My take on temper tantrums......

Somewhere around my first full year into playing golf, I was fed up with a really poor driving day and slammed my driver into the teebox, snapping the head clean off. Aside from that one major incident, the extent of my tantrums is just swearing (usually muffled) and even that, I've gotten a lot better with.

I have seen a couple people get hit by a thrown club, and it really is ridiculous. As you said, if your going to be like that and throw a club after a poor shot...at the very least, do it away from people.

I used to have a bad temper until I was paired with a guy with a worse temper. I decided it was not fair to all the rest of my group to have to spend four hours with a jerk. Displays of temper are selfish acts,

Quote:

Originally Posted by BuckeyeNut 

2. Pleaaase NEVER HACK THE GREEN after a missed putt!!!

Last year I was playing with a +2 handicapper (he's a +3 atm) the captain of the pennant team for our club, state player etc. He missed a 15 or so footer for birdie I think and jammed the toe of his putter into the green. I was VERY surprised, as he hadn't really shown any anger all day. He was sitting at or just under par. I thought it was odd.

A couple weeks ago I left a putter related mark in a green. I had a VERY bad/unfortunate putting day, and after lipping out for the 6th or 7th time (no exaggeration) I 'levered' my putter to the ground in frustration. It left a teency little mark, much smaller than a pitch mark. And yes, I did feel like twat whilst fixing it, the group behind waiting on the tee (par 3).

I am an incredibly laid back guy, the closest thing to throwing a club I ever did was after a very long putt. 35 footer +/-, and a ton of break. I got the read right but came up one inch short of dead center. (I would have saved that ball, had I made that shot).  Basically, I simply dropped my Putter, from maybe 5 inches high and the handle fell towards the hole. One of my regular parteners  said "Congratulations, you finally threw a club".

He on the other hand has a temper and he's studied the Aerodynamics of various golfing equiptment, on so many times in my presence. You would say he's jerk, but I know him well enough off the course to know it's just part of his personality, so I accept it. I don't condone it, But I trully enjoy a round with him when we play together. I have "yelled" Richie.. NO!!!, on so many occasions. He is more annimated when we play as a two some, as apposed to when we play with other people. We just celibrate our dissapointment in our selves in different ways. I make a joke, "after all I put the ball there, it's simply my reponsability to correct my situation".

That said, my girlfriend (who also plays) and I went to The Travelers Championship in Ct. three years ago. We stayed at the 13th hole for a few groups. That hole ( par 5, I think) just seems to be evil to me for some reason. Some unkown player (to us) makes par with a penalty stoke added, while the other three make legitimate birdies. I'm thinking great par save, and this guy throws his Puter at his bag, and it sticks in the ground like an Axe in a log in the grass off the Green. I turn to her and say: "We've just seen a club Professionally thrown, and it still looks like a stupid thing to do".

So I seem to have contradicted myself in this post. I think throwing a club is rediculous, but I like to play with a guy who averages 50 to 60 feet per throw. My clubs aren't from the "top shelf" but I want to take all 14 of them home at the end of every day.

By the way, every once in a while my girlfriend lets me win a round... I think I'll go down to the range today and start working on my club throwing technique...

On the odd occasion I've played with someone who's thrown a club I suggest to them they throw another just in case they can't find the first one. At the end of the day, if someone wants to look like a dick that's their choice.

I have a temper but don't recall every damaging a course or my equipment.  I just swear some at the ball or club when angry, and maybe slam my fist on my leg (hurt me but not the course).  But I learned a long time ago to try to keep a lid on my temper and seldom let it get the best of me these days (less to apologize for later and people will invite you back more often). I personally don't enjoy playing with folks that can't keep themselves under control (I am not talking about an isolated outburst or two, but someone that is constantly is angry and shows it on the course).  

No excuse for getting angry on a golf course. Most people aren't good enough to even warrant getting upset.

Only time someone came close to hitting me with a golf club, I asked/told him to go play with someone else. As the young idiot started walking aggressively towards me, my friend said "I'm a cop, and he's carrying". Stopped the idiot in his tracks like a deer blinking in a car's headlights. Then he stormed off to probably go whine to his Mommy or something.

Worst thing I ever did was playing with a group of 4.  Was in the midst of just playing bad golf (poor mechanics, etc.) and just could not drive the ball.  Course was already very tough and it was windy.  So, adding in the playing conditions, a bad player who is very competitive with himself, and you get a pissed off person.

