Tee box etiquette

[ghalfaire]

On 9/10/2017 at 6:45 PM, JRobber said:

What etiquette should be used on the tee box?

I personally don't like it when someone stands behind me, in the peripheral of my backswing.

I feel like a bit of jerk asking people to move, so typically try to just ignore it.

 

 

I really don't care about where others stand while I am on the tee as long as they stay shut up and still.

[NM Golf]

On 9/11/2017 at 12:50 PM, Lihu said:

I'm the opposite, and can understand why some golfers actually stand behind your line. I actually prefer someone stand behind my line so they can see where the ball goes..

 

I don’t know if you play tournament golf but be aware having your partner stand directly behind you is a breach of the rules. Rule 14-2b

14-2. Assistance

b. Positioning of Caddie or Partner Behind Ball

A player must not make a stroke with his caddie, his partner or his partner’s caddie positioned on or close to an extension of the line of play or line of putt behind the ball_.

PENALTY FOR BREACH OF RULE 14-1 or 14-2: Match play – Loss of hole; Stroke play – Two strokes.

 

[Lihu]

17 minutes ago, NM Golf said:

I don’t know if you play tournament golf but be aware having your partner stand directly behind you is a breach of the rules. Rule 14-2b

14-2. Assistance

b. Positioning of Caddie or Partner Behind Ball

A player must not make a stroke with his caddie, his partner or his partner’s caddie positioned on or close to an extension of the line of play or line of putt behind the ball_.

PENALTY FOR BREACH OF RULE 14-1 or 14-2: Match play – Loss of hole; Stroke play – Two strokes.

Ooh, that's bad. Many of my partners and I breach this rule for sure. Well, no more handicapping then . . .Quite a few of us can hit farther than we can see. On top of that, my head is trying to stay down through impact, and refocusing on a tiny ball takes too much time.

Usually tournaments, that I rarely play, have a protocols where only one person is permitted on the tee box at a time. Behind the tee box and player is fine, but just not on the flat grass. Maybe that's why, to avoid breaching this rule?

 

EDIT: Just read through the rule a bit. It only applies to a "partner" or caddie. "Partner" being in the competitive sense. Most of my playing partners are my opponents or fellow competitors. . .

Edited September 14, 2017 by Lihu

[Fairway_CY]

Count me among the group that doesn't have a preference where others stand.  I also seem to get a lot of apologies from others who may make a comment to someone else in the group while I'm playing a shot... but it doesn't bother me.  My response is always that I've got kids at home, so I'm kind of used to tuning things out.  

My buddies did play with a guy about a month ago or so who seemed to have major issues with where they stood any time he was playing a shot.  He was rude about it and would put his hand on his hip and stare at the 3 other guys in the group until one of them would realize that he was pissed off about something.  It got so bad that one of the other guys in their group jokingly yelled to him from about 150 yards behind and well to the left (about 8 o'clock) to ask if their cart was going to be in his line of sight.  Apparently, that didn't go over too well with the guy and put him on tilt... he finished 14 strokes back.  

If someone is in your line of sight or makes you uncomfortable... you're certainly within your rights to request that they position themselves elsewhere.  I'd just suggest doing it politely.  

CY

[JRobber]

4 hours ago, Fairway_CY said:

Count me among the group that doesn't have a preference where others stand.  I also seem to get a lot of apologies from others who may make a comment to someone else in the group while I'm playing a shot... but it doesn't bother me.  My response is always that I've got kids at home, so I'm kind of used to tuning things out.  

My buddies did play with a guy about a month ago or so who seemed to have major issues with where they stood any time he was playing a shot.  He was rude about it and would put his hand on his hip and stare at the 3 other guys in the group until one of them would realize that he was pissed off about something.  It got so bad that one of the other guys in their group jokingly yelled to him from about 150 yards behind and well to the left (about 8 o'clock) to ask if their cart was going to be in his line of sight.  Apparently, that didn't go over too well with the guy and put him on tilt... he finished 14 strokes back.  

If someone is in your line of sight or makes you uncomfortable... you're certainly within your rights to request that they position themselves elsewhere.  I'd just suggest doing it politely.  

CY

Ya that's totally overboard and you open yourself up to be ridiculed (deservedly so) and jinx yourself...by complaining and then still hitting a stinker.

my buddy today was right behind me AND he has a habit of practing his swing back there - double distracting for me. He doesn't even realize he's doing it, but he moved without question when I asked.

[Runnin]

Is it okay to pass hitting first if you have "the honor"?  I hate hitting first on courses I don't know.  I usually need more time figuring out if I'm gonna hit driver or not.  Are there any actual rules when it comes to hitting order on the tee?

[NCGolfer]

I normally don't mind on full swings...around the green I'm slightly more sensitive though.  There are always a few people that like to stand directly opposite the hole or right behind on the green.  If they are far enough away I really don't care but, sometimes...

[rehmwa]

On 14/09/2017 at 11:17 PM, Fairway_CY said:

and would put his hand on his hip and stare at the 3 other guys in the group until one of them would realize that he was pissed off about something

THIS is (to me, IMHO) the worst of the worst kind of player - he just simmers and expects everyone to read his mind and know what he wants and won't say a thing until it is too late.  He probably complains all the time about people that "don't follow golf etiquette".  He is "That Guy", and he's likely convinced beyond belief that he's 100% right all the time.

I'd play with a guy like this ONCE.  Maybe even less than that a you can tell the type within a hole or two - been known to just politely tell them to play on without me (or if it's not too crowded, just "accidentally lose" my ball and tell him to play on while I look for it.  There's always better people to join up with on the courses where i normally play.

Quote

one of the other guys in their group jokingly yelled to him from about 150 yards behind and well to the left (about 8 o'clock) to ask if their cart was going to be in his line of sight.

