Rudeness in the guise of Etiquette.

[ricardodaintino]

Played between christmas and new year with my Father-in-law and two brother-in-laws, one of which is a beginner.

We were pretty slow going with a newbie and older player in a 4 ball so were letting groups through. We had a period of a few holes where the two ball behind never quite caught up so we kept going until it seemed appropriate to stop and let them through, but on the way down one fairway an senior player in a held up 4 ball came storming over screaming and swearing, threatening my brother-in-law, kicked over his brand new bag and then had the cheek to say it was all in the name of good Etiquette!!!

We cut our game short and reported him to the club staff and left dissapointed and annoyed.

Has anyone else experienced such disgusting behavour on the golf course? I know its frustrating following a beginner around but we all had to start somewhere!

 

[CarpeDiem]

We all had to start some where and so did the bloke who gave you a piece of his mind, and to be honest I think that his behaviour was completly out of order and a disgrace to the etiquette of golf, and quite rightly you reported him and he should be dealt with accordingly. What caps it off was that he was a senior, which suggests that he has been playing golf for some time, maybe not, but either way he should be mature enough to respect beginners.

 

[Farneyman]

Thankfully I have never been involved in anything like that. I would have wanted to lamp the guy for kick his bag thou. Reporting him was the right thing to do. Hope something wil be done to them. They shouldnt get away with that sort of behaviuor at all.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Never heard anything like it - appalling.

Are you a member there?

I'd have probably smacked the bloke if I were your B-i-L.

 

[ricardodaintino]

If the guy wasn't a senior I think he probably would have, not members there so probably won't be playing there again!

 

[theeaglehunter]

It happens some people are so far up their own backside they haven't noticed that they were once a beginner. Just forget about it and like you said don't return, the guy was bang out of order and to be honest deserved a slap!

 

[Basher]

Deplorable behaviour in my opinion.

Threatening behaviour, kicking a fellow golfers bag. The idiot should be banned from the club or at the least hevily disciplined by the committee which should also include a formal apology to your party.

If I were you I would follow up your complaint soon to see if any action had been taken on this fool.

 

[flandango]

I consider myself to be a nice guy who is respectful to anyone and everyone. I understand golfing etiquette and that it should be observed at all times.

But I also know when someone needs TAKING OUT!!! and that point is when someone approaches me with so much as a frown.

As for touching my bag - if he's under 50 knocked out, simple.

Over 50 - (once i stopped laughing) every club in his bag bent around a tree!

That is just bullying and to be honest I am suprised at anyone who would stand there and let that happen.

However, that is such a random act you could be exused for being to shocked someone has done that.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I agree that it is nothing more than bullying and have to admit that anyone touching my gear in such a way would have been picking his teeth up. I wonder if you had a case for criminal damage.

If the club doesn't take action I would tell them you are reporting the incident to the local press. Nothing like a bit of bad publicity especially with membership fees due to illicit a swift apology.

Tell the newbie that this sort of thing is thankfully very rare and that the guy was an idiot. I think you were showing excellent etiquettue and were obviously aware of the needs of others. I think the idiot was as far away from etiquette as the lager swilliong idiot in a football top hacking around a council muni in the middle of summer.

 

[Teeshot]

I'm afraid had he kicked Mr Teeshots bag over he would be fishing his false teeth out of the nearest water hazard...
That said, you behaved correctly and I hope this old git gets whats due. I'm new to the game(ish) and have just about got to the level where I don't hold things up as much- your pal will get there, tell him to sign into this forum, it may cheers him up!

 

[madandra]

I would have flattened the to55er. Nuff said.

 

[Smiffy]

I was playing in a friendly fourball at Crowborough one afternoon, all four of us were reasonably quick and the course was fairly quiet. Got to the 15th (par 4), played our second shots into the green and as we were walking forwards I glanced over my shoulder (as you do) to make sure nobody had caught us up. I noticed that two guys had just walked onto the tee. We were just walking off the green when one of the guys (a well known "trouble maker" member) was waving us over to him. He was a good 200 yards or so away but we thought he was in trouble so went back to see what he wanted. He then informed us that he was playing in a club knockout competition and wished to play through. He hadn't even found his ball in the heather at this point, but I assured him that once his match caught us we wouldn't hesitate in letting him through.
We stood on the 16th tee, my mate teed off and as I placed my ball on the tee this guy came storming down from the 15th, pushed me aside and proceeded to tee his ball up. It turned out that he couldn't find his ball in the rough on the 15th and to speed things up had conceded the hole to his opponent and just rushed down onto our teeing area. The guy he was playing against was a really nice bloke, I had played with him quite a few times in club comps and friendlies and to say he was embarrassed would have been an understatement. He kept apologising for the other players behaviour, but I was bloody livid with this prat and would quite happily have chinned him. My playing partners (who weren't members but were regular guests of mine) were trying to calm me down, but as I say this guy was so bloody rude just to barge in like that I felt like really smacking him. The guy then proceeded to top his ball into the heather and play 3 off the tee eventually hacking his way up the hole, even dropping a ball in the middle of the fairway "for practice".
In my 11 or so years at Crowborough it was the only time I had ever encountered manners like that. I reported him to the Secretary after our game, and saw the other guy a few days later and apologised to him for any bad language that I may have used but he was great about it and was still apologising for the other blokes manners. Don't know if anything was ever done about it, but needless to say I didn't ever speak to the prat again.

