Golf "Pet Peeves"

[Ice]

Everyone is irritated by things others do on the golf course. There has to be something. So, what bothers you out on the course?

 

For me, the things that bother me the most are when people throw cigars on the greens or fairways and it makes burn marks, and generally not taking care of the course, like not repairing ball marksd and divots, or not raking bunkers.

 

And the big one, SLOW PLAY!

[ZenGolfer]

For me, people playing multiple balls irritates me. I know that most courses dont really care as long as you arent holding people up but I always felt like you were stealing golf by playing more than one ball.

[daves81]

People that talk really loud and yell gets to me,you know the ones you can hear 4 holes over,that irritates me

[Ice]

For me, people playing multiple balls irritates me. I know that most courses dont really care as long as you arent holding people up but I always felt like you were stealing golf by playing more than one ball.

 

What about someone such as myself who is a member of a public course and entitled to unlimited golf?

 

My opinion on the matter: if one is playing multiple balls, but not holding anyone up and is taking care of the course, it's fine so long as the course is okay with it.

[apples]

My biggest pet peave is when someone gets angry and yells and curses if every shot isn't absolutely perfect, especially when they aren't all that good of a player. Other than that, stepping in my line on the green annoys me.

[RoverRick]

People not paying attention to other players and inadvertantly causing distractions. Coming up behind someone while they are swinging, and walking around during their putt and things like that.

 

Also, when I am chipping or putting from off the green. And it is my turn. I have my club in my hand and am concentrating on my shot and someone asks, "Do you want the flag in or out?" Come on, don't you think I would ask you or make a move to take it out myself. It breaks my concentration and I have to start over.

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

Slow play due to being a beginner doesn't bother me nearly as much as slow play due to goofing around and being discourteous. Have played behind group of beginners who simply weren't very good, but they were trying. They weren't dawdling, they were simply having a tough time that day (been there back when I was a beginner). While it's still on them to keep pace, what really bugs me are groups who are holding up play while having a party. Golf is supposed to be fun, but if you're holding up play because you're running beer to every member of your foursome, and are making a game out of looking for balls and don't really seem to care who's behind you, well then that's a bit much.

[ZenGolfer]

What about someone such as myself who is a member of a public course and entitled to unlimited golf?

 

My opinion on the matter: if one is playing multiple balls, but not holding anyone up and is taking care of the course, it's fine so long as the course is okay with it.

As long as you arent holding other people up, Im ok with that. Just because you have a membership, that doesnt mean you own the course.

[ZenGolfer]

Slow play due to being a beginner doesn't bother me nearly as much as slow play due to goofing around and being discourteous. Have played behind group of beginners who simply weren't very good, but they were trying. They weren't dawdling, they were simply having a tough time that day (been there back when I was a beginner). While it's still on them to keep pace, what really bugs me are groups who are holding up play while having a party. Golf is supposed to be fun, but if you're holding up play because you're running beer to every member of your foursome, and are making a game out of looking for balls and don't really seem to care who's behind you, well then that's a bit much.

Agree. Last Wednesday I got stuck behind a group of old people who were slow because they spend most their time looking in the rough and near the water hazards for other peoples' lost golf balls. (not their own or anyone in their group's, just trying to scam free golf balls)

[Moecat]

Besides slow play, unnecessary displays of frustration as a result of a bad shat.

[ZenGolfer]

If they're playing a in a match, then yea that's obviously cheating, and I can't imagine, even the most passive person allowing someone to play multiple balls if it's a scramble, swat or organized round, or if they're playing two balls & counting the best ball, then yea, that sux & I'd tolerate it oh, about one shot....

 

We played behind a guy that was hitting two balls, and I don't care what someone says, you don't play as fast playing two as you do one..One of the guys in my group asked him to pick one up, because we did have to wait when he got on the green...

 

He smiled and didn't answer...That goofy, "I'm clueless" sorta smile and hit two off of the next tee...Well it was a par 3 comin back at us & his 2nd ball landed about 20 yards & alittle right of my tee ball...I walked over, teed it up, and sent it about 270 across two fairways into a pond...

 

He played one ball after that...The only time that I play two is by myself at night and I play both into the hole & I don't turn either score in....

LOL...nice. See, he should have just let you play through and then it would have been fine. See, its those people who annoy me. They think that just because they paid their greens fees that they own the course and can do whatever they want.

[ZenGolfer]

People who take golf way too seriously get on my nerves too. Im not talking about the pros, Im talking about the weekend hacks who never practice, play a handful of times a year and get mad at themselves when they hit a bad shot.

Well gee, maybe if you practiced EVER or played more than once a year you'd actually be a halfway decent player.

Unless you are playing golf for a living, you have no reason to get all that upset about a bad shot. Even the pros hit bad shots sometimes and they practice every day.

[Flv02]

I am another one who hates when people yell. I can't stand it and it always happens during someone's swing. Last time I went out with my uncles, a guy started screaming across the 18th fairway to make fun of his friend. The 18th and the 14th are parallel, but they were still 250 yards away. They started screaming right when my uncle was on his downswing with his 4 wood, scaring the crap out of him and making him top his ball. Anything like that annoys the hell out of me, especially it effects someone in my group.

