How to play 9 holes in more than 2 hours as a single golfer

**LBH** · 05-08-2009 09:35 PM

So after the thunderstorm passed through Kanata around 2:30-3:00pm today, I decided to head out to Kanata Lakes after work at 4:30pm to play a round of golf. Told myself that as a single, I should be able to get 18 in. funk-like and myself did it on Wednesday as a twosome. So I thought....

The starter tells me to head out on the back nine first as the front nine is busy. Nobody can be seen playing #9 so I should be fine. Quickly (#11 tee box), I catch up to a foursome. You can see what happens next right? Nothing!!! They won't let me play through at all. So I waited the entire 9 holes behind them, almost catching up to them on the tee box of every hole, waiting on every shot. I had a good game going so I didn't want to let this frustrate me. Ended playing 1-over so it didn't affect my game.

And people who know Kanata Lakes, it's not like you can skip holes or jump onto the front nine to finish your round... Otherwise, would have done it if it would have been a good option.

So I didn't make a scene on the course, didn't convey my frustration to the cart girl or ask her to call the proshop. Never saw a marshall on the course though (Friday evenings - what do you expect?).

After I finish 9 holes at 7:20pm (teed off around 5:00pm), I walk up to one of the guys in the parking lot and ask him politely (yes politely) why they never offered to let me play through? His answer was that they thought a group who catch up to me and I would join them!!! What? So I asked him if he knew what etiquette meant and he replied "yes, foursomes!". He told me that many times he was stuck behind foursomes and they wouldn't let him through! Unbelievable.

Needless to say, I was boiling inside. But I remained calm and told him I had nothing against their pace of play but was angry at them for not letting me play through. He answered my comment by getting in his car, closing his door and driving away. Classy!!!

All I was trying to do was play 18... I know I would have had plenty of time if they would have let me play through. Oh well, it'll have to be for another day I guess.

That's my rant!!!

**golfott** · 05-08-2009 09:42 PM

question being, were there groups in front of that group, or was it just them and then open holes in front of them?

**mpare** · 05-08-2009 09:43 PM

Isn't this a private course? If so and quite apart from the foursome's boorish behaviour, I'm amazed that anyone would treat a fellow club member this way. Based on your narrative, the guy you were speaking comes across as a selfish, self-centered twit - the kind of guy you don't want on any course. You demonstrated remarkable restraint. Kudos to you.

Originally Posted by LBH

So after the thunderstorm passed through Kanata around 2:30-3:00pm today, I decided to head out to Kanata Lakes after work at 4:30pm to play a round of golf. Told myself that as a single, I should be able to get 18 in. funk-like and myself did it on Wednesday as a twosome. So I thought....

The starter tells me to head out on the back nine first as the front nine is busy. Nobody can be seen playing #9 so I should be fine. Quickly (#11 tee box), I catch up to a foursome. You can see what happens next right? Nothing!!! They won't let me play through at all. So I waited the entire 9 holes behind them, almost catching up to them on the tee box of every hole, waiting on every shot. I had a good game going so I didn't want to let this frustrate me. Ended playing 1-over so it didn't affect my game.

So I didn't make a scene on the course, didn't convey my frustration to the cart girl or ask her to call the proshop. Never saw a marshall on the course though (Friday evenings - what do you expect?).

After I finish 9 holes at 7:20pm (teed off around 5:00pm), I walk up to one of the guys in the parking lot and ask him politely (yes politely) why they never offered to let me play through? His answer was that they thought a group who catch up to me and I would join them!!! What? So I asked him if he knew what etiquette meant and he replied "yes, foursomes!". He told me that many times he was stuck behind foursomes and they wouldn't let him through! Unbelievable.

Needless to say, I was boiling inside. But I remained calm and told him I had nothing against their pace of play but was angry at them for not letting me play through. He answered my comment by getting in his car, closing his door and driving away. Classy!!!

All I was trying to do was play 18... I know I would have had plenty of time if they would have let me play through. Oh well, it'll have to be for another day I guess.

That's my rant!!!

**LBH** · 05-08-2009 09:44 PM

Originally Posted by golfott

question being, were there groups in front of that group, or was it just them and then open holes in front of them?

Sorry - yes that makes a difference...

It was wide open in front of them. When I walked by #12, you can see #16 and there was nobody. All along #12 (par 5) I was looking back to #16 to see if anybody was around - no one...

