How can that be fun?

We had a chap at my last club. Never met him nor known him but got drawn with him in summer midweek evening round. Everyone expressed sympathy for me !

The chap was well into his 70s, needed a buggy, and generally couldn't score a point on most holes . But I got chatting to him. He mentioned that his wife had died relatively recently, that he was now on his own, and that just coming out for a game was a really cathartic activity, got him some fresh air and some company and conversation. He said he didn't worry about whether he played well or not, and he was aware that he didn't want to hold us up. I told him to not worry and enjoy it. We had a great round, he told me a lot about his life and family, and was a pleasure to spend time with.
 
davidy233 said:
I've rarely played with a 'hacker' who isn't enjoying himself - most grumpy people I've played with have been low handicap guys who have hit a few bad shots and aren't going to make their buffer - it's all expectations
Click to expand...

That's true. Them or players who are around mid teens who think they are better than they actually are (or rather believe they should be better) and start having a full on paddy when things start to go wrong.
 
davidy233 said:
I've rarely played with a 'hacker' who isn't enjoying himself - most grumpy people I've played with have been low handicap guys who have hit a few bad shots and aren't going to make their buffer - it's all expectations
Click to expand...


are they the kind of guys that have to ask "How can this be fun" :p
 
woody69 said:
That's true. Them or players who are around mid teens who think they are better than they actually are (or rather believe they should be better) and start having a full on paddy when things start to go wrong.
Click to expand...

I find it quite frustrating but funny at the same time when you see people mimicking the professionals
ie. when Tiger drops his club behind his head after teeing off
or when players are shouting 'get down' to their ball
or, worst of all, they stand their with their arm out wide to the left or right instead of shouting fore (this one isn't funny though)

I feel that these people fit into the same category that Woody69 is talking about.
 
Did he enjoy his round?

I think it would grind you down, especially looking for balls etc all the time and it also becomes a very long round. I'm not the most accurate and would get annoyed with myself if I kept having to play provisionals etc and try not to spend too long looking for lost balls.
 
One of the blokes I play with plays off 24 but in 2 years I have never seen him play anywhere near that. He is just there for the company, fresh air and he simply enjoys playing golf even if he is not the best at it.

The whole thing is very subjective and depends on what you are looking to get out of the game. Some will be playing to get to single figures, some play to win, some just want to get out and away from everything for a few hours. Each to their own.

I will be honest and say that my interest in the game would have gone down if I played as described in the OP every week but then again I took up the game to replace another competitive sport and so I need to feel that I am challenging or have the potential to improve. My enjoyment of playing rugby before I took up golf dropped as I got older and could not play in the same way I used to and because the game had changed in such a way that my specialist skills were far less relevant. For me part of my enjoyment of golf is striving to get better but that is just me. My brother, for example, just plays for the fun of his regular 4 ball each week and has no interest in competitions or improvements.

Each to their own basically.
 
If it weren't for the many varieties of the amateur golfer there really wouldn't be as much choice in terms of equipment or places to play.

If he is turning up and trying to play the game all credit to him for keeping golf ball manufacturers making money!
 
HawkeyeMS said:
1st: Provisional
3rd: Provisional
4th: Reload
5th: Reload
6th: Reload x 2
9th: Provisional
10th: Reload
12th: Provisional
13th: Reload
14th: (Would have been a provisional but bounced of a tree)
15th: Reload
17th: Reload
18th: Provisional
Click to expand...

You been spying on me?

I know his pain.
 
HawkeyeMS said:
One of my FCs in Saturdays comp was a 27 h'capper. He's a long time golfer so has a lot of experience but just has never been very good. Before I go any further, this is not a high vs low h'cap thread but playing with this guy did get me wondering how and why some people bother. I have honestly never witnessed so many reloads\provisionals from one person in one round in all my golfing life. Neither have I spent so much time in the rough looking for one person's ball(s). On just tee shots alone he had...

1st: Provisional
3rd: Provisional
4th: Reload
5th: Reload
6th: Reload x 2
9th: Provisional
10th: Reload
12th: Provisional
13th: Reload
14th: (Would have been a provisional but bounced of a tree)
15th: Reload
17th: Reload
18th: Provisional

It wasn't like the miss was in the same place either, it ranged from huge hooks to huge slices and various shots in between except for straight ones. Walking down the 12th with our friend playing his ball from somewhere near the 10th green my other FC commented that he didn't know how this guy managed to keep coming back out and I have to say I agree with him. It surely can't be any fun when you're that bad and have been for so long?

