Worst Etiquette Experience of my life

[Gerardv]

Today I didn't have to work and my wife took the kids to my sister-in-law's pool. So I took advantage of the after 5pm deal at the local muni. As I am playing, a pretty big guy is behind me - which wasn't really an issue. He was walking, I was in a cart (my gimpness means I can't walk).

I am a full hole ahead, on the fourth tee while he is on the third. He waved me over and thinking I dropped something, I went back to see what he needed. When I got within shouting distance, he starts yelling at me about cutting in front of him.

No idea what he was thinking. He proceeded to not putt out on the 3rd green and walked up right behind me on the 4th tee. While I am hitting, he is yelling at me about it being "my world" and how I was going to keep him from finishing his round.

I ignored him, hit my tee shot and while lining up my second shot he hit into me. So, I called the clubhouse and told them what was going on. While I was standing on the green, he hit into me again while the ranger was standing right there.

The ranger didn't throw him off of the course which amazed me. He made him wait until I could move on before letting him move to the fifth tee. Didn't matter, he hit into me again.

At this point, I didn't want to be around anymore so I finished the hole and left. As I rode away, the guy kept yelling at me.

Something like this has never happened to me before. I have seen other strange things happen, but never had anyone snap like this. I parred the first three holes, was sitting in the middle of the fairway 100yds from the green on 4 when he hit into me, and he ruined the rest of my round. Parring the first three holes is a big deal to me.

To be honest, I can't figure out why they didn't toss him off of the course for hitting into me. That is simply unsafe - even if I was wrong, even if I wasn't letting a faster player through, even if I left spike marks on the greens, and failed to put the flag back in after holing out it doesn't justify hitting into me.

None of those things happened. I fix ball marks, and even make it a habit of fixing at least one other ball mark on every green. There are an endless parade of golfers who don't fix them, so I don't have to go out of my way to find them.

The fact that there wasn't a good reason for it is even more shocking. I play FAST. Usually, when people play a round with me they are talking during my shots on the first few holes because I am addressing the ball while the previous player's shots are still in the air. Plus, I was in the cart and he was walking. There is NO WAY he was being held up by me.

There was a twosome behind me that left between the 2nd and 3rd hole, and one in front of me, so maybe he thought I jumped in front of him. Nothing I said made a difference though.

He never asked to play through, he kept ranting about how it was "my world" and nobody else's.

Ten years ago, I would have stood and fought, but now I am older and wiser. Leaving was the right thing to do. Still, it rubs me the wrong way since I wasn't doing anything wrong and felt like I had to leave for my own safety.

[Whiskey84]

That's a bummer man. I would've gone into the clubhouse on my way out and complained both about the player and about the marshal who did not do his job in ejecting a player who was obviously acting in an unsafe and threatening manner towards other golfers.

Good call leaving instead of fighting though.

[Gerardv]

Thanks - I did complain about it in the clubhouse. They did give me a rain check, but how do I know that loony tunes guy won't be out there again? Probably just give it to my neighbor's kids since he plays out there all the time.

[DaSportsGuy]

That sucks man. People are idiots on the golf course.

My home course has plenty of those kind of guys. All the leagues go off right after our golf team goes off and they hit into us all the time and they hardly ever have to wait. Every time we're teeing off they're ranting and raving to each other about how they want to leave if they play behind us and they always ask us why we're out golfing instead of doing homework. The starter usually just sits on the first tee on which side we're going off until we're out of driving range so they don't hit into us.

[Whiskey84]

the odds of that guy being out there again can't be very good.

[jetsknicks1]

Today I didn't have to work and my wife took the kids to my sister-in-law's pool. So I took advantage of the after 5pm deal at the local muni. As I am playing, a pretty big guy is behind me - which wasn't really an issue. He was walking, I was in a cart (my gimpness means I can't walk).

You did the right thing. Dude was obviously an arsehole who probably would've fought you simply because he thought you were inconviencing(sp) him.

[jetsknicks1]

That sucks man. People are idiots on the golf course.

Unfortunately, there are plenty of older A hole golfers out there who think that kids shouldn't be playing. Just ignore them and let them go home feeling pissed off.

[vct33]

I know two wrongs don't make a right. However, I absolutely, positively would have hit his ball back at him the 2nd time he hit into me.

[bwdial]

I know two wrongs don't make a right. However, I absolutely, positively would have hit his ball back at him the 2nd time he hit into me.

I would have picked it up, pocketed it and thanked him for "hitting it into my world".

[Fat Slice]

Shake it off. It sucks, but you handled it properly. Life is like that sometimes, don't let it get you down. Golf is too much fun.

[Harry SasQuatch]

I would have played as fast as I can and outran him. Nothing would piss him off more than trying as hard as he can to catch you and only falling farther behind. I walk all the time and play very fast but there's no way I can catch a single in a cart who can play fast.

[colin007]

i would have GONE OFF to whomever is in charge about that marshall.

[Shindig]

Thanks - I did complain about it in the clubhouse. They did give me a rain check, but how do I know that loony tunes guy won't be out there again? Probably just give it to my neighbor's kids since he plays out there all the time.

Call them tomorrow. Tell them you've decided you want a refund, not a raincheck. You won't be returning.

Make sure to inform the director of golf and any business manager(s) the course has. Tell them that the marshall saw you being hit into, knew you had been hit into before by this person, and did nothing. And there are plenty of folks on this board in the Columbus region. If the course's management doesn't satisfy you, please be sure to post which course this was, so as to warn off any other potential players.

[JerseyThursday]

Today I didn't have to work and my wife took the kids to my sister-in-law's pool. So I took advantage of the after 5pm deal at the local muni...

Can I ask what muni course in Columbus this took place? I’ve played a few but never seen anything like that. In fact, central Ohio people seem very friendly overall, unless you start saying negative things about Ohio State.

[MJP]

I would hit a low punch that trickled 20 yards past him.

Being young and someone who can't stand shit like this, if he didn't ever ask to play through I would have just stood there on the next tee until he approached. Then say nothing until he says something. Then prove him overwhelmingly wrong and let him play through.

If this had happened when I was even younger, I probably would have done all of that then tee off right as he approaches his tee shot. Give him a taste of his own medicine. It'd be especially fun since you could always be right on his ass with a cart if he was walking. But this is stooping to his level, even though it's more of a payback mentality. Not a "lets spend money to go hit balls at other golfers and be a huge •••••••" mentality.

If he doesn't play through, then he literally is the #1 douchebag of all time. Who would pick up their own ball just to try to catch up to the group in front so they can proceed to hit into them and tell them they are playing slow...I just don't get it.

It's hard to believe this story is even true. I can only imagine how terrible of a playing partner he would be...just wow. Probably would bitch after every shot.

[motteler621]

Theres always those guys on the course that play by themselves and go super fast and expect you to stay way ahead of them. They usually have push carts and literally take no practice swing and hit the ball. Then fast walk up to their next shop grab a club and just hit it. When its on the green they just hitt the ball somewhere near the hole and pick it up, lol. Im sure this guys was one of them as they usually get really mad at other players in front of them.

[JWL1957]

The course marshall should be fired.

[senorchipotle]

you should have waited til the marshal left and smacked yourself hard on the leg with a golf ball. then the next time he hit into you fall down, call the cops and had him arrested for assault. then sued his pants off. that'd teach him. i've been drinking with lawyers all night, if you couldn't tell