A Really Poor Golf Etiquette Story

Happenned this past Sunday.
.
Me + another guy (John) are a walking twosome.
We're second group out.
.
The foursome in front stops after number 9 because of
continueing light rain.
We're ALL FAST players.
John asks "You wanna stop ?"
I said, "No...look at the tenth green -- the sky is clearing.
I think it'll stop raining in 10 minutes...let's go on."
.
We are now the first group + the rain stops.
We walk to the 11th tee + drive into the fairway.
I notice a cart next to the green as we walk off the tee.
We get to our balls + these two guys are still on the green.
.
My first thought is "where did these guys come from ? -- The Starter
never puts anybody out the "Back side" at this time because he
knows we're coming around + play fast."
My next thought......"these guys are REALLY SLOW."
.
We stand at our balls......and wait......and wait.
The two guys putting see us ( Mr. Orange + Mr. Blue ) --
Mr. Orange keeps looking at us.....but is very slow w/ everything
he does.
Next tee box ( The 12th )....Par 3.
we're on the tee......waiting...waiting...
Mr.Orange keeps looking at us.....and walks around the green....slowly.
.
John + I start discussing the rather deliberate slowness of Mr.Orange
and how he keeps looking back at us.
Then, john makes a critical mistake + I groan immediately after ---
John whistles.....and says "Let's Go !"

I knew it was a bad mistake.......
and may have been the first bad etiquette of the day ( I say "may" ).
.
Mr. Orange yells something back - and waves his arm in the air -
and I knew....he's only gonna get slower, now.
They tee off the 13th....and stand next to the cart for a rather
long time....as we wait on the tee....again.
Nobody is holding them up --
They putt the 13th + 14th greens -- and stand next to the green,
near the cart, cleaning the same club 3 or 4 times.
And Mr. Orange is ALWAYS looking back at us.
.
I said, "John, they want us to hit into them - that's why they stand
next to the green after putting out."
John says "..and Mr.Orange is always looking back at us while he
walks slowly around the green."
I said, "Notice he's always the last one to putt out + walk off ?"
.
15 - 16 - 17.......all the same......we wait on every shot.
.
18th
They tee off .
We walk on to the tee box
and they are driving the cart in circles - in the middle of the fairway.
they park in in the middle, now and each walks off 50 yds to the right
and left.......but neither takes a club with them !
I said, " This is really bad acting - as if they can't find their balls ? It's
their last hole to f*ck with us...so their really making us wait."
I'm teeing off , now...screw them !I hope I hit Mr. Orange !"
I didn't.......came nowhere close to them - don't hit long drives.
They saw me tee off + drove off.
.
On the 18th green as we're putting + the twosome is getting their
gear off the cart....20 yds away.
I say LOUDLY to John _ "Wow ! was that BAD ACTING ! huh ?"
.
John is FURIOUS.
Storms past me to speak in the Pro Shop --
Mr. Blue comes out of the Pro shop and says
"Hey, did you guys have a nice round ?..you played well...hope we
didn't hold you up ?"
John mumbles something..storms inside .....probably "f*ck you".
Mr. Blue says to me "Hey ?...I was only trying to be nice...geez."
( very much unlike myself )
I replied "Don't worry about it." and I shrugged.
Mr. Blue ( bad acting again ) tries to look bewildered + walks
around the corner + yells back "F*ck you !"
.
The starter comes stormimg out - walks around the corner + says -
"Hey, I told you guys to go off the front ! not the back side ! You
see what happens ?...you were told to go off the front !"
Mr. Blue told him "The crew was cutting holes - we couldn't."
I said to the starter "The hole cutter was BEHIND us !"
.
Now, another ( some time starter ) comes up w/ a cart and
says "Once an @sshole...always an @sshole."
I said, You know that guy ?"
"I know Mr. Orange - he was @sshole in High School and still is."
.
I walk to the parking lot......and did a VERY SMART THING.
I don't walk to my car.......I walk to another + drop my gear.
Low and behold.
I see Mr.Orange watching me from his car -
And Mr. Blue pulls out in front of me.
NOBODY"S GONNA "KEY" MY CAR.
.
End of long story.
.
What would you have done ?
Had anything happen like this ?

