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What should’ve been a relaxing round of golf turned tense when a man yelled at a woman and her group for going too slowly. Who’s in the wrong?
In a viral TikTok that received 456,500 views, someone records @teeandtonic as she lines up her shot. A shout can be heard from far away. Someone closer to the camera explains, “We were waiting on them,” referring to the group who was at the hole before them. The faraway man shouts again, and a chorus of voices from the TikToker’s group responds, “They just left.”
The man who initially responded to the shouter adds, “You can talk to us, you know, professionally. But you shouldn’t be yelling like that. It’s really bad manners.”
Before the video ends, the TikToker takes her shot. In the caption, she says the man’s shouting “frazzled” her and “ruined” her shot. She also notes that behavior like his is “why women are scared to golf alone!”
‘Seems As Though Everyone Forgot Golf Etiquette Here….’
Viewers were divided in the comments section. Some said the man was wrong for rushing since golf is a leisurely game.
“Imagine going to play golf but being in a hurry what’s the point enjoy the day,” one questioned.
A second said, “Okay honestly tho why are people RUSHING at allllll….golf is supposed to be a slow relaxing time! I get giddy when we can sit in the cart, sip our drinks, and wait for the group ahead of us to clear out. WHAT’S THE RUSH ITS GORGEOUS OUTSIDE.”
However, others said the woman was wrong for waiting for the green to clear on a par 4.
One asked, “Why were you waiting for them to clear the green on a Par 4? You should have tee'[d] of[f] forever ago and been in the fairway waiting for them to clear the green.”
A second advised, “You have at least 3 people in your group. Should have teed off when they got on the green. Slows everyone else down. But don’t let this discourage you. We all have been there.”
The TikToker responded, “We did! I was the third person … to hit and by that time they already left the green. Thanks for the encouragement, much appreciated.”
In the comments section of a follow-up video, she admits that her group should have played the previous hole faster and should have teed off at the hole in the video sooner so there wasn’t a gap. She also says she let the group behind her go ahead after the man apologized for shouting and cursing.
What Does Etiquette Say?
Etiquette dictates that golfers maintain a respectful pace of play, meaning the speed at which it takes them to complete a round.
GOLF asked its Top 100 teachers for pace of play tips for amateurs. Some of them include:
- Excluding the time it takes to walk or drive to your ball, you have about three minutes per shot in a 4.5-hour round if you shoot 90. The higher your score, the faster you need to play, which can be difficult for beginners who take longer making considerations before shots. “So the way to reconcile this is to pick your ball up and just skip some shots,” an expert recommends.
- You should give up and skip a hole if you hit a double or triple bogey, or you’re just having a tough go of it and clearly can’t tie the hole.
- An 18-hole round should take four hours for four players, three and a half hours for three players, and three hours for two players.
- If the group in front of you is too slow, call the pro shop and ask for a ranger to come out to speak with them.
- If you’re feeling rushed, consider shutting down conversations with other players and making preparations well before you hit, like choosing what club you’ll need. Don’t rush your shots. Breathe, and be present in the moment. Take all your usual pre-shot considerations, and do any rituals. You can always run between shots. But rushing a shot only puts you at a disadvantage.
And Don’t Lose Your Temper
Performance Golf adds that it is poor etiquette to lose your temper. Not to mention, it’s a good way to get you barred from returning to a private course.
When it comes to pace of play, if you notice your group is going a little slow and the course isn’t busy, “it’s a good idea to let other groups play through. This will help you enjoy the day more by not playing rushed and allow a faster group to move ahead.”
Regarding waiting for the green to clear, GolfNow states, “Nobody likes seeing someone waiting for the group on the green to clear from 275 yards out when that golfer only hit a 200-yard drive. But by the same token, if you think you can reach the green or get near it with a good shot, you should wait, both in terms of safety and disturbing the group on the green. The same is especially true when teeing off. Make sure the group in front of you has moved out of your range.”
Based on these guidelines, it appears the man yelling is in the wrong for losing his temper. The best course of action would have been for the TikToker’s party to start the hole as soon as the group ahead was out of range, rather than waiting for them to clear out completely. Additionally, the TikToker’s group or the upset man could have called the pro shop and asked a ranger to address the group ahead of them. Or, the slower group could have offered to let others go ahead. Given that the TikToker did this for the irate man despite him being rude to her, it seems she knows more golf etiquette than critics in the comments section suggest.
If you were unaware of these guidelines, now you know. Keep them in mind when you hit the green so that everyone can get the most enjoyment out of the game.
BroBible contacted the TikToker via email.
Content shared from brobible.com.