Poll: Do Clubs Clinking Bother You When Swinging?

[DeadMan]

Had someone complain about this in a round this weekend, so I wanted to ask this question to see if I'm crazy out here.

Does it bother you to hear clubs clinking together when you're swinging? Just assume it's what you would normally hear if someone is walking with their clubs.

[Groucho Valentine]

I guess if somebody was walking right next to me as im getting ready to hit it might bother me.   But i cant remember a time ive ever noticed or been bothered by clanking clubs as im playing. Its sort of white noise my brain tunes out. 

[Piz]

Dynamite going off wouldn't bother me...as long as I was aware that there was blasting going on.  Sounds are just part of the environment.  

[billchao]

Not at all. Can't say I've ever noticed if clubs were clinking or not when I was getting ready to swing.

I played a lot of golf on a course right next to the turnpike my first few years. I guess I'm just used to loud noises popping up at random times. 

[HJJ003]

Nope I don’t think I have ever noticed it. 

[lastings]

kinda depends, I guess.   Are we talking about someone shaking their bag right next to you while you hit?    Our are we just talking about someone walking down the adjacent fairway?  

I mean, if your clubs are constantly clicking while others in your group are hitting, thats dumb.   The clicking sound wouldn't really bother me.  but the lack of awareness by my playing partner sure would.  

 

[dennyjones]

If it bothered me, they must be real close.    Not much bothers me when I play golf (except slow play) and this definitely would not.

[Patch]

Not much bothers me when I play, or practice. I play relaxed golf, and relaxed golf is always.good golf.

Noise of any kind is never a problem for me.  

[CarlSpackler]

4 minutes ago, dennyjones said:

If it bothered me, they must be real close.    Not much bothers me when I play golf (except slow play) and this definitely would not.

x2, unless it's my club making a noise during the backswing.

[commishbob]

10 minutes ago, Patch said:

Not much bothers me when I play, or practice. I play relaxed golf, and relaxed golf is always.good golf.

Noise of any kind is never a problem for me.  

👆  same

[Double Mocha Man]

4 minutes ago, commishbob said:

👆  same

Sometimes I go off early in the morning on the back nine.  I know all the maintenance guys/gals by name.  They all know to NOT stop mowing or making other noises while I am playing.  I just factor it in as "background noise" and make my stroke.  And sometimes their moving equipment is in my peripheral vision as I make a stroke and I don't let it bother me.  Sheesh, I have a friend that I sometimes play with and if equipment makes a peep while he is lining up or hitting a shot he's ready to call the police, FBI and ATF.

[BC-to-MI]

Agree with pretty much everything here. Noise doesn't really bother me as it's pretty much unavoidable for the most part. The only thing that might throw me off is when I can see people moving in my peripheral vision as I'm about to swing. Other than that, anything that goes wrong with a shot is all on me.

[bkuehn1952]

2 hours ago, Groucho Valentine said:

I guess if somebody was walking right next to me as I'm getting ready to hit it might bother me.   But i can't remember a time I've ever noticed or been bothered by clanking clubs as I'm playing. It's sort of white noise my brain tunes out. 

Exactly my thought.  

[boogielicious]

I just turn my hearing aids off. 

Movement is more distracting to me than sound. So if they move into my peripheral vision, it can throw me off. 

[DeadMan]

You know, I honestly expected that more people would be bugged by this.

Full context:

• My bag is probably a little noisier than most. I have too much crap attached to it. But I don't think it's much louder than an average bag.
• I was probably 15, maybe 20, yards away when this guy was swinging. My bag was making noise, because I was walking towards the green. I wasn't in his line of sight at all.
• Guy complained after the hole about the noise, so I was more aware and tried to keep completely quiet when he was swinging.

Ironically, the course we were playing runs along a popular bike path, so there was lots of noise from those bikers. And that noise was intermittent, which is worse for concentration than a constant noise.

When I carry, I do try to keep my bag noise quiet when someone is swinging, but I'm not perfect. In this case, I thought he was still in his pre-shot routine. I was about to stop, but then he was actually taking the shot.

Not a big deal in the end. I was just curious if this was something I needed to be more aware of, or if it was more this one guy's foibles.

Edited June 17, 2019 by DeadMan

[criley4way]

27 minutes ago, BC-to-MI said:

Agree with pretty much everything here. Noise doesn't really bother me as it's pretty much unavoidable for the most part. The only thing that might throw me off is when I can see people moving in my peripheral vision as I'm about to swing. Other than that, anything that goes wrong with a shot is all on me.

Especially just behind me. It makes we worry I am going to clip them with the club.

[WUTiger]

I can handle clinking clubs. Just don't do something tacky like yelling "Fore" when I'm at the top of my backswing.

 

[billchao]

1 hour ago, lastings said:

I mean, if your clubs are constantly clicking while others in your group are hitting, thats dumb.   The clicking sound wouldn't really bother me.  but the lack of awareness by my playing partner sure would.  

I disagree with this. Pace of play is far more important to me than some minor noise. If someone can walk to their ball without being in the way of my shot I fully expect them to do so and I do the same unless told otherwise.

Nothing worse than watching a group of four golfers advance down a hole one ball at a time.