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Okay, some nights I'll go to a local course to chip and putt for an hour or so and then as it's about 30 mintues from dark I'll tee off a few balls on the first tee and play hole 1, and then head over to play hole 9 as the greens and tees are close together.

The other night I did this, played my four balls on hole one, and then went to hole nine and played my four balls. I'm down around the 100 yard marker about to hit my fourth ball into the green and I hear a yell from the cart barn "THAT'S NOT A PRACTICE GREEN!!" I look up and kinda shrug my shoulders and go on up to the green and grab my balls and leave. I only hit three balls before this guy started yelling at me, two of which hit the green. So only two balls hit the green and this guy's flipping out.

Could someone please explain to me how me hitting 4 balls into the green is different than a foursome hitting one ball a piece into the green?

I could maybe see if I had 50 balls layed out hitting into the green.

I at least know enough to fix my divots.

Well, you have to look at it from the point that what if everyone decided to do some late evening practice like you? Could put a lot of extra stress on the greens and fairways.

If it's from the cart barn I can't see the big deal. If it's someone waiting behind you on the tee, then I can see their beef. The dude in the cart barn wasn't waiting on you, so IMHO he can cork it.

He might of thought that you were hitting a whole bunch of balls onto the green. I think it was just a misunderstanding. I wouldn't sweat it.

I could also be an issue that you have to pay money to play the course, and you didn't pay money.

Played 9 at a local course one evening. Finished up, and had time for a few more holes. The foursome decided to play some more holes, even though we only paid for 9. As we were comiong off of #9 a marshal was heading out on #1. We weren't sure what he was doing, so we headed to 10. I was going to tee off first, but another marshall headed down #10 right before we got there. We watched to see what the heck he was doing. He was gathering all of the flag sticks, so we decided to bag it.

I have never heard of a course collecting all of the flag sticks at night. Then again, maybe this is standard practice, and I didn't realize it.

From the thread title, it sounds a little bit like George Costanza, when he got busted with the cleaning lady at work. "Is that wrong? I don't remember reading anything about it in the employee handbook."

Definately. If you saw someone hit a couple of balls onto the green from the same spot, wouldn't you think practice!

The guy in the cart barn doesn't know if you fix any pitch marks you might make in the green, so he has every right to question your actions. Also, you shouldn't be making a bunch of divots in the fairway right next to each other.

Also, if you didn't pay, then you are trespassing.

I am glad to see that most of the responses don't crucify the guy. I cannot count the number of times I've done exactly that. Most (but I'm sure not all) golf junkies, hanging around the course are guilty of playing a hole or two w/o paying. No big sin IMO. Especially if it is someone who frequents the course pays for regular rounds of golf, and repairs divots/ball marks...

Well I guess I should have specified that this course is one that I can play free anytime I want through some contacts I have from an old job. So not paying isn't an issue.

Virgil: This course collects the flag sticks at night also. I guess people hold them in such high regard that they like to steal them.

I guess you just have to know the course to see the irony in this post.

This is just a local muni course that hardly ever acts like they care about anything. The course is always in poor shape except for when they're getting ready for the city championship (which is played 4 days at 4 different courses). If you have a heartbeat and 20 bucks they let anyone play. Heck, as I was practicing the other night, a couple guys went off the first tee wearing some cut off khakis that they made into shorts with a "wife beater" tank tops on. They looked like they just came from a gang fight and the golf course says "go right ahead". I'm sure they know the rules, etiquette, etc.

Then you have me hitting a few balls and get yelled at by the old guy that they get to put the carts up at night. lol.

What's more funny to me is that every night I'm out there, there is a group of three guys that go off and hit 3 or 4 balls each and play till dark just practicing. These guys are fine, but everyone in the clubhouse is buddy buddy with these gentlemen so it's ok.

i have done the same thing more than a few times here where i play and like you , its always later in the day 7-8pm. i play 2-3 balls but never from the same place. i hit some from the tee and then go to each one. eventually reaching the green and putting. never had a problem.

speaking of flags being highly desirable, when i was stationed at fort gordon in augusta, ga one of the air force guys i worked with got busted for sneaking onto augusta national and trying to take a flag.

No, you just got caught. Wait a few nights and pick a different hole.

Huh, maybe most courses do this, and I just never knew it.

My opinion.... if you paid, you weren't guilty of anything that 99% of us haven't done at some point or other, concerning hitting a few extra balls.

If you didn't pay, that's a different issue. It doesn't matter if you have connections to play the course anytime you want for free, if you took it upon yourself to sneak in a few holes without at least asking, you deserved to be yelled at, for more than just practicing.

Not saying that I'm better than anyone else, but if I was a member there and I saw people sneaking onto the course and playing for free, after I had paid my dues to play there, then I would have every right to be upset, right?

Doesn't matter how many holes or what time it was. It's about principle.

I've been chastized for this before too. Many places frown upon hitting more than one ball, but everyone does it once in awhile. It's no biggie, IMO. In my case it was an over-zealous ranger who gave me a hard time... nobody in front or behind me either.