what would you do??

[jammydodger]

No need to get too over the top , hes only a junior and has plenty to learn about life and consequences for actions

Take off my belt and no more than 5 lashes should suffice for a first offence..

 

[Britishshooting]

Now I know the offence, I would not have said anything for certain. Just asking for a run in saying something to someone by walking across to them and saying something.

Not saying it is the right thing to do and the white than white people on here wont be happy with this reply, but that's the truth and being honest my life is to short to go looking for hassle, I would have walked on.

I may have mentioned it when I went it into the clubhouse if I had seen them doing it on another round as well.

Not even mentioned it to the committee?

Sorry but if I saw someone hacking away at my course, especially when it's undergoing quite a substantial spend i'd say something. It can't be one rule for one and a different rule for every other member, especially when said junior will be paying vastly reduced membership fees. (Not the point i know)

Giving someone advice doesn't need to cause any hassle if it's done in the correct way, there was nothing wrong with pointing out the issue in my opinion. Our junior organiser and the coach (head pro) actively encouraged members to engage with juniors to ensure they understood rules, etiquette and sportsmanship.

Cutting out this interaction is a backwards step, adult members took all juniors under their wing at our club, and they were my favourite golf years as a result.

Is it plausible this junior exaggerated the story somewhat or fabricated it which resulted in such a response from the parent, let's be honest the parent in question has only heard one side of the story and its clear the junior will be acting the innocent party.

 

[Slab]

Not even mentioned it to the committee?

Sorry but if I saw someone hacking away at my course, especially when it's undergoing quite a substantial spend i'd say something. It can't be one rule for one and a different rule for every other member, especially when said junior will be paying vastly reduced membership fees. (Not the point i know)

Giving someone advice doesn't need to cause any hassle if it's done in the correct way, there was nothing wrong with pointing out the issue in my opinion. Our junior organiser and the coach (head pro) actively encouraged members to engage with juniors to ensure they understood rules, etiquette and sportsmanship.

Cutting out this interaction is a backwards step, adult members took all juniors under their wing at our club, and they were my favourite golf years as a result.

Is it plausible this junior exaggerated the story somewhat or fabricated it which resulted in such a response from the parent, let's be honest the parent in question has only heard one side of the story and its clear the junior will be acting the innocent party.

Think this is a fantastic approach if the membership can all support it correctly. But I guess we've all seen examples of adults who can barely string a coherent sentence together with a basic civility when complaining about a plate of cold soup and some of these folk will play golf. Heavens knows how they'd talk to a teenager who's doing something wrong

Its like when clubs encourage members to point out breaches of club rules to visitors. Some members are wholly unsuited to the task

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Kick the kid out of the club, sounds like him and his parents are going to cause a world of pain for the slightest reason

 

[Deleted member 21258]

Not even mentioned it to the committee?

Sorry but if I saw someone hacking away at my course, especially when it's undergoing quite a substantial spend i'd say something. It can't be one rule for one and a different rule for every other member, especially when said junior will be paying vastly reduced membership fees. (Not the point i know)

Giving someone advice doesn't need to cause any hassle if it's done in the correct way, there was nothing wrong with pointing out the issue in my opinion. Our junior organiser and the coach (head pro) actively encouraged members to engage with juniors to ensure they understood rules, etiquette and sportsmanship.

Cutting out this interaction is a backwards step, adult members took all juniors under their wing at our club, and they were my favourite golf years as a result.

Is it plausible this junior exaggerated the story somewhat or fabricated it which resulted in such a response from the parent, let's be honest the parent in question has only heard one side of the story and its clear the junior will be acting the innocent party.

I fully get what you say. Sadly do not know people on the committee, I am a low key member, I pay my money, keep to the rules myself, like to keep myself to myself, use the course normally in quiet periods and probably would not even have seen the said offence as I don't go looking for such situations.

I can say that as a society organiser and as a result someone who has to listen to all the stories of when any 'tom dick or harry', comes over for a 'chat' from a member at courses we visit, I have yet to come across 'doesn't need to cause hassle if it's done in the correct way' solution you speak of.

I can think of many cases when it has not been done correctly, one for example when a guy in my group had just hit a shot in a society and lifted the yellow post out, as it was really close to his ball and a member came walking across the fairway to me(not the guy, not sure why) and telling me I should go over there in not a very pleasant tone and tell him as the posts were not moveable objects, I smiled and said I will ensure that he wont do it again(nope he wont at that course, as I will never go back to it, as my wife in another group had a different problem and another group did at that course). Another example, my son forgot to take his hat off entering a clubhouse and the club captain decided to flick it off his head, instead he chunk of his skin off his forehead. Just the tip of the number of times that I have had the pleasure of hearing about 'run ins'.