Maybe I am missing the whole point that golf is supposed to be fun but that really didn't seem like fun to me.
Click to expand...

I'll see your example and raise :D

We have a chap who we play semi-regular with.

He's been playing for 5 years. Has a 28 handicap that he has never played to. As long as I've played with him, he's never broken 100. He's a serial swearer and club chucker. He'll duff a shot off the fairway, drop his club, turn the air blue, pick it up and carry on. On greens he'll massively under hit a lag putt, drop his putter, hands on knees, stairing at the floor in a rage, before carryig on.

He's convinced all he needs to do to get better is play more. Doesn't need lessons or tuition, just more course time. His swing hasn't changed in all the time I've met him, yet he refuses to concede that it is that what needs to change.




Yet every week he shows up, like clockwork to play a round of golf :mad:

I, like ou Hawkeye cannot decern what possible pleasure he can take from what he does, but he obviously gets some form of satisfaction, or he wouldn't keep coming back?

Some strange folk in this world :D

I sympathise with Hawkeye here, because I cannot understand why he continues to play. He always says he's fed up of playing poorly, but refuses to do anything to change it, other than "Playing more".

It's not a bash at high(er) handicapers, just 2 blokes trying to understand what keeps them coming back :thup:
 
Last edited:
CliveW said:
Sometimes I read posts and look at the OP's signature and just smile. :)
Click to expand...

I think that's bit unfair , no where does the OP berate or demean the player , he passed on what happened and asked a genuine question .. IMO


I dont know or wish to know your handicap , but do you think you could have fun playing as described in the OP ?.. i think people started to read the OP and automatically/subconsciously [sp] went into "ah this is anti high handicap stuff" and lost the genuine question that was in it ..


Out of total curiosity (no other reason) Would you have viewed or read the post differently if his handicap had been 18 or not shown
 
Last edited:
CliveW said:
Sometimes I read posts and look at the OP's signature and just smile. :)
Click to expand...

bladeplayer said:
I think that's bit unfair , no where does the OP berate or demean the player , he passed on what happened and asked a genuine question .. IMO
I dont know or wish to know your handicap , but do you think you could have fun playing as described in the OP .. i think people read the OP and automatically went into ah this is anti high handicap stuff ..


Out of total curiosity (no other reason) Would you have viewed or read the post differently if his handicap had been 18 or not shown
Click to expand...

Thanks bladeplayer, I did try to say in the OP this wasn't h'cap related but I should have known better.
 
Seems like a reasonable enough question from The OP. Not sure I'd enjoy the game if I was spending so long searching for my ball,or if I was having to search for some one else's,but fair play to him.
It's not like Hawkeyes as started a thread slating the guy.
 
HawkeyeMS said:
In case you missed it in the original post...



The point is, it can't be much fun playing 3 off of every tee, spending half your time looking for your ball in wet clag and losing 12 balls a round.
Click to expand...

I agree, whilst the score might not be relevant to some and I accept that fully, I don't see what enjoyment there can be when your game stinks year in year out. Just my opinion.
 
My brother has been playing for probably 25 years, although he only plays a handful of times a year when the weather's ok.

I'm not sure what his PB is but probably around 110-120. I know he's never broken 110. When we play I give him 2 shots a hole to make it close, so effectively he's playing off 42.
It's not even because he goes for crazy shots - he's more conservative than I would advise him to be if I were calling his shots.

He still enjoys it though.
 
I agree with Hawkeye. I don't quite see how golf can be fun if you are utterly wretched at it.

Still live and let live and if someone wants to shoot 130 then fine, as long as they do it in under 3.5 hours.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

LIG
Course layout, course marking - can there ever be...
Replies
4
Views
834
LIG
LIG
B
My Woburn Final
2
Replies
26
Views
2K
Burnsey
B
GG26
Abandoning part way through competition round
2
Replies
22
Views
1K
IanMcC
I
Klimski
What's your favorite shot?
2 3
Replies
44
Views
4K
Billysboots
Billysboots
B
Fun golf games you can play with your young children?
Replies
6
Views
4K
Golf is fun
G
Top