What happened to etiquette in golf?

[deasy55]

I thought anyone who would be bothered enough to join a golf forum would have enough interest in the game to respect it. Obviously I was wrong.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by trackster

Seriously sir?  You the one that said there was nothing wrong with riding in a golf cart is calling some one else lazy?  I'm not denying that courses don't prefer you repair your pitch marks, but no course is going to kick you out if you don't.  Golf carts do more harm to the course than walkers, but I don't see a ban on golf carts.

This thread has nothing to do with golf carts.  It is about general course etiquette, and you apparently don't care anything about that.  While I strongly dispute your contention (golf carts don't damage courses - irresponsible drivers might do some damage), you are equally irresponsible if you do nothing to help improve the course when the opportunity is there.  In fact you are probably more so because you admit that you could help to maintain the greens but you choose not to.  That is blatant disregard for the course and for your fellow players.

As a rider (I am in that category now, although I walked for more than 20 years, until my feet and knees made it impossible - at the moment I'm just at 3 weeks since having my right knee scoped), I also do other small things to help keep the course nice.  The golf cart has racks for 2 bottles of sand/seed mix, and I make sure that they are full when I start.  I fill unrepaired divots as I find them, often going through 4 full bottles in a round.  I repair from one to as many as 5 or 6 pitch marks on every green, whether I made one or not.  I do this out of respect for the course, for the staff which works hard to keep it in beautiful playing shape, and for the players who come after me.  My home course supports 100,000+ rounds per year, and if all of us had the crappy attitude you have, it would be a mess.

Thankfully, people like you are in a tiny minority.

[sean_miller]

I hate it when someone fixes my ball mark for me, yet ignores other, older marks.. I played with a couple members last week and one guy insisted on running over and fixing my mark right away. He was maybe living vicariously through my marks as if he was hitting greens, I don't know, but he was doing such a shitty job that I had to do a couple over again. I finally just said, "it's [almost] a nice gesture, fixing my ball marks, but I can get them. There are other marks here and there you can probably tidy up though, since we're waiting on the group ahead on every shot". It was either that or tell him to F off.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by trackster

I'm not denying that courses don't prefer you repair your pitch marks, but no course is going to kick you out if you don't.

That's an awfully low standard for behavior... doing just enough that you aren't asked to leave a place.

Some restaurants won't ask you to leave if you're loud. Doesn't mean you aren't being a jerk if you annoy the others trying to dine and have a quiet conversation with their date (or whatever).

I second (or twelfth) the sentiments others have expressed towards you and your apparent (lack of) respect for your fellow golfers and the golf course.

They say character is what you do when nobody's looking. You are revealing your character when people are looking...

[Kieran123]

I don't know what it is this year, but every course I have been on has had pitch marks all over the green untouched. I don't get how hard it is for someone to take 5 seconds to repair them. It pisses me off when you can tell they've been there all day and you have these crusty pitch marks in the line of your putt.

Some people may not have any etiquette, but it doesn't give them the right to ruin other peoples round.

[sean_miller]

I think for every person who's lacking in courtesy, there are a couple who don't even know they made the mark. Seriously - some people are that clueless. With all the rain we've had in AB this summer, the greens are unusually soft.

Originally Posted by Kieran123

I don't know what it is this year, but every course I have been on has had pitch marks all over the green untouched. I don't get how hard it is for someone to take 5 seconds to repair them. It pisses me off when you can tell they've been there all day and you have these crusty pitch marks in the line of your putt.

Some people may not have any etiquette, but it doesn't give them the right to ruin other peoples round.

[Kieran123]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

I think for every person who's lacking in courtesy, there are a couple who don't even know they made the mark. Seriously - some people are that clueless. With all the rain we've had in AB this summer, the greens are unusually soft.

True. There are people new to the game who are just naive.

[jclifton]

I played today with my cousin and his in-laws, who I had not played with before. We had a group of two behind us, but the course was loaded in front of us, so we saw no point in letting them through. On one hole, one of the guys behind us was looking his ball in our fairway. He proceeded over to a ball that was my cousin's father-in-law's and hit it. We were like, WTF? We let it slide that he might have made an honest mistake. Two holes later they hit an approach shot while were still on the green that luckily came up to the right. Next hole they tee off while we are hitting approach shots and a ball comes real close the cart. I through up my arms, giving them a WTF? One of the guys hit into us again on next hole. I had had enough. I took an 8 iron and sent his ball  over the green. After we putted out and left to go to the turn, I saw his ball next to the cart path, hoping he would see it too. The guy found it and told the guys behind them that someone had hit his ball. The guys happened to be friends of mine that they told. Much to our happiness they left after just nine holes!

