Players jumping holes

[cmchavis]

I think ultimately it depends on the course. But a course here like Rogers Lakewood - you can start on 1, 20, 14 or 17 depending on where you park and which lots are full.

On courses that I've not played before, I like to start at 1 and let the course unfold as the designer wanted it to, but if I've played a course a couple times - I start where ever I park. Sometimes that's 1 and sometimes that not.

Also if I am pulling into a park and see a large group - I'll skip them and start further on down.

 

[cmchavis]

I guess it's just another thing to show our "sport" has a long way to go, if one of the central themes is etiquette and courtesy.
...
For all you who answered no big deal here, I wonder how you would respond when someone cuts in front of you at the drive-in, or any other line, no big deal right?

So we should all wait on 1 for our turn and then have a mad rush on 2 when everyone is trying to play through?

 

[giles]

I find this odd how casual people are about this. No problem if the course is not busy but if it is already getting packed and people are trying to be slick by jumping in front of groups I don't think that is cool. Wouldn't happen anywere else in life, why does it happen on the DGC?

 

[DavidSauls]

As others have said, it depends on the course and situation. The example of a pay-to-play course with people on almost every hole and a wait at hole 1, is a pretty rare situation. (I am curious---doesn't jumping onto a hole on this course subject the players to a long mid-round wait when they get around to hole 1?).

My feeling is that there's no obligation to start on hole 1 but, if you don't, there's an obligation to not inconvenience those already on the course.

My local public course has parking near various holes. In fact, due to construction right now you can't park very near #1. It's common for people to start in various places, depending on where they park.

 

[nexah3]

I agree that it depends on the course. If the course has a few natural start points, I don't really call that skipping as long as you don't interfere with the pace of the groups behind you.

If you skip and sandwich yourself between groups you've added a couple of minutes to everyone's round behind you. You get enough skippers and your average round time doubles.

 

[rocthecourse]

People can start where ever they want. As I pull into my home course I see how many groups are playing the front, you can see 5 holes as you pull in, and if I see too many on the front I go straight to the back 9.

 

[patdb23]

As others have said, it depends on the course and situation. The example of a pay-to-play course with people on almost every hole and a wait at hole 1, is a pretty rare situation. (I am curious---doesn't jumping onto a hole on this course subject the players to a long mid-round wait when they get around to hole 1?).

My feeling is that there's no obligation to start on hole 1 but, if you don't, there's an obligation to not inconvenience those already on the course.

My local public course has parking near various holes. In fact, due to construction right now you can't park very near #1. It's common for people to start in various places, depending on where they park.

I agree. I think players who are responding that is okay to jump on holes play on courses where it's not busy. I totally get that, and for a majority of courses that's complete fine, and probably better to keep the flow going for all on the course. I think if these players were to come out to Morley pay-to-play course then they would see what I am talking about.

 

[araytx]

I agree that it depends on the course. If the course has a few natural start points, I don't really call that skipping as long as you don't interfere with the pace of the groups behind you.

If you skip and sandwich yourself between groups you've added a couple of minutes to everyone's round behind you. You get enough skippers and your average round time doubles.

This.
I think you still must be courteous to people and not interfere with their right to play or interfere with their time; however, at a local course here there are parking lots at holes 1, 5, 7/12, and 9. If you parked near one of the others, why would they have to go and start on #1 if the course isn't full? Or worse, I park near the tee pads to hole 7/12, just me and one buddy playing. We see hole 13 and 14 have no one, but holes 5, 6, & 7 all have groups of 4 or more. Wouldn't these guys want us to start on #12???

 

[JoshEpoo]

Morley Field is a fairly unique case. I visited in January and it was immediately apparent that the course is not well suited for the amount of traffic it gets. You could start a dozen different threads about annoying things that happen there on a daily basis due to the crowds.

I don't think there is anything wrong with telling someone to get in line and play the course like it's supposed to be played, but don't be surprised if they don't pay attention to you. Some people just aren't very cooperative.

 

[patdb23]

Morley Field is a fairly unique case. I visited in January and it was immediately apparent that the course is not well suited for the amount of traffic it gets. You could start a dozen different threads about annoying things that happen there on a daily basis due to the crowds.

I don't think there is anything wrong with telling someone to get in line and play the course like it's supposed to be played, but don't be surprised if they don't pay attention to you. Some people just aren't very cooperative.

Playing Morley Field so much I tend to lose sight on walking up to an open course and having the luxury to play 1)for free, 2) on any hole, 3) as many shots on a hole, 4) no crowds, 5) no frolfers, 6) no groups of 10+kids with family, 7) w/o hearing four every other second, 8) w/o discs flying at your head, etc...

 

[Hampstead]

As long as you don't "jump on" to the hole I'm playing, I don't care. I find that it's better for my mental health if I spend less time worrying about other people and more time focusing on what I'm doing.

 

[Grungedude42]

There was a bike trail circuit at a park near my house growing up. We could ride from the house to the 1/2 way point, jump on, and do the trail in its entirety before riding home. Were we wrong to not load the bikes in the car, driving to the "beginning" and going from there? As long as you aren't disrupting the flow, I don't care if you start from hole 1, 10, or 15.

 

[B3NDER]

I think it's rude in general, but HONESTLY, I don't mind it unless they are trying to do so on an already busy day, if if they are doing so RIGHT in front of me.... that's a no-no.

 

[aardvarkious]

It boils down to this: start wherever you want as long as you are not causing the other groups who are suddenly behind you to wait on you.

 

[wkelly42]

If you think it doesn't happen on ball golf courses too, you're fooling yourself. I know people who own homes in country clubs on the 7th tee (for example) -- do you seriously think they hop in the car and drive to the clubhouse to play a round of golf? They don't, and they're not expected to. The only thing that they are told is that they don't interrupt the flow of play, which is what everyone is talking about here so far.

I love reading these threads; it makes me appreciate my home course, where I often play 18 holes without seeing another soul. Nobody cares where I start or finish, or how many discs I throw, or anything. While I'd love to see the sport grow around here, it is fun to be able to play a stress-free round whenever I'm able to get to the course.

 

[chris717]

Morley Fields = 405 freeway..... bunch rude people that cut you off when its full of traffic.
But then again if you don't cut people you will be going 1mph and it would take forever to get anywhere.

 

[jesusfreak]

Jumping holes is understandable when the course is empty; but when it is that many people they need to start at hole 1.

 

[the_pwnerator]

Jumping holes is understandable when the course is empty; but when it is that many people they need to start at hole 1.

I think you have it the other way around...

What is the point of 5 groups starting on hole 1 (yes, I've had that happen) when there are other holes that the smaller groups could go to and play without waiting 30 minutes just to start a round, and then trying to play through at the next hole.

 

[prerube]

Do you really have the right to tell someone where they can and can not start playing? Assuming that it is not a private course on your property, then I believe the answer is no. I don't really like people jumping right in front or behind me either, but if it's a public course then people are free to do whatever they want.

exactly. If I see a large group on hole 1, I will jump over and start on hole 10.

 

[Dthunderchicken]

If I'm playing a solo round and come across a large group I'll often skip around them. If I'm playing with a group and a solo player wants to skip around us, fine. But I'll usually ask them to play through before they have a chance to skip around us. The way I look at it, if I start in the middle of a course and it doesn't affect your play, mind you own damn business.