This past weekend I think I finally realized something after looking for playing partner's golf balls on most every hole in our 18 hole round.
Don't get me wrong here...for the most part I always try and assist other playing partners with finding their golf balls when not easily to be found...
Backgound on me: I play to a decent handicap of 10 (going down, hopefully this year)...and have a moderate pace, play hit when ready golf...
What aggravates me most and this is what I think I realized is, here I am hitting fairway after fairway, good weekend for me (12/13 with driver)...and it's cart path only, I find myself being the nice guy looking for their golf balls, then rushing back to mine to pick club/hit, sometimes good, sometimes bad results...
I think I'm going to adopt that if I hit the fairway, I'm going to hit my shot first before looking for other's, granted if they're not too far away...
So many times I get thrown off my game and tempo because of this, especially when it's "Cart Path Only"...I'm thinking to myself, I hit the FW, it's my reward to play as I usually do, mind you pretty fast, once I hit then I'll gladly help others find their golf ball...I think most of the time, they'll probably wonder onto it anyways, and here I won't have wasted anytime for our group...
Others, what strategy do you deal with in these situations when you're a decent player and you are among those who have trouble keeping it in the short grass.
One other thing I might add is ...I've come to love 3-somes for this reason that the numbers of 4 generally add that someone will have trouble most of the time throughout a round...
I can understand that. You have an obligation to yourself to make a good shot when you're in the fairway. And tell you what, take your shot, and THEN go look for theirs. I'm sure they won't object, considering your just trying to keep the pace of play.
makes sense to me. Just keep a good eye on where their ball lands and try to pick out a marker of sorts. (you porbably know this) and call across the fairway where you think the ball is in relation to where they are looking. This way you will still seem like you are helping but you will also be preparing for your shot too. Hit your ball then go them look.
Glad to hear of others who've been doing this...I mean I don't ever want to come across ignorant to any of my partners. I just think that I've been neglecting my game more than I've needed to over the years.
i always tell my partners not to worry about my ball when i stray away from the fairway...i am courteous enough to drop if i cant find my ball within a sufficient amount of time.
Its a tough one. It can be very frustrating when you draw inexperienced players and end up spending a lot of time searching for balls and helping them in other ways.
As experienced golfers however, we have an obligation to educate beginners not just how to spot their ball, but on golf etiquette and how to play ready golf. One of the reasons for slow play these days is that people tend to ignore the opportunity to help someone out so that they become better, and quicker, players.
I played in a corporate day recently and drew two guys with "no official handicap". One hadn't played for five years and the other only a couple this year.
I spent the day looking for balls, attending the flag, raking bunkers and trying to teach my playing partners how to as well as when and where to hit. I pretty much ignored my own game and was presently surprised at the end of the day that I had shot 77 off a six handicap, won the A grade and new R - 7 driver!
This is why I'm glad to have the group of friends that understand stuff like this. Maybe not just to the extent of searching for lost balls, but "ready golf" related issues in general.
The "hit yours, then help" idea is how it should be done. Nothing irritates me more than watching a foursome wander on one side of the fairway looking for a lost ball, then after they find it (or end up giving in and dropping), having to wait for everyone to get back to their ball and hit. And as was mentioned, if you look up while preparing for your shot, or waiting for the group ahead to clear, yelling (or more appropriately, GESTURING) that you think the ball is right, left, closer, farther is the way to go.
I was probably the best golfer of my regular group before I moved away (I play low to mid-90's almost without fail, the rest were at there, or 5 or 6 strokes higher on average.), but we all knew how to look quick, and if a group starts waiting and you're clear to hit, drop and go. And if someone's on the left side of the fairway and you're off to the right, grab clubs for that shot and the next one and go. Just because you pay for a cart doesn't mean you have to be chaufferred (sp?) to every shot. A little walk can be a good thing.
Whew. Haven't ranted about ready golf since last season, I don't think. Feels good.
I agree with you and the others who have posted saying to play your shot first, unless you're a hundred yards ahead of them. I would suggest telling them about the 5 minute rule but taking an extra 5 minutes on every hole would cost you an extra hour and a half and the group behind you would go nuts plus you can't let people play through all day as you will never finish. I would just tell them to take a drop and play. Most new people are agreeable with this and scoring for them is not really that critical at this stage as they are really just trying to learn how to play. Later, they can learn more about the rules concerning lost balls, OB's, etc. But I think they, and you, will have a more enjoyable round by doing this for now. Best of luck.
Jerry
and 5 minutes is usually too long. We usually take a look around 1-2 minutes and drop in the vicinity & add a stroke. We play it by the book if there is something on it. But we don't want everyone in our group spending 5 minutes looking so we treat it as lost in a hazard during casual play.
Not being as experienced as some of you folks, I hit a few in the woods almost every round I play. The combo of my slice and the abundance of trees on NC courses don't help either. That being said, I don't even bother "hunting" for a ball if someone's behind me waiting to play. If I can't spot the ball when I walk over to where it went out, I drop immediately. If it's a slow day, then I may take a few minutes to look around. But I don't hit anything pricey, so a lost ball doesn't hurt as much.
and 5 minutes is usually too long. We usually take a look around 1-2 minutes and drop in the vicinity & add a stroke. We play it by the book if there is something on it. But we don't want everyone in our group spending 5 minutes looking so we treat it as lost in a hazard during casual play.
We call it the 5 min rule but I agree with you, it's too long to look for a ball, especially with a group right behind you. Have a nice day.
Jerry
Why can't all of you be playing in front of me instead of the miserly hack who would rather die that give up looking for his $4.00 golf ball? The high priced golf ball is the bane of good pace. A few years back these same safari trekkin', quest for the Holy ProV types would abandon their Pinnacle or Top-Flite and move on. Now they're all archaeologists searching for lost treasure!. Here's a word of advice for you Indiana Jones types......If you can't afford to lose 'em, don't play 'em!
If you've hit it deep into trouble or if you hear it rattlin' around the trees like a crazed pinball, take a cursory look, drop one 10 yards back from where your playing partners tell you to, and move on! Most of us are out here to play golf, not watch your sorry behind and your reluctant (but obliged) playing partners look for your golden eggs every other shot!
May 18th, 2005, 12:45 PM
them look.
A few years back these same safari trekkin', quest for the Holy ProV types would abandon their Pinnacle or Top-Flite and move on. Now they're all archaeologists searching for lost treasure!. 
Here's a word of advice for you Indiana Jones types......If you can't afford to lose 'em, don't play 'em! 
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