As I said I am not saying it is right to not say anything, but my life is really to short to have the hassle whilst on the course.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

So much ado about nothing serious then

It’s a misbehaving young boy - the option is speak to him politely, a golf union cannot stop an adult speaking politely to a junior on their own course especially if it’s justified and certainly no one can get sued for it

He didn’t use a mat , im pretty sure it’s happened up and down the country - the committee should be informed and then they deal with it

And every club will always have the odd senior who is still stuck in the past and will treat juniors poorly

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I would suggest that if a parent of a juinior is going to take that approach and threaten legal action when their child has broken club rules that the club doesnt need that junior as a member.

Quite right. Had I witnessed a repeat offender breaking the rules again and damaging the course as a result with the divot taken and not replaced, I'd have gone through whatever protracted system in place and then spoken to the powers in control of dealing with this and saying that if the junior isn't going to adhere to the rules and the parents are going to be obstructive it may be best to either issue a final written warning or simply suggest membership won't be renewed. It's tough but clearly in this case the junior thinks he can do what he wants and the parents have decided to get difficult too and it sounds like sooner or later it's going to get messy so nip it in the bud now.

 

[Wolf]

I think Britishshooting sums it up nicely with how to approach it.

How can the SGU tell clubs that members cannot speak to Juniors , seems a bit baffling to me how are they expecting these to learn the game, learn the rules and develop as human beings on and off the course.

Kid didn't use a matt so as long as the member let him know in a polite and courteous manner then there should be no issue. As for the issue of legal action either the mid knowingly in the wrong has embellished it to his parent or the parent is an overpowering tool who thinks his kid can't do any wrong (there's plenty of those about).

Imo either case with the so called being sued if I were club committee I'd invite the parent in to discuss his or her letter and the behaviour of the child that's led to it and advise of club rules and etiquette equally advising them if they wish not to be part of those rules then they are welcome to take their membership elsewhere. Then let the SGU know what course of action has been taken so if the parent wishes to go even further all bases are covered.

 

[Grant85]

Personally if I saw this with my own eyes, only once, I'd move on and get on with my life.

I wouldn't go about telling everyone else I saw it, and asking if they'd seen the same thing etc and building up some kind of body of evidence or weight of opinion. Life's too short.
I respect the club and the conditioning and I encourage anyone playing with me to do the same.

If I saw it with my own eyes multiple times form the same offender, then I'd e-mail the relevant committee member specifically naming the culprit and the incidents.

I genuinely don't think I would approach someone on the course, unless I was known to them or related to them. Regardless of age or membership status.

 

[Parsaregood]

So much ado about nothing serious then

It’s a misbehaving young boy - the option is speak to him politely, a golf union cannot stop an adult speaking politely to a junior on their own course especially if it’s justified and certainly no one can get sued for it

He didn’t use a mat , im pretty sure it’s happened up and down the country - the committee should be informed and then they deal with it

And every club will always have the odd senior who is still stuck in the past and will treat juniors poorly

Seems a bit extreme reporting somebody to the committee for playing off a fairway in winter, especially a junior . I think a quiet word perhaps explaining that everybody should be using matts off of the fairway is sufficient, anything else is simply too far for such a minor offence, everybody on this forum has probably at one point or another done it

 

[Deleted member 21258]

Seems a bit extreme reporting somebody to the committee for playing off a fairway in winter, especially a junior . I think a quiet word perhaps explaining that everybody should be using matts off of the fairway is sufficient, anything else is simply too far for such a minor offence, everybody on this forum has probably at one point or another done it

How true my mum kept forgetting on the old course I almost reported her myself (I was kicking her ball into the semi rough and calling out when not near her, but she still managed to do it 4-6 times. I was waiting on a caddie or someone to come over, but no one did )

 

[patricks148]

Seems a bit extreme reporting somebody to the committee for playing off a fairway in winter, especially a junior . I think a quiet word perhaps explaining that everybody should be using matts off of the fairway is sufficient, anything else is simply too far for such a minor offence, everybody on this forum has probably at one point or another done it

probably does seem like a minor issue, but its quite clear its a rule, we have signs on the first tee an matt bin also by the first tee and its for the benefit of the course and everybody should be using the mats. of the 30 guys i play with on a regular basis, i have never seen any of them not use a mat. the lad who was spotted has been seen a few times by the person who spoke to him and others, and i believe he and another have been reported previously for not adhering to this rule.

the letter to the CC was asking what the club was planning on doing about the repeat offenders on the none use of mats, not just about the junior.

