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Golf Snobbery


Chief Broom
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I'll probably get flamed for this post and probably deserve it because it's a huge sweeping generalization but...

The main thing about golf that has always annoyed me is snobbery. You see snobbery everywhere, not just in golf, but golf just seems to have more than it's fair share.

There's the money issue. Are you a member of the country club or do you play at the local muni. Do you use a hand me down set of clubs (that you bought at the thrift store) or do you have the latest driver, irons, and balls. And if that isn't bad enough this snobbery comes from both directions. The country club snobs wouldn't dare set foot on the muni, and the muni snobs check you out first to make sure you aren't some country clubber slumming on their turf. The scratch golfer using persimmon woods his grandfather made looks down on the high-capper carrying a fancy new driver in his bag. The regulars at the course subtlely check out your bag to see what you're carrying, nothing is said, but the guy with nice stuff gets a bit more respect than the guy who's sporting stuff that's a few years old. And everywhere the good golfers look down on the bad golfers, and the bad golfers think the good golfers simply need to get a life outside of golf. It's crazy the amount of time and attention people put into this and if that's not bad enough golf snobbery is institutionalized. Walk into the club house at most courses and if they don't know you they cop an attitude with you right off the bat. The regulars get respect and the newbs have to wait in line and like it. Put this all together and it's enough to turn a lot of people off on this great game.

There aren't any real solutions to this problem. A lot of it is human nature, but it's always puzzled me how golf seems to bring so much of this out in people. Other sports don't seem to breed such snobbery. Snow skiing and water skiing are both sports where you can drop a load of cash on equipment and where your skill level is readily apparent. But go to the local boat ramp or ski resort and new comers are pretty much welcomed. I've never heard of tennis snobs or bowling snobs. But golf snobs can be seen at any golf course pretty on any given day. Just take your wife or kid out on the course and see how warm of a reception you get when you show up for your tee time before a couple of regular foursomes are set to take off right behind you. Don't get me wrong I'm not ignorant of the underlying reasons for much of where this is coming from, but golf just seems to accept this as a given. As a kid I learned to ignore it. I laughed when the guys at a local semi-private club looked down on me because I wasn't part of the "in" crowd. I knew that most of them weren't much better at golf than me and my money was as good as theirs. But what happens far too often is that unless someone has a connection to this sport, they'd never think twice about giving it a try and if per chance they do catching a full dose of attitude a time or two will probably be enough to steer them away from it for life. Most golf snobs are probably happy about that, and maybe that's the root of much of this: the desire for exclusivity. Golfers don't want a bunch of new people flooding their home course, but if new blood and interest doesn't keep growing golf will slowly die. But for now it's always chapped me that people cop an attitude so easily in golf.

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But go to the ... ski resort and new comers are pretty much welcomed.

Don't spend a lot of time on the mountain, do you?

Snobbery in skiing and snowboarding is worse than in golf. Far worse. And the reason is simple - in skiing, you are sharing a limited resource (powder) with the masses. There is nothing more infuriating than watching beginners tracking up virgin powder on slopes they shouldn't even be on . . . or worse, crashing into you. Any sport that places experts side-by-side with novices is going to suffer from what you call "snobbery". That's because in sports like golf and skiing, the novices have the potential to lesson an expert's enjoyment of the sport by getting in the way - whether that is by slow play, or unnecessarily tracking up the first fresh powder that's been seen for 5 weeks. Bowling and tennis don't have this problem because every player gets his or her own designated and segregated area to play - a lane or a court. Should beginners be prevented from playing golf or skiing? Of course not. (But a little more education in the "rules" of the course or mountain sure would help.) I'm just explaining why it's there. Oh, and by the way, no one I play golf with (whether expert or novice) acts the way you described. The good golfers know that the beginners have to learn, and the beginners know that part of their responsibility is to keep up and avoid spoiling it for others. What both sets of golfers get annoyed with is people with no respect for others on the course. My guess is that those "snobs" you describe are snobs about everything, not just golf. Idiots are idiots no matter what their environment.
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... the beginners know that part of their responsibility is to keep up and avoid spoiling it for others.

