Par 3 etiquette

[Ceeeeej]

I was at my local course today, there was two groups of 4 in front of us. On the par 3, 13th hole the group in front waived the group behind to hit their balls to the green. Even though the first group had not even finished around the green. I have never seen that before and made a note to mention it to the pro at the pro shop. He then told me that it’s a tactic to speed up play, I still feel like that was BS and only slowed things down. What do y’all think?? Anyone herd of this tactic?

Edited August 15, 2018 by Ceeeeej

[boogielicious]

5 hours ago, Ceeeeej said:

I was at my local course today, there was two groups of 4 in front of us. On the par 3, 13th hole the group in front waived the group behind to hit their balls to the green. Even though the first group had not even finished around the green. I have never seen that before and made a note to mention it to the pro at the pro shop. He then told me that it’s a tactic to speed up play, I still feel like that was BS and only slowed things down. What do y’all think?? Anyone herd of this tactic?

Welcome to The Sand Trap. It can help pace of play if the next hole opens up. But I agree, it can slow it down if the next hole is backed up.

[DaveP043]

When I was growing up, this used to be pretty common, at least where I played.  I don't see it done nearly as much any more.   If I remember right, its really not very effective in speeding up play, since it requires the group on the green to actually slow down.  

[saevel25]

This was common practice on a course I played in Dayton. There is a nasty uphill par 3, about 165 yards, not considering it being 2-3 clubs uphill. Most people don't make it to the green. There is severe drop off on the right side, and a bunker on the left side of the green. It would be common to allow the people on the tee to hit up, and while they walk and drive up the hill, the group on the green finish putting. It did really help speed up play.

[ghalfaire]

I have seen this a number of times.  The reasoning is it speeds up play.  I'm not sure that is true however.  Like a chain is no stronger than the weakest link, you can't play faster than the slowest group in front of you.  But I wouldn't argue that it speeds up the flow on that Par 3, it probably does.  Then you can sit on the next tee waiting to tee off as up there somewhere is the slowest group on the course.

[Ceeeeej]

Thanks for the responses, I had no idea.

[RayG]

I don't think it was started to "speed up play".. It was probably started by some club cronies who waved up their buddies to put pressure on them, and so they could make fun of the resulting shots. 

Local course has a known hot spot- a longish par 3 that ALWAYS seems to have 2 groups waiting. People used to wave everyone up, then sit around when the NEXT tee had 2 groups waiting around. Now- there is no "waving up" and once past this bottleneck, holes tend to open up a bit.

[Fourputt]

10 hours ago, Ceeeeej said:

I was at my local course today, there was two groups of 4 in front of us. On the par 3, 13th hole the group in front waived the group behind to hit their balls to the green. Even though the first group had not even finished around the green. I have never seen that before and made a note to mention it to the pro at the pro shop. He then told me that it’s a tactic to speed up play, I still feel like that was BS and only slowed things down. What do y’all think?? Anyone herd of this tactic?

My home course tried that and tracked round times for a full season (part of the starter's job there is to track round times anyway so it wasn't anything different than we ever did).  It had no discernible effect on pace of play.  Unless the hole has an unusually long route from tee to green, nothing is gained, and generally players just end up waiting elsewhere.  For most groups I've played in, waiting at the green for the group on the tee to hit is as long a delay as waiting on the tee for the group to putt out.  All you do is move the wait to another point on the course, often it's the next tee.

[NM Golf]

1 hour ago, RayG said:

I don't think it was started to "speed up play".. It was probably started by some club cronies who waved up their buddies to put pressure on them, and so they could make fun of the resulting shots. 

Yeah pretty sure thats not true.

It should only be used for really long par 3's or I've seen people do it for driveable par 4's so the trailing group can begin the long trek to the green while the group in front putts out. Not entirely sure if it's effective in keeping up the pace of play.

[windlaker]

We waived a twosome on last Friday.  I was playing in a foursome.

The course was dead, so it made no sense to have this twosome behind us.  Plus, they were better golfers than we were.

[ssbn611]

On 8/15/2018 at 7:46 AM, DaveP043 said:

When I was growing up, this used to be pretty common, at least where I played.  I don't see it done nearly as much any more.   If I remember right, its really not very effective in speeding up play, since it requires the group on the green to actually slow down.  

Same for me. It was also common at my primary course in San Jose during the 1980’s. I’ve never seen it done at the courses I play in the Baltimore area now. 

[Sandy Divot]

I'll do it if holes are open in front of us, and if our walking group is holding up a group of riders. I will not do it if the course is full, and there is no place for the following group to go.

[Greenwich]

Also if you can not find your ball, you wave the other group on.