What the heck?

Today my usual group of guys played 18 at a local course. We had three groups and my group was first. About hole #9 we caught a group of rather elderly men that had teed off about 30 minutes before us. From then we waited on these guys on every shot as they were quite slow. Finally on the 18th hole I teed off and accidentally hit in to them. Mind you it was a complete accident because we lost sight of their cart and the other cart in their group was well out of my range.

Anyway, my drive was right down the middle of the fairway and when we get to where it should have been it was nowhere to be found. We search for a minute or two and finally we decide the group in front of us had to of picked it up.

Sooo I take the cart and drive up to them as they are getting in their carts to leave the green, and I ask them politely if they might have picked up my ball by accident. The one old man says, "Yeah I saw it, do you think you are some kind of big man because you can hit the ball a long way? I could hit it farther than that when I was your age." I was kind of bugged, and I asked again if they took it. The same old man says, "F#$@ you, your damn right I took it."

Getting a little irritated now I asked for it back and he replied, "You want it back, f*#$ you, come get it out of my bag, big man." and started calling me every expletive you can think of. This guy has to be 80 years old. I couldn't believe it. What a prick. I just turned around and went back to my group, all I needed was confirmation that he took it anyway to keep from having to go back to the tee. This guy was lucky he wasn't 40 years younger or I would have taken my ball back and stuffed him into his golf bag!

Anyone else ever deal with an ass like this on the golf course.

I would've reported him at the clubhouse, they would've made him give your ball back. You did it by accident. 3 drunks were behind my brother and me one evening. They purposely hit in on us, so the first time I run over his ball with the cart and the next time I voiced my opinion of them. I reported them but it didn't do any good because I didn't know their name.

Alright... you got me all worked up with that story... what an $#@hole.  I would have reported him.  That's not cool even if you came close to hitting him.  It was an accident.

Just curious but did you get a chance to apologize to him and let him know it was an accident?

Back in the mid 70's when I was just beginning in the game I had a similar incident with seniors.  I'd hit an average tee shot on a par 5 hole, and as they were putting and the green was still beyond the range of my 3W, I pulled the 5W to lay up well short.  I still don't know how I did it, but somehow I hit that 5W 280 yards and rolled it across the green while they were putting.  Keep in mind that this was playing wound balls with a steel shafted, laminated maple 5W - none of today's hot equipment.  I don't think I ever hit that 5W much more than 200 yards before or since.  When I tried to apologize, these guys threw a hissy fit, absolutely went ballistic.

I was in shock... and not a little bit pissed myself at their reaction.  If it had been me on the green I'd have only had to look at where the shot came from and offered my congratulations on a great shot.

So I know where you're coming from NM.

Poor form on his behalf for sure I would have been fuming. However I would have opened up with an apology for hitting into them and an explanation of why you played your tee shot before asking about the ball. Possibly you did but it's not clear from your story.

Still no excuse for a ranting tirade from the old timer though.

i wouldve flipped out

LETS GO OLD MAN

and beat him up like happy gilmore should've done to bob barker

but seriously i probably would've apologized first and then if he continued to flip out i wouldve had a "word" or two with him

If the drive was truly blind, as you say, they should have realized it and been sports about it. I understand being peeved if it wasn't blind, or if the ball had HIT someone (ball to person contact is always going to boil the blood, regardless of the circumstances, I don't care what anyone says) but none of this happened. Were the guys drinking?

Once I calmed down, I would have called the clubhouse.

Interestingly, what's the rule on this? Do you re-tee or do you guesstimate?!?!?

Wow, that's crazy. Well at least I have an idea of what to look out for when I get out there.

I don't think there is a good excuse for either of you two's behavior.  You should not have hit your drive until you were sure they were clear and they should have left your ball alone and simply and politely ask you show more caution.  I guess I would add that I personally would have offered to let your group play through if we were constantly holding you up, unless my group was being held up by people in front of us.  Finally I would add the fellow who had your ball must be stupid or armed.  Who in there right mind would challenge someone 30-40 years their junior over what was an accident, albeit an avoidable one?  So while you shouldn't have hit the drive, I congratulate you on your good sense and respect for you elders in not harming an old man over a golf ball (was it a Pro V1?).

I had a similar event this past weekend in a tournament.  I was hitting into a strong head wind from 148, typically an 8 iron all day long.  However with the headwind, I went with a choke down 7.  I hit and I flew the green down the backside.  As I am making my way to the green, I see one of the tournament players in a group ahead of us lean over and pick something up and put in his pocket.  I made my way to the green, and no ball!  There is nothing for the ball to be lost in, so I know the other player picked up my ball.  I made my way to the tee box to ask.  I asked him if he picked up my ProV1x with a very distinct marking.