Not in my neck of the woods, Harry.

Driver: FT-5 9* Neutral
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Not in my neck of the woods, Harry.

That's why I said "the people I play with" (i.e. my partners). And usually, but not always, the people I get paired with. But I know that there are a lot of people out there with no clue.

Unfortunately, it only takes one bad apple to slow down the entire apple cart. (yeah, I know. I mixed my metaphors. )
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I've personally never encountered snobbery of any sort at a golf course. I've never played at a country club, but the various public courses I've been to have always been friendly. I usually play solo so I've been paired up with various groups of people. They've been variously skilled and variously friendly or not so friendly, but they've always been polite.

The least pleasant experience was when I took my mother and stepfather for a round at a municipal course. We were going to play the par 3 but they had a tournament that day, so we decided to try a full course. We were harassed a bit by the overzealous marshals to keep up the pace. Their skill level was probably a bit low for the course, but we actually were keeping up -- it turned out to be another group that someone had complained about. But I wouldn't call this snobbery, they were just trying to keep pace up, but weren't doing a very good job of it.

I've never encountered any snobbery about equipment.

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Harmonized 52° GW, Tom Watson 56° SW, X-Forged Vintage 60° LW
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Don't spend a lot of time on the mountain, do you?

I'm an East Coast skier so I've never seen powder much less skied in it. Around here the average skiier isn't very good so maybe there is less pressure coming from the accomplished skiers directed toward the newbs?

I have to differ with you regarding snobbery on the course. I've caught a lot of it all my life. As a younger player walking up to the first tee on a weekend morning the groans were audible from the regs who were sure that my friends and I were going to make their round miserable. Like I said I can understand folks not being thrilled with the prospect of starting off behind a group of novices, but everyone has to start somewhere. This is the main reason I like taking my kids to the First Tee. There is no pressure there about slow play. The kids play slow because they are learning the game. Everyone understands this and acts accordingly or goes somewhere else to play. Why does there have to be a special place for this (that quite frankly I'm lucky to have as an option)? When I was a kid there was an unwritten rule that Monday was "ladies day" and most men stayed away from the course because of what was obviously going to be a slow day. It's my hunch that average people who don't golf probably have a negative view of the sport in general. That it's something for the rich or well off. I don't think that perception comes from the costs of golf. You can get decent equipment cheap, you can play at courses all over that aren't overly expensive. Regular people spend a lot of money toward their recreational pursuits, as much as we all do on golf, so the money issue isn't the sole barrier to people coming into the sport. A lot of that negative perception comes from the people who play golf and it's directed at those who don't.

Nike Vapor Speed driver 12* stock regular shaft
Nike Machspeed 4W 17*, 7W 21* stock stiff shafts
Ping i10 irons 4-9, PW, UW, SW, LW AWT stiff flex
Titleist SC Kombi 35"; Srixon Z Star XV tour yellow

Clicgear 3.0; Sun Mountain Four 5

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Personally I couldn't care less what anyone else thinks of my clubs or my chosen course. If I go to play somewhere and I get treated poorly, that's the last they will see of my money. Most places I play, public courses primarily (muni or resorts or daily fee), I don't have any issue with how I am received. Go in with a smile and a clear sense of anticipation for playing their fine course and most course staff members will be gracious and helpful.

I'm sometimes less comfortable at a country club simply because it's outside of my comfort zone. The discomfort mostly self imposed on those few occasions where I'm invited to play at a private club. But even that's only until I get out on the course. Then it's just like any other golf course.... I play my ball and have a good time.