 

Cant believe such a a$$hole, Im a starter at a local club for 18yrs, If your a member or a regular player i would look out for you, and not put someone ahead , at least without letting you know. sucks they were so miserable to take it out on you, golf a game to get away from stress and not create it. If i were you i would have crossed across to a hole in front of them for a couple then possibly back tracked to finished the ones you skip.

 

I'm guessing you have a cell phone?

I probably would have called the pro shop and asked WTF are these aholes doing out here in front of us.
If they didnt send someout to move them or send them back to hole one ,there would have been trouble.
We dont mind a twosome going thru our 4some if theyre waiting on every hole,it's just golf ediquette ,when we've played thru other guys or girls we dont screw around ,we take off for a hole or two until we're well ahead.
I know a lot of courses dont even have rangers riding around anymore so you have to sometimes put up with aholes .
Maybe you'll like this,my all time best golf course line:
I play with pretty decent golfers,we were behind 4 very slow ladies who thought we we were hitting into them.When the one rode back and started bitching ,my buddy said "Look laldy I've had motar rounds land closer to me than that shot".

 

Yep, this is what marshalls are for.

But its not a real etiquette story. Disobeying the starter isn't bad etiquette, its breaking course rules. Intentionally doing nothing to delay the group behind you isn't bad etiquette, its being an *sshole.

Bad etiquette was not waving you through in the first place. The rest goes far beyond a matter of etiquette.

 

I would have hit into them again and again, especially if they linger near the green after putting out(no excuse for that). I remember one time some pathetic slowpokes kept us waiting, driving back and forth across the fairway before hitting, now I almost never hit the fairway(sometimes none in a day), they were maybe 250 yds out smack dab in the middle just dawdling, I pounded my drive right over their cart down the middle maybe 275 yds, they yelled something...but then they sped up!

 

No Rangers because of state budget cuts.
It's a NY state course - in a state park.
In fact, that day, the Starter was handling the cash register
and working inside.
.
Had I known these guys were suppose to go off the front -
I certainly would have called the Pro shop......but, I
don't know if they could have sent someone out -
as I said......they are way understaffed.
.
BTW,
The drive I hit on 18 was right on line with them !
Just came up too short to hit them.:evillaugh

 

I keep the number to the pro shop in my phone. I've never called them on a player, but once had to call because a rookie greenskeeper was cutting greens in front of us, and moving forward one hole at a time and not watching for approach shots, so we had to wait on several holes in a row (he's supposed to cut in reverse order so you only see him once.)

 

Joe,its not just the public courses

As far as idiots go ,I belonged to a private club up until this year and many of the supposed "better class of people" are ignorant as hell on the course and sit in the bar later and complain about the other members,the staff,the course ,the golf commitee and whatever else they think of.

 

was this out on Long Island?

 

they would have been hearing FFFFOOOOOUUUURRRRR a lot about 12 seconds after the ball hit near them

 

You guys handled that much better than I would have. Putting up with slow play I can stand as I usually have enough beer with me to last through the waiting, but if they were intentionally doing this and looking back at me, I would be shouting long compound obscenities while I hit into them.

 

that's one reason i basically refuse to play public courses anymore. never have to deal with this on a private course.

 

I always play golf to relax with a couple of drinks and have a good time. I just can't imagine why it would be fun to spend that much money just to be confrontational...

 

Well, this is why I get up before sunrise and am always
in one of the first 3 groups.
We all play fast - so we don't ever get heldup.
3:15 to 3:45 hrs round = in any of those first 3 groups.
If you book a 10 am tee time...forget it !
Those people think a 5 round of golf is normal.

