The Rant Thread

[wrx_junki]

Seems like golfers like to rant and me included so...

Inconsistent greens really bother me. Played the other day at a course where half the greens were aerated and the other half wasn't. Out of the half that wasn't aerated the speeds were very inconsistent from green to green. Really couldn't get any feel going!

[xxsoultonesxx]

Mine will be a short list.

Pine cones stuck in the heel of my golf shoes... do not like.

Empty ball washers...do not like.

Jack-off's trashing golf courses...do not like.

Golf "buddies" who use golf as an excuse to get away from their problems and drink too much....do not like.

Rant over.

[Paradox]

Mine will be a short list.

played on Thursday and someone had either snuck out or had too much time during the round and wrote a pretty explicit and racial message in one of the bunkers :(

[juanrjackson]

played on Thursday and someone had either snuck out or had too much time during the round and wrote a pretty explicit and racial message in one of the bunkers :(

That is really sad to hear.

[shades9323]

My only beef is with whiners...

[TN94z]

I have a few:

-It bothers me when it is 100* outside and the golf course coolers are empty. I realize if the course is crowded that the coolers may run out faster than they can keep them filled, but when the play is minimal, would it kill you to have water in the coolers when I am playing 30+ dollars for the round?

-I love playing golf. I don't care if you are a scratch player or 25 handicapper playing along side me....I think it's great! Just don't blame every bad shot you hit on a tractor cranking in the background, a guy whispering that you can't hear, a gust of wind that you think blew your putt off line, a guy 200 yards away driving his cart, etc.... It gets OLD! What if I blame all of your good shots on something?

-When I call a new golf course and ask them how their greens look and they respond with "They are immaculate!"....then when I arrive they are terrible. What are you used to playing on if you call these immaculate? Be honest and just tell me they are playable. I will have a lot less expectations which will make me a lot less critical of the course.

-And last but not least....PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE don't come up to me on the range and try to fix my swing when you are slicing every drive into the trees!!! I value "GOOD" advice. If I am hitting a slight fade and you are barely making contact with the ball, don't come and tell me that my shoulder turn is not enough...PLEASE

I have others but these are the main ones.

[MSchott]

Pins on heavily sloped parts of the green or on top of a hill and teeing areas that are not level.

[jamo]

When the practice green is so sloped you can't find a straight, flat putt anywhere, especially if none of the greens on the course are anything like that.

[yenner]

- People hitting into me...multiple times.
- Crap carts.
- People that yell for 15 minutes over a good putt or any decent shot.
- Geese.
- $9 fried bologna sandwiches
- People who are far better golfers than me being much bigger snobs/jerks than me.
- People who lack common courtesy and respect.
- People who pickup my ball.
- My long game.
- Greens that look like a minefield.
- People who talk on their cell phone loud enough that the person their talking with can hear them without the use of a cellular device.
- Club throwers.
- People with a high handicap like mine that literally take 15 practice swings/2 full minutes to practice EVERY shot.
- Rangers that cuss you out and throw your ball when you're dressed nice, well within play, and obeying all game/course rules, especially at a SMALL, pivately owned public course.

[passintime]

Pins on heavily sloped parts of the green or on top of a hill and teeing areas that are not level.

This. I hate going to the course only to find out the greenskeeper had a fight with his wife last night and placed the pin on the side of Mount Everest. I don't like leaving a ball inches from the pin, only to have it roll back to my feet. It feels like the last hole at Bozo's Clown Extravaganza Mini Golf where you have to hit the ball up a ramp into the clown's mouth or it rolls back at you. I also hate any hole with a 90 degree turn in it. If I half to "lay up" off the tee with a 9 iron only to have to hit a 3 wood into the green, I don't like the hole.

[flystraight]

Playing on pace with the people in front of you all damn day, but you fall a little behind on one hole due to an errant shot or whatever, and that's when the marshall pulls up and tells you to speed it up. Especially when the group in front of you has been dogging it all day! Then he hovers over you as you hit, and you know what happens.

I used to keep quiet about it, but have decided that I pay good money to play golf and I don't like being mistreated by the course employees. I've found that a simple reply to the marshall explaining that you've been right behind them all day and you'll be there again on the next hole makes me feel better, and makes it less likely that the annoyance will show up in my next shot. I'm not mean about it, but I'm not especially friendly, either.

[tristanhilton85]

- Rangers that cuss you out and throw your ball when you're dressed nice, well within play, and obeying all game/course rules, especially at a SMALL, pivately owned public course.

Care to elaborate a bit more on this one... seems like it would be a good story.

[Steelers2056]

This. I hate going to the course only to find out the greenskeeper had a fight with his wife last night and placed the pin on the side of Mount Everest. I don't like leaving a ball inches from the pin, only to have it roll back to my feet. It feels like the last hole at Bozo's Clown Extravaganza Mini Golf where you have to hit the ball up a ramp into the clown's mouth or it rolls back at you.

