Annoying Things Golfers Say and Do on the Course

Golfers can get on your nerves sometimes.  So, here's where you can let out some frustraion.

Has this ever happened to you?  A player I'm with skulls the ball out of the sandtrap then slams the club into the sand and says, "There's not enough sand in this bunker!"

There's not enough sand in the Sahara to help that shot!!!

Here's another thing:  If you play the same 130yd par 3 four times a week, please do not take out that range finder again...unless your trying to look at the cart girl!!!  Thanks.

Hmm, well I don't mind either of those: A lot of courses I play really do have an inch or less of sand over a hard bottom, so I can relate. And a 130 yard par 3 with, say, a 30-yard deep green and 20-yard long tee box can play anywhere from 105 to 155, depending on the tee and flag location on any given day.

But the one thing I absolutely cannot stand is people who yell "Bite! Bite!" when a bad chip is already rolling across the green and obviously has no backspin to "Bite!" with.

"That was a good miss" when the shot is still really good.  You're not a pro, so you "miss" more times than you "make".

"if the group in front would play faster I could hit better shots" or any other variation about waiting.

"the fairway was too soft"

someones ball hits ONE pitch mark on the green "if there weren't pitch marks everywhere I could make a putt"  Really?  Those other 12 greens we've already played and where you missed everything outside 4 feet had the same problem??

And I hate when guys crowd the tee box while waiting to hit...Give me some freakin space!

- Partners in pairs competitions that make it very clear they're getting stressed out because you're playing badly, thus making your game even worse - try some encouragement and calming words instead;

- Group members who constantly dissect every one of their shots, interrupting your concentration. I'm interested, occasionally, but I need to focus;

- Players who, however well-meaning, insist on giving you unsolicited advice about your swing mechanics. I know you mean well, but I have a pro that does that for me.

TidyFreak

I've played plenty of courses without enough sand in some of the bunkers. Hit the sand an inch and a half behind the ball, bounce off the clay beneath the sand which sends the club head upwards resulting in the club catching the ball thin or the bottom of the head connecting with the ball.

Players who say  "nice shot" when it was clearly an OK miss but with that I'm more annoyed with myself than them.

Golfers with active cell phones - if they forget to turn the ringer off or make/accept calls near anyones shot.

I usually don't get annoyed by things golfers say, but one that makes me laugh ever since watching Brian from Big Break is;  "I really hit that shot pure", as the ball sails over the flag or green.  I have a buddy that says that everytime he hits a shot with a) too much club or b) thins the shot.

I've played with people who are always on their smart phones (especially during football season) to check scores and/or their fantasy league. It's incredibly annoying when their phone rings and they pick it up midround. I also used to play (notice I said 'used to') with a friend quite often who was always on his iphone to do the same. It's hard to play with someone who doesn't seem to enjoy playing golf as much as me and some other buddies.

Where to start? How about a top 10 list?

People who yell "nice shot!" right after contact, before your ball has had a chance to slice out of bounds. I get them back by saying "nice shot" before they even swing on the next tee.

Golfers who ride around in circles in a 10 sq ft area for five minutes looking for a ball. Get out and walk please.

Plumb bobbing. Really?

Slow golfers. Especially ones who wait for the green to clear on a 500 yd par 5 after hitting a 200 yd slice on their drives

All cliches ("hit it sally", "even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while", blah, blah). If you can't make conversation, curse, or tell dirty jokes, please be quiet

Say "nope" or "missed it" on every putt, even though they almost all go in. This drives me especially nuts when money is on the line

Did I mention slow golfers? How about ones that take seven practice swings, and then chunk their shot 10 yards, then do it again?

Golf Carts. Especially when it's cart-path only conditions and people take a club, walk 40 yards to their ball, and then decide they need a different one.

People who search for their balls 150 yards past where they actually sliced into the woods, and then drop a ball there

Guys who complain too much about other golfers (wait - that's me!)

Your first post boasted a 130mph swing speed and next post you go to what annoys you?

http://thesandtrap.com/t/53151/my-swing-lag-rag

Welcome to the Sandtrap.