Was on the tee box (probably around the 12-13th hole).  Just hit a pathetic tee shot and everyone starts laughing.  That really bothered me, but I did not say anything. Next tee shot (with driver) hit an even worst shot and after I swung I meant to let go of the driver and let it fall directly behind me (you see Tiger and many other pros do this all of the time) but it ended up flying and almost hitting my business partner while he was sitting in his cart.

He shrugged it off and I apologized, but I knew he was pissed and to no surprise we have not played together since.

Even though I did not mean it, lesson learned and the only thing I will do now is slightly pound a driver into the ground or throw out a fbomb.  Nothing bad.  If playing with people I do not know or in a tournament, I just keep my mouth shut and just keep it in.

I have no issue with someone cussing or pounding a club as long as it is not an every 5 minute deal and you are at least a decent player, but if you want to throw one just do it far away from me and others.  If you are a major hacker just keep your mouth shut, enjoy being out there, and realize that you are not even close to good enough to get mad.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laws of Woo 

Somewhere around my first full year into playing golf, I was fed up with a really poor driving day and slammed my driver into the teebox, snapping the head clean off. Aside from that one major incident, the extent of my tantrums is just swearing (usually muffled) and even that, I've gotten a lot better with.

 

I have seen a couple people get hit by a thrown club, and it really is ridiculous. As you said, if your going to be like that and throw a club after a poor shot...at the very least, do it away from people.

My take - there is no time or place on the golf course for an infantile temper tantrum. 

So you hit a bad shot - who cares - GET OVER IT!!! 

So you're having a bad round.- it happens to all of us - GET OVER IT!!! 

You have no right to embarrass or endanger anyone else just because you're having a bad day - GET OVER IT!!!  (or get the hell off the course)

Best line I've ever heard:   "I think you need to throw a provisional". 

Usually the only time I ever get miffed about anything is when I hit a mid iron fat and leave a trench where the ball used to be. I'll usually just let out an "aww hell" and whack my club on the ground, but that's more to get the mud off the clubhead than anything else. I'm pretty laid-back and past athletic failures (if you fail in baseball 7 times out of 10 you're still pretty great) have taught me to forget about the last shot and focus on the next one. I think if you carry a temper to the next shot, you're just setting yourself for a compound failure.

Playing in a few tournaments has actually taught me to control my temper. I guess the competitive environment makes you act a little more "professional" than any other normal round of golf. At least that's how I see it. Before, I would throw a lot of f-bombs from the bad shot all the way to the next shot and that usually let me carry it all through the hole. I also would slam my clubs to the ground and occasionally my irons would dig into the dirt. I don't slam it on the green and cause large blemishes so I'm good on that end.

I don't throw my clubs and I never thought that far to do it. I don't blame my equipment on my bad shots nor do I condone turning them into projectiles. I have buddies that throw some temper tantrums, but thankfully, they don't toss their equipment either. Slamming down clubs and yelling so that people across the golf course is the worst I've done. 

"Only time someone came close to hitting me with a golf club, I asked/told him to go play with someone else. As the young idiot started walking aggressively towards me, my friend said "I'm a cop, and he's carrying". Stopped the idiot in his tracks like a deer blinking in a car's headlights. Then he stormed off to probably go whine to his Mommy or something."

dude i realize you are in arizona, an open carry state i think? but you bring a gun with you golfing?  Concealed none the less?  Doesnt this negatively effect your swing?  I like guns, would even consider a C.C permit, but dang on the course?

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcivichb 

 

dude i realize you are in arizona, an open carry state i think? but you bring a gun with you golfing?  Concealed none the less?  Doesnt this negatively effect your swing? 

Maybe his hips were clearing too fast and the extra weight slows them down .

For real, though. I lived in Phoenix for 2 1/2 years and trust me, EVERYBODY carries. I wouldn't be surprised if there were dudes who wore their piece in the shower.

Yes, this is a open carry state, and I do have a concealed carry permit. I always carry, and when golfing, I put the gun in my bag, as I don't want to leave it in the car unattended. Not a very responsible thing to do.

No, I don't carry in the shower. Takes too much time to disassemble and dry the gun afterwards.  ;)

Re throwing clubs.

My friend threw one helicopter style right over my head.

I turned to him and said: "Maybe you would be a better player if the club could throw you?"

He hasn't thrown one since.

I turned to him and said: "Maybe you would be a better player if the club could throw you?"

That line is pure genious... I know exactly who I'm going to used that one on!

Thanks