As for other players... you meet all kinds in most any setting. I've met far more good people than bad. I rarely meet or play with anyone who I simply can't stand, and the only place I really see equipment snobs is on golf discussion boards like this, and many of the more rabid ones rarely leave the Equipment forums anyway. As long as a player is reasonably personable, has a fair knowledge of course etiquette and a layman's idea of the Rules of Golf, they can play with me anytime, regardless of whether they have $5000 in their bag, or $500, or $50.

Rick

"He who has the fastest cart will never have a bad lie."

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I'm with Longshanks. I joined a club about four months ago and couldn't have been made to feel more welcome. This in spite of my 15 year old clubs, a swing that hadn't seen action in 10 years, and Sam's Club wardrobe. Not to plug my club (Cedar Point, Suffolk, VA) but the staff there go out of their way to be friendly. One really nice thing is the many tournaments they run. In nearly all cases the pro shop does the pairings, even for team events, in order that members get to meet and play with different folks. For example, three weeks ago we had a Lads & Lassies event in which you were not allowed to play with your own wfe or girlfriend. Four mornings a week there are blitzes were teams are drawn from a hat. Okay, okay, enough commercial but Harry is right. There are snobs everywhere...try showing up at church in cut-offs.
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the OP has a valid point here, does anyone remember the post that floated around here several mths ago about blue jeans and T-shirts on the course?...where the majority thought because you wear blue jeans your not a good golfer (a hacker to be correct was the word) or a redneck hillbilly.....so he is correct, people out on the course judge others for the clothes they wear, clubs they use etc........if you don't see it then your either blind to the truth or the person labeling others like this....
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the OP has a valid point here, does anyone remember the post that floated around here several mths ago about blue jeans and T-shirts on the course?...where the majority thought because you wear blue jeans your not a good golfer (a hacker to be correct was the word) or a redneck hillbilly.....so he is correct, people out on the course judge others for the clothes they wear, clubs they use etc........if you don't see it then your either blind to the truth or the person labeling others like this....

I remember that post.

My guess is that those "snobs" you describe are snobs about everything, not just golf. Idiots are idiots no matter what their environment.

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My threesome got hooked up with a guy yesterday who was wearing jeans. As I said in that previous post, I don't like to see jeans on a golf course (with the exception of munis).

The guy turned out to be a super nice guy and a better golfer than any of us. Even with that said, I still hold to my feeling about "proper" golf attire. If the course allows it, who am I to complain. But I don't have to like it.

Driver: FT-5 9* Neutral
3 & 5 Wood: SuperSteel
Irons: ISI Beryllium Copper
Sand Wedge: Ben Hogan piece of
Putter: White Hot

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I experience snobbery all the time. primarily because im a young guy and most people see me and think that Im going to be awful because Im built like a tightend(football) and have less expensive clubs (even though I love my clubs and could easily afford a set of callaways or mizunos). In my experience the snobbs tend to be very high handicappers and are even worse than I am. I dont know what that has to do with them being a snob but, as a sociology major I find the correlation I have observed to be intriguing.

In my freestyle:
Driver: 10.5* G5 with UST V2
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Wedges: 8620 51*, 56*, and 60* Putter: classics 1 34""Life is tough. It's tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne

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My threesome got hooked up with a guy yesterday who was wearing jeans. As I said in that previous post, I don't like to see jeans on a golf course (with the exception of munis).

see, you never can judge a book by it's cover..
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My threesome got hooked up with a guy yesterday who was wearing jeans. As I said in that previous post, I don't like to see jeans on a golf course (with the exception of munis).

I'm not a fan either, but if I'm going to get upset about something, it's going to be the trend of adults (and older kids) wearing friggin' pajamas and slippers in public. And I'm not talkin' about an emergency run to the drugstore to fetch a case of Immodium . . . I'm talking

on airplanes 'n shite .
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I can't say that I have ever been "snobbed" at any golf course. I have had the displeasure of meeting people who act like total jerks, but they usually end up showing there is a reaosn for acting like that.