He looks me right in the face and says, no I didnt pick anything up!  I questioned the ball in his pocket, and discribed my particular marking and again he denies.  I was about to lose my mind right there, nothing fumes me worse than a liar and a cheat.  Another player in my group, confirmed that this individual is notorious for cheating!

I had to take a lost ball penalty, which killed my chances in the tourney. My only recourse was turning him into the tournament director and Head Pro.

Yeah that would piss me off more than anything.  At least be a man like the 80 or 120 year old guy or whatever and admit to taking your ball.  Why would you take it and then be like no no I didn't take it.  Well if you didnt take it empty out your pockets right in front of me.

ive never had anyone act like that with me where i hit into them and especially cause id always drive right up and apologize like you did. but i dont typically look like the guy you wanna get mouthy with.

no doubt id have ended up hitting that old guy. i dont care how old you are, if you are an ass like that to me when i already apologized and then you make it personal like that im gonna likely hit you. id never report anyone or tell their mommy either, not my style

Look, the old man has a lot of issues.

You did well not to say anything and to turn around after ascertaining that he took your ball. Great job.

I don't know if you did, but I would have explained that "I did not intend to hit into you, that we saw a cart in your group that was out of range, and assumed you were out of range, too. I am sorry for the inconvenience or if my ball startled you."

If that didn't work and he cussed up a storm, you did everything you could do. Just smile, say "good day" and leave.

On a golf course, I think you need to be almost Zen-like in your attitude - completely relaxed, no anger, no hostility, just enjoyment -- anything else, and it's like, what am I doing here?

I've had 2 bad experiences with older gentlemen.

1. I was probably around 14 or 15, my friend and I are playing and the course is crowded so it's slow. We get to hole 13 and the old guys behind us come up to the tee to tell us they are playing through because us young guys stand around our bags too much. I asked where he was going to go considering the group in front of us is still in the fairway so we let them go instead of arguing. We waited for them on every tee the rest of the way so when we got to 18 I gave them a little fly by.

2. I was 17 playing in the club championship and hole 11 is a long par 5 so I'm in the fairway with about 220 to carry a creek. I decide to hit my 3i to lay short of the creek so I hit and just by luck I hit the cart path then the bridge next thing you know it rolled right up on the edge of the green(I did yell fore when I saw it come off the bridge). We get to the next tee I apologize and 3 of them said no big deal but the 4th guy flew off handle screaming at me then he kept putting his finger in my face so I finally lost it. The other guys in our groups got us to both walk away I was actually shocked neither of us took a swing.

Wow. If they really were that frail I would've went up to him and took my ball back no problem.

He takes a swing at me? I'd be waiting in the clubhouse with the police.

Well I have to comment again.  I don't think the older fellow should not have taken the ball nor do I believe that it is was wise to insult and challenge NM golf to physical combat.  But I didn't see in the OP where anyone apologized for hitting into the group.  I can understand why the older man was angry, you probably would be too and an apology would have been in order.  As to those of you that say you would have beaten the old man I can only say that would not have been wise either.  The law would frown on beating an old man over a golf ball and words and the law would probably (here for sure) approve of his using deadly force to protect himself from a younger man beating him.  So I think NM Golf did exactly the right thing and just left the old guy to spew his venom and keep the ball.  A golf ball and a couple of insults isn't worth your life and/or reputation if you are convicted of battery against a man old enough to be your grandfather.

My friends and I had a more fun encounter like this several years ago at the old Forest Park 18 in St. Louis.

Four older women were playing ahead of us, and we caught up to them 12 tee, and kept waiting on each shot. We came to No. 14, about 320 yards long which played off a hill and back up a hill. The ladies were down in the valley about 150 yards from the tee.

I said, "let's do a bypass." We all teed up about two yards apart side by side, and hit our tee shots all at once down adjacent 15 fairway. We then took short irons onto the green, and were putting out as the ladies emerged from the valley to hit chip shots.

The ladies yelled at us for being rude, and we apologized and ran up to 15 tee and were gone.

Considering that the old man was 80 years or so as you explained, I don't think it's worth it to get that worked up about it.  Like really, the guy is 80, who knows what issues or "loss of sense" he is experiencing at that age.  Considering that you were waiting on every hole, I'm sure the fact that they played so slow is indication that he wasn't playing that well so by the 18th with the ball flying into them is the perfect remedy for an overaction...especially a 80 year old man ho's close to losing it.

When you asked if they picked up the ball politely, did you start with sincerely apologizing up front when you approached them?

Regardless, the guy is getting up there and with words like "I could hit it farther when I was that age" are all signs of someone who is clearly insecure with the limitations of their age.