Not my finest moment.

[badgermat]

An incident from last week that has been the focus of some debate among my colleagues.

My wife and I were playing at our local public course on very busy day, with slow groups all around.

After teeing off on the first hole my wife was waiting for the green to clear when a tee shot from the group behind landed maybe 3m or 4m behind her. She shouted at the group.

The same thing happened on the second, and on the third they hit over her and just behind me (5m or so).

With my PW ready for my next shot, and being less than entirely diplomatic, I hit their ball back to them. Perhaps unsurprisingly, there was a less than contrite reaction and a complaint made to the course manager (rejected, but probably only because they know us better than the complainants).

So, was I out of order (I am actually feeling a bit guilty for overreacting), or would you do the same thing?

bm

 

[Imurg]

I've heard that writing KNOB in green marker pen can be effective.
Seriously though, once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, 3 times its enemy action....
If the shout after the first didnt work and they did it twice more I'd have been hard pushed to not do what you did.
Either that or let them through and then fire one up their backsides to give them a taste of it.

 

[Orikoru]

Some reaction was needed, but hitting a ball directly at people is never a good idea. If you'd have hit one of them square between the eyes you'd have been having some very different conversations afterwards.

I probably would have done something different with their ball - maybe hit it into the trees, or write some choice words on it with a marker pen (heard some other stories to that effect on here before). The last time someone was driving through us I just kicked his ball into the nearby ditch.

 

[IanM]

Did they acknowledge your shouts at any point?

 

[Deleted member 21258]

Tricky one.

TBH not sure I would have done after the 2nd or 3rd time, on the 1st one I would have been shouting down the fairway Fore and waving arms.

 

[badgermat]

Couple of points to answer ...

Not sure if there was acknowledgement of shouts. On the first hole yes-ish, on the others no.

When I hit the ball back it wasn't anywhere near them (PW v Driver) the player was pissed off that I had "ruined" their drive.

That said, yes I really shouldn't have hit directly back.

This is the first time in five years playing golf that we have had any kind of altercation and it has wierded us out (my wife and I). I know it's not typical but I also want to feel that I wasn't a complete plonker

bm

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I empathise with your reaction but hitting it back puts you into trouble. I think I would have followed Orikoru and kicked it sideways into rubbish.

I once played with a bloke who stood on a ball hit through us, 2nd time it had happened, to the point where it was fully embedded into the ground. Nigh on impossible to get it out. He did this whilst staring straight at the bloke who had hit it. He was a hard as nails prison officer though .

Edit: After seeing your post above, no issue with what you did

 

[The Fader]

Wrong action but fully understandable.

With the recent uptake in golf, courses are getting more people who play golf as opposed to golfers. There is a difference.

3 times is not an accident. I would have put it on a tee to make a point!

No point in arguing with stupid people - they only drag you down to their level.

At least the course took your side.

 

[Shooter McPowick]

I’d have hit it into the bushes, if it was a prov1 I’d have pocketed it

 

[Foxholer]

...
So, was I out of order (I am actually feeling a bit guilty for overreacting), or would you do the same thing?...

Nope! Though I'd probably have hit it somewhere else - nearest trees/water/OB for example.

 

[Swango1980]

I wouldn't say hitting it back towards them was the wrong action, as opposed to putting their ball somewhere else. After all, from your second comment, if they were over 200 or so yards away after hitting driver, it was probably an impossibility that you'd ever hit a wedge all they way back to them, even if you bladed it. If anything, probably did them a favour, as they are more likely to find it compared to you kicking it in a ditch or something.

As others have said, you could have written some choice words on their ball. Or, if it was a decent ball, swapped it with a Top Flight or Pinnacle.

I'm still shocked they had the audacity to drive off when you were still in range. Doing it once could well be a misjudgement as to how far away you are, but after that most people would be extra careful, unless they are doing it intentionally. I wonder how they'd have reacted if they cracked open either of your skulls?

 

[Orikoru]

Couple of points to answer ...

Not sure if there was acknowledgement of shouts. On the first hole yes-ish, on the others no.

When I hit the ball back it wasn't anywhere near them (PW v Driver) the player was pissed off that I had "ruined" their drive.

That said, yes I really shouldn't have hit directly back.

This is the first time in five years playing golf that we have had any kind of altercation and it has wierded us out (my wife and I). I know it's not typical but I also want to feel that I wasn't a complete ***

bm

In that case you're probably fine then. As long as they weren't in any danger of getting struck on the head, then you've made your point fairly enough.

 

[robinthehood]

Sounds fine to me.

 

[clubchamp98]

My mate did this after three balls through him..
He hit 3 wood back at them and it landed right between them on the tee.
They complained to the club and he was banned from comps for 3 weeks.
But they recived no punishment.
There was uproar in the club when they found out two of the three were past captains.
He appealed and all was forgiven.
Your action while understandable is not the way to handle it.
What we do now is put his ball in a divot and put the divot on top of it.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Good on you, but don’t wait for it to happen twice in future, what if the second time it happened it had hit your wife?

 

[PJ87]

Few years back blind tee shot you have to wait for the bell

The group behind us had seen us walk up so knew we were there ... Their tee off hit my bag and I was next to it so 1 yard mayb off me

My mate said knock it into the rough

I got bit angry and 7 ironed it into the woods

Seeing them drive up and down in their buggy looking for the ball did have us laughing .

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I would never hit a ball at another player or group - no matter my irritation with them. The risk of causing injury just rules that out completely. Standing waiting for them to catch me up or walking back to them to ask what the heck they are up to would be my way. And I wouldn't just hit their ball away. Too aggressive - just confront them with their risking hit you or your wife being not on and that you are minded to report them.

 

[jim8flog]

This happened to us once.
When we reached a blind hole I picked the ball up and moved it from the middle of a fairway to immediately behind a tree but where the ball could be easily seen. Any complaints I had prepared "that was where the ball bounced to after hitting my trolley" . It never happened again.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

He didn't hit it at them.
They drove off and he whacked it with a wedge.

Which is why I also said I wouldn't just hit their ball away...

 

[clubchamp98]

He didn't hit it at them.
They drove off and he whacked it with a wedge.

Is it a two shot penalty in a comp for practicing on the course.

We all know now that if your ball is in a divot with the divot on top of it the game in front are not very happy with you.
I havnt seen it in a comp yet.
But would think outside agency would give you relief.
It’s just really bad manners.