Why the Attitude???

[chris0228]

Alright guys and gals, help me out......

I have yet to figure out why so many weekend golfers and those that have time to play 3-4 times during the week have such a "I should really be on the PGA Tour" attitude when they turn in an 80? You get teamed up with these folks on course events and member scrambles, etc. and they just think they swing like Tiger and have Phil's short game, then pull one out of bounce or miss a par 3 by 40 yards. Then its the ole "I haven't swung in a few days," or "what a bad lie that was" etc.

I know that golf is a game for the ego just as much as it is for enjoyment, but come on dude!! Just because you played junior golf when you were 16 and shot a 77 twice does not mean you should literally chew someone out for accidentally getting their shadow in your putting line on #18. Just pisses me off when I'm playing with guys like that. Don't get me wrong, I play by the rules and expect those I play with to do the same, but lighten up will ya, we're not playing for a million bucks here. If you mis-hit your 7 iron and miss the green, you still get to play tomorrow if you want. What do you guys think?

[Par Fore]

I warned you about your shadow on 15 as well, and I didn't miss-hit that 7-iron.....the wind picked up a bit and cheated me of yet another perfect tour shot....



LMAO, I just noticed you live in McKinney....just so you know, I'm joking, haven't played since August, LOL....

Actually, I've been pretty lucky overall, I rarely get Mr. Seriously Delusional "I could be a pro if I had more time to practice guy".....when I do, I just let them enjoy their ego and try to tune them out.....but yeah, it's kinda funny when a 15 handi is "just one shot from going pro".....

[Chief Broom]

The attitude you describe really doesn't bother me that much. I can see though where it can become a problem, especially if they take their ire out on some kids or newbs on the course who accidentally cause the aformentioned "pro" a problem. What I can't stand is when someone gets excessively mad about their level of play that day. I'm in a league where there are a lot of decent single digit handicapers, but when one of them decides that his bad play that day is unacceptable and gets mad and carrys on excessively it can all but ruin everyone else's outing who has the misfortune to be paired with them. It doesn't runi my round but so much for enjoying someone else's company while you play because they are so hot that they won't be breaking 80 that day. Give me a break!

[Randy4h]

As people's game improves, their expectations increase. They have started to hit more good shots, so they expect to hit good shots every time. I guess it's human nature. When a shot goes awry, instead of laughing it off some folks get angry. Generally, that will lead to more bad shots, more anger. Not much fun to be around those guys.

I had this conversation with a buddy: we play a couple of times a week. Over the past year, he's dropped from around a 12 down to a 6 or 7. He gets frustrated over his putting. I told him "Look at it this way, at least you are missing your putts by smaller margins". And that is really true. How can the tours players go day in and day out, lipping out putts, making perfect strokes almost every time, but still missing most of their putts over 8 feet, on perfect greens, no less. It's got to drive them crazy, knowing thousands of dollars fly away with each miss. Thank goodness we just play for fun!

[msd3075]

LMAO, I just noticed you live in McKinney....

I saw he was from there too, and my first thought was it just sounds any other typical day/activity in DFW (ie. too many egotistical a**holes).

[ET-Taylor]

I have a tour game like the one on the first few holes in the semis in the accenture

[jsherm45]

What do you guys think?

I think part of moving up requires taking responsibility for the shots you hit.

Every shot including the bad ones. Once that's in place it's a matter of who whines and cries and who bucks up and focuses energy in a more productive way.

[Clambake]

Although I don't recall the exact quote and person involved, I loved the comment by Arnold Palmer when he was playing with an amateur who was getting furious over his bad shots - Arnie said "Face it...you're just not good enough to get mad over this game".

[RIduffer]

It's ironic that the biggest thing keeping these people from playing better is probably their attitude or inability to forget bad shots. I'll be the first in this thread to admit I'm guilty of it sometimes too. I'm working on it, but I do have an embarassing tendency to act like it's "unacceptable" for me to hit a ball OB or whatever. I guess golf teaches us all humility and maturity at some point.