I personally am not over the moon about using a mat for best part of 5 months, but its for the good of the course and its condition come the season, so why should it be OK for some to ignore this??

 

[Parsaregood]

probably does seem like a minor issue, but its quite clear its a rule, we have signs on the first tee an matt bin also by the first tee and its for the benefit of the course and everybody should be using the mats. of the 30 guys i play with on a regular basis, i have never seen any of them not use a mat. the lad who was spotted has been seen a few times by the person who spoke to him and others, and i believe he and another have been reported previously for not adhering to this rule.

the letter to the CC was asking what the club was planning on doing about the repeat offenders on the none use of mats, not just about the junior.

I personally am not over the moon about using a mat for best part of 5 months, but its for the good of the course and its condition come the season, so why should it be OK for some to ignore this??

You think all of those 30 guys in all of their golfing life's have never breached a minor rule like this, it is minor and not a committee reporting offence, simply the reason a lot of people see golf in the wrong way

 

[patricks148]

You think all of those 30 guys in all of their golfing life's have never breached a minor rule like this, it is minor and not a committee reporting offence, simply the reason a lot of people see golf in the wrong way

sure but someone would be within there rights to ask them why they had done this at the time and challenge them on it?

so you would be fine with people damaging the course knowing full well they shouldn't on multiple occasions?

 

[Britishshooting]

You think all of those 30 guys in all of their golfing life's have never breached a minor rule like this, it is minor and not a committee reporting offence, simply the reason a lot of people see golf in the wrong way

As a one off I agree, but if it's an ongoing issue by a particular person it needs escalating.

We have all done stuff we shouldn't but if picked up on it or you know better it should be no more than a one off not a regular occurrence otherwise its to the detriment of the course and other paying members.

 

[Parsaregood]

If they were digging up bunkers and greens, I feel the odd shot off a fairway is very minor and what you'd simply expect from a junior. I'd rather the committee were dealing with more important things than a rogue junior who sometimes doesn't use his mat

 

[Robster59]

For me, if I had seen someone doing it, irrespective of age, I would have a polite word with them and remind them that mats had to be used off the fairway. There's nothing wrong with politely putting someone straight as they may not be aware of the rule or don't know why the rule is in place. I've done this with a relative necomer who was grounding a club in the bunker. I explained politely and he said that he wasn't even aware and thanked me for the heads-up. Not everybody knows all the rules and regs so putting the straight is not a crime but in many instances a help.
If someone is seen to repeatedly break the rules of the club then a word from the Captain or a letter from the club advising that they have been seen on several occassions.......
It's all to easy to stand back and say nothing but we have a mats rule at our course and it ticks me off when I find lots of fresh divots from people who simply think the rules don't apply to them.
Ours is a members club so we are all responsible.

 

[Slab]

For me, if I had seen someone doing it, irrespective of age, I would have a polite word with them and remind them that mats had to be used off the fairway. There's nothing wrong with politely putting someone straight as they may not be aware of the rule or don't know why the rule is in place. I've done this with a relative necomer who was grounding a club in the bunker. I explained politely and he said that he wasn't even aware and thanked me for the heads-up. Not everybody knows all the rules and regs so putting the straight is not a crime but in many instances a help.
If someone is seen to repeatedly break the rules of the club then a word from the Captain or a letter from the club advising that they have been seen on several occassions.......
It's all to easy to stand back and say nothing but we have a mats rule at our course and it ticks me off when I find lots of fresh divots from people who simply think the rules don't apply to them.
Ours is a members club so we are all responsible.

All good in theory
Trouble is one person's polite word is another's challenge is another's confrontation is another's bawl out is another's march across two fairways and yell to the world

Not sure how you standardise it so folks don't go over the top

 

[patricks148]

All good in theory
Trouble is one person's polite word is another's challenge is another's confrontation is another's bawl out is another's march across two fairways and yell to the world

Not sure how you standardise it so folks don't go over the top

if people showed respect and didn't openly break rules there would be no need to tell them would it

 

[DCB]

The upshot of not talking to that one Junior would be that next week almost all the juniors that played in the winter would be doing the same thing.