My playmate asked for a ride in my cart. Did I say no?

Josh from Hibbing, Minn., writes:

I went out on my own in a stroller the other day and I went with a hiker who after a few holes, asked if he could ride with me. I didn't really want him in the cart – I like to ride sold, and I just met a guy – but I felt put in the place so I said yes. What is polite about that kind of request, and would it be okay for me to say 'no'?

Dear Josh:

While riding a rider on a course is not as dangerous as stopping a rider outside of jail, it is not without risk. There is always a chance that you will find an unpleasant character in the shooting seat.

The first questions an Etiquetteist asks is whether the course you are playing charges a cart and whether your playing partner is willing to enter. If the answers are “yes” and “no,” respectively, then your unwanted passenger is out. He wanted the comfort and convenience of a carriage without paying his fair share. While that's understandable – who doesn't love a freebie? – doesn't make it right. He should have at least offered to share the cost with you.

In addition to durability, there is also the complexity of time. As most golfers know, it's not unusual to start a round on foot only to have a change of heart when the weather changes or fatigue sets in or the course turns into a veritable maze of mile-long fairways and walks. hole in the next. In those cases, which often happen late in the rounds, it's perfectly acceptable to ask for a ride and it's usually in everyone's best interest that the request be accepted, whether you're trying to stay dry or chasing daylight or struggling to keep up. speed.

But it wasn't the kind of situation you described. Your teammate made a close request, early in the round, before you had a chance to get to know him, and he wasn't polite about it. It wasn't easy to ask, and – to answer your Nancy Reagan question – you wouldn't have your rights to say no, in the diplomatic way you would ask.

And yet, because refusing his request would only add to the difficulty, the Etiquetteist believes he did the right thing by obliging him. It was a very painful way and, perhaps, a good reminder: Do not stop for pedestrians outside the prisons, and, whenever possible, walk without riding.

Josh Sens

Golf.com Editor

Golf, food and travel writer, Josh Sens has been a contributor to GOLF Magazine since 2004 and now contributes to all areas of GOLF. His work has been honored in The Best American Sportswriting. He is also the author, with Sammy Hagar, of Are We Having Any Fun Yet: The Cooking and Partying Handbook.