When you have to go........

[RookieBlue7]

When on the course and you just have to go to the restroom (not #2) and there's no halfway house or porta john or whatever your course utilizes anywhere to be found, how do you approach it? I've often wondered what the proper etiquette is when this situation arises? If I just can't hold it until I can find a facility, I generally try to find a deep patch of woods and go as far away from the course as possible and out of view to handle my business. Should I be attempting to hold it until I find a facility or is this an acceptable method? I try to look out for fellow golfers and not go to an area where one would be looking for lost balls to relieve myself, but I've often wondered if it is poor form or if it's acceptable. MGS, if this is a topic that shouldn't be discussed on here, I apologize and please delete it, but it's a question that popped into my mind.

[Tyk]

Yeah, I do the same. I've been on some nicer private courses and wondered if it was cool to just water a tree, if I'm not sure I wait until I see a restroom or see a member go. Pretty much everywhere I've played its considered acceptable!

[HighFade]

Don't know if its acceptable or not but I've seen it way more often than someone repairing a ballmark!

[Tony Covey MGS]

I've yet to play a course where it wasn't considered acceptable to find a patch of woods and do what needs to be done (including the nicest, most expensive/exclusive club in my area). At my course we have porta-potties on a couple of holes, but there are also spots that have become unofficial outdoor toilets.

 

I did have the unfortunate experience of playing with a member of whipped it out and took a leak in the middle of the 8th fairway. He just looked at me and said "when you gotta go, you gotta go". I understand that part, but the damn hole has woods on both sides AND there's a restroom at the turn if he could have waited 10 minutes.

 

Bottom line...woods should be fair game...fairways...not so much.

[BK in TEXAS]

Bottom line...woods should be fair game...fairways...not so much.

That's funny

 

I just try to be as discreet as possible about it.

[JBones]

I did have the unfortunate experience of playing with a member of whipped it out and took a leak in the middle of the 8th fairway. He just looked at me and said "when you gotta go, you gotta go". I understand that part, but the damn hole has woods on both sides AND there's a restroom at the turn if he could have waited 10 minutes.

 

Bottom line...woods should be fair game...fairways...not so much.

I have also had that experience; right in the middle of the friggin fairway. What the hell is wrong with people?

 

I usually hold it, but if I can't, I will also go into the woods. I don't go in the woods too often though, because I have a fear that a anaconda cobra hybrid will jump up and bite my junk off.

[RookieBlue7]

I've seen people go in the middle of the cart path as well.

[RoverRick]

Not only is this an acceptable topic by the adult supervision on this site, it got marquee billing on the weekly Golfspy X email. Keep it up. Well, perhaps that is the wrong expression here.

 

At my course, it seems that the designer took that into account. It was designed in 1927 and it is really funny, because you can stand on the tee box and it looks very open so if you do not pay attention and just wack the ball straight off the end of the tee box, when you get to the ball, the one tree that looked like it was not in play from the tee box, is directly between you and the green. You may have been able to go over that tree in 1927 but you can not go over it now, and around is often out of the question. Almost all the tee boxes point right at the hazards. I sort of snickered yesterday when one of the guys lined up directly with the tee box and hit it into the woods, and said, "I do that every time" I wanted to say a lot of things but I was not going to give my competitor advice.

 

I say that he thought of everything because the deepest part of the woods is around hole 6-7 and 15-16. Apparently, he thought about how long it would take the beers to have an effect and where the golfers needed the most foliage.

 

I hit it in the woods more often on 7 than other holes, not only does straight off the tee put you in the woods, but the camber is reversed on the fairway so even if you hit it in the fairway it will go into the woods. Unless you hit it 260 yards over some really tall trees. Hit it low, and a bogey is great. Hit is perfect and a par is good. Usually, I hit my tee shot and say, "I was needing to head into the woods anyway." It is the perfect time to go into the woods.

[dru_]

I feel that this is a courtesy thing more than an etiquette thing.

 

Unfortunately, I also feel that for the most part courtesy is a lost art, and as such we see more and more people just doing whatever pleases them.

 

The earlier comment about more often than fixing ball marks is a good one. The prevailing *wisdom* seems to be that of entitled. It's junk. If ya gotta go, be discreet and move on, if you can't be discreet, don't get upset if I find your car in the parking lot and piss on it.

[revkev]

You're sick Rookie you know that right?

 

When I first read this I read number 2 and thought - just hold it man - you're what 28 - I can hold it and I'm 55. Then I read, not number 2 - now we're in my weak bladder category - just find a very discrete spot and go there. That's what the woods are for. I've seen touring pros sneak off into the woods in tournaments before - it happens particularly when it's hot and you're hydrating.

 

In the fairway or on a cart path? Are you guys serious about that - I have to say I've never seen it before but I certainly believe you. Seems like that would be pressing one's luck.

[Siamese Moose]

I used to work at a private course. If you were witnessed at all, even in the woods, you got a reprimand. Three and you were gone. The course had a number of houses near it, and if a homeowner called to complain that was probably it for your membership.

[Kanoito]

Just like you, I try to find a private spot in the woods. It only turns awkward when you have to shake your playing partner's hands at the end of the round or when there are ladies in the group

[RoverRick]

I just remember an incident back last winter. It was pretty cold out, and I had to go. I was over in the area where they had just started construction on a new neighborhood. They cut a trail through the woods to this and honestly I had no idea where the trail went. I went over to the woods thinking I was far off the beaten path and I was standing there doing my business, when two young girls come walking down this path that while I could not see it, it was less than 20 feet from me. they were only visible for a few seconds, and I stood perfectly still and they has no idea I was standing there, but I was thinking, "I am about to be a registered sex offender for exposing myself to under age girls and I am not even enjoying it." I have an unusual sense of humor.

 

The foliage was pretty thick down below my shoulders so they could not have seen anyway but I did follow that path since then to see where it went. I was surprised to see it doubled back and did not go straight through the trees. Odd design.

[revkev]

This is sorta related, though it pertains to my dog and not me...When I go out at night by myself, sometimes I'll take him(a 7yo Rotty, Heinrich(Heiny)) & I'll walk and he runs around the fairway with me...Well, a couple weeks ago, I put my drive in a fairway trap and I set my stand bag(Sun Mt. H2NO) up and walked into the trap to hit my shot...

 

When I turned around after hitting my shot, I was caught totally off guard because Heiny had his leg up and was peeing on my bag...I yelled at him and he wrapped it up, though I don't believe that he cut it short..He certainly didn't look like he was hurried...As I looked across the fairway, I saw a Collie, that sometimes came out from a house that sits on the course...They would run around together then the collie would go back to it's yard...

 

All that I could think of is that maybe Heiny was "marking" his territory?..I'm clueless because he's been out with me hundreds of times and has never done this before....The fact that I have a waterproof bag made this less of an issue, though I did wipe the bag off & scrubbed it when I got home....

 

Then I got to thinking..If a human does this, they could get arrested at worst & suspended from the club at best, though if a dog does it, it's a psuedo-funny computer post....Man, sometimes I wish that I could swap places with Heiny and just give me two hours on the course on a Saturday morning...

 

Fairways & Greens 4ever.....

 

 

Of course you could and earn yourself a nice long vacation in the process.