  If the tail group plays a lot slower, so is a couple of holes behind, they SHOULD let faster groups play through, just like ANY group that falls behind.  

[colin007]

6 hours ago, DaveP043 said:

If the groups are all playing at the same very reasonable pace, I agree completely.  If the tail group plays a lot slower, so is a couple of holes behind, they SHOULD let faster groups play through, just like ANY group that falls behind.  

Yeah, pretty much this. A few times recently we have come up on the last league group, and can see that they have fallen behind and there's room to play thru, but they act like they own the course and won't allow people to play thru them.

[Buckeyebowman]

On 8/11/2017 at 6:47 PM, iacas said:

Yep. Some courses have their bread buttered by leagues.

Bingo! Leagues are vitally important to a lot of public courses. Guaranteed play every week, and a field day, or two! When we're going to play a public course on a weekday afternoon, we always ask in advance when the leagues tee off. And we always try to get out in front of them.

Back in the day I was in a league of 70+ players! With those numbers, nobody teed off behind us! Drinks and food post round. Plus two field days a year, renting the pavilion, you can imagine the income to the course. They don't want to piss those guys off!