Playing Golf 'With' a friend

[Pitch Perfect]

Bit of an odd one this but I thought I would put it on here. I arranged a game with a 'friend' recently, where he was actually a guest of mine at my recently joined club.
OK he has played a lot more golf than me and says he has played at my clubs course quite a few times although not recently. But from the off he seemed determined to show me he knew my course better than I do and I found myself saying 'yes I think I should know where the flag is on this fairway' or similar.

But more annoying and on the verge of being rude seemed to be his tendancy to walk off towards the next tee or up the fairway after playing our shots, sometimes quite some way in front of me ! As he tended to win most of the holes invariably he was teeing off first meaning he was off as I was still putting my clubs back in the bag etc. (I dont think slow play was an issue here as I am fully aware of that)


I dont know if he was on some kind of ego trip but I always thought if you are playing golf with someone then you walk together until you have to split to go to your balls.

I did manage to get in front of him a few times but I started to find his 'I'm the leader' type mentality quite tiresome towards the end of the game. Dont know if others here have experienced this type of thing, but who you play the game with makes a lot of difference to your enjoyment !

Pitch Perfect

 

[garyinderry]

a strange chap indeed. don't be in a rush to play with him again!

 

[Spark.]

Meh, one to forget, fack 'im.

 

[Fader]

Sounds like an odd chap indeed. Wouldn't be in a rush for another game

 

[Foxholer]

With a couple of notable exceptions, I've observed a remarkable reflecting in folks attitude/approach to Golfing as to their business/personal lives - even if trying to suppress that side.

This guy could possibly be a bit of an egomaniac!

 

[Darth Fader]

forget him sounds a bit of an egotistical "£$%^&

 

[sev112]

Poor bloke - I'd hate to be in court against you lot

From his point of view, he maybe was trying to be helpful to you with his advice, and he may well have been wary of your combined pace of play and was trying to get the pair of you to get a move on. Which is both good etiquette.
There is nothing that says you should, walk together to a predetermined point, and we all play golf for slightly different reasons. No reason to chastise the bloke.

I go cycling - when I cycle with someone else, there seems to be a social aspect that they think we should talk to each other for the whole 2 hours, which is hard work and means we have to ride side by side, which isn't often too sensible on roads. Just another example of different strokes etc.

 

[duncan mackie]

Poor bloke - I'd hate to be in court against you lot

From his point of view, he maybe was trying to be helpful to you with his advice, and he may well have been wary of your combined pace of play and was trying to get the pair of you to get a move on. Which is both good etiquette.
There is nothing that says you should, walk together to a predetermined point, and we all play golf for slightly different reasons. No reason to chastise the bloke.

I go cycling - when I cycle with someone else, there seems to be a social aspect that they think we should talk to each other for the whole 2 hours, which is hard work and means we have to ride side by side, which isn't often too sensible on roads. Just another example of different strokes etc.

indeed

there are also a lot of seperate aspects to the behaviour outlined, with different possible interpretations. personally I hate waiting at the tee for the person whose honour it is to recover his bag, put away his clubs, mark his card, consider the hole, select clubs, put on his glove, go back for the ball, go back for a new pink castle tee..... :whoo: and even the R&A has changed it's advice re everybody remaining behind the player playing from the fairway.

it's also relevant that we all get into habits around these issues based on the expectations in our normal games - doesn't make them good or bad habits in this context; just that they are habits rather than concious decisions.

I will tend to end up walking with a FC more often when playing as a 2 ball, but even then if they hit their drives to different parts of the course we may only meet on the tees and greens!

 

[6inchcup]

I played for years with a friend,we had golfing trips abroad played in pairs comps up and down the country we even won the clubs pairs on 3seperate occasions over the years,but after we played against each other in a county knock out comp and I refused to turn a blind eye to him cheating(improved his lie) we have never spoken or seen one another since,I even invited him to my sons engagement but he never replied,sad but his choice.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I am use to playing with people in their own bubble when playing medals, opens, stablefords etc and aren't chatty and play at their own pace. However if I was playing "with a friend" I would have expected a degree more social behaviour and chat between shots. Personally I wouldn't be in a rush to play with someone as described in the OP in a social environment on a regular basis.

 

[Tignanello97]

@ 6inchcup
So it's ok for your friend to cheat when it benefits you. Winning the club pairs,entering pairs comps all over the country etc. But when he's playing against you it's not. A bit of a double standard? In my book it makes you a cheat as well!

 

[Doon frae Troon]

I always find it a bit odd when low handicap golfers on here talk about 'pairs' competitions.
I can forgive high handicappers or new players getting the phrase wrong but alleged low handicappers ........no.
Tennis and bowls maybe but not golf

 

[Foxholer]

I always find it a bit odd when low handicap golfers on here talk about 'pairs' competitions.
I can forgive high handicappers or new players getting the phrase wrong but alleged low handicappers ........no.
Tennis and bowls maybe but not golf

Why is it Ok for Tennis?

To me, 'Pairs' groups all possible formats involving 2 players. In Tennis there's only 'Doubles', though 3 sorts - that spring to my mind.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Sounds to me that your friend took the opportunity to play the course (with you) to see how his golf was - and on a bit of an ego trip - rather than specifically for playing with you - sorry!

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Why is it Ok for Tennis?

To me, 'Pairs' groups all possible formats involving 2 players. In Tennis there's only 'Doubles', though 3 sorts - that spring to my mind.

That's true and probably enforces my comments........perhaps I'm 'old school'.
If someone told me they won the club pairs competition I would not have a clue what the event was.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

That's true and probably enforces my comments........perhaps I'm 'old school'.
If someone told me they won the club pairs competition I would not have a clue what the event was.

Played 13 holes yesterday evening with an 18yr old Cat 1 lad I know - bumped into each other iun the car park - me getting out of car - him walking from practice ground (says a bit). And he referred to me a couple of times as 'old school'. Ah well - know you place auld yin.

 

[Allanxyz]

Played in comp at the weekend in a group of three... this made me think a bit about how might be precieved on the golf course... if there isn't much chit chat going on then I quite often walk out on front as I'm always really keen to get to my ball and walk quite fast naturally... never really thought about it before...maybe they thoght I was being rude (if they did, they didn't show it).

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Played in comp at the weekend in a group of three... this made me think a bit about how might be precieved on the golf course... if there isn't much chit chat going on then I quite often walk out on front as I'm always really keen to get to my ball and walk quite fast naturally... never really thought about it before...maybe they thoght I was being rude (if they did, they didn't show it).

I think that is OK to do in a group of three - well I hope so as I do it myself. Just in a two you don't want to be abandoning your playing partner as that will seem anti-social.

 

[Jack_bfc]

Played in comp at the weekend in a group of three... this made me think a bit about how might be precieved on the golf course... if there isn't much chit chat going on then I quite often walk out on front as I'm always really keen to get to my ball and walk quite fast naturally... never really thought about it before...maybe they thoght I was being rude (if they did, they didn't show it).

I do exactly the same. I tend to walk quicker than most and head for my ball as soon as possible.

Nobody seems to mind and I keep getting the call to play so maybe the idle chit chat whilst strolling up the fairway isnt for some.

We talk about shots just played or generally golf stuff associated with the round we are playing and save the gossip to the bar afterwards..

 

[CMAC]

I always find it a bit odd when low handicap golfers on here talk about 'pairs' competitions.
I can forgive high handicappers or new players getting the phrase wrong but alleged low handicappers ........no.
Tennis and bowls maybe but not golf

I'm with Doon on this, is it mixed foursomes? 4 Ball? foursomes or greensomes?