[whetstone]

Sounds like you get matched up with some serious dicks.

[Chief Broom]

As people's game improves, their expectations increase. They have started to hit more good shots, so they expect to hit good shots every time. I guess it's human nature. When a shot goes awry, instead of laughing it off some folks get angry. Generally, that will lead to more bad shots, more anger. Not much fun to be around those guys.

And this is in league play that you can't use for handicap purposes (modified stableford with their own agreeded upon rule set - one mulligan, mully off the first tee, role the ball, etc.). I understand the impulse, but when one of those guys loses it it's absolutely no fun being around them anymore. You end up wishing they'd just walk off the course so that everyone else can go back to having a good time.

[B-Con]

Off topic, but...

LMAO, I just noticed you live in McKinney....just so you know, I'm joking, haven't played since August, LOL....

I didn't notice how many people on here lived north of Dallas until I moved out here. There are several of us on the board.

Just my luck that I'd move out just in time for the coldest winter in decades. I literally haven't played since September. I've hit the range twice, but on the few decent days this winter I didn't have the time/foresight to get out.

[GaijinGolfer]

A lot of golf is believing that you can pull off any shot. With the self confidence, for some comes the belief that one could play at the highest levels if they had the time and money to invest in the game.

[laconic517]

i agree completely. Its one of the reasons i dislike playing in our city events. Sure most of them are sub 5 handicaps but i swear if they shoot over 75 or hit a few errant tee balls or miss a putt its like the first time in their life its happened and they freak out. It ruins everyones mood and day. Its completely my fault for letting it bother me and killing my motivation but its just not fun to be around those kind of people. Sometimes it rubs off on me as well and I start to get negative until one of my friends checks me and I start to enjoy playing golf again.

[Randy4h]

Whenever I've played with a friend (I'd never do it with a stranger) who starts complaining about their game, I'll ask them whether they are willing to put in the time it takes to make improvements. Invariably, they said they were too busy to practice much. They only had time to play once a week.

I think it was on the golf channel, and I can't think which pro said it, but the idea was if you couldn't or wouldn't put in the time to practice, don't ever complain about your game. Period.

[Randy4h]

i agree completely. Its one of the reasons i dislike playing in our city events. Sure most of them are sub 5 handicaps but i swear if they shoot over 75 or hit a few errant tee balls or miss a putt its like the first time in their life its happened and they freak out. It ruins everyones mood and day. Its completely my fault for letting it bother me and killing my motivation but its just not fun to be around those kind of people. Sometimes it rubs off on me as well and I start to get negative until one of my friends checks me and I start to enjoy playing golf again.

Having played in more than a few amateur tournaments, it's easy to spot the golfers who have no chance. Once they get a double bogey, or chunk a shot, they are done. What I realized early on is, at my level, everyone is going to get a double (or worse) or miss putts they think they should make. The way to do well in those tournaments is to shrug off the bad shots, and just keep going. You'd be surprised how successful that can be.

[DBeane]

Sam Snead called it a "cool mad". It is a classy sport and it is important to be cool on the golf course but the guy that says "I suck..." after a bad shot...usually does. I have seen Jack blame a miss hit on literally anything but himself, and he is the greatest of all time, Tiger has all but pulled a "strap" out of his bag and busted a cap in someone for taking a loud breath in his back swing, and I think Hogan actually glared at someone so hard once he set the guy on fire.

A lot of good players have attitudes. A golf digest article on "How to be a cool golfer" summed it up best, it said "when a cool golfer hits a bad shot...cuss once, then get over it and move on...". Keeping your emotions in check is one of golfs critical variables.

-Beane

[Boyder]

This thread leaves me with 2 thoughts ...
1. I'm almost glad 90% of my playing is alone or with good friends/family.
2. There's another thread here discussing "sacred rules", the 1st of which is "Don't be a dick." ...