What’s the worst display of etiquette you have ever witnessed?

[Foxholer]

In a friendly club match one of the opposition team had a long putt on the 17th green to avoid a defeat. He deliberately hit his putt far too hard down the green to hit our players carry bag which was on the fringe. He then claimed the hole.
Our guys had the good sense to concede the match. The meal was taken in a very quiet mood [minus our two players] and our club then wrote to inform the other club we did not wish to play any more 'friendly' matches against them.

I'm not quite with you.

Unless the rule has changed (and I don't believe it has), he couldn't claim the hole, all he could do was either replay (no penalty) or play it as it lay.

Certainly bad etiquette - especially in a 'Friendly', but no reason to concede the match. All the more reason not to imo! It's a Match, albeit 'friendly', not an Invitation. A bit heavy handed/non-specific/semi-snobbish with the letter to the club imo too. I would have restricted the exclusion to that particular player/similar incidents.

Playing in a Open Mixed when on the first green our playing partners both walked across the green with their trollies !!

On some courses - Royal Melbourne is one - this is the preferred route! That's because there is more likely to be wear damage from trolleys/trundlers puller/pushed around greens/fringes than across the green itself!

A mate was similarly horrified when his host at RM did the same, until told why.

 

[Smiffy]

Playing with a forumer who will remain nameless, he shanked one out of a bunker, and then then threw his club at me as if it was my fault.

I did not throw it at you, you tart.
I gently "lobbed" it back towards the vicinity of my bag.
Drama queen

 

[Ethan]

I once saw a chap in the gents bar as the clock struck 7.30 with his cravat not properly in place. What an absolute bounder.

 

[North Mimms]

I once saw a chap in the gents bar as the clock struck 7.30 with his cravat not properly in place. What an absolute bounder.

Fellow should be horsewhipped and thrown out of the club!!

 

[JPH]

whilst playing with my brother and cousin (wearing a pink top) at my brothers place, a call came out, "oi pink top" ! we all looked around to see a young lad mooning him!


luckily it was just a local skip rat and not anyone actually playing!

Ha ha ha that made me chortle , I wish someone would moon my playing partners , hmmm I might hire someone

 

[Jay Gee]

I got stuck recently behind 3 fourballs who were on a works outing, whilst I was playing with a couple of committee members. The works party in front of us did not appear to be seasoned golfers and broke rules, never mind etiquette.

On more than one occasion, they spent over 5 minutes looking for balls. They didn't rake any bunkers - on one hole there were 2 maybe 3 of them in the same bunker (1 may have been giving advice). When we got near the bunker, it looked like a Normandy beach on D-Day! I dare say divots and pitch marks would have gone unattended.

The pinnacle was when one of them holed out from around 100 yards. There was much whooping and back slapping (quite understandable), but 5 minutes later the guy was still stood on the same spot taking pictures!

One of the committee members was beside himself and shouted at them on several occasions. Nothing expletive, but hurry up or come on. What can you do?

 

[HickoryShaft]

Playing in a club comp Stableford and I was having a great round (actually went on to win with 40 points) with a 5 handicapper (young guy) and someone with a 28 HC. I putted out on the 14th for a par and he missed his birdie from a long distance and made par (really really upset with himself - I am not sure if it was him missing his birdie or him having only the same score as me as he seemed to be getting more and more wound up during the round every time I did something half decent). He then slighly pulled his drive on the 15th and proceeded to throw his club and lie down on the tee box while I was waiting to drive off.

At the time I had realised I was in with a shot of a decent score so was a bit anxious to carry on the good play & was very put out by the display. I had words with him and told him that he needed to consider his playing partners even if their handicaps are not at the same level they are all in the competition and deserve the same respect. I also told him a few home truths about his attitude to the game and said that he would soon run out of playing partners if he carried on the way he was.

To give him is due he did apologise and said he hadn't really thought how it was affecting me or others

He actually came second to my win!!

All's well that ends well and we have played a few times together since and there has been none of the attitude seen that day - in fact the opposite - also we chat a bit and I am really pleased to see that he has improved his game further.

 

[North Mimms]

Playing in a club comp Stableford and I was having a great round (actually went on to win with 40 points) with a 5 handicapper (young guy) and someone with a 28 HC. I putted out on the 14th for a par and he missed his birdie from a long distance and made par (really really upset with himself - I am not sure if it was him missing his birdie or him having only the same score as me as he seemed to be getting more and more wound up during the round every time I did something half decent). He then slighly pulled his drive on the 15th and proceeded to throw his club and lie down on the tee box while I was waiting to drive off.

At the time I had realised I was in with a shot of a decent score so was a bit anxious to carry on the good play & was very put out by the display. I had words with him and told him that he needed to consider his playing partners even if their handicaps are not at the same level they are all in the competition and deserve the same respect. I also told him a few home truths about his attitude to the game and said that he would soon run out of playing partners if he carried on the way he was.

To give him is due he did apologise and said he hadn't really thought how it was affecting me or others

He actually came second to my win!!

All's well that ends well and we have played a few times together since and there has been none of the attitude seen that day - in fact the opposite - also we chat a bit and I am really pleased to see that he has improved his game further.

sounds like your gentle words had the right effect and made a better person (and golfer) out of him.