Your friend is my hero and I'd like to subscribe to his newletter.

Edited September 18, 2017 by rehmwa

[Shindig]

3 hours ago, Runnin said:

Is it okay to pass hitting first if you have "the honor"?  I hate hitting first on courses I don't know.  I usually need more time figuring out if I'm gonna hit driver or not.  Are there any actual rules when it comes to hitting order on the tee?

There is the order of play;  in stroke play, you can play out of order, as long as it's not to give someone an advantage -- so in a tournament, someone else going first to indicate line of play is not okay.  In a casual round, or for fun, if someone in the group hasn't played my course before, I'm happy to go ahead of them off the tee.

[DaveP043]

1 hour ago, Shindig said:

 In a casual round, or for fun, if someone in the group hasn't played my course before, I'm happy to go ahead of them off the tee.

I often do this when hosting someone who hasn't played my home club.  We have a significant number of blind shots, or places where you don't see the trouble from the tee.  I often follow my tee shot with the words "don't go there".

[WUTiger]

On 9/10/2017 at 8:45 PM, JRobber said:

... I personally don't like it when someone stands behind me, in the peripheral of my backswing.

I feel like a bit of jerk asking people to move, so typically try to just ignore it.

Nothing wrong with gently asking people to move.

I personally try to stand about 5 paces to the right, and maybe slightly behind, a person who is hitting. This is the old rule of thumb for were a caddy should move the bag once his golfer has taken his club.

A left-hander always makes things interesting.

In local Amateur circuit tournaments, I've had playing partners that were very touchy about where others stand.

[Grizzlybuck]

I'm 51, played starting at 12.  It was always fine to stand directly behind or behind but more towards the front. An absolute no no was to stand where during a full swing, I can only see you with a full turn, sorta the 7 o'clock position to your target. But I'm old school...

[Moxley]

Don't stand too close  

Aged 13 ( I think), I stood behind my friend as he was swinging, hit me square on the head on his follow through with a wood, sharp bit. I hadn't ever seen so much blood in my life , nor most of my family! required a fair few stitches in a&e. 

I didn't that much after that and lost interest in my teens. Took up golf again recently, now in my 30's. I wasn't ever going to make pro, but I do rue the lost years!

Wherever I stand these days, I'm a good few club lengths away! 

 

[Moxley]

Also, remember to research your shouts to see what is in. 

"Get in the hole" is now a bit dated and cliche, "Mashed Potatoes" is still a good one though

[satchmodog]

I was always taught to stand back and to the side, far enough to be out of the player's vision and not be a concern. Also not screw around, taking practice swings and keep an eye on what the player is doing. Turned out to be very sound advice, not only for not disturbing the person's tee shot, but for general all around safety. Twice I've seen rather dangerous incidents with projectiles heading right for people. Both on first holes with backed up tees, people milling about, heads up asses. The first was the head flying off or cracking off a driver and launching towards the people standing to the right of the player, the second was a directly perpendicular shank that hit someone. He was pissed, but it was his own fault for standing there.

[Carl3]

Here is a new experience: on vacation here in Florida and playing a new course for the 3rd time this week. Decent semi private, well maintained course. Decide to move up from the gold tees (6600 yds) to silver (5700) partly because I am playing with my father in-law and partly because I had my arse handed to me on my previous round. I bought the yardage book so I know the sand trap to the left is 237 yards out standing on the tee box of hole number 1.

The foursome ahead of us just got off the tee and is probably working on their third shots into this par 4 green. All 4 carts are situated near this bunker. I am debating whether to hit my driver (240 avg) or my 3h (200 avg). Hole is playing 335 yards. 

Well I decide to go with driver and am waiting to tee off and the starter steps up and tells me to go ahead and hit. I hesitate and decide to wait. The foursome behind us is emboldened to chime in and one of them tells me to hit. Then they go on to suggest that I am waiting for them to get on the green or something. So I throw my driver to the ground and stomp on over to the cart to get my 3h and proceed to pound it down the fairway 210 yard based on my gps watch. 

What would you have done? I hate having others dictate my game, but... I also felt like it affected how I played the par 5s the rest of the day. Laying up a time or two when I may have gone for it. Did not want to upset the animals behind starter referred to them as the Gator Group. Probably University of Florida alum.

[Nail]

2 hours ago, Carl3 said:

Here is a new experience: on vacation here in Florida and playing a new course for the 3rd time this week. Decent semi private, well maintained course. Decide to move up from the gold tees (6600 yds) to silver (5700) partly because I am playing with my father in-law and partly because I had my arse handed to me on my previous round. I bought the yardage book so I know the sand trap to the left is 237 yards out standing on the tee box of hole number 1.

The foursome ahead of us just got off the tee and is probably working on their third shots into this par 4 green. All 4 carts are situated near this bunker. I am debating whether to hit my driver (240 avg) or my 3h (200 avg). Hole is playing 335 yards. 

Well I decide to go with driver and am waiting to tee off and the starter steps up and tells me to go ahead and hit. I hesitate and decide to wait. The foursome behind us is emboldened to chime in and one of them tells me to hit. Then they go on to suggest that I am waiting for them to get on the green or something. So I throw my driver to the ground and stomp on over to the cart to get my 3h and proceed to pound it down the fairway 210 yard based on my gps watch. 

What would you have done? I hate having others dictate my game, but... I also felt like it affected how I played the par 5s the rest of the day. Laying up a time or two when I may have gone for it. Did not want to upset the animals behind starter referred to them as the Gator Group. Probably University of Florida alum.

That would totally annoy me. If there is any chance of hitting the guys in front it is downright dangerous to play. Look at the Brooks Koepka hitting thst woman in the eye incident. 

[iacas]

Tell them they’re 237 out and you’re waiting.