Distractions and pet peeves on the course!

[BRDGOLFING]

 Not many things bother me on the course. I play with random folks all of the time. I am able to see ridiculous and great actions on the course by doing that.

 

  I played yesterday in a two man match play tournament. We had to play two other teams in the 18 hole tournament. I have never been in a tournament with such a obnoxious person in my years of playing with a bunch of random folks. You can talk in my back swing, cuss, throw your clubs, walk in my line so on and so on. I was pushed to my limit yesterday though.

 

 The group that I was playing with had to have a conference on every single shot they made. They were taking so long, that I almost quit. We played 37 minutes behind schedule because of these two guys. They would talk and talk and talk and then hit a bad shot or miss a putt. If it was suppose to be a psychological test. Then I failed it!

 

 I could not believe that someone could actually talk so much in 9 holes of golf. (The team that we were playing with on the next 9 actually sent the marshal out to check on us because they have been waiting so long.) He had something to say about everything my team did and his team did.

 

Has anyone else been in this situation?

 

What are some distractions and pet peeves that y'all have or have been through?

[HighFade]

Ugh.  Golf is supposed to be fun.

 

My worst was last year.  Played during the week in a practice round for a tournament.  I thought it would be a good way to avoid the crowds and play a few balls, etc. but nooooooo.......

 

I walked on single, so they paired me with a twosome who were pretty cool. Hackers, but they could keep up.  But the other single was a girl who was also practicing for the tournament.  By the 3rd hole, I wanted to brain her with my 9 iron.  You couldn't move, twitch or breathe while she was in her routine.  She would flash you a dirty look, sigh, and start her routine over again.  On the 2nd hole, I shifted my weight from one side to another while she was over a putt (I was 30 feet away, and not in her eye-line).  By her reaction you would think I threw a bottle of water at her.  Another time, she literally yelled at me from 100 yards away to stop my cart while she was swinging.  Puh-lease.  Only problem was, madame LPGA wasn't nearly as good as she thought she was.  One of the worst rounds I've ever played in my life.

[wbealsd]

If you don't pick up after you're 4 shots over par, or spend more time looking for "shag balls" than you do playing golf, I'm moving on without you.

[apprenti23]

I hate that nobody wants to pair up anymore or when they actually get paired up by the starter they split off after a few holes. One of my biggest pet peeves when I do actually get out to play is when I see twosome after twosome after twosome then a single followed by a threesome and usually I'm in the only foursome behind all of that.

 

IT all goes back to a post I made not too long ago about people today and their selfish disrespectful attitudes. If people would be interested in pairing up it would help pace of play and who knows they may have two more friends to play golf with in the future.

[Zeasy]

I hate that nobody wants to pair up anymore or when they actually get paired up by the starter they split off after a few holes. One of my biggest pet peeves when I do actually get out to play is when I see twosome after twosome after twosome then a single followed by a threesome and usually I'm in the only foursome behind all of that.

 

IT all goes back to a post I made not too long ago about people today and their selfish disrespectful attitudes. If people would be interested in pairing up it would help pace of play and who knows they may have two more friends to play golf with in the future.

Getting paired up with strangers is half the fun. Love meeting new people that way.

[Mike Z]

Not much worse than getting paired-up with "that person".  No need to describe because we all know who that is to us.  Having said that, I would run that risk every time because it happens so infrequently and because most of the time, you get to meet some pretty interesting people.

 

One of my peeves is being the only walker in a group.  My squatty legs are never going to propel me up the fairway to keep up with a cart.  Nor am I walking the course in 3 hours.  Yet, its ingrained to keep up.  So I end up feeling like I am rushing and race-walking.  Of course, I do it to myself, but if there's a least one other walker it doesn't happen.

[DaveP043]

Phones.  More specifically, people talking on their phones when they should be doing something else.  Or texting.  Or emailing.  If you're on the golf course, I believe golf should come first.  I don't mind someone using the GPS, or checking for bad weather or lightning, but otherwise, leave it in your bag, or better yet, in your car.

[revkev]

Not too much bothers me any more in regards to what someone else might be doing although High Fade's scenario would push me to the edge.  I'm not crazy about playing poorly myself but even there I'm on the golf course, I usually roll with it and say to myself, "I'll get them next time."

 

Have I had a pairing or two in my lifetime that I didn't like?  Of course but out of how many?  Frankly I've had more difficult times with fellow pastors and co-workers than folks that I've met on the golf course.

 

I prefer to play fast - 3 1/2 hours or less but I don't get so upset even when that doesn't happen.

 

I'd pretty much rather be playing golf than worrying about whether or not I'm upset or going to be upset.  Good thread though, there have been plenty of times in the past where I would have needed to let go of something via a thread like this one.

 

I am Irish after all.

[HighFade]

Getting paired up with strangers is half the fun. Love meeting new people that way.

 

Yup.  One of my very good friends and playing partners was a single who joined my foursome 10 years back.

[HighFade]

Not too much bothers me any more in regards to what someone else might be doing although High Fade's scenario would push me to the edge.  I'm not crazy about playing poorly myself but even there I'm on the golf course, I usually roll with it and say to myself, "I'll get them next time."

