How to concentrate with an irritating playing partner?

[Region3]

I like playing with chatty people (between shots) and have no problems with birds/cars/trains etc while I'm playing. They're normal noises and don't attract my attention.

Having said that, I'm with the people that like their playing partners to be quiet and still for the few seconds that I'm playing my shot. The noise doesn't put me off, but it's just rude imo, and if I'm standing over my ball thinking how rude they are then I'm not thinking about my shot, and that's when bad things happen.

 

[User 105]

I know at our place the worst time is usually on the 1st tee. Usually in comps tee times are running 2-3 behind (Even after only 4-5 groups have gone out) so you end up with 6-10 folks waiting by the tee and you can guarantee that there will be one or two of them that rock up and start bellowing why things are running late half way through your back swing.

 

[chris661]

So then I proceeded to drill a low 5 iron over their heads, but topped it GMAC style directly over their heads and they didn't do it again! Both were members at the top 100 course we were playing so they should know course etiquette better than most.

There would have been more than a quiet whisper said to you if you had tried that in the vicinity of me. Absolutely shocking behaviour. Then you have a bloody cheek to complain about etiquette.

 

[sydney greenstreet]

There would have been more than a quiet whisper said to you if you had tried that in the vicinity of me. Absolutely shocking behaviour. Then you have a bloody cheek to complain about etiquette.

Agree with chris, how would you have felt if you seriously injured someone or killed them because of your anger problems.

 

[Curls]

"So then I proceeded to drill a low 5 iron over their heads."


This is bravado right? This didn't actually happen?

 

[Foxholer]

Try concentrating on this one... I got irritated last week as I'm long off the tee and normally my partners play their second shots first. As I was going to play my second on numerous occasions two of our fourball just casually walked up the fairway in front of me chatting their heads off...??? They apologised a couple of times but just kept doing it. So then I proceeded to drill a low 5 iron over their heads, but topped it GMAC style directly over their heads and they didn't do it again! Both were members at the top 100 course we were playing so they should know course etiquette better than most.

There does indeed seem to be an etiquette problem here!

BTW. Coachers can be silenced by 'That'll be a 2 shot penalty/my hole then'!

 

[bladeplayer]

I cant stand 'coachers' either. Its a tactic used alot by competitive golfers.

Or 'cant counters' that cant count their shots properly and come in the best scramblers in the world considering they,ve been hacking around the course and manage to shoot a better score than you.

Or the people that play with a constant crap shot because they hit the ball with no routine, then try to mock you because you have a routine. HMMM.... Play the course shaping shots or slice my way around. I know which I prefer.

Try concentrating on this one... I got irritated last week as I'm long off the tee and normally my partners play their second shots first. As I was going to play my second on numerous occasions two of our fourball just casually walked up the fairway in front of me chatting their heads off...??? They apologised a couple of times but just kept doing it. So then I proceeded to drill a low 5 iron over their heads, but topped it GMAC style directly over their heads and they didn't do it again! Both were members at the top 100 course we were playing so they should know course etiquette better than most.

CRIKEY !!!!! bit of double standards on the etiquette part tho dont ya think ? im ytrying to picture this in my head , your furthest off the tee , they play their 2nd shots , i would persume as they are watching their ball, putting the club away , replacing the divot etc you have walked forward to your ball ? so you should be in front of them at your ball ready to play , they just walked by you chatting away ????? very strange .. maybe im misinterpeting something if i am i apologise ..

Coachers can be told about the rules .. cant counters can have their shots counted back to them , twice should make them realise they aint geting away with it , dont know what to say on the no routiners , if they commented on my pre shot routine id say "maybe you should try one sometime " or maybe the routine is a bit Kevin Na ish ??
What handicap are you by the way , i take it you fairly low ..

 

[Jensen]

its simple, effective and non confrontational.

You stop your routine and look at the talkers/janglers/whisperers till they stop, a slight clearing of the throat if they are engrossed.

This wont happen more than twice for it to sink in, no awkward words of shut up/quiet please etc etc



Personally I can play if theres a jet plane flying over, you only have to concentrate for 1.5 secs, not that hard really.

Great post, by far the best way to deal with it. Actions speak louder than words..... C

 

[6inchcup]

Im normally the irritating one!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Minhoca]

There would have been more than a quiet whisper said to you if you had tried that in the vicinity of me. Absolutely shocking behaviour. Then you have a bloody cheek to complain about etiquette.

I had waited several times already as they had just walked on straight down the middle of the fairway with me stood waiting quietly for them to either stop and move to the side or carry on all the way to the green. On this occasion they stepped to the side of the fairway 100ish yards ahead which I might add was tight. So I played my shot which was a low 5 iron but i topped it and it travelled over them. The fact i was frustrated led to the poor shot. What have i done then???? I was always going to have to play a shot past them! They were aware i was playing my shot. What would you have done? Asked them to come back behind the ball??????