 

[Tommo21]

Playing an open competition at one hole we teed off over a blind crest, you don’t tee off until the proceeding group is clear. We walk down to play our second shots and the guy behind teed off. I thought it was a mistake so let it go, but he done the same a few holes later where you hit into a dip. This time I just picked up his ball and threw it into the woods. The other two guys I was playing with didn’t even bat an eyelid and carried on.

Not very nice I know, but I don’t give two figs as I’ve been hit with a ball. As we were passing the group a few holes later he asked if we seen his ball and I said how could we see it and the idiot openly admitted he hit the ball knowing we were within range, saying we must have seen it. I said are you saying you knew we were there and he began to back track saying we were to slow. He said we had lost a hole and I said did you not notice when you started we were one full hole apart and the group in front are still the same one hole apart.

People who hit their tee shot deliberately early because they think the others in front are too slow need a good slap. The answer is simple just politely ask if you can play through.

 

[jeffc]

Haven't posted anything for a while but this subject gets me going;
I think controlling yourself when he kicked your bag is remarkable most folks on here would of least at pushed him on his arse, but as you have shown physical restraint I ceratinly would persue the subject with the club firstly that if he is a member to try and get him chucked out and if he isn't a member get him banned from playing there again.

I generally like to play at a comfortable pace and not rush around from green to tee to second shot to putt etc etc. and without hold ups will take 3 - 3.5 hrs to play 18 holes.
I play golf to relax and enjoy the experience and surroundings not to rush around with my head down.
IMO just as annoying as slow play can be the dashing thrasher and his impetous behaviour brass me off much more and when that spills over into rude or agressive abuse I think these people should Kn*b off and find another hobby.
There is enough hassle in life especially at the moment why bring it to the golf course.

Just as an aside anybody who plays in medals knows that by the 15th or sooner things will back up and you will be waiting to play. I have never seen these guys getting het up by it, it just gives a chance for a bit more banter and sap taking.
Rant over!!

 

[viscount17]

I'm with basher and jeffc on this. You have to pursue it.

Restate your complaint in writing to the Secretary as soon as possible; I don't know who you complained to but many a pro shop will forget it as soon as you are out the door - they are not the committee. I would want a written apology and to know what action was being taken as a minimum. (A reference to possible action for criminal damage may help though it may be too late to actually go this route, even if the police could be bothered.)

From what you have said, you and your party were doing the right thing in letting groups through as they caught up and showed admirable restraint.

 

[Parmo]

I think if anyone touched my kit my 6 Iron* would be implanted in their anus.

*the least used club in my bag.

 

[Imurg]

The trouble is that this sort of behaviour is becoming more and more prevalent today. We see it on the roads, in shops etc etc. This sort of rage is the bane of society but don't ask me how to stop it.

With regard to the Bully, I think you did the right thing by not reacting. If you had floored him, doesn't that make you as bad as him?

Report it to the club (which one by the way?)

And always remember that if you are beginner, its better to let people through early rather than wait. It keeps the group behind happy and thus avoids confrontations like this.

We all need to "calm down, calm down" (How do you write that in Scouse?)

 

[TonyN]

There is no mustache smiley mate so ya can't really.

If this guy had done this to me or any of my partners, I would have marched him back upto his bag, in a bloody gooseneck and then taken his bag and launched it into the nearest pond. I absolutly despise people of these qualities and am a firm beleiver in 'an eye for an eye'

But you did do the right thing.

We had a similar thing happen to us last year, but without the bag kicking.

There was 4 of us playing and being held up by 3 4balls in front. There was nothing the 2 infront could do so we waited patiently as did they. A 4ball behind us were not so patient. They decided to tee off as we were addressing our second shots. (well, 1 fool did, the other 3 waited)

As we were waiting on the next tee, they were approaching the green and my mate (who is a pro) went over and gave this guy an absolute rollocking. The guy tried to pull the long standing member trick but when my mate produced his pro card and gave him a little lesson on ettiquette he crawled into his shell so fast his pals almost laughed at him. Funny thing was a few holes later, we all got bunched up again and one of his pals told us he was just pi**ed because he was playing badly and always had to look for an excuse because he was such a sour loser.

I hope you do follow this complaint up because people like him need to be made an example of, I guess this is the kind of guy that still swears blind single players have no standing on the golf course!

 

[shanker]

I think if anyone touched my kit my 6 Iron* would be implanted in their anus.

*the least used club in my bag.

This one made me laugh out loud. Why your least used club, Parmo? You'd give it a good wash afterwards, wouldn't you?
I mean, if your driver had been up an arshole's arshole, you'd put it in the dishwasher.

 

[Robobum]

There is no etiquette in this idiots actions even rudeness wouldn't be strong enough to describe it.

Ricardo, fair play to you for showing restraint. Whilst the course of action the majority of us would like to take is along the lines of most posts on this subject, you undoubtedly did the right thing. I would agree with the posts that you should make the complaint and follow it up to a satisfactory conclusion.

Unfortunately, the senior section at some clubs would like to think that they are the sole reason the place is run in the 1st place and until the time comes when they are no longer able to play they will continue to frown on anyone daring to delay their uninterrupted passage through the course.