kmelton
May 29 2010, 10:55 PM
In a tourney our group was teeing off and we were congratulating a fellow player on a nice drive, (not shouting) when someone on an adjacent fairway who was setting up for a putt (we didn't notice them, they were obscured through trees and we were paying attention to our fairway not theirs) when we were warned to be quiet while they were putting. Of course, we didn't move until their attempt was made, but it seemed a little much for us to be paying attention to them on our own teepad. Would this be a courtesy violation? (the teepad on our hole was relatively close to the pin on the next hole, but had light brush and trees in the way). Is it not proper to react to a nice drive, putt, ace etc.?

discette
May 30 2010, 12:17 PM
In a tourney our group was teeing off and we were congratulating a fellow player on a nice drive, (not shouting) when someone on an adjacent fairway who was setting up for a putt (we didn't notice them, they were obscured through trees and we were paying attention to our fairway not theirs) when we were warned to be quiet while they were putting. Of course, we didn't move until their attempt was made, but it seemed a little much for us to be paying attention to them on our own teepad. Would this be a courtesy violation? (the teepad on our hole was relatively close to the pin on the next hole, but had light brush and trees in the way). Is it not proper to react to a nice drive, putt, ace etc.?

Yes it is a courtesy violation which is why you were warned. As much as we all want to congratulate someone for a great drive or putt, we have to be respectful not to distract players on nearby pins and tees.

bruce_brakel
May 30 2010, 01:09 PM
Doesn't sound like a courtesy violation to me. Sounds like they were being overly fussy.

DShelton
May 30 2010, 09:09 PM
I say it depends on how loud you were. If you could be heard for a ways, then yes it is. If you were talking with "normal" levels of volume then no. The best thing to do is be aware of anyone around you and act as if they were on your card if they are close.

davidsauls
Jun 01 2010, 08:27 AM
Agreed.

A number of times I've made this transgression and been warned by a neighboring group. Not warned as in a formal courtesy warning, but as in a terse request to hold it down. They were right, and I was wrong, in all cases.

eupher61
Jun 14 2010, 01:47 PM
I know what the rules say, but if you can't "concentrate" with noise from a nearby group, something is wrong. If the group is 10 feet away, maybe, but one can't control every group on a course. Unless they're shooting fireworks and playing the 1812 Overture on vuvuzellas. To pull out the dreaded PGA comparison, how many times do you hear cheering from another hole when a putt is being set up and shown on TV?

I'm a musician. I play in bars and other 'active' settings. I learned a LONG time ago to tune out extraneous noise and distractions. It doesn't matter to me if someone is walking behind the basket, I'm not looking at them. I"m focused on the basket.

That certainly doesn't mean I make all my putts, but I definitely can't blame it on distractions.

august
Jun 14 2010, 03:18 PM
I know what the rules say, but if you can't "concentrate" with noise from a nearby group, something is wrong. If the group is 10 feet away, maybe, but one can't control every group on a course. Unless they're shooting fireworks and playing the 1812 Overture on vuvuzellas. To pull out the dreaded PGA comparison, how many times do you hear cheering from another hole when a putt is being set up and shown on TV?

I'm a musician. I play in bars and other 'active' settings. I learned a LONG time ago to tune out extraneous noise and distractions. It doesn't matter to me if someone is walking behind the basket, I'm not looking at them. I"m focused on the basket.

That certainly doesn't mean I make all my putts, but I definitely can't blame it on distractions.


I think this is one of those where a judgement call has to be made. I can understand that noise or distractions on the same hole, or an adjacent hole close by, could be called as courtesy violations. But I have seen players complain about people moving in their line of sight, where those people are 2 or 3 holes and perhaps 800-1000 feet away. I think calling a courtesy violation in that situation would be unsportsmanlike. In fact, I think claiming that someone that far away is a distraction and waiting to throw should be called as an excessive time violation.

JHBlader86
Jun 14 2010, 04:28 PM
While it can be a courtesy violation, I think it's wrong to call out a separate group. No one really pays attention to what's happening on another hole because they have to focus on the hole they're on. Players just need to focus on those in their group.

Clue
Jun 14 2010, 06:20 PM
While it can be a courtesy violation, I think it's wrong to call out a separate group. No one really pays attention to what's happening on another hole because they have to focus on the hole they're on. Players just need to focus on those in their group.
First, we run into this all the time. There are many tees/greens in close proximity where a group teeing will wait for the group near them to finish putting before calling out scores or teeing off. If you are on the same course, you could be distracting another player and you should be aware of that. It's not up to you whether or not you are a distraction to me, however if you are off in the distance behind where I'm throwing or putting then it's probably up to me to wait for you to clear. If you are talking or celebrating loud enough that it's a distraction to me then you are in the wrong. I'm likely not going to call you for a courtesy violation, but I might tell you to shut up while I putt and you should respect that (as most players would).

sammyshaheen
Jun 14 2010, 10:06 PM
I have been guilty of this.

Even though I work on using my
inside voice and being out of the way I
still manage to be in the way of someone
at sometime.