+1

Had this happen at a par 3 this year. I ran my putt about a foot past the hole only to have it roll back to me three times before I finally got it to stop. Ended up 5-Putting for a qaud and was not happy. Last year on the same green I missed an uphill 4 footer for par but the ball started slowly rolling back. The ball ended up going in the hole while it was going back toward me.

[yenner]

Care to elaborate a bit more on this one... seems like it would be a good story.

Not really but I will ammuse you. :)

My group (12 or so guys total but usually 4-8) had played the course once or twice already early last year. It seemed decent. Not the best but pretty fairly priced for what it was. Greens seemed inconsistent each time out. Sometimes extremely dry, others they were insanely soggy. The traps were never maintained by the staff it seemed. After a rain then a short drought they were like concrete. Leaves would lie everywhere on the fairways and greens. The course was fun to play with some great holes but overall it was nowhere near anyones top 10. For the price though, and since a few of us are within our first few years of playing, we considered it a good deal. Usually not too crowded. One day in particular we went out, with no teee time, and got a spot right away. There was 4 of us and a total of about 4-5 groups out we were told. There were 2 groups waiting to go from the front so we asked to start from the back. We were told by the manager on duty that this was fine. As we get ready to tee off the ranger comes flying over the hill, slams his brakes bringing his cart to a screeching halt, and walks over and kicks my buddies ball off the tee before saying a word to us. I said, "What's the deal?" He goes, in quite a hasty voice, "Do you people even belong here?!" I asked, "What do you mean?" He replies, "I swear, I don't know why they let hoodlums on this course!" Mind you I'm with 2 of my cousins, both rolling up in new Lexus' making more than enough money to play elsewhere, myself (lower middle class indeed), and my friend who also owns his own succesful business. We're all in tucked polos and slacks or cargo/dress shorts, golf shoes, all with our own newer clubs, WITH permission from the clubhouse to be there. It's not like we all came in with a system blaring and rolled out in sweatpants and just started golfing without paying. He thought we decided on our own we'd just go off the back and apparently that's what 'hoodlums' do. Anyways, I say, "Alright buddy. Calm down before that vein in your head bursts." We went to the club house, spoke with the manager, and she scoffs and goes, "Well obviously he didn't want you to tee off there. He's probably having a bad day. Just go play your golf and let us do our jobs." This was AFTER SHE told us it was ok. I was irritated to say the least but we waited and went off the front. Finished the round and went out about 2 weeks later with the same 2 cousins and another friend who was a little newer to the game and a little tight on cash. Reluctantly I went along although I would've rather paid more for a better course with a better staff. All was going well except the ranger literally followed us from a distance the whole round parking behind trees and bushes. It was like he was trying to go Force Recon on us. We did nothing wrong the whole day and everytime we saw him my cousin would just nod, smile, and wave, as we do to any ranger. Apparently he didn't see that as a sign of "forgive and forget" as my cousin did because after a drive which landed about 10 yards off the right of the fairway but still well within our side of the trees he drove over to it, picked it up, and launched it across to the other side of the fairway then just looked back at us and shook his head. When we approached him and inquired as to why he did it all he did was yell at my cousin, "We shouldn't even let you back here! You can't play and you think you own the place! Why don't you just spend your money at McDonalds fat@$$!" Wrong thing to say to an all state lineman who stands 6'2" and 325 lbs...especially when you're about 5'10" and about 170. Needless to say my cousin merely said, "If you think you're man enough to remove me go for it. Since I know you're not why don't you go back to hosing off the carts, let us finish the round we paid for, and we won't be back again." Something was also said by another member of our party to the effect that, "It's too bad he just lost customers. He could've used our money to get rid of that Billy Ray wannabe schmullet he's rocking." We haven't been back since and have filed complaints. Also cancelled 2 outings that we were to participate in there. Upon looking online reviews showed their course and clubhouse averaged no more than 2.5-3 out of 5. Terrible customer service. If my cousin repeatedly hit into the other fairway (which nobody was even on) then I could see him saying something to us. Ma and pop businesses sometimes drive themselves into the ground. Not coorporate America. The end. :)

[rebby]

I'm sick and tired about hearing how great GI, SGI and CB irons are so superior to "blades" and how even the greatest touring pros don't game "blades". Sigh, give me a break...

[shades9323]

I'm sick and tired about hearing how great GI, SGI and CB irons are so superior to "blades" and how even the greatest touring pros don't game "blades". Sigh, give me a break...

If you are so sick and tired of it, may I ask why you continue to read and reply to such threads?

[rebby]

If you are so sick and tired of it, may I ask why you continue to read and reply to such threads?

I usually don't. I couldn't help myself earlier. Besides, this is the rant thread, I had to say something.

[tristanhilton85]

Not really but I will ammuse you. :)

Thanks for amusing me... I found that story to be pretty interesting. Kind of crazy that he would even act like that, I wouldn't think teeing off on the back would be a big deal if you had permission. I wouldn't go back either.