Etiquette? It's about gone! Too many idiots out there to educate!

[Jmdmbike]

I don't know what it is this year, but every course I have been on has had pitch marks all over the green untouched. I don't get how hard it is for someone to take 5 seconds to repair them. It pisses me off when you can tell they've been there all day and you have these crusty pitch marks in the line of your putt.

Some people may not have any etiquette, but it doesn't give them the right to ruin other peoples round.

Completely agree. Watch any PGA event and the guys fix their own ball marks every time. I always do the +1, it takes a few seconds at most - I just don't get why someone wouldn't repair their own ball mark on the green.

[trackster]

I'm sorry?  I fix my own ball marks.  I don't see the necessity for me to fix other people ball marks.  If you think I'm going to walk around and fix 5 ball marks on every green then I guess I'm in the wrong.  I don't see not repairing some ones ball mark that is not mine as me committing a crime.  If some one litters and I see it and don't go out of my way to pick it up am I just as bad as the offender.  I would like to think not.

I don't see what etiquette I'm breaking?  I fix my own ball mark, but I don't care what another golfer is doing.  If instead of wasting your thinking on how some one else acted on the course today, you concentrated on your upcoming putt, you would be a better golfer.  Just because something makes you mad does not mean that it affects people the same way.  If some one is loud at a food place, it may bother you but to some one else they could care less.

Pros don't rake the bunker after they hit out of it, they have some one else do it for them.  Is this showing bad etiquette?

There is a lot of "I do nothing wrong on the course, and if I see some one do it once they must be a repeat offender".  I'm positive that EVERY single golfer has done something wrong on a golf course.  I've had times where I can't find my ball mark (or any in the immediate area) but I know I made one.  I'm sure this happens a lot, and that could be a reason why there are balls marks that are un repaired.

[deasy55]

Oh trackster trackster trackster....

[FLOG4]

When you play a nice private course you will always find it in good shape except if the weather has been dreadfull.  This is because all the members take pride in their club and desire to play it in as good a condition as possible. Public courses suffer from a majority of the golfers not being regulars and treating it abusively at times.  So for those that do frequent that course regularly they need to not only take care of their damages but also pick up the slack for the others that don't.  Any true devotee to the game wishes to participate at the best facility they can and have every aspect of that experience be positive.  So always just go by the motto of leaving the course in slightly better shape than it was whilst I came. Also use the motto of treat others as you would like to be treated...Gonna hit into people....How do you like being hit into?  It's all common sense. If you can do the above you will allways be able to play with anyone.

I tend to carry my bag predominantly if you are allowed to and the green to tee distances aren't stupid. But I believe my biggest pet peeve is cart tire tracks.  Especially after some wetness.  I will seek these spots out and tamp them down with my feet as I know they fix easy while still damp....Etiquette is a learned custom.  My dad didn't play till after me.  But he joined me up at the local private club and father figures abound for young golf bums. I had three sons and taught them all gentlemanly etiquette and my daughter too. There truely is no greater game you can share with your child.  And proper etiquette or even just a desire to try to achieve proper etiquette is a trait every golfer should aspire to.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by trackster

I'm sorry?  I fix my own ball marks.  I don't see the necessity for me to fix other people ball marks.  If you think I'm going to walk around and fix 5 ball marks on every green then I guess I'm in the wrong.  I don't see not repairing some ones ball mark that is not mine as me committing a crime.  If some one litters and I see it and don't go out of my way to pick it up am I just as bad as the offender.  I would like to think not.

I don't see what etiquette I'm breaking?  I fix my own ball mark, but I don't care what another golfer is doing.  If instead of wasting your thinking on how some one else acted on the course today, you concentrated on your upcoming putt, you would be a better golfer.  Just because something makes you mad does not mean that it affects people the same way.  If some one is loud at a food place, it may bother you but to some one else they could care less.

Pros don't rake the bunker after they hit out of it, they have some one else do it for them.  Is this showing bad etiquette?

