Why the Hell won't anyone let me play through on a Public Course

[Malcolm Mckinnon]

Being a new member of GCA and reading through past posts I have decided that Hell may freeze over before I post anything actually regarding the origins of famous courses or golf architecture in general. Who needs the slings and arrows? I probably sound pretentious enough already. To heck with discussion of famous courses.

How about something simple?

What in the bejesus is wrong with the folks at Public Courses in the US who will not ever let anyone ever play through? I have been a single player on public tracks and without fail will run into a roadblock of a foursome who absolutely refuse to let me through. It happens again and again. I often will have putted out and rendezvous on the same tee with the foursome in front of me. No one will even make eye contact. The last guy will hit, they will pile into their carts and drive on, as if I never even existed.

Once I was a single behind a foursome that include two blind golfers. I sat and waited and sat and waited and sat and waited. They never acknowledged my existence.

I am without words.

Why?

[David Schofield]

I once got caught behind a "six-some" that wouldn't let me play through.  They were oblivious to the fact that I walked up to the tee a few seconds after they left it on the 2nd and 3rd holes.  I ended up skipping the 3rd hole, a par 3, and heading straight for the 4th.  The next time I saw them, I was walking up the 7th hole while they were walking past on the 4th.

[Jason Walker]

Skip a hole an option?  As a single you have no standing at most clubs.

[Malcolm Mckinnon]

At my club we always let a faster group go through, singles included. Unless there is a major log jam in front.

If both of us are less than a foursome and it fits (4 total) we will combine with a group behind us and play on.

[Sam Morrow]

The club I grew up at had a a-hole assistant who never let singles through. One day he was playing 3 balls with a student and wouldn't let me play through and even told me that I had no right as a single. Mind you this was at a private club and he was an employee. I'm got the last laugh though, he is a registered sex offender in the State of Texas.

[Anthony Gray]

The club I grew up at had a a-hole assistant who never let singles through. One day he was playing 3 balls with a student and wouldn't let me play through and even told me that I had no right as a single. Mind you this was at a private club and he was an employee. I'm got the last laugh though, he is a registered Texas offender in the State of Texas.

   The gentelmen's is not taught much any more.

  Anthony

[Ted Cahill]

I often play as a single.  I know the feeling of stubborn foursomes who won't wave you through.  I have often skipped holes- or I play three balls.  Golf is funny to many men's egos- they feel somehow if they let you through, they are "losing".  Sort of like drivers who wont let you in a lane on the freeway, despite your signal and slow moving traffic ahead.  I find it to be the worst part of golf- how it makes some people prickly..

[Pete_Pittock]

A few years ago the rulebook of golf said that a single player had no standing on the golf course. It was in the etiquette section.
It departed without any fanfare about seven years ago. Most people didn't notice. By ignoring you their importance is reaffirmed.

Tis no different than squatting in a passing lane.

[Tony Dear]

I've found that the best thing to do when confronted by eejits who probably wouldn't let me through even though I'm standing on the same tee as them, is to say 'Mind if I play through' whilst heading in the direction of the tee markers with your ball and tee ready to go. It's never not worked for me. Just make sure you hit a good drive and get out of their way fast.

[Kevin_Reilly]

I am without words.

This won't get me a MacArthur genius award, but I'd suggest trying "Hello, do you mind if I play through...I'll be out of your way in no time."

[Malcolm Mckinnon]

Kevin,

I hope you enjoy your serving of cold shoulder while you are sitting on the bench.

As I mentioned, the receptions I have received when overtaking the next group do not fall in the "hail fellow well met" category.

[Malcolm Mckinnon]

Actually, the real problem is that I am impaired by my instinctual politeness,

Barging through without an invitation does not come naturally to me. Therefore, perhaps I am anathema to public course golf.

A Hothouse plant, Sigh...

[Duncan Cheslett]

I've never really encountered this problem; I frequently play solo on a local par 3 pay and play course and have always been waved through by slower groups ahead with alacrity. Maybe being a burly 6'2" helps...


... or is England just a more thoughtful and polite country? lol!

Have a nice day, y'all...



 

[Doug Siebert]

I don't play as a single as often as I used to, but I've rarely had a problem.  If they don't invite me to go through, I'll ask, and promise them I'll be on the following green by the time they make the green on the hole they're teeing off from - I feel its necessary to offer that promise since I'm walking and some fulltime cartballers assume everyone who walks is slow!

Obviously I can't make that promise if there is a group immediately ahead of them, but if so there's little point in my asking because I have no where to go.  With that in mind, I have to admit I'm annoyed by singles who expect to be able to play through group after group on a busy course.  Join up with someone instead of expecting to delay everyone on the course for your own convenience!

I'm fairly well built and 6', so on the one hand maybe Duncan's on to something here, on the other hand he is probably not and I know I'm definitely not quite imposing enough to look like we could take on a foursome alone

[Mark Chaplin]

What is a public course?

[jeffwarne]

Skip a hole an option?  As a single you have no standing at most clubs.

