Playing with strangers

[dednaH tfeL]

Two weeks ago, I played with a man in his sixties who had a heart transplant 13 years ago and was told by his doctors at the time that he could expect to live a maximum of 10 years. He was a very positive man who considered every day a blessing. I really enjoyed talking to him.

[pup]

I am loving this thread.

[James_Black]

Yep, he spent something like 30+ years on the bench. I told everyone I knew that story. I told all the people that I was in the Chamber of Commerce with. I told anybody who would listen. I guarantee that it eventually got back to him. I wanted him to feel like an a-hole for doing that.

why would he feel guilty?

Maybe next time those two won't do it on a green on a golf course? I haven't had any random partners like that. Interesting thread to read though!

[vct33]

why would he feel guilty?

He should feel guilty for stiffing me for $50 and stealing my golf ball. It's not a very honorable thing for a judge to do. However, I didn't say he feel guilty. I said he'd feel like an a-hole when the story got back to him. Of course, I'm sure he denied that it happened.

[James_Black]

He should feel guilty for stiffing me for $50 and stealing my golf ball. It's not a very honorable thing for a judge to do. However, I didn't say he feel guilty. I said he'd feel like an a-hole when the story got back to him. Of course, I'm sure he denied that it happened.

Thought that was about the one with the baker and the early round lol

[Fourputt]

I got paired up with a US Congressman a few years ago. It was on my home public course, not a private club, and he wasn't even out hawking votes. He was a great golfing companion.... the topic of politics never even came up. I enjoyed the round with him immensely.

[Easy]

Another Forest Park Golf Course story. I don't know if this is politically correct but its still a good story. I was 18 and had a summer job that didn't require me to be at work until 10am. I got into the habit of walking out on Forest Park's 18 hole course at the crack of dawn and usually I could get most if not all of a round done and still get to work. Since it was weekdays, the course was usually empty. I'd pay my $10 when I got back to the house because they weren't even open when I hit off the first tee. The proprietors were cool with that and since I was doing it 3 or 4 mornings a week, I got to know the folks there.

LMFAO! Don't know what I would of done if I saw that when I was 18. Probably would of ran home and curled up into the fetal position.

[Mike H]

Played with a couple guys this week that looked like they spent 3-4 days a week in the gym, I have a mental thing with my driver on 3 and 4 at the course I play so I T off with my three wood to keep the ball from hitting houses. I was out driving them about 10-15 yards with it and could play my ball from the fairway. They tried harder and the worse it got, I just kept it up and played good for me.

Mike

[eprobation]

some GREAT stories in this thread... cracks my ass up!

[$2 Nassau]

Me and my bro-in-law played with a guy, his name was Keith. I know his name was Keith because everytime he hit a drive he yelled "oh yeah Keith, great hit!! Woooo" He was a great driver of the golf ball, but that was about it. It got pretty ridiculous after a while, he was so proud of himself.

My bro-in-law was using a divot tool to mark his ball, just laying it on the green -guess he couldn't find a marker or something. One hole, Keith walks over, picks it up and asks who dropped their divot tool. LOL

[jldavis73]

I enjoy playing with strangers. I've been a member at 2 different courses in my hometown, and have had varied experiences...the state park public course is all about the golf, and the folks I've met there are great. The private club was full of self-important, arrogant a$$holes. I truly enjoyed embarrassing them on "their" course. I refuse to even play a scramble at that place. I also play in a Tuesday night scramble at the local "goat ranch". The course is pretty bad, but I have a blast because it's a random draw, and the people just want to have fun and play good golf.

[kurisu]

One Saturday morning my girlfriend was out and I had a three hours before she got back so I went to a local par 3 course in Tokyo.
I got paired up with two older gentlemen. Both of them quite scruffy looking, both of them carrying old tweed bags with a strange mix of clubs. One of them, Mr. Kurihara, who had a broken hip, had old dirty socks on what appeared to be old hybrids, no wedge, and a brand new Nike putter. Mr. Kaneda, was carrying a set of blades and a very old putter that his late wife had decorated with painted flowers.

The longest hole is 174 yards, and my best score is currently 37.
Without speaking further than exchanging names and drawing straws, we proceed to the first tee, 121 yards, and Kurihara san, hits god knows what club (by the length of it a 7 or 8i) with the most amazingly complex swing I've seen, onto the green, 4 yards right of the pin, for an opening birdie.
I was next, and I proceeded to hit my easy 9i over the green for what turned out to be bogey.
Mr Kaneda, asked me, in Japanese "what did you hit?", "9 iron", I replied. "OK, let me do the same", and he hit a superb draw that he also converted for birdie.

Feeling the pressure, I tried to engage both of them in conversation but Kaneda san ignored what I was saying just asked me "where are you from and how long have you played golf?". "I'm French and I first picked up a club last summer". Then… silence.
We arrive at the second tee, 112 yards. After they both hit great shots, Kaneda san tells me, in fluent French "Tu devrais utiliser ton approach wedge vue la distance à laquelle tu as envoyé ton fer 9" ("you should use your approach wedge, seeing how far you launched your 9 iron").
I looked at him, speechless, I just nodded. And proceeded to land my 50º wedge on the green, and got a par.

Mr Kurihara didn't speak much, but told me, in Japanese, that he was retired and recovering from an accident. For rehabilitation his doctor recommended he played golf. (I guess obviously for the walking, not for the perfect swing…). That was 10 years ago. He's been playing in the 80's for a while. That round he played a 33.

We continued to speak in a mixture of Japanese, French and sometimes English for the rest of the holes. Mr Kaneda was working in France in the 70's for a trading house and has been playing golf since he was 19. He told me he's 72. You wouldn't tell just looking at his shots, as the guy played to a 26 (par is 27).

As for me, I had one of the most amazing time and, as I mentioned above, played my best score yet there, a 37.

I met Mr Kaneda at the check-out, we exchanged cards and he proceeded to leave in his vintage Aston Martin V8.

Never judge a book by its cover

[markpf189]

Great story, and an Aston Martin v8..are you sure that wasn't the Japanese James Bond?

[kurisu]

Could be hehe! You also should have seen the faces of three 20 something girls that arrived shortly before he drove off: an old man in a golf attire probably as old as me, loading his old dirty bag in such a car! that was priceless…

[markpf189]

Could be hehe! You also should have seen the faces of three 20 something girls that arrived shortly before he drove off: an old man in a golf attire probably as old as me, loading his old dirty bag in such a car! that was priceless…

Awesome, it must cost a fortune golfing in Tokyo but seems like it'd be an amazing place to live.

[Stretch]

The Aston reminds me of slightly similar story. I was at the practice range at the club here and bumped into another member who asked if I was new, where I was from etc. Older guy, friendly enough, bit flamboyant with one of those old-fashioned luxuriant mustaches. Anyway, I saw him in the car park later loading his clubs into a very shiny Maserati Gran Turismo. Just a flat-out beautiful car. Felt a pang of envy, I must admit.

Two days later, I open up the local paper and there he is on page one right below the fold. Busted by the white-collar crime unit for (allegedly) massive corruption involving government procurement contracts. Said the cops had seized the Maserati, along with a Ferrari and a Learjet, which must have stung a bit. Obviously had little problem making bail but haven't seen him around since. Low profile advisable for a while, I imagine.

[pherg]

Thought that was about the one with the baker and the early round lol

Gold. Comedy Gold.