 

[chris661]

I had waited several times already as they had just walked on straight down the middle of the fairway with me stood waiting quietly for them to either stop and move to the side or carry on all the way to the green. On this occasion they stepped to the side of the fairway 100ish yards ahead which I might add was tight. So I played my shot which was a low 5 iron but i topped it and it travelled over them. The fact i was frustrated led to the poor shot. What have i done then???? I was always going to have to play a shot past them! They were aware i was playing my shot. What would you have done? Asked them to come back behind the ball??????

Are you for real? You wilfully endangered somebody else's life instead of asking them to move?

 

[Hobbit]

Try concentrating on this one... I got irritated last week as I'm long off the tee and normally my partners play their second shots first. As I was going to play my second on numerous occasions two of our fourball just casually walked up the fairway in front of me chatting their heads off...??? They apologised a couple of times but just kept doing it. So then I proceeded to drill a low 5 iron over their heads, but topped it GMAC style directly over their heads and they didn't do it again! Both were members at the top 100 course we were playing so they should know course etiquette better than most.

Suggest you adopt Darth's method. Step back from your ball and make them wait, then have a serious word when you catch them up. DON'T knock a ball at them like that. I got hit 2 weeks ago, and was back in hospital over the weekend - CT scan etc. Seriously, don't do it. And if you do, you're an idiot of the first water.

 

[Minhoca]

Are you for real? You wilfully endangered somebody else's life instead of asking them to move?

Get real.. they were 100 yards down the fairway facing me! Expecting me to take my shot. They laughed at the result as i did too. I think some people take things a bit too seriously surely????

 

[chris661]

Get real.. they were 100 yards down the fairway facing me! Expecting me to take my shot. They laughed at the result as i did too. I think some people take things a bit too seriously surely????

What would you have done if you had managed to crack one of their skulls?

 

[Minhoca]

Have you never played a shot with someone ahead of you waiting down the fairway? Dont throw stones in glass houses if you have...

 

[chris661]

Have you never played a shot with someone ahead of you waiting down the fairway? Dont throw stones in glass houses if you have...

Ahead of me yes but not in front of me and going by your first statement

So then I proceeded to drill a low 5 iron over their heads, but topped it GMAC style directly over their heads and they didn't do it again! ​

says to me you done it to scare them. Is this a bit of backtracking being done now?

 

[Minhoca]

Ahead of me yes but not in front of me and going by your first statement says to me you done it to scare them. Is this a bit of backtracking being done now?

Not back tracking at all. It was a slight dogleg left and i needed the ball to roll out! They were stood on the left rough on edge of fairway. Whats your definition of low?

You've taken a tongue in cheek statement and made a meal out of it really!

 

[Minhoca]

Also my apologies to the OP it wasn't my intention to Hijack your thread!

 

[Foxholer]

Try concentrating on this one... I got irritated last week as I'm long off the tee and normally my partners play their second shots first. As I was going to play my second on numerous occasions two of our fourball just casually walked up the fairway in front of me chatting their heads off...??? They apologised a couple of times but just kept doing it. So then I proceeded to drill a low 5 iron over their heads, but topped it GMAC style directly over their heads and they didn't do it again! Both were members at the top 100 course we were playing so they should know course etiquette better than most.

Get real.. they were 100 yards down the fairway facing me! Expecting me to take my shot. They laughed at the result as i did too. I think some people take things a bit too seriously surely????

These 2 posts - about the same incident - seem incompatible! Surely you didn't patiently, well irritate-idly, wait until they'd walked 100 yards past you and your ball, then turned round to wait for you to hit, until you actually did something? And presumably, you would have been out of their way (behind/alongside?) when they hit their 2nds?

Mind you, I've seen a thread on another site get hijacked like this and it turned out to be a complete wind-up!

 

[Minhoca]

wait until they'd walked 100 yards past you and your ball, then turned round to wait for you to hit, until you actually did something? And presumably, you would have been out of their way (behind/alongside?) when they hit their 2nds?

I have to be completely honest I was genuinely confused on the day as I couldn't understand why they kept walking up the fairway whilst I was getting ready to play my shot. After waiting for them to look back to realise what they had done yet AGAIN, they had on this occasion managed to get that far ahead. IM NO KEEGAN BRADLEY if you were wondering!!! Maybe the conversation was interesting or maybe it was such a hot day their brains had evaporated. I wasn't going to shout up the fairway for them to stop. I played in Portugal earlier this year with one and he definately i'snt the full ticket imo.