.
But... as this @sshole was holding us up --
I said to myself "This jerk isn't gonna ruin my day."
I just stood there w/ that golf pose = "You're slow"
The pose where you lean on your fairway wood - out to
the side w' your arm extended + your foot is crossed over
the other...other hand on hip ....just staring + not moving.
I was NOT giving him any satisfaction w/ "pissed off" body language !
No walking around or slamming my club or looking up at the sky. NOPE !

 

In the long run Joe,you did the right thing.

Why should you pay a price for someone else's mistake in the first place.
I worked at two semi-privates and I've seen how these things can get out of hand like anything else where a bunch of idiots are drinking. I'm going out now to play at a local semi-private ,mostly seniors this time of year during the week ,looks like a beautiful day,sure beats going to work.

 

Okay Jerseyguy -
Have a nice round.
.
As I said - I think the smartest thing I did
was to NOT walk over to my NEW car in the golf
parking lot.
Those two were watching.
.
I've had two different kids "Key" my old truck over
the course of it's lifetime ( 1998 chevy) --
over very simple crap.
So, I've learned how @ssholes try to "get back" at ya.

 

I play almost exclusively at muni's on Honolulu. It is expected that the fastest players are the ones going out first and if you play in those groups you are expected to play fast (less than 3 hour rounds) or move aside if others are playing faster. It is funny because many of these guys are old and they will hit on you because they know that their balls will only get to you on the roll.

We usually call the starter's office if the guys in front are playing slow. They will usually get someone (any course worker) out on the course to warn the group to speed it up or let groups pass. The course will even suspend the golfers who continually will not allow groups to pass them.

In your case, I would have called the starter's office and tell them about the slow group. If they couldn't do something about it I would then pick up my ball and then continue onto the 14th tee in front of the slow group. Even though I might miss one hole I would rather just get in front of them and play through. If they grumble I would just tell them that they are playing slow and that you are passing them. If they have a problem they should bring it up with the starter.

That way you can continue play, at the end you will probably be out of the parking lot before they get to the 18th tee.

Because we have a lot of gamblers golfing they always seem to be 6somes and playing slow. We usually catch up to them on a par 3 and ask them if we can play through. 75% of the time they will say okay, the other 20% they will say no but will speed up their play to keep up with the groups in front of them. 5% of the time they will say we can't pass and will continue to play slow. Those are the ones I will speak with the starter's office and have the starter speak with them. In Honolulu if your situation came up at the end of the round the starter would suspend them for a month and would revoke their players card if they continued to play slow and not follow rules.

The rule of thumb for most courses is to keep up with the group in front of them. If the group in front of the slow group is also slow there isn't much that we can do. That's why like you I try to get out early so I don't have to wait on every hole later in the morning. In those cases I usually just hit 2 balls and go look for balls while waiting for the groups in front.

Yeah, we all know that slow play is a major problem at golf courses and the cause for 5 or more hour rounds.

 

SIXsomes?

Every now and then we play six. We've played 7 too. A seven man Wolf game is awesome! :evillaugh

BUT....we know as a sixsome we have NO rights at all. If anybody comes up behind us we always let them through. Sixsomes, and singles actually, have no rights on a golf course. They have to endure whatever.

 

But "Big Tip" you would let a "single" pass
thru wouldn't you ?
.
So, you're saying a single has no rights because
they didn't book a Tee time....is that why ?
.
Damn, I'd like to play a round of golf in Honolulu, right now !

 

You never know whats gonna happen

Yesterday our 3rd. cancelled so we went to the local semi-private as a twosome.Right away a 3some of young guys let us tee off before them ,nice .
We quickly came up on a 4some of older ladies ,very slow.So after some riding and looking we determined there were 2 holes open in front so we just shot around them and never looked back.We were able to play some holes twice because they were so slow. On ten we picked up a 3rd. and were able to keep a decent pace going .Some days you win and some you lose I guess.