[Ice]

My opponent in league last Wed. was a huge cheater. Half of the shots he took he'd spend 30 seconds moving the ball with his iron trying to get a perfect lie. He teed in front of the tee markers a few times. He switched balls on the green every hole because he "liked the feel of a different ball when putting" and completely denied that that was cheating. Denied that he improved his lie and denied teeing in front of the markers. it was pretty funny. So when the league coordinator heard about this, I enjoyed hearing that I had gotten all 10 points for that match

[revkev]

All of these things are interesting to me because at one time or another I think I've both been irrated by them and violated them. :(

 

Any more I can still get irritated by slow play - a bit - but I'm not all that upset because I'm playing golf. I will get irritated by a couple of my friends who have ridiculous expectations on the course and can't really live up to them - but just a bit. I can get a bit upset with the cart girl when she parks in a bad spot but she's normally too cute to stay upset with for too long. And anyway she probably doesnt' know any better.

 

Bottom line - I'm just happy to be playing golf - I don't get to do as much of it as I would like and so I'm not going to let a bunch of little stuff ruin my time.

[mudfish]

Not much distracts me on the course, but then again, I shoot in the 90's, and don't play competitively. I play with people who talk in my backswing, stand with their shadows in my line, give their ball a nudge to get a better shot... I can deal with all that...

 

I guess the one thing that gets me slightly upset is slow play. Honestly I would rather have people pushing me from behind, then I would having to wait...

[SeeRed]

Ugh...it's all bad. Slow play, shouting (even from golf course staff!), not yelling "Fore!", slow play (did I say that?), not repairing ball marks (on one course I play regularly I always feel like part of the maintenance staff I repair so many), and just not plain paying attention. Geez.

 

But my biggest pet peeve?...the almost complete absence of a cart girl on courses in my area! I mean WFT?! No cart girl? Not even on weekends! I don't care if all I buy is a bottle of water and a candy bar I don't need, I want to see the cart approaching and have a little chat. At the course I played this morning they said they were having trouble finding someone who was a good fit. ?! Really? A good fit? Why, do you have a cart girl-to-CFO program? You're looking for a goodwill ambassador, are you? Geez.

[SeeRed]

I guess the one thing that gets me slightly upset is slow play. Honestly I would rather have people pushing me from behind, then I would having to wait...

[ZenGolfer]

But my biggest pet peeve?...the almost complete absence of a cart girl on courses in my area! I mean WFT?! No cart girl? Not even on weekends! I don't care if all I buy is a bottle of water and a candy bar I don't need, I want to see the cart approaching and have a little chat. At the course I played this morning they said they were having trouble finding someone who was a good fit. ?! Really? A good fit? Why, do you have a cart girl-to-CFO program? You're looking for a goodwill ambassador, are you? Geez.

I hear ya. I dont really care about a cute, young girl making conversation with me (not that it isnt fun but Im not about to convince myself that these girls have any interest in me other than how much money they can get out of me) but theres nothing worse than to be dying of thirst and have to wait until the turn to be able to buy beer.

[Ice]

I hear ya. I dont really care about a cute, young girl making conversation with me (not that it isnt fun but Im not about to convince myself that these girls have any interest in me other than how much money they can get out of me) but theres nothing worse than to be dying of thirst and have to wait until the turn to be able to buy beer.

 

I hate when courses don't at least have water every 3 or 4 holes. My course had to get rid of ours because of a health issue. Other courses are too cheap to do it. It sucks when it's 100 out.

[mudfish]

Damn... I guess looking at it now, that doesn't sound good does it???

[SeeRed]

Damn... I guess looking at it now, that doesn't sound good does it???

It's even funnier if you didn't write that intentionally!

[SeeRed]

I hate when courses don't at least have water every 3 or 4 holes. My course had to get rid of ours because of a health issue. Other courses are too cheap to do it. It sucks when it's 100 out.

+1 to this. There is only one course in my area that I know of that provides water on the course.

[revkev]

I haven't encountered a serious sand bagger in a long while because my league doesn't tolerate it, the group I play with when I play on Fridays is controlled by the Pro and the other tournaments I play in are non-handicap tournaments (there's a net/gross element but I'm only concerned with the Net when I enter so I don't care much what else is going on.)

 

What happened to JP would enoy the heck out of me.

 

I did think of a pet peeve last night - playing off the wrong set of tees - the guys ahead of us couldn't hit their way out of a paper back and they were playing from the tips - to be sure one or the other would occasionally hit one but I don't recall a hole where I didn't hear trees or see one of them less than 150 yards off the tee in the rough. We caught them on 11 and had to wait on every shot the rest of the round -

 

I don't know what they were trying to prove playing from back there. At my regular course I instanly know when someone is playing the wrong set of tees - it happens when I see a driver on number 1 from the tips (which is almost every group that I see on that tee box outside of the friday game and the city championship - there you never see a driver unless there are unusual course conditions.)

