What "grinds your gears" on the golf course?

[RPMPIRE]

Originally Posted by rkim291968

And most golf courses in CA is non smoking to begin with.

Not many people know that, not even some locals and it's mostly due to a lack of signage anywhere as well as the marshals not enforcing it (sometimes I feel the marshals don't know that the golf courses are supposed to be smoke free).

[tmac20]

When 36 handicappers mark and line up 4 footers for triple bogey.

[ffemtp]

Someone waiting from 300 yds out on a par 5 for the green to clear when they just hit a 200 yd drive.

Slow groups not letting faster groups play through.

[jimmyc]

Kalifornia,

No smoking golf courses.............. OUTSIDE?

Wow, the left coast.

We still can enjoy a cigar on the course in the other 47 mainland states.

You people really have gone senile.

[TJBam]

Watching someone uproot half the green fixing a ball mark incorrectly. And seeing the dead brown spot that appears a week later.

[saevel25]

People who don't fix ball marks

way to much sand in bunkers. i rather have it have no sand, than to much sand. At least i know how to play a hard pan lie, trying to gauge 6" of cheap sand just pissed me off

Slow Greens, hate hate hate hate slow greens.

People who knowingly hit into other people, i don't care if you don't reach the green 99% of the time, if you can catch one and hit it there, WAIT. Also people who hit into the green when your just walking off. Does 10 seconds really matter to you

[MEfree]

Multiple bad shots or hitting the ball exactly where I know I am not suppose to.

I try to block out clueless players, but combined with a bad shot at the wrong time, and this can get under my skin-  i.e. the other day I had a long eagle putt on 9 to shoot 33.  The guys I was playing with were really nice and knew I had a good round going, but one of them with hearing aids was still talking loud enough for me to hear him as I stroked the eagle putt...I put really good stroke on it and it almost went it, so it didn't bother me, but when another one of them pulled the velcro apart on her glove on 12 and two of them were talking during my bunker shot on 13, I was annoyed as both resulted in bad shots.

[Birdman10687]

Basically I find that golf is like a lot of other things--take the time to learn ettiquette and learn how make golf enjoyable for everyone using the course.  I usually judge people by how the act on a golf course, not how well the play.  This would be stuff like repairing ball marks.  I don't care how bad you are, but if you don't repair your ball mark, it damages the green which affects other people.  If you are terribly and take huge chunking divots (or even if you take out a nice thin divot like you are supposed to) I have no issues, except if you don't replace it.  Because then there is a hole in the fairway.  I don't care if you shoot double par, as long as you do it quickly so it doesn't affect others.

My friend and I, who are not good golfers by any means, have perfected the art of playing quickly.  We play ready golf, never caring who is "away."  If you are ready to hit and the other person hasn't started their pre-shot routine, you hit.  We have the 30 second rule--you look for your ball for 30 seconds.  If you can't find it, drop in a reasonably playable area near where you think your ball went.  We extend this to the 60 second rule if we are riding (since we save time because the cart is faster).  Once we are on the green we probably only hole out 50% of the time because anything inside 2 feet is considered in.  We almost never mark our balls and just each putt our ball all the way until we are done to save time.  If either of us is having a truly atrocious hole (> double par and still not on the green) we are just pick up and go to the next hole.  We use cheap balls since we aren't that good.  We don't keep score since we aren't that good.  We play fast since we aren't that good.  I feel like the better you get, the more you earn the right to take your time on the course since you use fewer strokes.  You also earn the right to use expensive balls and take time looking for them.  And you earn the right to take the game seriously.  If you want to come to the course and take the game really seriously and spend your time, then go to the range and learn how to play first.  My buddy and can get through a round of 18 holes shooting double par on every hole (don't actually shoot that bad, but just hypothetically) and never have anyone wait on us.  Obviously if anyone ever does, we just let them play through.

[GaijinGolfer]

It really grinds my gears when people play more than 1 ball.  I know that most courses dont mind as long as you arent holding every else up but Ive always felt like its the same as stealing golf.  Its like you get to play the same hole 2 or 3 times but are still only paying once.

