How do you handle a playing partner displaying terrible course etiquette?

[Stewie007]

Originally Posted by Ballsndrama

One day my son and I decided to go play and got paired with two strangers.  We were waiting for a foursome to clear a hole on our approach when we noticed one of them slamming their putter into the green.  The putter actually was sticking out of the green and he had to work it to get it out.  Then they all proceeded to the next green.  I looked at my playing partners and they were shocked as well.  When we rolled up to the green there it was, a big hole in the middle of the green.  Since the next hole was close I called the guy out.  I told him that he better get his ass over to the green and attempt to fix it.  He laughed until I told him if he didn't I'd make him.  I'm pretty much a hot head and don't take shit from people so I think he read that on my face.  He obliged went to the hole and just stared at it.  I told him how would you like to pay $100 and have a big ass hole staring at you on every hole.  He apologized to our foursome dropped his head and went to his loser friends to move on.  My son said he's never seen me so upset.  I told him I just couldn't let it pass without saying anything or the douche bag would continue to do it without giving it a thought. I'm glad that it didn't get ugly, even though I would not have let it get beyond words.  Ignorant people are everywhere unfortunately.

Seems to me you got to him, at least. I bet he thinks about it now.

Although, not to belittle the situation... but I was laughing pretty hard imagining him pulling his putter out of the green like it was the "Sword in the Stone." It almost sounds like something you'd see on SNL when it was actually still funny.... hehehe

[Lihu]

I actually hate to admit that I did this, but I learned a valuable lesson from one of my playing partners years ago that changed the way I look at golf: I was having a really bad round of golf and found myself getting incredibly angry.  On the 13th hole after struggling all day, I tee'd off with an easy carry over water and duffed the ball into the pond.  I lost it and threw my driver about 15 ft. towards the cart.  I went over and picked it up and my buddy, who's about 65 years old asked me to see my driver.  I handed it to him, and he threw it as hard as he could into the pond where it sank to the bottom.  I was perplexed and mad and he simply looked at me and said "If you can't control your anger, and feel the need to throw a club, I will not play another round with you again.  Obviously you didn't care about that club, and blamed it for your performance, so I got rid of it for you.  Now, can we get back to playing a nice, peaceful game of golf and enjoy ourselves?" At the end of the round, he took me into the Pro Shop and bought me a new driver and told me to take care of this one. I looked at the other players in the group who were also friends of mine, and realized right then that my actions had effected the entire group negatively.  I was ashamed and embarrassed and promised myself that I would never get angry at a game again.  And I have stuck by that for the years since and have enjoyed myself on the course every since.  Sure, I have bad days, but I always remember that I am playing a game that I enjoy, I'm not great at it and am going to have rough days, and I still have the health and financial means to play.  So even those bad days aren't so bad anymore.

Three things I learned from your episode: 1) I though it is cool the way you changed. 2) People remember your bad day and not your bad score, I heard this somewhere before? 3) Someone fishing for golf balls probably got a cool $300 driver. :-)

[wadesworld]

I played with a distant relative one time that was a big guy.  He's probably 6'6" and over 300 lbs.  Well, he misses a putt and starts jumping up and down on the green in frustration.  Ever see the episode of "The Munsters" where Herman Munster does that and leaves 6-inch-deep shoe prints in the green?  Well, this wasn't that bad, but it definitely reminded me of it and you could definitely see the impressions left by his feet.  Luckily we were on a public course with firm greens.  Had it been at a country club, he probably would have left half-inch impressions.