Golfer out of line, or am I?
 

Our lanai which faces Pinellas place and across Pinellas Place is on the 8th green of Killdeer. Very close. It is fun to watch the golfers come up to the green, park their carts and play the green.

Occasionally some one hit the ball into the street and even more rarely into our yard. All fun to watch as the golfer retrieves his ball and play the green from the curb on the Killdeer side of the street.

But recently, as we were sitting on our Lanai, someone hit it into our yard, and came across the street into our yard to get his ball and instead of taking it back across Pinellas Place, he proceeded to hit the ball from our yard as we watched.

After his swing, I called out to ask him to please not hit the ball from our yard "next time" and he replied "I just trimmed your grass for you". Yea, a nice divot.

We have a neighbor who retrieves all the balls hit into their yard and the golfer is out of luck. We haven't done that, but have found several in our yard. And previously when hit into our yard the golfer will come over, pick up the ball and play it from the curb on the Killdeer side.

It was my understanding that if the ball is hit into a yard, the golfer surrenders the ball. I don't really want to start collecting balls, but I was really surprised that the golfer actually hit the ball from our lawn.

Poor golf etiquette or am I being out of line??

Golfer should not have played from your yard. Should have picked up his ball and taken a penalty.

Rollie

terrible etiquette. I usually let things slide too, but if this guy has done it once, he will do it again, on yours or anyone else's yard. Cannot believe he even did it, let alone while you were watching!

This is actually so bad (it's destructive to someone else's property) that I would try to flag down the next passing ambassador and report, with approx. time and color of golf cart and # of players in group so they can try to figure out who it is.

Didn't know the rules. Ball was out of bounds, go back to original spot and hit again.

If the ball is clearly in your yard and not just at the edge of it, you have the choice of picking up the ball and going back into your house; picking up the ball and handing it to the golfer with a wry comment as to his golfing skill; or tossing it back onto the course.

One time when a ball came into my yard when I was outside, I stood on top of it. The golfer asked if I had seen a ball come near me. I said I had not and he actually looked in my yard before driving off. I kept the ball.

Very few balls come into my yard due to the location of the tee boxes and protective pine trees but some duffers still do it. I have never had a golfer attempt to hit from my yard. If I saw one that was about to do it, I would definitely TELL him not to try it but to move it to the course. Hitting from across the street back onto the course is ridiculous and should have been reported to the ambassador or pro shop.

I would pick up the golf ball and throw it out of your yard so he won't trespass or damage your lawn.

He should not have played the ball from your property.
But worse, he was being a real smart a$$ when he replied to your reasonable request.
I'd like to believe that most golfers are respectful of private property.

Fore
 

I had dinner last night on the back deck of a Villa which is on a golf course. It was near dusk and the number of golfers was dwindling, but I still found it annoying to have the golf carts passing within a few feet of where I was sitting. I'm told it it much worse through the day.

But, to the point of your post, I have met people here in TV who have sold their homes abutting golf courses because of the kind of thing that you describe. It is poor golf etiquette, and poor manners too.

We met one lady who collects the golf balls that land in her yard. She said that in a ten year period she had collected 1000 balls.

I believe that if I were in your place, every time I saw a golf ball in the yard I would immediately go out and pick it up and throw it into the street. I wouldn't be bothered by having the golfer argue that he wants his ball back (and I would toss it where it would be a difficult lie for his next shot.)

Not only very poor golf etiquette but very rude and lacking of common manners. If he's plowing up people's yards he has no business with clubs in his hands.

I live on the 3rd hole of Glenview/Fox Run, and we occasionally get balls in our yard. Being a golfer, I actually made a yard sign that said "feel free to retrieve your ball" because I don't think it hurts anything to go pick up a ball. Anyone who lives on a course is, IMHO, accepting that balls will appear in the yard. That said, No one should hit a ball from your yard, the other poster was correct that out of bounds (your yard) is a stroke and distance penalty. The golfer's actions and comment were entirely unwarranted.

he needs that ball shoved up his ***

What a jerk. Time to have a remote starter for your sprinklers.

Do not throw grits...........
 

Just say this......



ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man has been charged with attempted murder after throwing a pan of hot grease and grits at a man who was on his front porch.

Edward Holley told investigators that he had gotten into an argument with Darryl Blacknell on Tuesday night. When he saw Blacknell on his porch the next day, he says he took the hot pan from his stove and threw it on the man.

Orlando police say Holley told them they should just arrest him because "next time I am going to kill him."

Investigators say Blacknell is in the hospital with second- and third-degree burns. He told them he was playing cards with Holley's cousin when he was attacked.

Holley remains in the Orange County Jail, charged with attempted second-degree murder. Records do not list an attorney for him.


:22yikes::22yikes::22yikes:

That guy must abide by the rule "play it where it lays". What an idiot. But one must keep in mind how nice it is to be so close to a fairway that the occasional ball finds its way into your yard.

Thanks all! I was just a bit miffed. I really was not expecting him to actually play the ball, I should have spoken up sooner. But his wise a$$ remark when I asked him to please not play from our yard next time just sort of left me speechless.

Then I thought maybe I was being a grouch. Glad to know I wasn't the one out of line!

I don't mind a player retrieving his ball. Like the sign idea. Should I add "please don't play it where it lies" or is his behavior really uncommon?

