We’ve all been there at some point in our golf lives.
For reasons unknown, the group behind sends a ball bounding toward us, violating one of the most basic rules in golf: the landing area has to be clear before you hit.
Maybe it was a blind tee shot and an honest mistake. Maybe the group couldn’t see your cart because you were searching for a ball in the trees. Maybe someone hit a ball farther than they ever have, resulting in a total accident. Maybe it was simply a matter of impatience. They couldn’t take slow play anymore, so a message was sent.
If you play golf long enough, you will inevitably find yourself in one of these situations. Someone will hit into you or you will (accidentally, I hope) hit into someone. It happens.
But what happens after that moment?
Sometimes it’s not much. One group apologizes and everyone moves on quickly.
However, hitting into another group is easily among the top reasons for golf course fights. Especially in this day and age where everyone wants to take out their phone and record confrontations, it feels like a fight is waiting to happen when there is a packed course full of golfers drinking heavily.
Add in the fact that we have a boom of inexperienced golfers who are more involved in the game since the pandemic … and things can get dicey.
Just today I came across this YouTube video showing three recent fights. One of them is clearly about a group hitting into another group.
Are you also noticing more of this on Instagram and TikTok? I feel like there is one every week now. I understand some conflicts might be staged to drive clicks but there are a lot of videos of golfers fighting. There are Instagram accounts dedicated to golf fights.
Here are a few basic tips to avoid having your face plastered online after you get into a meaningless fight.
Know Your Surroundings
Step One is to avoid putting yourself in vulnerable situations in the first place.
If you’re playing on a Sunday at 10 a.m., you know what the deal is going to be. It’s a lot of foursomes—and a lot of inexperienced golfers—on a course. It’s going to be slow. Courses usually don’t have the staff to police slow play. It’s just a reality.
If you are on a hole with a blind shot and know that the group ahead of you is possibly still in the landing area, drive up to see if they are still there. Smart courses will have bells for the group ahead to ring to signify the group behind can hit.
Always make sure the coast is clear, unless you are sure there isn’t a group ahead.
There is also no reason to hit if a group is just beyond your intended landing area. If you have 230 yards to a green and can hit your 3-wood 210, wait. You might catch a firm bounce and roll one up onto the green. Give the group ahead of you adequate space.
Don’t Escalate Conflict
If someone hits into my group, my first thought is whether it was intentional.
Sometimes the answer will be yes—they could be standing 200 yards from you in plain sight, clearly frustrated—but the answer is usually no.
If it’s unintentional, I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. The trailing group has a responsibility to drive up at some point and apologize. And if I’m in the lead group, that is totally fine with me. You tell them it’s no problem and move forward with your day.
I wouldn’t feel too bad if you hit into someone on accident because you didn’t see them. It happens.
It’s a two-strike system, though. If you hit into someone a second time, things can go off the rails. I would be very frustrated if someone hit into me twice.
The probability of it happening by accident twice in the same round is pretty slim. At the very least, some carelessness is involved.
If you are the trailing group that hit into someone twice, you definitely need to apologize and buy the lead group a beer—anything to keep things under control.
If you are in the lead group, I think you are entitled to drive back to the trailing group and firmly ask for them to be more careful—but nothing beyond that. I would also consider if you could switch holes or get away from that trailing group.
And, personally, I would only do this if I’m still early in the round. If there are only a couple holes left, I’ll keep playing without saying anything and finish the day.
I look at this like driving a car. Some people are going to cut you off or make poor decisions while driving their car. They aren’t going to show you respect.
Other than driving your car properly, there isn’t a ton you can do about it. Trying to cut off someone who just cut you off might seem satisfying but there is way more risk than reward.
My grandpa got hit into one time. He teed the ball up and hit it back at the trailing group. I can’t stress enough how much I do not recommend this. There is no scenario where this ends well.
The bottom line is that you are on the course to play golf. You are there to enjoy yourself. Getting into a fist fight does not fall into that category.
Getting overly angry at strangers isn’t going to accomplish anything. And the worst case is that you end up injured and/or on social media as one of those idiots who can’t control their temper.
Final Thoughts
Don’t be a hero. Have common sense.
I think we’re at a point in time when being on the golf course no longer represents integrity and etiquette for a lot of the people. Either they don’t care about that or they haven’t learned about how to handle themselves on a course.
Keep that in mind when you play golf now.
There is no time for a 32-year-old old guy like me to be getting in a fight and there is especially no time to be doing that on a golf course.
Kuda
2 years ago
Why encourage, much less, reward that behavior? I think most people reading your comment had different thoughts about how to make that hole “memorable” for that golfer. At a minimum, switch out his ball with the worst ball in your bag and write, “FORE!” on it.