 

[bladeplayer]

Played with a guy one day who proceeded to put 3 balls off the tee OOB .. he walked off to the next tee box & sat down & waited for us to play the hole ..

Our 1st tee is beside the 9th green , you cant not see the people putting , some idiots chat & laugh away as if they are the only ones on the course ..

Ive had 2 very bad ones in Kilkenny golf club ,1st one we were to play them in a match that weekend so we booked in for a practice round for the wednesday @4pm , we checked in with the secratery who sent us to the pro. he told us all was set up for us for 4pm .. @ 3.55ish we were standing on the tee when 2 groups of ladies told us their balls were in the chute next so we would have to wait until after them, ,we hadnt been told anything bout a chute so we went to the pro to see what the story was & he said he would sort it , there was then an unholy barney on the 1st tee & he said guys ya may just let them play ,we played 9 holes in 3 hours & walked in

on the second occasion it was a society we were told we had to play in 3 balls as they dont allow 4balls , okey dokey , no problemo, we were putting the flag back in on the 13th (i think) green when a 4 ball walked onto the 14th & teed off .. totaly ignored us and walked on , our society president took out his phone & rang in , they said it was a winter league match but they shouldnt have done that , pro said he would be out to sort it .. never saw him at all ..

Been honest i wasnt too proud of my own etiquette from there on in .. just had enough ..

 

[cookelad]

Must be really lucky as I've not seen anything like any of these firsthand!

Worst I've seen or been involved with was (in a threeball) one fella didn't say a word to me for the duration of the round, which prompted the other member of the group, after the round and once I'd left, to ask him if I had done something to upset him? the response "he knows what he's done!" it's 3 or 4 years later and I still have no idea!

 

[londonlewis]

Personally I don't see a problem if your shirt is or isn't tucked in.

100% agree - in my opinion it definitely doesn't stack up against most of the other comments for the worst display of etiquette!

 

[londonlewis]

Playing an inter-club league match my opponent and caddy probably said half a dozen words all the way round. We were stood on the 17th tee, me being 1up. I put my tee shot in the middle of the fairway, and he carves his into the cabbage down the right. We walk down there and look for his ball. No joy, so both him and his caddy walk back to the tee and reload whilst I wait by the side of the fairway at driving distance. He carves his 2nd ball into the cabbage, then him and his caddy turn round and walk off the course leaving me stood up the fairway. No walk up the fairway to shake hands etc. By the time I reach the bar they're sat with the rest of their team supping...

Me, gently steaming at gas mark 7, proceed to tell him exactly what I think of him and his behaviour whilst our Captain and their Captain try and calm things down. It was an interesting post match meal...

Good for you.
I remember someone saying to me, or was it from a film?, gracious in victory - gracious in defeat.
Can't stand a bad loser.
We all get annoyed if we don't play well (I do) but you have to be able to handle losing.

 

[londonlewis]

Worst I had was as about a 13 yr old. Was playing with my dad against 2 of my dads friends. I had a 3 foot putt to half a hole, about the 4th. I missed it and one of the guys came over with a fist pump right in my face whilst shouting 'come on'. This was a friendly match and completely uncalled for. Refused to play with him ever since.

There's a word for adults that do this to kids in a competition (friendly or not)
W****r!

 

[londonlewis]

Glad to hear it! and whoever he played for he needed telling!

Theres idiots everywhere though, some guy at our place walked off at the weekend 5 holes into a board comp medal because apparently his playing partners werent helping him look for his ball :rofl:

To be fair that really gets my goat. When you look and successfully find your partners ball but they just stand idling on the fairway whilst you look for your own. Really annoying!

 

[jp5]

There's a word for adults that do this to kids in a competition (friendly or not)
W****r!

Or just anyone who does it full stop. We're playing golf here, not some other yobbish sport.

 

[DCB]

Played with some work colleagues at a wee course in Glasgow where they were members. One of them had a fairly bad day and after a few holes his safety valve blew and his wedge went helicopering back up the hole towards the tee. By the time we got to the next hole it was his bag that got it...trouble was he had a bottle of Irn Bru in the large pocket. This was in the days of glass bottles. Amazing the carnage a bottle of Irn Bru can do to the insides of a golf bag. Even more amazing is how many wasps are attracted to Irn Bru on a hot summers day

 

[Foxholer]

Played with some work colleagues at a wee course in Glasgow where they were members. One of them had a fairly bad day and after a few holes his safety valve blew and his wedge went helicopering back up the hole towards the tee. By the time we got to the next hole it was his bag that got it...trouble was he had a bottle of Irn Bru in the large pocket. This was in the days of glass bottles. Amazing the carnage a bottle of Irn Bru can do to the insides of a golf bag. Even more amazing is how many wasps are attracted to Irn Bru on a hot summers day

Justice seen to be done!

 

[DCB]

Waste of Irn Bru on a hot day though.... and he lost his 15p deposit for the bottle :lol:

 

[TheClaw]

In a medal a few weeks ago my wife's playing partner jumped up and down three times next to the hole, in an effort to make the ball fall in.

 

[richart]

I did not throw it at you, you tart.
I gently "lobbed" it back towards the vicinity of my bag.
Drama queen

Who said it was you ?

Is drying your backside on the hand driers in the mens changing rooms bad etiquette ? The culprit didn't even stack and tilt.