 

I wish courses would only set out two sets of tees and slow the greens down a bit - pace of play would pick up and there would be more people playing golf.

[GolfSpy WD]

I haven't encountered a serious sand bagger in a long while because my league doesn't tolerate it, the group I play with when I play on Fridays is controlled by the Pro and the other tournaments I play in are non-handicap tournaments (there's a net/gross element but I'm only concerned with the Net when I enter so I don't care much what else is going on.)

 

What happened to JP would enoy the heck out of me.

 

I did think of a pet peeve last night - playing off the wrong set of tees - the guys ahead of us couldn't hit their way out of a paper back and they were playing from the tips - to be sure one or the other would occasionally hit one but I don't recall a hole where I didn't hear trees or see one of them less than 150 yards off the tee in the rough. We caught them on 11 and had to wait on every shot the rest of the round -

 

I don't know what they were trying to prove playing from back there. At my regular course I instanly know when someone is playing the wrong set of tees - it happens when I see a driver on number 1 from the tips (which is almost every group that I see on that tee box outside of the friday game and the city championship - there you never see a driver unless there are unusual course conditions.)

 

I wish courses would only set out two sets of tees and slow the greens down a bit - pace of play would pick up and there would be more people playing golf.

 

I typically play the whites and probably could play the blues, but I've set a goal for myself to hit 15 handicap before I do so. I've played plenty of times from the whites with people at the blues who really should be at the reds, I've stopped trying to give subtle hints that the game is more fun when you don't need 3 shots to get to the green on a par 4, but it seems to fall on deaf ears.

[SeeRed]

Great point, you guys. I also see guys playing the wrong tees at one of my regular courses all the time, and for what? Like you said rev, what are they trying to prove? I'm a fairly long hitter, but I know my current limits in terms of ability. I usually play the blues, but if someone I'm playing with would prefer to play whites I'm there. It's more social and more fun. And that's ultimately what I'm there for, anyway. What's not fun is waiting behind the yahoos barely reaching the fairway from the tips (assuming the ball went in that general direction in the first place). It has got to be frustrating for them as well.

[Matt Saternus]

Great point, you guys. I also see guys playing the wrong tees at one of my regular courses all the time, and for what? Like you said rev, what are they trying to prove? I'm a fairly long hitter, but I know my current limits in terms of ability. I usually play the blues, but if someone I'm playing with would prefer to play whites I'm there. It's more social and more fun. And that's ultimately what I'm there for, anyway. What's not fun is waiting behind the yahoos barely reaching the fairway from the tips (assuming the ball went in that general direction in the first place). It has got to be frustrating for them as well.

 

What are we up to...+4 on the peeve of playing the wrong tees?

 

I'm not Superman by any stretch (hell, everyone here has seen my LM numbers enough times to know that), but I can very easily play the back tees at almost any course I play regularly (they're not long to begin with and the superintendents wisely set them up short, regardless of what the card says). That said, it hasn't been until this summer that I started playing the back tees even occasionally. My attitude, borrowed from a guy I golfed with when I was starting out, is, "Until I'm threatening the course record from the tees I'm at, I don't need to move back."

[Ice]

The only time I play past the whites is if the course isn't very crowded and I feel like challenging myself. Other than that, why would one need to unless they bomb the ball long and straight? It slows down play and often leads to higher scores.

[Justin66]

Everyone is irritated by things others do on the golf course. There has to be something. So, what bothers you out on the course?

 

For me, the things that bother me the most are when people throw cigars on the greens or fairways and it makes burn marks, and generally not taking care of the course, like not repairing ball marksd and divots, or not raking bunkers.

 

And the big one, SLOW PLAY!

 

I feel I'm pretty easy to get along with on the course, but I do have some pet peeves:

 

1. fix pitch marks and divots. It isn't that hard. Besides, it helps you, me, the course superintendent and everyone else.

2. Don't spit near the green... especially in the cup. It's absolutely disgusting and f*cking rude, to boot.

2a. same as above, but switch out "spit" with "throw cigar/cigarette butts". I used to smoke; when I did, it wasn't too hard to hold on to the butt the extra 5 minutes until I got to the trash can at the next tee box.

3. Club throwers- especially the ones that think they're thiiiiis close to being "tour ready" by breaking 80 at their local track, or hitting one out of 5 drives >280y that manages to stay in the fairway. I don't care how good you are- or think you are- it makes you look like a jacka$$, and your foursome has to suffer as well, thanks to guilt by association. Leave the whiny-a$$ attitude at home, or try tai-chi to help curb that crap.

 

I have to +5 the "play the correct tees" thing. Like that old joke goes:

GOLFER: Do you think I can get there with a 5 iron?

CADDY: Eventually.

[revkev]

That should be the rule of the day - "Before I'm threatening the course record from the tees I'm at I don't need to move back."

 

That's my new mantra anytime I'm with someone who wants to play a set that's too far back. Actually my new rule of thumb is to ask which set of tees they play the senior club championship from when I get to a new course. That's where I play from.