Etiquette Confessions

[Fairway_CY]

In a recent tournament I played, the guy I was stuck in the cart with (call him A) was generally disinterested in anything other than talking about himself and checking his phone.  

Throughout the first 13 holes, there were several times where we'd have to go searching for balls that were in the rough.  It was just thick and would blanket the ball, so if you weren't on top of it... you weren't finding it.  

Any time it was not his ball that was being searched for... he'd sit in the cart by his ball and check his phone.  It got to the point that the other 3 of us (myself, B and C) were getting annoyed.  

On our 14th hole, "A" hit a shot that flared out right and landed on a hillside in the rough.  He slammed his club into the ground, then tossed it into the rough in front of the tee box... then he kicked it for good measure.  I rolled my eyes.  As we approached the area where his ball landed, he got out of the cart and began searching.  

While he searched, "B" and I helped while "C" stayed back at his cart.  When "A" looked back, he asked "C" why he wasn't assisting.  "C" responded that "A" hadn't helped search for a ball all day, so he was keeping the time on his phone so that when 3 minutes was up, he could let "A" know it as time to go back to the tee.  

He ended up doing just that.  

As "A" took the drive back to the tee... I stayed up near the landing area and laughed to myself.  

The level of pettiness (and utter lack of etiquette) was hilarious, but I'd be lying if I didn't admit I had considered it throughout the round.

CY

[djake]

OK I have been stewing over this topic since I first saw it.  So here goes my "Etiquette Confession"

This takes me way back, like way back.  Senior year in High School.  District Golf Tourney.  I was ranked #2 in the District which was pretty decent.  I was the 2nd Golfer off the tee and the entire District and all of the H.S Coaches are watching.  I was so nervous I literally almost peed myself.

I wanted to go to Regionals so bad that year and then hopefully State.

So I grab this chunk of wood attached to a steel rod with electricians tape for a grip and tee off (My Persimmon 3 Wood).  I played a fade back then and I had it down pat. Well not only did I pull the ball but I also hit a Draw while playing a Fade.  I crushed my tee shot.  It flew over the 18th fairway that ran parallel to the 1st fairway and sure enough it looks as if it goes O.B.  

One of the guys from another H.S starts laughing loud and hard and loudly states "That's the longest Drive I have ever seen"  Let me add that the two of us had tied earlier in a duel match so we had a side bet going on this round.

I pull out a provisional and I just drilled it the exact same way in the exact same spot.  Now my shoulders drop and I go to my bag for my 3rd golf ball.

#3 - Identical to the first two, I am lost and have no idea what golf is any longer.  I go over to my bag and pick it up and the same guy asks if I am going to hit a 4th ball and I said "No, one of them will be in bounds"

Ok I get to all 3 balls, they are all in the same spot so it was very easy to grab 2 of them.  The 3rd ball was a lousy 3 inches O.B.  I looked back at the entire group and they were all staring at me.  I hit that ball from where it laid, Out of Bounce!.   I never called it - it didn't matter at that point.  I finished 2nd to last in the entire field.  Even when I was in 7th Grad playing in this same District Tourney I never even came close to that.

So there, my "Etiquette Confession" and I still am upset over that day. 🙂 

[GolfLug]

I guess one thing comes to memory is a few years ago I played a round with a couple from up in Wisconsin. Long story short I kept driving to my ball after the husband and I teed off without waiting for his wife to tee off completely out of forgetfulness.

The husband didn't say anything but she finally said "Excuse me, I haven't teed off yet, would you please mind waiting?". I have never felt like a bigger bonehead. Of course I apologized profusely for a couple of holes but I could tell she was a bit indignant for a while. She probably thought I was a sexist jerk.

Was  a good lesson in mindfulness for me.

[DeadMan]

I play out of turn all of the time. Sorry, I'm not waiting for someone else to hit if I'm ready (and it's safe). Play faster.

[iacas]

4 hours ago, djake said:

Out of Bounce!

???

A local high school coach who was once a 5 index golfer would say that. I hope that was some sort of typo or something.

[Bonvivant]

1 hour ago, DeadMan said:

I play out of turn all of the time. Sorry, I'm not waiting for someone else to hit if I'm ready (and it's safe). Play faster.

This isn't poor etiquette. It's common sense. The only time this is an issue is if you strike when someone else finally decides to strike at that same moment after 30 practice swings. Then it's your fault for sure

Edited September 18, 2019 by Bonvivant
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[mcanadiens]

I could spend the rest of my life confessing etiquette violations on and off the golf course.

On the plus side, i'm not currently in jail, so I got that going for me, which is nice.

[SPJr]

On 9/14/2019 at 1:40 PM, Billy Z said:

After missing a 2-foot bogey putt I took a hard swipe with my putter to knock my ball off the putting surface, only to hit it fat and take a chunk out of the green. Now I am a proponent of good etiquette, but I let my anger get the best of me that day.