Operationally, there is nothing more obnoxious than a single who believes they are entitled to play through multiple groups.
Sure some will wave you through if it's practical.
One single is not a problem but a series of two's three's and singles can ruin a day for a foursome playing at the appropriate pace.
I've got a member who sprints around  with a caddy and always announces his time to me and then complains to me it would've been faster but there's some groups out there "playing slow"

I played a lot of golf as a single growing up, but I played when the course was empty, skipped a hole or two, or patiently stayed back,
Appearing on a tee and assuming you're going through(when more than likely there's another group in front of the foursome) is rude and presumptuous.
The common line is that "there was no one in front of the foursome"-which is rarely true, it's just that the single is unaware of  the group/groups ahead playing a pace that involves friends/companions.
I play frequently during at a local club which has a wonderful culture of fast play, fousomes playng in 3:15-3:45 on a busy course.
Usually I go out after the lunch crowd and am the last of 10-15 foursomes. Invariably, around the fiftth hole a stray single or twosome appears having played the first 4 holes in 30 minutes, thinking he has the course to himself, not seeing the steady wall of foursomes playing at a more than acceptable rate for foursomes. Soon, there are two singles, a twosome,another single,and and a twosome all lined up thinking they were going to sprint around for an afternoon round.
There's nowhere for one group to go,much less,3-4 smaller groups. Good time to pair up,meet a friend.

A golf course has limited spots to sell,if every group is a single (or worse yet multiple intermittant singles), less people can use the course at the same time

[Cory Lewis]

Very well said Jeff.  As somebody who plays as a single alot I would really say you need to be realistic.  If you tee off between 9 and 2, you really should have no expectation of playing through anybody.  If I want to play quickly, I'll play early, when there are a maximum of two or three groups in front of me.  I would say that almost 100% of the time those groups will let you through because they know that there is nobody in front of them, or there are very few people in front of them and they will let you go.  The more frustrating thing to me is that people are less likely to let me through when I am walking then riding, which really makes no sense to me.

[jeffwarne]

Once I was a single behind a foursome that include two blind golfers. I sat and waited and sat and waited and sat and waited. They never acknowledged my existence.


Why?

Perhaps they didn't see you?

[John Kavanaugh]

I don't understand why you say you are a polite person right after announcing you will not be posting about architecture.  This thread is as rude on a Sunday morning as a 9am single wanting to go through on the third hole.

[John Shimony]

"Appearing on a tee and assuming you're going through(when more than likely there's another group in front of the foursome) is rude and presumptuous."


While your point is valid, Malcolm is talking specifically about times when the course ahead of the slow group is clearly open.

[jeffwarne]

"Appearing on a tee and assuming you're going through(when more than likely there's another group in front of the foursome) is rude and presumptuous."


While your point is valid, Malcolm is talking specifically about times when the course ahead of the slow group is clearly open.

perhaps it's not as "clearly open" as he thinks-it rarely is.
or perhaps it's the 4th single in half an hour to approach with the same issue.
Letting a group play through does delay you, and doing so repeatedly for those who decide to play at a pace outside the norms of a public course gets old and slows a conforming group down to an UNacceptable pace,
Of course a foursome should let a single through on an empty course, but Malcom says "they never do", which leads me to believe he's the problem

If he joined or played through the blind golfers, would they notice?

[jonathan_becker]

Golf is expensive and (unfortunately) a lot of people think that because they paid their fees for the round, they can do as they please. 

[Steve Lang]

... I have to admit I'm annoyed by singles who expect to be able to play through group after group on a busy course.

Similarly anoyed..

.. asked, we'll almost always let a single go by, but similar to what Doug mentions in quote above, a single doesn't have automatic free passage rights unless we know there's room for him in front of us.  We always say, "you can either join us or play through quickly"..

A favorite comment on a public course: .. "if you wanted to get done earlier, you should have made an earlier tee time!"

oh and make sure to show them your gca.com card   :<))

[jeffwarne]

... I have to admit I'm annoyed by singles who expect to be able to play through group after group on a busy course.

Similarly anoyed..

.. asked, we'll almost always let a single go by, but similar to what Doug mentions in quote above, a single doesn't have automatic free passage rights unless we know there's room for him in front of us.  We always say, "you can either join us or play through quickly"..

A favorite comment on a public course: .. "if you wanted to get done earlier, you should have made an earlier tee time!"

oh and make sure to show them your gca.com card   :<))

Curious whether Bandon will allow 40 consecutives singles to play at The Kings Putter....(I can't get emoticons to work)

[Bob_Huntley]

I am with Jeff Warne here. I have been playing this game longer than most and have never expected to be let through groups in front of me. With a full tee sheet, what gives anyone the impression that they are not inconveniencing the players in front of them?

Nothing is worse than when a single has been afforded the opportunity to rush through, you see him taking another putt when his first attempt has failed.

When playing solo, I love the opportunity to hit more than one ball.

Bob