Ambassador
 

This struck me as great advice.

I would add, take a photo of him in your yard, particularly if he looks like he intends to play the ball from there.

Give the photo to an Ambassador and ask that the player be identified and reprimanded.

Don't take it personally but unfortunately it's the society for which many have evolved into.You experience it everyday in the Villages

Maybe you should hit it out of your yard, back toward the tee. He would have to play it from where it lies.

dotti I don't get that many golf balls in my yard owing to it proximity to this fiarway. However occasionally I do and a few years back not only did the golfer hit from my yard he actually drove his golf cart on my property.

I immediately called the golf shop related the circumstances , description of cart etc.

Factually The Villages bylaws explain that golfers not retrieve their balls as they are trespassing on private property. To quote one yard sign I saw "my yard, my ball"

Have some fun with it, keep a club handy in your back yard. When one lands in your yard go out and hit it back, and make sure the golfer is watching you hit it.
Or take a marker and write a nice note on the ball then throw it out of your yard.

Word will spread quick on where not to hit the ball.

At some courses a private yard is treated the same as a water hazard, if you can retrieve it without stepping in the yard you can have it back, if not, the ball is lost and you take the penalty.

Rude & Wrong
 

He was rude and wrong on all counts. Not you. Fortunately, most golfers know and do better than that.

Good one!:thumbup:

Golfer should have hit a provisional ball and when he found his original ball out of bounds and in your yard he should have played his provisional ball and left his original ball in your yard. The penalty for the golfer is one stroke.

Unfortunately, too many golfers in TV lack golf etiquette and knowledge of the rules. "All players should conduct themselves in a disciplined manner, demonstrating courtesy and sportsmanship at all times, irrespective of how competitive they may be. This is the spirit of the game of golf." Section 1 of The USGA Rules of Golf

I would buy an air horn and blast it when the golfer reached the top of his/her back swing. The golfer should get the message LOUD and clear.

People should read the rules of golf. First you can not go on private property to get a ball. Second the golfer who does that is simply saying he or she does not care about anyone else's rights. Most are looking for a fight when they enter private property. Finally the golf course does not care about any thing done to private property. Many have complained all have been laughed at for complaining.there have been fights about exactly what happened to you. Several ended with a person going to the hospital. I will not be surprised when something worse happens. There are rules but never inforced

Dottie105, You are oh so right to have spoken to him. A GOLFER? No simply a HACKER OUT of BOUNDS. Some folks grow OLD, but do not GROW UP!

Nobody tries to hit it into someone's yard. Even good golfers sometimes hit an errant shot. And a lot of us aren't good golfers. I think it's nice, and friendly, to put up a sign saying to feel free to retrieve your ball, but you don't have to. I also understand why some don't want people trampling thru their yard all the time.

I don't understand why some homeowners would stand on a ball, or hit or throw it far away. What's with that?

I think that when you have a lot on the golf course, you should expect some balls in your yard/lanai, etc. Maybe non-golfers who buy golf-course lots are surprised by balls in their yard, but they should have anticipated this. Plantings can help divert them from your house.

As Golf1240 said, the ball was "Out of Bounds". Out of Bounds is described in the Rules of Golf as any area outside of the confines of the golf course and any other ground on which play is prohibited.

Play is prohibited from your yard by not only the Rules of golf, but also by common sense.

He should have played another ball from the spot that he last played from and added a penalty stroke to his score.

It sounds to me as though quite a few did not read the entire post by OP. She stated her house is across Pinellas Place from the 8th green. The duffer hit the ball across the street, walked across the street and over to her yard, and hit back to the course - ACROSS Pinellas Place! Totally stupid.

It is not as though her house is on the side of the course.

Yards
 

I have hit into yards, usually go over and retrieve my ball, and apologize to the homeowner if they are around. They are always pretty good about it.

Some people have no "couth."

You are nice he is not. Whats worst he knew better.

Replace it with a fake exploding golf ball.


Man pranked with fake golf ball - YouTube

Husband wanted golf view..I didn't want hundreds of people coming by the house every day some with this attude.. So did not buy on the course

I live on a golf course and I agree with you. I would prefer they not hit the ball from my yard, but hey, it's just grass.
Life is good! :thumbup:

If It Ain't One Thing,It's Another,or dog poop.:a20::a20:

Unfortunately, we have a lot of uneducated golfers in TV. This is not unique to TV, it happens everywhere. This may happen on occasion and you can keep doing what you did or fighting it.

If it were me, I'd have some kind of sign made up for my yard saying something like;

"This is private property. You may enter to retrieve your ball, but play is prohibited from this property."

It won't stop everyone, but it will stop the vast majority of them.

Maybe she should have put poop on his bal,l and then he wouldn't want to play it where it lies. :D

Seriously, this guy sounds like a jerk who takes himself too seriously.

You acted with class and he didn't.

Best advice in this post :BigApplause:

If you play golf, you will hit an errant shot. When I do and it lands on a homeowner's property, I will go over and ask permission to enter their property and retrieve my ball if the owners are outside. In every case, the home owners were very pleasant and thanked me for asking permission. If they were not home, I would look to see if it was easily retrievable, if not, I kiss it goodbye.

I NEVER played a ball on their property. That just shows how class-less the golfer was.