What do you like that people do on the golf course?

I don't really get bothered by anything other golfers say.  I've never had anyone offer unsolicited advice.  Pretty much the only thing anyone's ever said to me is, "nice shot", which even if it's a wedge you were hoping to stick really close and instead you hit it to 35 feet, shouldn't be annoying.  The many variations on complaints from other golfers that would only make sense if they were nearly as good as they think they are I just laugh at (to myself of course).

The one thing that really bothers me is when the group in front unrealistically waits for the green to clear.  I'm playing behind you and I know you haven't hit a drive longer than 220 all day.  So now you're standing 220 yards from the green and you really have to wait for the green to clear?!   Hit the freakin ball.

People who assume they know your game better than you. If I "normally" hit a driver 230 yards but every 3-4 drives I hit one 250 when my swing is right, don't stand behind me telling me it's fine to tee off if there's even a chance I could be hitting into another group.

Advice from people worse than you - "Mate, you're not gonna draw it until you start rolling your wrists at impact."

Played with a guy over the weekend that felt he needed to comment on every shot of every player in our foursome.. and I mean every shot.  On tee shots/drives it was "hang on...stay there...go...come back...get out of there"...etc.   On approaches it was "be the club...sit...get going"...along with others and some already mentioned.   On chips it was "check...bite...go...release...come back...stay"...etc.  On putts "get there....hit it...stay up there...come on...slow down...turn"...etc.

That doesn't usually bother me and am guilty of occasionally doing some of that myself, but after hearing it on about 200 shots, it got a bit annoying.  My other buddy in our foursome was having an uncharacteristically bad day for him, and was extremely annoyed.

I am guilty of this one. Though I hope not constantly and not every shot. It is hard habit to break but I try...

basically I just don't like it when someone always has an excuse rather than "I suck" or "I screwed that shot up" at least SOME of the time.

Golfers that complain about wanting total silence while they're hitting. As long as it isn't sharp noises like a whistle or someone yelling then I don't see why you can't just block it out.

This actually happened to me tonight at the range...

I take my ipod to the range with me to listen to to help me maintain focus as I make my way through my pre-planned practice session. I'm hitting warming up with some half swings and finding my rhythm when I notice this guy with the most hideous fedora hat I've ever seen standing behind me and actually talking at me. Mind you, I have my ipod on. I politely pull an earbud out of my ear and listen to what he is saying. He then proceeds to light a cigarette and attempt to strike up a conversation with me....about my swing. I oblige him for a few moments, until he starts telling me he shot a 60 last weekend at a championship course nearby. At this point I politely let him know that I have a limited amount of time and have much left to do in my session, and bid him adieu. As I'm re-focusing, he naturally selects the stall next to me and pulls out his top of the line driver. The sequence of shots is as follows:

First swing: Hits the ball about twenty yards off the deck with a thirty yard slice and it travels roughly 180 yards. His response? "I came up off it in a bad way."

Second swing: This one flies straight...up in the air...possibly even higher than I could pop up my lob wedge. Net distance-130 yards

Third swing: Pull hooks it left into the side netting and exclaims "Son of a bitch....I can't hit this new driver to save my life"

Long story short...it's annoying when people lie about their game...and lie to themselves...after breaking my concentration to give me, a complete stranger, advice about my swing.

I hate the guys who walk or have the rented pull carts that leave them on the front left side of a green that the pin is tucked on the back right corner of a 30 yard deep green and then have to walk all the way back to get their bag/cart, stand there and write their snowman on their card then mosey their way to the next tee box while everyone else is wAiting for them. I personally find it hard to get into a rythmn when the pace is slow. I usually try to get to the course early and bring my iPod to listen to while I play. can usually knock out 18 holes in under 3 hours if I get there first. my all time pet peeve is the jack ass that says "one" when you accidentally knock your ball off the tee. even worse when your paired up with some morron that you don't even know.

I believe it is equally annoying when someone has a short chip to the green, parks their cart well past the green, then only grabs an 8 iron out of the bag...only to have to walk 25 yards to retrieve their putter after it takes them two shots to hit the green from 4 yards away.