Poor Etiquette on the Course

[dagolfer18]

What’s the worst etiquette you’ve seen while playing golf. Things other than not fixing divots or pitch marks, or not raking bunkers. You can most likely see at least two or three other holes from the hole you’re playing, so there’s plenty of opportunities to catch poor etiquette. I’ve got two stories:    
 

1) This was from today. There was a single walker in front of me, with his wife on the bag (didn’t think anything of that). I played right behind him for the entire front nine, but I couldn’t join him because he would finish up on the tee before I finished on the green. Anyway, I was chipping up to the fifth green, and he was waiting on the next tee. I look over in the fairway of the sixth hole, and I see a twosome walking to their balls. I look back over at the guy on the tee, and he took two or three practice swings, and just hit his tee shot while the two in the fairway were still hitting! I didn’t say anything to him as he and his wife walked off the tee, and I briefly thought about saying something to the head pro about it when I stopped briefly for snacks at the turn, but decided against it. I’ve tried reporting poor etiquette before, but nothing was done to resolve it.

2) This was from about two years ago. I was playing with my usual foursome (me, dad, brother and grandpa), and we came up behind a threesome, which was in turn behind a foursome. We got through the front nine and stopped to get some food. When we went back out for the back nine, we didn’t run into the threesome for a while, and we thought, “Maybe they’ve gone home and only played 9?” But no. We drove up to the 12th hole. The green is visible from the tee, and on the green, we saw seven players. It didn’t take us long to realize that the threesome we were behind earlier in the round had joined the foursome ahead of us! There is a sign in front of the pro shop that says something like, “Fivesomes are okay in poker, but not on the golf course! Please limit groups to four players.” They obviously ignored the sign. My dad started to get mad, so mad that it was funny. He was saying things like, “Why are these golfers raising hell on the golf course?? They’re gonna cause a backlog on the whole course!” He even called the pro shop, and a ranger came within minutes and broke up the ‘sevensome’. 

[Kevlar10]

Two years ago, I was at Patriots Point in Charleston as a single and I was partnered with a threesome.  First hole went pretty smoothly but the threesome was obviously playing for money.  Teeing off on the 3rd hole, one guy hits his tee shot well into a water hazard.  He says it’s dry, he saw it land,  buddies said “just hit a provisional and take the stroke if you can’t find it”.  Instead, he drives out 250 yards and starts looking.  After 5 minutes, he says he’s taking a mulligan and drives back to the tee, while the next foursome is waiting to tee off. Then the other two start in with similar antics.  One tosses his ball from OB, and the other starts arguing about the others not counting their strokes accurately.  Their literally arguing on the green while the group behind us is waiting.  I finally got fed up after the 12th hole and told them I had to leave.  I skipped to the next hole, which was open and played the rest of the round as as single.  I get back to the clubhouse and said something to the ranger and he said, what can he do, they paid their greens fees.  Probably the worst behavior I’ve ever seen on the course. 

[Bonvivant]

Most of my issues with etiquette revolve around slow play. I can't tell you how many times (as a single or twosome) I have come up behind a group that takes between 15-20 minutes a hole once they get to their second shot, but as soon as they are on the tee, they turn into speedy gonzales. Basically refusing the only chance for me to play through and then playing excruciatingly slow at all other times. Sounds like the guy in front of you had this going on.

One of my favorites was my uncle's doing though. He never plays it as it lies. Always fluffs it, but my dad and I would always play by the rules. I can't tell you how many times I watched him drive a golf cart tire right over my dad's or my ball, which drives the ball almost fully into the ground. Pissed both of us off at the time, but looking back, it was fairly funny. None of us ever scored under 100 or kept a handicap, so it was always fairly casual.

Edited January 12, 2020 by Bonvivant

[Patch]

Pace of play aside,  (I can deal with that) I think the player spitting his sun flower seed hulls on the tee box, and greens needs some type of brain adjustment. 

I would also include any player who does not police any of their trash properly, needs help with their lack of ettiquett. 

[Cantankerish]

2 hours ago, Patch said:

Pace of play aside,  (I can deal with that) I think the player spitting his sun flower seed hulls on the tee box, and greens needs some type of brain adjustment. 

I would also include any player who does not police any of their trash properly, needs help with their lack of ettiquett. 

Yeah, that ain’t right.  Obviously not right.  You have to wonder what is in the brain of such an individual.

 

The incident that sticks in my mind most was a little old lady we let play through after hitting our tee shots.  After hitting her second ball she drove her cart in the fairway and picked up our two balls.

 

I have another that I’m ashamed to even discuss.  When I was 16, and not much of a golfer, I missed a short putt and went to hit the ball very hard with the putter, into the woods or something.  I came in low though, and took a big chunk out of the green.  First time I have spoken of it.

I was a stupid kid.

Edited January 12, 2020 by Cantankerish

[Sandy Lie]

The most skipped over chapter in the USGA rule book. Etiquette in golf is really sportsmanship and fair play. Follow the rules, keep pace of play and take care of the course (fix divots, ball marks, etc).  Local course rules are typically communicated by the Pro Shop and starter. Pace of play is a big one. Our courses expect you to complete 18 holes in 4 hours 15 minutes.   If a foursome is playing at that pace the Marshall usually does nothing.  Typically foursomes control the course, threesomes, twosomes and singles have no rights when it comes to pace of play.  Sometimes you get to play through, but mostly you don’t. 