**LBH** · 05-08-2009 09:46 PM

Originally Posted by mpare

Isn't this a private course? If so and quite apart from the foursome's boorish behaviour, I'm amazed that anyone would treat a fellow club member this way. Based on your narrative, the guy you were speaking comes across as a selfish, self-centered twit - the kind of guy you don't want on any course. You demonstrated remarkable restraint. Kudos to you.

Yes private course - not my home course but part of the Clublink family... I was proud of myself for being calm and polite about it... Now don't ask my wife what I told her when I got home... Not so polite then.

**Hacker** · 05-08-2009 09:46 PM

At the very least I would have voice my displeasure to the pro-shop. That is unacceptable totally behaviour and it just goes to prove that while some folks may have the money to join a private course, money alone doesn't guarantee that they have the manners or etiquette to be playing the game of golf

**LBH** · 05-08-2009 09:48 PM

Originally Posted by Hacker

At the very least I would have voice my displeasure to the pro-shop. That is unacceptable totally behaviour and it just goes to prove that while some folks may have the money to join a private course, money alone doesn't guarantee that they have the manners or etiquette to be playing the game of golf

I did speak to the proshop after... They agreed with me about the lack of respect from those guys. But since it's not my home course and I didn't know the guys, pretty tough for them to do anything.

**Hacker** · 05-08-2009 09:51 PM

Originally Posted by LBH

I did speak to the proshop after... They agreed with me about the lack of respect from those guys. But since it's not my home course and I didn't know the guys, pretty tough for them to do anything.

I'm sure that if they were really interested in doing something they could have looked at the starter's sheet and with the help of your description figure out who it was.......any way, Club Link member or not, I'm sure there is still a little "snobbery" shown towards folks who don't have Kanata Lakes as their "home course"

Sorry to hear that your round was ruined.....

**LBH** · 05-08-2009 09:54 PM

Originally Posted by Hacker

I'm sure that if they were really interested in doing something they could have looked at the starter's sheet and with the help of your description figure out who it was.......any way, Club Link member or not, I'm sure there is still a little "snobbery" shown towards folks who don't have Kanata Lakes as their "home course"

Sorry to hear that your round was ruined.....

Since I teed-off around 5:00pm from #10, I asked them who teed off around 3pm from #1 as a foursome (all guys). He looked quickly but didn't seem interested in helping. He was more interested about their members tournament the next day...

And my round wasn't ruined - shot 1-over. Should have had time to play the "back nine" though...

**Hacker** · 05-08-2009 10:00 PM

Originally Posted by LBH

Since I teed-off around 5:00pm from #10, I asked them who teed off around 3pm from #1 as a foursome (all guys). He looked quickly but didn't seem interested in helping. He was more interested about their members tournament the next day...

And my round wasn't ruined - shot 1-over. Should have had time to play the "back nine" though...

Well done and Congrats

**jvincent** · 05-08-2009 10:15 PM

That sucks.

I went out as a single last weekend and I was behind a threesome starting on the third hole. They had another threesome in front of them and they were moving pretty fast so I just took my time behind them.

When I crossed over the group in front of them had left so as soon as they saw me coming up to the 10th tee they asked if I wanted to play through.

Thankfully I get this kind of treatment pretty much all the time.

**Hank Hill** · 05-08-2009 10:21 PM

Wow, what a bunch of snobs, would have taken a minute or two max for you to tee off, head to your ball and hit your second. Pathetic attitude by them IMO.

**314314** · 05-08-2009 10:36 PM

The same issue happened to a friend of mine who told me that he played at Metcalfe this week behind a 4some. He was playing as single... it affected his game and left without finishing... He told me that he was not going back there...

**bobjones59** · 05-08-2009 11:02 PM

I also played Kanata today. We teed off at 3:00 pm and after hitting our second shots on #2 we headed towards the green and 2 balls dropped in behind us in the fairway. Being that there was 4 of us we putted out and as we drove to #3 we decided to let the twosome behind us play through. We all teed off on 3 and then they showed up and we ask them to play through which they did and they we're extremely polite and grateful and it honestly didn't slow us down but for maybe a couple of minutes. I can't understand why that group did not let you go through? Just a**holes in my opinion. When we got to #12 teebox the two guys we let play through on #3 we're putting out on #16 so it really helped to let them go through when we did. They we're both great ballstrikers and probably really enjoyed their fast round. Had we not let them through, they probably would have been pretty peeved off. The weird part was that on #8, a marshall asked us to hurry up our pace of play, even though there was nobody behind us on #7 or #6 for that matter and there were no groups ahead of us either. He said the group ahead was teeing off on #10 and wanted us to catch up. Why? I feel bad that you had such a crappy experience LBH, just not right.

