What is the protocol...?

[Paul OConnor]

Last week, while playing an unescorted guest round at a very nice mens only club somewhere in the State of Texas, the following situation occurred.  One of the two caddies in our group, an older, not really in good health older gent had a near death experience as he walked up the seventh hole.  Luckily for him, and us, the pro shop dispatched a cart, which the caddy then proceded to drive for the remainder of the round with the clubs on the cart.  He was not my caddy. 

My question is this.  If the caddy had dropped dead on the spot, would it be okay for me to finish the round?  Or does a death of any of the group pretty much put an end to the proceedings?   Any experience with similar situations would be appreciated.  I just want to be sure of the proper etiquette. 

[Tony_Muldoon]

Paul curious as to why you are desperate to know?

It shows that I've been hanging out here too long because I recall someone else asking the same question.

Who can make search work?

[Dale Jackson]

You will no doubt get several of the usual (but always funny) jokes about this.  It would seem inconsiderate to everyone involved to leave the body unattended, imagine being in the group behind and coming upon that!  I would think, however, that if staff are dealing with the problem and you feel up to continuing - it would be quite a shock to some - then play on.

My one similar experience was at Royal Dornoch.  A quite elderly member a little ahead of us, and golfing with his wife, dropped dead on the 18th tee.  The staff were there when we came through and they directed us around the members tee and to the forward tee.  Later in the clubhouse it was interesting to see the various reactions.  Many knew the gentlemen, as he had been a long term member, and all agreed he would have wanted to go this way.  There seemed only two problems; the trauma to his wife and the fact he didn't make it through all 18 holes.

[PCCraig]

I suppose it depends on how many holes you knew him for. 

[Rick Shefchik]

At Rancho Park in L.A., the proper etiquette would be to wait for the replacement player to sprint out to your hole, then proceed.

[Sam Morrow]

You may finish the round but go to the airport (since it's next door) and get the hell out of town.

[Kalen Braley]

Tricky question indeed.

About the closest thing I can come to for a similar situation is finding out the World Trade Towers had been attacked on the 13th hole of a round.  While all of us did play out, there wasn't much point anyways as none of could focus, played zombie-like the rest of the round, and we were wanting to get to the nearest TV cable news channel.

As it pertains to your situation, I guess if the course was one of those once-in-a-lifetime rounds where you get access to a course that you know you'll likely never get to play again, perhaps playing on would be the thing to do.  But in any other situation, I couldn't imagine playing on....even if it was just a low-life caddy!!!       (I apologize in advance if that last bit offends anyone) 

[K. Krahenbuhl]

Kind of a role reversal, but you can always look to one of your Windy City brethren for advice...

[Bill_McBride]

Bing Crosby went the way I'd like to go - walked off the 18th green at a course in Spain, hopefully after making a birdie putt to win some cash, and dropped dead of a heart attack on the way to the 19th hole. 

[PThomas]

what if you were playing, had your first hole-in-one that round, your partner then drops dead on a later hole....you have to complete the round to have it count as an official ace...

i guess it would matter who it was that keeled over..if a stranger, that would make it a lot easier to continue...

but what if a lifelong friend?  i would suppose that if he was a REALLY good friend and true lover of golf he'd want you to continue...wouldnt he??

[Jaeger Kovich]

If you didn't at least alert the proper authorities and wait for help to arrive... I wouldn't keep playing. I'm sure the entire caddy yard would be waiting for you on the 18th green to kick the s**t out of you for not helping out. And after spending the last 2 summers in a caddy yard myself... I wouldn't want to find out what happens!

[Rick Shefchik]

what if you were playing, had your first hole-in-one that round, your partner then drops dead on a later hole....you have to complete the round to have it count as an official ace...

i guess it would matter who it was that keeled over..if a stranger, that would make it a lot easier to continue...

but what if a lifelong friend?  i would suppose that if he was a REALLY good friend and true lover of golf he'd want you to continue...wouldnt he??

Paul, I don't know if it's just my club, but our pro has told us we don't have to finish a round for a hole-in-one to count. I believe his position -- and perhaps the USGA concurs -- is that a player should not be tempted to keep on playing in a lightning storm, like the poor old cleric in "Caddy Shack."

