My Mini-Rant

[iacas]

I was stuck behind a threesome today. There was no room in front of them, so playing through would have been pointless. Still finished 18 in 4 hours, so not dreadfully slow... and I tried to spend as much time practicing my pitching, chipping, and putting on the previous green as possible. There wasn't another golfer within the six or seven holes behind me, so no problems there. I even played one par five over again.

As I was driving back to the tee, I saw one of the dopes in the threesome in front of me parked about a foot off the cartpath. I muttered something to myself about what a jackass he was, given that the cart path was RIGHT THERE and that this nine holes is much more newly seeded. I take extra care in driving on it as little as possible.

The guy later yelled over "Hey, were you talking to me?" (I wasn't really, just talking to myself ABOUT him, heh heh), so I said "no". He continued with "Is there a problem?" Since they were on the 16th hole, I didn't care enough to get into it. So I just let it go, but in thinking about it, part of me really wishes I'd said "yeah, there is a problem. Several in fact: you or your partners have driven carts between the greens and greenside bunkers. You've parked them on grass when a path is right there. You've forgotten clubs on three holes. You've parked your cart in FRONT of the green. You've driven within 10 yards of virtually every green and tee. You've stayed in the cart and not dropped anyone off at their ball. You've not replaced a single divot, including the ones you've taken on the tees. You've played the blue tees, despite the fact that I haven't seen you hit a ball 200 yards in the air yet. You stopped the beer cart girl for ten minutes on one hole, and finally, you haven't raked a single trap you've been in. That about covers it."

Whispering Woods is a public course (with members), so while I don't expect the non-members to take care of the course like they play it a few times a week (like I do), I do expect a little general common sense and courtesy.

Next time, frankly, I've resolved myself to not being so afraid of confrontation. I'll calmly explain my position next time and leave it at that. I could just tell the pro or a ranger, but I believe in telling people what I think face to face, in a polite but firm manner.

[dayll]

iacas: Don't waste your breath or time. Too many ignorant idiots will respond to your suggestions with who knows what. They're the same fools that engage in road rage and the like. dayll.

[Warik]

The only thing you're likely to accomplish is making yourself feel better for a moment. People with such lack of consideration usually don't care to be reminded of it. The best you could hope for is that maybe ONE of them is reasonable and will tell the other's you're right after you leave.

I'd recommend being more explicative rather than confrontational. People respond to reason better than they respond to what they perceive as aggression, but in either case, I wouldn't be afraid to say something. Not like they're going to club you or anything.

[CG031]

Iacas sounds like some real idiots you were playing behind. Don't make the same mistake I did and get really mad, cuz you know what happened there. It sounds like you carried yourself really well...It's so easy to get out of control with people like that.

[LarryK]

Hopefully your mini-rant provided some relief. At least here you will get some sympathy.

My experience with truly boorish individuals (and fess up...yours, too, right?) is that the more severe and numerous their offenses, the less likely they are to feel any sense of guilt or shame surrounding their actions. In fact, if you confront them on their behavior they are more than likely to take offense at your offense and come up with some truly outlandish rationale on why they are entitled to act like idiots.

I once saw a driver ahead of me throw out bags of trash (i.e. super-sized happy meals) onto a scenic road through a national park. Upon confronting the individual (oh, yes, I did), I did not for a moment entertain the idea that he was somehow unaware that blatant littering was socially unacceptable. To do so would have extended a benefit of doubt that he did not deserve.

Instead, my rebuke cut to the heart of his real "crime," and with a fair amount of sarcasm, I let it be known that his lack of respect for others was only exceeded by my lack of respect for him.

That is about all you can do with people who demonstrate arrogance rather than honest negligence.

[lamebums]

The world is full of dipshits, *******s, and just really unpleasent people in general. As much as I've love everyone to have good etiquette on the golf course, it just ain't gonna happen. Especially the foursome of weekend duffers with a six-pack of beer in their carts who move slow and play slower.

At least it's not a combination of the following (pick and choose): the man you're wife is having an affair with, a Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker, a Klan member fresh out of jail, or the guy working for the IRS.

It could always be worse, lighten up. They probably won't show up for another few weeks, anyway, and odds are you won't be near them again.

[ILLZ]

I was stuck behind a threesome today. There was no room in front of them, so playing through would have been pointless. Still finished 18 in 4 hours, so not dreadfully slow... and I tried to spend as much time practicing my pitching, chipping, and putting on the previous green as possible. There wasn't another golfer within the six or seven holes behind me, so no problems there. I even played one par five over again.

While I sympathize with your general level of frustration, I do want to point out that most of these things aren't physically detrimental to the course, or your round. Though they are considered bad etiquette, and things I never would do, they don't hurt anything. Pulling the cart too close to the green does nothing to anything. Parking the cart on the grass beside the path does nothing to anything. Forgetting clubs does nothing to you unless your approach shot hits one of the clubs, which is unlikely. Not raking the traps is also a minor thing, IMO. Sure, it doesn't look good, but is your shot going to be different out of a shallow foot print? I don't think so. Not replacing divots is about the only one of these things I would get honestly upset about. I don't mean to come across like a dick, because I have been just as upset as you about fellow golfers etiquette, but I feel these things are minor. I get more pissed about someone walking into my fairway to hit their shot from a different hole, or someone yelling across their fairway to a playing partner while I'm a hole over trying to hit a shot.