I've done the exact same thing. Talk about feeling like a total @$$!!!

It only took one time to learn my lesson.

[DeadMan]

9 hours ago, Bonvivant said:

This isn't poor etiquette. It's common sense. The only time this is an issue is if you strike when someone else finally decides to strike at that same moment after 30 practice swings. Then it's your fault for sure

Eh, I think you'll find there are some people who think it matters. I agree that the vast majority don't care, but there are definitely some out there that would see this as bad etiquette.

[Bonvivant]

9 minutes ago, DeadMan said:

Eh, I think you'll find there are some people who think it matters. I agree that the vast majority don't care, but there are definitely some out there that would see this as bad etiquette.

Those are the people that take 5.5 hours to play 18, and their opinion doesn't hold much weight with me. Or perhaps professionals. Why would average golfers be upset with ready golf? 

[mcanadiens]

10 hours ago, Bonvivant said:

This isn't poor etiquette. It's common sense. The only time this is an issue is if you strike when someone else finally decides to strike at that same moment after 30 practice swings. Then it's your fault for sure

 

The only time I got crap about it was in a Club Championship. It was flipping D flight and these guys were on the five-hour plan, so I whack a 5W out of turn on a par-5 and get the stink eye.

Slowest ...round ... ever.

99% of the time, the other players prefer ready golf.

[DennisMiller]

As a kid, I was known to toss a club here and there, usually a wedge or putter back at my bag. I think it was Tommy Bolt who said to always throw your club in the direction you are going so you don't have to go back and get it.

As an adult, I've been a Cubmaster, Scoutmaster and Youth Director at  my synagogue. Being put in a position that depends highly on setting a proper example tends to rub off on your life in general, so I will admit I try to maintain some pride in how I conduct myself on the course.

Much as I hate to say this, I find myself highly critical of impolite behavior on the course. I have one playing partner who insists on writing down scores before driving to the next tee, so he often makes people wait in the fairway behind us. It doesn't seem to matter how often one of us says something about it. The next hole, he'll do it again.

He doesn't seem to have any thoughts about whether stepping in someone else's line matters. The other two guys are both working hard to become better golfers, taking lessons, reading a lot and watching a lot of golf on tv. They have begun to understand, but I'm not sure how we're going to convince one guy to behave.

As my father always told me... They put the etiquette in the front of the rule book for a reason.

[Vinsk]

I don’t ever intentionally breach etiquette on the course. I’m pretty easy going but can have my head in the clouds at times. I suppose there are things I’ve done that may have irked someone here and there.

[Cantankerish]

20 hours ago, Patch said:

Nope not me. 

Man, my joke fell flat there.  Ya know...I was with my grandpa...?

 

Also, how is throwing a club not an etiquette thing?

[Philco]

The worst etiquette violation I was ever involved in was not of my making but I sure bore the brunt of it.   A guy in our foursome (whom I'd met for the first time that day) missed a very short putt and threw his putter wildly.  I was beside my cart retrieving my putter from the bag at the moment I heard him let out a very loud and profane expletive.  I looked up just in time to see his putter headed straight at me whirling round and round like a boomerang.  It hit me flat across the chest before I had any chance to react..  It could have just as easily have hit me in the head.  I didn't say much at the time but I decided then and there I'd never play another round of golf with that guy, and I haven't. 

Edited September 19, 2019 by Philco

[Vinsk]

10 hours ago, Cantankerish said:

Man, my joke fell flat there.  Ya know...I was with my grandpa...?

 

Also, how is throwing a club not an etiquette thing?

Because for a normal, reasonable person seeing another person throw his club means nothing. It’s not offensive nor does it have any effect on anyone else. Talking during the swing, stepping on someone’s putt line, damaging the course property...those are breaches of etiquette.

[Bonvivant]

9 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

Because for a normal, reasonable person seeing another person throw his club means nothing. It’s not offensive nor does it have any effect on anyone else. Talking during the swing, stepping on someone’s putt line, damaging the course property...those are breaches of etiquette.

Hard no. Throwing a club is some of the most common and worst etiquette out there in my opinion. Do you throw the fork in a restaurant if the food isn't to your liking too? When I see people throw clubs, it means a lot to me, and I am sure that I am in the majority there.

Edited September 19, 2019 by Bonvivant
spelling

[Vinsk]

45 minutes ago, Bonvivant said:

When I see people throw clubs, it means a lot to me,

It’s not an etiquette issue. If you frown upon it fine ( silly) but it’s not an etiquette issue. And your restaurant analogy is awful. Totally different social setting with different expectations. If I hit a bad shot and yell ‘ oh that really sucks’ is that bad etiquette? No. If I take a bite of my food and yell ‘ oh that really sucks’ that is rude. Now if you’re talking about someone who throws their club as far as they can possibly damaging something or injuring someone that’s acceptable to be irked. Someone tosses their club into the pond or 10-20yds...If that bothers you you’re not in the majority.