Golfblogger

I need some help guys. Our foursome has one fellow (I’ll call him Dan)that likes to stand behind you when your putting to get a read on the line. He only does this when your on the same line as him.

How do I politely tell Dan to stop this. If he is standing still it really doesn’t bother me, but it’s bugging the shit out of another guy (I’ll call him Bob) in our foursome, and Bob has told Dan several times not to do it. So now Dan is doing it to me and Bob says I should tell him to stop!

These guys are all 20 years my senior, we are a very competitive bunch and I like them a lot. I don’t want to piss anyone off. What do you think?

I really don’t know what you do with that one. I suppose that the best way to do it its to just ask him not to do it and refuse to putt until he moves. But I wonder if it doesn’t bother you, why Bob doesn’t do his own dirty work.

That said, there surely is no rule prohibiting him from standing there.

Actually if you look at the rules it is prohibited.

There is a rule (8-2) against indicating a line of play on the green, but I don’t think it applies here, since the putter is not actually indicating the line. Its the same as you can’t tell a player what club you’re using, but he can look.

I can’t offhand think of another rule that might apply.

I would suggest doing exactly the same thing in return. The first time you make a putt he feels was due to you watching his putt from behind will almost certainly end the behavior.

I don’t think there is any rules infraction, unless he’s your partner or your caddie, he’s just being a punk.

I think Bob should just ask the guy to move, and tell him that it’s not a rules violation, it’s just a breach of etiquette.  Ask him to stand to the side, and if he wants to see the line, step in after you’ve finished the stroke.

I had a situation in which a guy would always commentate on my shots, calling out, “get tight” or “go in” when he was my opponent.  Worse still is when he’d say, “come back” to a wayward shot.  It annoyed me about twice, and then I had to say something to him.  He claimed he was just trying to be nice, and supportive, but I didn’t believe him.

The first time you make a putt he feels was due to you watching his putt from behind will almost certainly end the behavior.