**golfott** · 05-08-2009 11:14 PM

if there was no one in front of them I would have just caught up quickly and asked to play though, no need to wait for them to offer. and if they refuse, well play through anyway, might mean having to either play very quickly one hole or pick up and just "scoot" ahead, but if you are a single playing just one ball and there is room in front of them it would not be an issue.

sometimes i think that people wait for othgers to offe r to let through, when you can just go haed and go through if needed.

**LBH** · 05-09-2009 12:40 AM

I thought about asking them at every hole on the tee box because by the time I putted out on the previous hole and walked up to the next, they were just starting to walk off the teebox. Worst is they bought drinks off the cart girl on #14 by the white tee box while I waited on the blue/gold tee box.

Since it's not my home course and they had not offered by then, I already labeled them as a**holes in my mind so I didn't want to make a situation worse. But trust me, I thought more than once to hit my tee shot while they were still close to being within reach to "teach" them a lesson but, IMO, I would've been the one who would've been the a**hole by doing that.

**LBH** · 05-09-2009 12:42 AM

The other things too is I wanted them to understand that I was waiting for them so I didn't want to screw around on a hole, hitting 2 balls or practice putting or chipping... So much for trying to teach these guys a lesson in manners and etiquette.

**bobjones59** · 05-09-2009 01:02 AM

I can't believe the patience that you showed today, you should definitely be commended for that. You're a bigger man than I! In retrospect I guess there wasn't much you could do other than to pack up and go home. It's just SO frustrating waiting behind a group that only had to use a bit of common sense and courtesy so that you would have all enjoyed what turned out to be a fantastic day weather wise. I'm sure you'll get some great rounds in there as the summer progresses. If you're ever going as a single send me a PM if you ever want some company as I love only 10 minutes away. Take it easy.
Jeff

**justsomeguy** · 05-09-2009 09:55 AM

Originally Posted by LBH

I thought about asking them at every hole on the tee box because by the time I putted out on the previous hole and walked up to the next, they were just starting to walk off the teebox. Worst is they bought drinks off the cart girl on #14 by the white tee box while I waited on the blue/gold tee box.

If there is nobody in front of them, the other option is to simply skip a hole. While they are walking to the green on a par 3, simply walk to the next tee box and play.

**Section Thirty One** · 05-09-2009 12:05 PM

That is really quite poor, and the foursome should be ashamed for their behaviour. The fact that someone else didn't allow the guy to play through in the past shouldn't dictate what he does in the present.

The response from the pro shop is typical Clublink. Let me tell you that at a true private club, that kind of thing doesn't fly and those guys would have been talked to by the head pro.

**mpare** · 05-09-2009 12:17 PM

Or the membership chairperson would have taken him aside. In either case, the meeting would not have been pleasant for the member. The possibility of sitting on the sidelines as a suspended member has a way of curbing objectionable behaviour.

Originally Posted by Section Thirty One

... The response from the pro shop is typical Clublink. Let me tell you that at a true private club, that kind of thing doesn't fly and those guys would have been talked to by the head pro.

**jeffc** · 05-09-2009 12:27 PM

personally, when playing in a larger group, I would rather they play through than feel like I am holding someone up. It's the same on the highway, when someone wants to go fast, pull over to the right and let them through!

I would have asked them to play through. Some people don't get it. If they refused at that point, I would have definitely talked to someone in the proshop.

**Section Thirty One** · 05-09-2009 10:16 PM

Originally Posted by mpare

Or the membership chairperson would have taken him aside. In either case, the meeting would not have been pleasant for the member. The possibility of sitting on the sidelines as a suspended member has a way of curbing objectionable behaviour.

Agreed.

I think that is one huge thing that Clublink lacks; accountability for ones actions.

**Swerve** · 05-09-2009 11:34 PM

bottom line, you were a single and hold no priority on a course, same as a twosome. Yes, they probably should have let you play through, but they didn't.

If you were out alone you should have just relaxed, played 2 or 3 balls and worked on your game - why else would you play solo?

**mpare** · 05-09-2009 11:51 PM

Where is it written that a single holds "no priority on a course", and what does that mean? In any event how does one's status as a single excuse the foursome for acting like asses?