 

Have I had a pairing or two in my lifetime that I didn't like?  Of course but out of how many?  Frankly I've had more difficult times with fellow pastors and co-workers than folks that I've met on the golf course.

 

I prefer to play fast - 3 1/2 hours or less but I don't get so upset even when that doesn't happen.

 

I'd pretty much rather be playing golf than worrying about whether or not I'm upset or going to be upset.  Good thread though, there have been plenty of times in the past where I would have needed to let go of something via a thread like this one.

 

I am Irish after all.

 

 

 

On the opposite end of that spectrum, I played with our Lutheran pastor and his wife a few years back.  I was hesitant to play with them because I thought I'd have to watch my language - but when they pulled up in a cart and he had a beer in his hand, and his wife swore like a sailor!  Good folks!

[apprenti23]

HighFade,

 

I love hearing stories like that! Unfortunately most people will go on a golf forum and start a topic about some clown they were paired up with, but never do we see threads  about someone who was paired up and had a nice experience

[HighFade]

Great idea for a new (positive) thread!

[Bogey in The Woods]

undershooter did a thread similar to this a few months ago...... so I thought I would just copy and paste:

 

Wow, dont know if i have any that havent already been put on the table. 

 

Music: fina as long as it isnt blaring, and you turn it down after we get out of the cart for shots.

Slow Play: Yes, I've pulled up to the tee box when the second of your foursome it teeing it up for the last 4 holes. I am only with one other guy. Do the math. (On a positive, I have had this scenerio and was allowed by 4 groups in a row to play through)

Pain in the A** Marshals: I get it, you want to keep the pace of play. But if you tell me one more time while me and my foursome are on the green to speed it up and the group ahead of  just walked up to the next tee, we are gonna have a problem, you A**hat! 

Attire: If you dont respect the game and traditions enough to look proper, fine. I can deal with cutoffs, and workboots and Levis. But if your clothes (especially those who try to dress in proper golf attire) appears that it came out of your teenagers closet, or if I can tell your religion, GET OFF THE COURSE. Save your greens fees for today and go get some clothes that fit. 

 

So endeth the sermon......(stepping off soapbox)

[Jmikecpa]

Spending 20 minutes looking for a golf ball drives me nuts. I actually had a guy jump the wall and walk the beach looking for a ball that we saw splash 40 yards out in the bay.

 

I also hate Mr. Cliche. I know a 320 yard drive down the middle will play and I also know a ball driven into the middle of the woods is not open over there. This guy is in my normal group and drives me absolutely nuts.

[RoverRick]

I don't mind having to look for someone's ball occasionally. Heck, sometimes it is my ball. I don't mind someone who takes an extra few seconds in their pre-shot routine. I am trying to slow mine down.

 

But two things drive me crazy.

 

Really slow play, and not even play but slow movement. Removing the headcover with the same speed as opening a Christmas present and saving the paper. Sitting in the golf cart and taking as much time as if you are consulting a map as to where to go. The path is single lane and only goes one way. I played with some folks a year ago that spent and average of 52 seconds after the cart stopped before they got out, and once they were back in the cart before the cart started. I timed it.

There was no discernible movement inside the cart during that time.

 

 

But what really gets me, is moving on the green when I putt. When the people I am playing with address their ball, I stop. I have suppressed countless itches and a few sneezes waiting for someone to putt. PLEASE return the courtesy to me. I look at the hole when I putt and try to give it 100% of concentration so movement does distract me.

 

I played in a tournament this weekend, and the team we were paired with on Saturday was very slow. They spent lots of time looking for balls and discussing the shot. At one point we lost contact with the group ahead and had a full hole empty. The group behind us was waiting on us. But that did not bother me too much because it was important, and the rough was DEEP. I had a lost ball in the rough, and we all saw where it went. Didn't matter, I re-teed. So I did contribute some. But they, at least, hurried when they could. We made up the time.

[apprenti23]

Slow play can really get me going when the person is a very good player (3/4 or better) and it's not in a tournament. I expect those to be death marches. I've been fortunate enough to have played with some really, really good golfers over the years from Top Level Am's to even a past Major Champion. What drives me absolutely nuts is when the good players act like each putt is to win the U.S. open. Had one buddy make the trip up to Whistling Straits with us one time and needless to say he was never invited back. Need both hands to count how many times I said, "Hey buddy, this isn't the PGA. Let's go." That round took us five hours to play, our combined handicaps for the foursome may have not have even been five, hell we almost had a group play through us. I've never been so embarrassed in my life. Not much worse than a really good player that's terribly slow.

[sp0rtsfan86]

Two things stick out.

 

Slow play around the tee box. Hit your ball and go. It's not the chance to be talking about everything else and screwing around. I swear I've been behind some groups that just can't get off a tee box and then turn around and hit second and third shots off the tee box. All this while I'm on the green walking over.

 

The second is a player who putts out and walks off the green when your chipping. There's speeding up play and then there's that. One guy actually putted out in my line from the sand. I wanted to blade one right at him. After I rake, he's already off the green walking away and put the flag in. The guy was unreal. Every hole was like that. Have some courtesy and at least pretend your interested in someone besides yourself.