There is a lot of "I do nothing wrong on the course, and if I see some one do it once they must be a repeat offender".  I'm positive that EVERY single golfer has done something wrong on a golf course.  I've had times where I can't find my ball mark (or any in the immediate area) but I know I made one.  I'm sure this happens a lot, and that could be a reason why there are balls marks that are un repaired.

You just keep digging the hole deeper, don't you?  You are obviously a member of the so-called "entitled generation", where everything has been given to you without you ever having to lift a finger in return.  So you figure that like everything else in life, this is someone else's responsibility.  God forbid that you should ever do anything as a favor for anyone else without some sort of recompense.  I feel sorry for you  and the people who have to be around you.  You are a small, shallow, callous person.  You have also found your way to my ignore list.  Bye now.

[sean_miller]

I'm gonna be the lone dissenter here and try to glean some logic from your post.

Are you saying that you fix your own ball mark and probably more often than not do a quick scan for a couple others, but balk at the assumption that every conscientious / respectful golfer has to be responsible to make amends for all the mistakes/transgressions of those players who are completely clueless?

If somehow you're also suggesting the free time of rangers or marshals at lesser courses (the ones which apparently have more problems with people not repairing ball marks) would be better spent fixing ball marks and looking for things to tidy up, rather than being ball hawks, napping, listing to the ball game on the radio, and generally ignoring the pace of play? Maybe this is just the description of our marshals.

Originally Posted by trackster

I'm sorry?  I fix my own ball marks.  I don't see the necessity for me to fix other people ball marks.  If you think I'm going to walk around and fix 5 ball marks on every green then I guess I'm in the wrong.  I don't see not repairing some ones ball mark that is not mine as me committing a crime.  If some one litters and I see it and don't go out of my way to pick it up am I just as bad as the offender.  I would like to think not.

I don't see what etiquette I'm breaking?  I fix my own ball mark, but I don't care what another golfer is doing.  If instead of wasting your thinking on how some one else acted on the course today, you concentrated on your upcoming putt, you would be a better golfer.  Just because something makes you mad does not mean that it affects people the same way.  If some one is loud at a food place, it may bother you but to some one else they could care less.

Pros don't rake the bunker after they hit out of it, they have some one else do it for them.  Is this showing bad etiquette?

There is a lot of "I do nothing wrong on the course, and if I see some one do it once they must be a repeat offender".  I'm positive that EVERY single golfer has done something wrong on a golf course.  I've had times where I can't find my ball mark (or any in the immediate area) but I know I made one.  I'm sure this happens a lot, and that could be a reason why there are balls marks that are un repaired.

[turtleback]

Originally Posted by sacm3bill

Trackster's outlandish comments have often led people to wonder if he might be a cleverly disguised troll. I think the jury's still out on that.

I don't know about that, but he is the first person I've encountered here who I wouldn't care to play with.  And I'd guess that is mutual.

[sacm3bill]

Originally Posted by turtleback

I don't know about that, but he is the first person I've encountered here who I wouldn't care to play with.  And I'd guess that is mutual.

Ah, Trackster's not that bad, he just likes to push peoples' buttons.

[bplewis24]

Originally Posted by FLOG4

One of the primary reasons the current generation [as depicted by several posters in this thread] have no etiquette on the golf course is because they have no class.  With so many of todays generation brought up in dysfunctional homes and exposed to South Park and the like. What do you expect?  So cut them some slack.  They are who they are.  Non elitest, blue collar, white trash, just out havin some fun playin a game...  Divot tool, what's that....Fix a divot, they got workers that do that....Hit into you if you don't get out of my way....I plays as a single cuz nobody else will play with me.....And no Daddy to teach thems the right way to do it.  Golf is such a pure analysis to human behavior.  Play the $20 public, $50 public, $100 public, private, exclusive private..It's just like going to the restaurant...The more it costs the more polished the patron.....  And with it the love and acceptance of all the nuiances/history/etiquette of the game of golf. So cut these boys some slack, they never had anyone teach them right from wrong in golf or for that matter anything else.

How dare you sir!  Leave South Park out of this.

I type this as I'm watching South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut .  Anyhow, some of your generalizations are a bit too...general.

Brandon

[FLOG4]

Originally Posted by bplewis24

How dare you sir!  Leave South Park out of this.

I type this as I'm watching South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut.  Anyhow, some of your generalizations are a bit too...general.

Brandon

Just pushing the yutes buttons.  Yes too general but leans toward the sorry truth.