Etiquette Violations (and Other Things) That Bug You

[ChetlovesMer]

I'm not sure this fits exactly in this thread, but it seems to.

My question is simple: Why don't people fix their ball marks anymore? 
The course where I play my Monday Night League is full of guys who I think should know better, but for what ever reason don't fix their ball marks on the green.

WHY? 
Personally, I like fixing ball marks. If I make a ball mark that means I've hit the green. I want people to look up and see me fixing my ball mark. It makes me "look like" I know what I'm doing. Even if I don't. ... 

[klineka]

8 minutes ago, ChetlovesMer said:

I'm not sure this fits exactly in this thread, but it seems to.

My question is simple: Why don't people fix their ball marks anymore? 
The course where I play my Monday Night League is full of guys who I think should know better, but for what ever reason don't fix their ball marks on the green.

WHY? 
Personally, I like fixing ball marks. If I make a ball mark that means I've hit the green. I want people to look up and see me fixing my ball mark. It makes me "look like" I know what I'm doing. Even if I don't. ... 

Laziness? That's about all I can think of.

I always fix mine and if I see another one or two in the general area walking around to read my putt I'll fix them too. 

[billchao]

12 minutes ago, ChetlovesMer said:

My question is simple: Why don't people fix their ball marks anymore?

They’re probably the same people that complain about how messed up the greens are.

3 minutes ago, klineka said:

Laziness? That's about all I can think of.

I always fix mine and if I see another one or two in the general area walking around to read my putt I'll fix them too. 

Same, here. I usually fix two or three marks at a time, this way I’m net positive.

[GolfLug]

17 minutes ago, ChetlovesMer said:

I'm not sure this fits exactly in this thread, but it seems to.

My question is simple: Why don't people fix their ball marks anymore? 

A busy cocktail of apathy, indifference, lack of ownership.... and then throw in a dash of entitlement to top it off. Ya know, the usual ingredients.

[ChetlovesMer]

14 minutes ago, GolfLug said:

A busy cocktail of apathy, indifference, lack of ownership.... and then throw in a dash of entitlement to top it off. Ya know, the usual ingredients.

I think the popularity of watching youtube golf shorts may also play into it. Very rarely, if ever, do you see a golf influencer fix their ball marks. Perhaps that's part of it. 

I know it bugs me. 

Like many others I always fix a few extra ones when I'm on the green. 

[klineka]

8 minutes ago, ChetlovesMer said:

I think the popularity of watching youtube golf shorts may also play into it. Very rarely, if ever, do you see a golf influencer fix their ball marks. Perhaps that's part of it. 

To be fair, I don't watch golf YouTube videos to watch guys fix pitch marks, I watch to see the content/golf so it makes sense that stuff like that gets edited out.

You don't see them replace/sand divots either but I'm sure they do. (At least the ones I watch that are very high level golfers. Bryan Bros, Grant Horvat, Peter Finch, etc)

[ChetlovesMer]

7 minutes ago, klineka said:

To be fair, I don't watch golf YouTube videos to watch guys fix pitch marks, I watch to see the content/golf so it makes sense that stuff like that gets edited out.

You don't see them replace/sand divots either but I'm sure they do. (At least the ones I watch that are very high level golfers. Bryan Bros, Grant Horvat, Peter Finch, etc)

Yeah, that's fair. 

I'm not sure what the solution is. 

I do remember "back in the day" when the ranger would remind you to fix your ball marks. I don't see that anymore either. 

I guess my point is. I grew up in a time when fixing your ball mark was "cool". Because it meant you hit the green and made a ball mark. It's just not cool anymore.... which (in my opinion) is too bad. 

[GolfLug]

I believe the golf courses are leaving some opportunities on the table to educate and even insist that folks repair ball marks and fill in divots. They can and should put up signs strategically of what is expected. It may not cure the problem completely but it certainly would raise the level of awareness and improve on the status quo.

Edit: I think the courses should straight up empty threaten folks that they would be asked to leave if found to be leaving ball marks unrepaired. Seriously.

Edited May 23 by GolfLug

[Elmer]

4 hours ago, ChetlovesMer said:

golf influencer

The fact that I live in a world where there is a such a thing as "golf influencer" bugs me!

[StuM]

4 hours ago, GolfLug said:

Edit: I think the courses should straight up empty threaten folks that they would be asked to leave if found to be leaving ball marks unrepaired. Seriously.

Unfortunately in today's world often times "Transgressions" are overlooked to avoid a potentially violent confrontation.  Just think how many times you hear about road-rage because someone honked a horn at another motorist or someone gets shot over some minor issue.  It would be nice to see them kicked off the course but nobody wants to be the 1 out of a 1000 rangers that gets shot by some stupid jerk.

[GolfLug]

37 minutes ago, StuM said:

Unfortunately in today's world often times "Transgressions" are overlooked to avoid a potentially violent confrontation.  Just think how many times you hear about road-rage because someone honked a horn at another motorist or someone gets shot over some minor issue.  It would be nice to see them kicked off the course but nobody wants to be the 1 out of a 1000 rangers that gets shot by some stupid jerk.

I hear you and hence I did say empty threats. Meaning sternly worded signs but no person to person confrontations. The jerks won't care but it does help with the folks who still have an iota of conscience but just don't think it/forget, or get de-sensitized to a point where just like the jerks, they don't care either. 

[flopster]

Sunflower seeds shells on the putting green.

[boil3rmak3r]

This is very personal and likely not relatable, but I play with a group that usually has 6 to 12 people show up on any given weekend.  Most of them ride, but some of us walk.  If I end up as a 3-some with certain people that ride (very specific people) it can be weird.

We will all hit drives.  The other guys hit their approach shots before I even get to my ball (my club allows them to use separate carts).  I then hit my approach shot.  Let’s say I hit the green…. The other two players will have already chipped and putted out before I even get to the green.  So I am just putting with them standing next to their carts, itching to get to the next tee box.

We usually play 18 holes as a 3-some in around 3 hours (2:45 to 3:15).

So, I generally like to have another walker with me.

The funny thing is, I am the low handicap in my group by about 5 strokes.  

Even though it’s not kosher, I’ll sometimes putt out on the green when I get a chance while they are getting ready to hit their 5th shot from 100 yds.  Tit-for-tat, I guess.

I’ve suggested to them many times to just play as a 2-some, but they never do.  Nobody else likes to play with them, but I am the only other player that plays from their tee boxes.

None of the other cart riders in our group are that rude.  They usually respect a walkers pace and are not sprinting in their carts to finish as fast as they can.