If your at a resort course you should prepare fo a 5 hour round! Brutal for everyone!  My latest pet peeve is music on the golf course,  I find it disruptive and out of place.  Another is watching people take 3 or 4 practice sings takin divots with all swings and not repairing them.
 

[Chisag]

... I was playing Encino in LA and was paired up with a father and son maybe 70 and 50 that introduced themselves like this "We are 2 rich guys and our CC is closed today so we are slumming at this muni". I laughed thinking they were joking but alas they were not. They would take 2 or 3 shots from the fairway never replacing their divots and of course not repairing ball marks. After 2 holes I told them to replace their divots and repair their ball marks and they responded "Oh please, they have people to do that" to which I responded they most assuredly do not and if they tried this at their CC they would not be members for long. They just snorted and ignored me. Unfortunately there were 4somes in front and behind so I had nowhere to go. 

... I was walking the course and after 9 they drove their cart to the snack bar, so on the 10th tee I teed off and then waited for them. The next group finished and approached the tee and I had to tell them to ignore my ball in the fairway and play thru. By the time the next 4some came to the tee I realized these a$$hats had just left without telling me. I have played as a single well over 500 times thru the years and never run across people so entitled and inconsiderate. LA allows 5somes so the group asked me to join them and the back 9 was back to normal golf. Worst 9 holes I have ever had to endure. 

[Mr22putt]

3 hours ago, Chisag said:

1) ... I was playing Encino in LA and was paired up with a father and son maybe 70 and 50 that introduced themselves like this "We are 2 rich guys and our CC is closed today so we are slumming at this muni". I laughed thinking they were joking but alas they were not. They would take 2 or 3 shots from the fairway never replacing their divots and of course not repairing ball marks. After 2 holes I told them to replace their divots and repair their ball marks and they responded "Oh please, they have people to do that" to which I responded they most assuredly do not and if they tried this at their CC they would not be members for long. They just snorted and ignored me. Unfortunately there were 4somes in front and behind so I had nowhere to go. 

2) ... I was walking the course and after 9 they drove their cart to the snack bar, so on the 10th tee I teed off and then waited for them. The next group finished and approached the tee and I had to tell them to ignore my ball in the fairway and play thru. By the time the next 4some came to the tee I realized these a$$hats had just left without telling me. I have played as a single well over 500 times thru the years and never run across people so entitled and inconsiderate. LA allows 5somes so the group asked me to join them and the back 9 was back to normal golf. Worst 9 holes I have ever had to endure. 

1) I'm not surprised you didn't cower to these CLOWN's and challenged them on their nonsense...not just once but twice.

I have a lot of Jewish friends from my HS..none like this...but if they did act like this .....they would not be my friends.

I wonder if these GOOF's belong to Hillcrest in LA?.....lol.

Yes...no way these idiots belong to a club for long with their behavior.

 

2) As I said...I'm likely not as nice as you and likely would not waited for them on the 10th tee and just proceeded to play and if asked by a marshal why I'm playing alone to head back and talk to the two GOOF's in a cart....not surprised these TOOL's were riding.

I've played golf for 52 years and many times as a single/2some and have never met any golfers so OBNOXIOUS...actually....not even outside of golf too.

Edited January 12, 2020 by Mr22putt

[Mr22putt]

18 hours ago, dagolfer18 said:

1) This was from today. There was a single walker in front of me, with his wife on the bag (didn’t think anything of that).

2) I played right behind him for the entire front nine, but I couldn’t join him because he would finish up on the tee before I finished on the green. Anyway, I was chipping up to the fifth green, and he was waiting on the next tee. I look over in the fairway of the sixth hole, and I see a twosome walking to their balls. I look back over at the guy on the tee, and he took two or three practice swings, and just hit his tee shot while the two in the fairway were still hitting! I didn’t say anything to him as he and his wife walked off the tee, and I briefly thought about saying something to the head pro about it when I stopped briefly for snacks at the turn, but decided against it. I’ve tried reporting poor etiquette before, but nothing was done to resolve it.

 

1) Did you happen to catch up with the wife in the parking lot and ask if she had a daughter?...the daughter would make an ideal GF for you because she's well trained by mom....lol.

I've seen my fair share of Asian wives here just tagging along (walking) while their husbands are golfing. 

2) The guy's behavior was...."I don't want this kid to catch up and have to play with him"....some people just don't like to play with others....I'm the opposite....I don't like to play golf alone.

Nothing to complain to the pro shop....maybe the guy teed off on the 6th to play short of the group ahead and to move along and avoid you catching up to him....it would that 2some's business to complain if indeed they were being hit upon.

[Chisag]

... Yup, like you I have never run across such obnoxious golfers. The only saving grace was they were in a cart while I walked and of course they were poor players and teed off from the tips (LOL) so we rarely crossed paths til we were on the green. 

[Hackasaurus Rex]

Playing behind two clowns who insist on playing from the Championship tees and slice every drive 100 yards into the woods. They drop in the fairway, pull out their 3 woods, wait for the green to clear so they can hit a hero shot, then top the ball 30 yards, then repeat. Every Par 4 and Par 5, same thing.

What's the definition of insanity?

[mcanadiens]

12 minutes ago, Hackasaurus Rex said:

Playing behind two clowns who insist on playing from the Championship tees and slice every drive 100 yards into the woods. They drop in the fairway, pull out their 3 woods, wait for the green to clear so they can hit a hero shot, then top the ball 30 yards, then repeat. Every Par 4 and Par 5, same thing.

What's the definition of insanity?

Sounds like the definition of a beginner.