[digger21]

These types of situations are better left to the birds. You hear about people deaths all the time just over something stupid. Confrontations can lead to problems and if you think about it, this will probably be the only time youll ever deal with them in your life. Ya never know , one of em could pull a gun on you or slice your tires in the lot. Crazy things do happen.

[iacas]

You know, I kind of figured a lot of the responses here would be of this type, of the "don't say anything" type. But man, that gets old fast, and you know, if people never speak up, then others will just continue to take advantage of their silence and unwillingness.

Civil heroes throughout history have been the ones that have spoken up. Rosa Parks spoke by not moving to a different seat. Clearly I'm not comparing telling someone they're being a jerk on the golf course to standing up to racism. I'm just saying it saddens and sickens me to a certain extent that we're so non-confrontational and so afraid and so willing to NOT say something. We've become a nation of chickens. In fact, looking back, I'm more disappointed in my own (in)actions than theirs. CG031, it's not the same as your situation. You were lippy and called and old guy names. I was planning to ask the people to take care of the course and observe the basic rules of cart and golf etiquette, sans name-calling, etc.

While I sympathize with your general level of frustration, I do want to point out that most of these things aren't physically detrimental to the course, or your round.

Yes, they are. Have you seen the worn areas (usually on the inside of turns) beside the cart path where people drive carts? It's hardpan dirt. Please, talk to your superintendent. They rope off the areas around tees and greens at some courses for a reason.

And I never said the footprints were shallow. You're supposed to dig your feet in to bunkers a good two or three inches, and these guys did. I could have tolerated one or two of these things, but all of them combined was just too much. I read somewhere recently a saying about "being whipped with a shoelace repeatedly" and that's what this was: a bunch of small irritations that just kept building. Forget to replace one divot or rake one trap? Fine.

[dayll]

iacas: Something like this can be effective - "You probably are a good guy but for some reason today you're acting rude and confrontational."
Statements given like the above give you the high ground if given in a low and composed non-confrontational tone, especially in front of his peers. While he may still be acting out, believe me, the next day, even through his hangover, he'll remember your reprimand and think twice about being an A-*&%$ next time.
I've clashed hard with some folks on the course in the past and it always ruined my round but since employing this non-confrontational method I've not gotten flustered, flummoxed, or flattened. dayll

[CusePhil]

Whispering Woods is a pretty nice/high end course right? Although I wouldn't start a confrontation, I think you have every right to defend your home course like you said. If you see other players blatantly disrespecting the course through misplaced divots and driving carts where they are not supposed to, a word or two of advice or concern certainly wouldn't hurt. There is nothing worse then seeing recips and one time players run all over your course ignoring course rules and tearing up the place. A subtle word or two should be more than enough to get there attention and change their actions.

[rolltideroll]

What is the world coming to...

Today I'm playing nine holes and these two morons are taking their sweet time waiting for the foursome in front of them to get on the green. Problem is, neither of these two are putting it more than 150 yards into the fairway...they are horrible.

So I'm already steaming because its been an hour and a half and we are still on 6. We get to a par three and wait on the tee box.
THE DUDE SETS HIS FRIKIN STAND BAG ON THE GREEN!!!
I'm miffed....seriously stunned. Slow play I can understand...but complete and total disregard for anyone else planning on playing to this green, not to mention the green keepers, members and pretty much anyone associated with the game of golf I simply cannot comprehend.

So anyways, a guy in my group shows that he has gonads and tells the guy not to place his stand bag on the green. Dude walks off and proceeds to tell his partner that "hey, that guy just got pissed off at me putting my bag on the green, what the hell!"

We proceed to wait behind this group of jokers until we get to 9. These jokers havn't teed off yet because, I presume, they think they might get lucky and stripe one. Bag-on green gets up to drive his ball....

He steps up...rears back, and shanks his drive completely laterally onto the green on the parallel fairway. Karma exists.

[Gregormendel]

I agree, dont waste your time or get into an arguement(at the least.. i have seen some fist fights) over some ignorant hacks. Let them be or call the proshop. If you dont work there, leave it to the employees.

[putterboy]

I agree something should be said, but I would make the marshals or the pro shop to handle it.
While it is your course and you are protective of it(which is a noble thing), I am betting that nothing good would have come from your confrontation. Considering he yelled if you had a problem was meaning he was looking to escalate the situation beyond a few words.
I have seen a similar situation at my private club where an individual politely told a foursome of males about their conduct and nearly had a club wrapped around their neck. That's when it's not worth it. Needless to say the whole incident made it back to the club owners and they banned both individuals, as it was was seen as unbecoming of both members; even though the second was trying to instill proper golfing etiquette on the course.