Dealing with annoying golf partners

[ronaldkuntoro]

Suppose you are playing in the Tournament and you are paired with a bunch of annoying golfers. They make a really bad comment about your swing (such as "your swing plane is too upright blablabla"). Making fun of every shot you make. And when it's their turn to shoot and they make a really bad shot themselves. Those bunch play very slow and keeping you waiting all the time. If you have this situation, what would you do?

[pxc]

Firmly tell them if you want help with your swing, you'll ask for it.

Are they actually making fun of you, or just criticizing your swing? If they're literally mocking you I would leave the group.

[martytilma]

Politely tell them to "Shut the hell up, I'm trying to golf".

[JaredSS]

I ran into this at my home course. Every Wednesday morning they have a blind draw scrambe(at least they claim its blind draw). It always seems like the same guys get on the same teams. I don't mind if I draw a terrible golfer as long as they're fun and don't bug the living crap out of me. I've not ran into anybody critiquing(sp) my game like you have, but there are a few that are annoying as heck. So what did I do you're probably wondering by this point?....I quit going.

[fr0sty]

There probably is not much you can do without being confrontational. If pace of play is a serious problem you can mention something to a marshal/ranger. If it was a one-time pairing I'd just try to make lemonade...

[Chief Broom]

Ignore them. Usually giving a playing partner the cold shoulder (only when necessary) is enough to convey the message that you don't feel like interacting with them. Play your game, keep moving, and always be ready to hit. You don't have to be rude to do this. Just don't spend any time standing around with them so that they have the opportunity to converse with you. You do this by standing on the opposit side of the tee box, moving along after you or they hit, etc.

[JWL1957]

Punch him in the face. (tic)

[double_j]

or grow a thicker skin. I've yet to meet anybody that obnoxious on a golf course although I admit that I may have been lucky.

If you were the only 'outsider' in the group, it could be that they were just trying to treat you as one of the group.

Either way, ignore it and just play your game. RE: the slow play, as long as they were keeping pace, then it's really not an issue (even if you want to finish in 3 hours). Otherwise, I usually will just find ways to bring up the fact that people are waiting on us, etc.

Also - sometimes I'll just decide that those rounds will be dedicated to drinking heavily.

[NI4NI]

If they're outright making fun of you, then I would tell them zip it. If they're trying to include you in their banter in order to break the ice, then I would ignore as best able. If this doesn't work, then tell them that you would appreciate them not "sharing" their thoughts with you. In any event, I would bring it up with the tourney committee if it just drives you up the wall. However, tourney time is when you want to thicken up a bit to stay within your game (mentally).

[DavidFehertysBike]

Ignore them. Usually giving a playing partner the cold shoulder (only when necessary) is enough to convey the message that you don't feel like interacting with them. Play your game, keep moving, and always be ready to hit. You don't have to be rude to do this. Just don't spend any time standing around with them so that they have the opportunity to converse with you. You do this by standing on the opposit side of the tee box, moving along after you or they hit, etc.

Yes. Or do what JWL mentioned and just start crackin faces.

[sean_miller]

When someone comments on the way I do something in my swing / preshot / whatever, I'll ignore it once or twice. But on strike three I ask, "is it bothering you when I do that?" It usually shuts them up. It shuts my next door neighbour up too when he has a snide comment ever time I'm out in the yard.

[TourSpoon]

I have never played with anyone quite that annoying.

On dealing with advice or tips I simply tell them that I would greatly appreciate it if they could tell me any tips at the turn or end of the round. By then they either forget or I just hear it once.

On slow players I usually tell them that we have to pick it up if there is room in front and we have people waiting. If there is no where to go then I don't say a word.

With all that being said, if someone really rubs me the wrong way I just don't play with them again. Life is too short for any aggravation especially when it comes to golf as it can be frustrating enough.

[montru]

I was in a tourny in AZ last September, I was put with this one guy on my cart and I swear he was on something, he never shut up, he even talked to himself over his own shots, and while I or another person in our group was putting he would be talking and walking round the green.
Although two of us said something he did calm down a little but psychologically the damage was done because even when he didn't say anything you were half expecting to here something in the middle of your swing and it just lets tention creep in.

I spoke to the organizers that evening and the other two players backed me up, I didn't see him again on the course during the tournament.

It was a stableford tournament over three days, I shot 28, 38 and 39 points total 105, the winning score was 112, I often wonder if I hadn't had that guy in the first round whether I would have won!!

[vmsea]

all depends on situation right? like someone mentioned, they could just be treating you like one of the group.

Do they do this to their OWN people? (i.e. do they make fun of each other?)
if so, just try to toughen up, and start makin' fun of them, givin' them heck etc.. you've got the game to back it up..
don't play with them again, but out there during the round, i would just try to make the best of it.

[ronaldkuntoro]

all depends on situation right? like someone mentioned, they could just be treating you like one of the group.

No I don't think so. Once I played in a Foursome, 2 of my partners are from the same workplace. They work at the same golf course. Those 2 guys played very badly. I mean almost every tee shot, their shot went somewhere in the woods. So I think they got angry at themselves and started to mock at my shots also. I don't think they made fun of each other.

My tee shot was all on the Fairway for 9 holes. On the 10th, I put another bomb on the fairway and one guy commented (sarcastically) "Man you just starting to play well!". Well I'm thinking "Hell No! I've been playing well since the first!". Obviously I ignored his comment and made peace to myself.

[ajschn06]

God put 5 fingers on your hand for a simple reason...so one of them would be in the middle!

[JWL1957]

I have one guy of my foursome who loves to break down my game for me. Give him 2-3 beers at the 19th hole, and he turns into a golf Aristotle.