There's a guy who hangs out at the local course by the putting greens, which is adjacent to the chipping greens. All you ever see him do is putt. He is always dressed immaculately in golf logoed attire, has all the newest clubs, and looks like a real good athlete, especially when you watch him putt, he has a very good stroke and is really accurate. He will watch people chip and hit at the range, and openly laughs and shakes his head when they hit bad shots. A real jerk. One day, a friend and I decided to get 9 holes in before dark on a day that was drizzling and cold. The course was basically deserted. We played the first 3 holes, headed to the 4th which is a par 3, and noticed a cart, so we stayed back until he teed off. It was the previously mentioned guy, and he was horrible, hit 3 shots ob that we saw, probably had hit a few more before we arrived. After he finally got one in the middle, he pulled off and we pulled up. We watched him hack that par 3 up like a blind man. We followed him for 2 more holes before he realized we were watching him. Then he apparently skipped the next hole, and we finished out the front nine. At the turn, he was waiting in the clubhouse when we went into grab a drink. Tried to make small talk with us, this guy had never spoken to either of us before that day, now he was trying to make friends. So we offered him to play the back 9 with us. He declined, naturally. Now, every time he sees us, he makes it a point to wave or say hi. He still acts like a jerk to everyone else, and laughs at their bad shots, but never in front of us.

I guess thats why he acts like he does, it makes him feel better about his game.
Next time they give you all that civic bullshit about voting, keep in mind that Hitler was elected in a full, free democratic election- George Carlin


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I'll probably get flamed for this post and probably deserve it because it's a huge sweeping generalization but...

Flaming is not tolerated here.

Don't spend a lot of time on the mountain, do you?

Agreed. But skiiers have separate hills. You can break your neck if you go down one bigger than you, so it's generally not recommended.

Golfers, however, often think if they wear a cute matching outfit and embroider their bag with a monogram, they can play Augusta. There is no reason to play a course bigger than you. (I guess that's the little golf snob in me.)
The scratch golfer using persimmon woods his grandfather made looks down on the high-capper carrying a fancy new driver in his bag. The regulars at the course subtlely check out your bag to see what you're carrying, nothing is said, but the guy with nice stuff gets a bit more respect than the guy who's sporting stuff that's a few years old.

I'm confused. These two sentences seem to contradict each other.

That being said, I don't give a sh*t what's in my bag or anyone else's...that's a guy thing.
Quote:

Harry, my dear, did you just quote yourself and then respond to it?

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I am a golf snob. I let everyone that plays at my club into my clique except the redneck old guys that have no course etiquette. They pull up on us as we are teeing off, never shutting their mouths.

These are the same guys that when we are behind them hit a 150 yard drive and sit there and wait on a par 5 for the green to clear because they apparently have a 350 yard club that they do not tee off with.

Then to top it off they beg us to join their weekly *game*. I will never be that desperate to play with people that I despise to win 50 cents.

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Chris, although my friends call me Mr.L

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My threesome got hooked up with a guy yesterday who was wearing jeans. As I said in that previous post, I don't like to see jeans on a golf course (with the exception of munis).

And right here by your own statement you demonstrate the truth of the OP's position.

Just by stating it you imply that it's OK for muni's because they are just 2nd class golfers (and/or citizens) anyway. The more you get around, the more you see that such feelings tend to be more regional than general. The OP is from Georgia, and he sees a general snobbiness, while I play most of my golf in Colorado, and I see very little of it on the golf course. Here, I rarely visit a public access golf course that would turn away a customer just because he was wearing jeans. This time of year it is perhaps the most commonly seen type of long pants. The guys wearing dress type slacks are in the minority. If you want to see snobs, go ski in Aspen or Vail. Back when I did my skiing (mid to late 70's), I stuck to the lower class ski areas (Loveland, Keystone, Breckenridge, etc) so I could wear my Scotchguarded jeans on the slope without being ostracized. Now days I'd probably have to be a snowboarder to get away with that.

Rick

"He who has the fastest cart will never have a bad lie."

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