[J_ Crisham]

Last week, while playing an unescorted guest round at a very nice mens only club somewhere in the State of Texas, the following situation occurred.  One of the two caddies in our group, an older, not really in good health older gent had a near death experience as he walked up the seventh hole.  Luckily for him, and us, the pro shop dispatched a cart, which the caddy then proceded to drive for the remainder of the round with the clubs on the cart.  He was not my caddy. 

My question is this.  If the caddy had dropped dead on the spot, would it be okay for me to finish the round?  Or does a death of any of the group pretty much put an end to the proceedings?   Any experience with similar situations would be appreciated.  I just want to be sure of the proper etiquette. 

As I recall he also had a whistle that he would only blow for birdies-is it possible that he became short of breath from overuse of the whistle? As you know my experience was somewhat similar but my caddy's problems stemmed more from a coming down from whatever the drug of the week was. He had an ashen gray appearance from the 4th hole on and lagging 40-50 yds behind was the norm. After he lost his towel on the 5th hole he had to spit on my clubs to clean them. Amazing how I can have  a 15 yr old girl carry my very light bag at home and keep up with the pace of play. In closing Paul, I think playing on would certainly have been acceptable.

                                    Wish you well,  Jack

[Chris Cupit]

Paul,

If you remember he was my caddie.  He was overweight, diabetic and I assumed the whistle was to summon aid not announce birdies.  (He never had to blow the whistle for me that day!) In any event once the cart arrived and after a few puffs on his cigarettes, he seemed to perk up!

If he went down I remember calling dibs on the chest compressions and had we "lost" him I would have suggested finishing--I was winning our "Wolf" bet if you remember   Actually, other than blowing that short putt on 17, I think I won most of the holes--sorry about that one partner

Anyway, I might have felt a little bad at the time but the tequila enjoyed later that evening would have erased any of those bad memories

[C. Squier]

Hard to imagine this particular group giving someone a near death experience. 

To answer the question: Was there lightning in the area?  If not, we all know the answer.

[J_ Crisham]

Paul,

If you remember he was my caddie.  He was overweight, diabetic and I assumed the whistle was to summon aid not announce birdies.  (He never had to blow the whistle for me that day!) In any event once the cart arrived and after a few puffs on his cigarettes, he seemed to perk up!

If he went down I remember calling dibs on the chest compressions and had we "lost" him I would have suggested finishing--I was winning our "Wolf" bet if you remember   Actually, other than blowing that short putt on 17, I think I won most of the holes--sorry about that one partner

Anyway, I might have felt a little bad at the time but the tequila enjoyed later that evening would have erased any of those bad memories

Amazing how 6 guys go to dinner and the bill is $400,  $225 of it booze-oh yeah and only 4 guys drink! Thats right it was somebodies birthday Still looking for a picture of the guy in the red shirt at the Rockets game      Jack

[Will Peterson]

edit

[cary lichtenstein]

Is this a real post? If you have to ask this question...

[mike_beene]

How could you even enjoy playing. I am assumeing this is not a serious question.

[Dean Stokes]

How could you even enjoy playing. I am assumeing this is not a serious question.

I too am assuming this is a joke. Someone dies in your group and you are worried whether or not to go on

I suspect if you help the life flight with a few details and maybe offer some mouth to mouth for a while, the head pro may give you a raincheck for your efforts

[Mark Chaplin]

Dale - a no return is very poor form and to be frowned upon, hence McBride showing the proper etiquette and hoping he finishes the round and pockets his winnings!!

[Chip Gaskins]

this can't be a real question can it?  someone dies in your group and the question is do you finish your round? no, help anyway you can and then you drive home and kiss your wife, hug your kids, and call your mom to tell her you love her.

[Wayne_Freedman]

The protocol would be to do the decent thing.
He would have friends. They would want to know what happened. You would have been the last to see him alive.

If the roles were reversed, what would you want?

[Sean_A]

This is a wild thread.  Personally, my game would be stalled to make sure things are in hand by the right people.  It is certainly not my place to contact strangers of a stranger who died near me and tell them their nearest and dearest just fell off the twig.  Once things are in order, I see no reason why life for the alive doesn't just roll on.  Is it the proximity of the death that makes people want to go home and contemplate the fortunes of life?  When does this life halting contemplation end?  Is 30 minutes, an hour, the rest of the day...? 

Ciao

[Rob_Waldron]

Out of respect for the deceased a circle should be drawn around the body with white paint identifying the area as ground under repair. It would completely inappropriate to play a shot from the crotch of a dead guy.