[Lihu]

It really grinds my gears when people play more than 1 ball.  I know that most courses dont mind as long as you arent holding every else up but Ive always felt like its the same as stealing golf.  Its like you get to play the same hole 2 or 3 times but are still only paying once.

If it's the last bit of light for the day, it seems like it should be okay. Yes, I guess I agree with playing twice part. I suppose the pros that do it are members of a club so they pay for infinite rounds per year or lifetime, like Hogan did.

[Lihu]

Kalifornia, No smoking golf courses.............. OUTSIDE? Wow, the left coast. We still can enjoy a cigar on the course in the other 47 mainland states. You people really have gone senile.

Wait, you mean it's illegal?

[Hardballs]

Basically I find that golf is like a lot of other things--take the time to learn ettiquette and learn how make golf enjoyable for everyone using the course.  I usually judge people by how the act on a golf course, not how well the play.  This would be stuff like repairing ball marks.  I don't care how bad you are, but if you don't repair your ball mark, it damages the green which affects other people.  If you are terribly and take huge chunking divots (or even if you take out a nice thin divot like you are supposed to) I have no issues, except if you don't replace it.  Because then there is a hole in the fairway.  I don't care if you shoot double par, as long as you do it quickly so it doesn't affect others.   My friend and I, who are not good golfers by any means, have perfected the art of playing quickly.  We play ready golf, never caring who is "away."  If you are ready to hit and the other person hasn't started their pre-shot routine, you hit.  We have the 30 second rule--you look for your ball for 30 seconds.  If you can't find it, drop in a reasonably playable area near where you think your ball went.  We extend this to the 60 second rule if we are riding (since we save time because the cart is faster).  Once we are on the green we probably only hole out 50% of the time because anything inside 2 feet is considered in.  We almost never mark our balls and just each putt our ball all the way until we are done to save time.  If either of us is having a truly atrocious hole (> double par and still not on the green) we are just pick up and go to the next hole.  We use cheap balls since we aren't that good.  We don't keep score since we aren't that good.  We play fast since we aren't that good.  I feel like the better you get, the more you earn the right to take your time on the course since you use fewer strokes.  You also earn the right to use expensive balls and take time looking for them.  And you earn the right to take the game seriously.  If you want to come to the course and take the game really seriously and spend your time, then go to the range and learn how to play first.  My buddy and can get through a round of 18 holes shooting double par on every hole (don't actually shoot that bad, but just hypothetically) and never have anyone wait on us.  Obviously if anyone ever does, we just let them play through.

Now this is what I'm talking about! Amen to that brother! Keep up the good work, You don't have to be a good at golf to play on a course, you just have to be considerate!

[clearwaterms]

I didn't read all of the responses, so I am probably restating things that have already been said here. The thing that bothers me more than anything is people playing the rear tee box that have no right to do so. Also, observing golf etiquette is fine and great, but playing ready golf is a great way to ensure that regardless of how good or bad you are, you won't be the group that holds up the round. After the tee shot, proceed to your ball in a safe manner, get as close to your shot as you can without endangering yourself or others. If the player who is furthest away can not safely hit and you can, identify with that person that you intend to hit and proceed to do so. Another thing that bother me is ineffective rangers. Some courses I play (because I tend to play early in the morning during the week) don't always have rangers out just yet. That being said, if they do, and they can clearly see where one group is playing slow and slowing down groups behind them, the rangers second job is to keep pace of play up.

[dfreuter415]

Originally Posted by villafranca

As a relatively new golfer I tend to get intimidated while I’m on the golf course and it’s a busy day with people waiting behind for my group to go. I assume that when I hit a bad shot the people behind me are thinking “Ooh great this guy stinks were are going to be here all day!” I want to know if this is really what’s happening, if not then what does “grind your gears”?

I really don't care very much about the groups around us on the course, as long as they maintain a nice pace of play (4 hours or less) and respect the course conditions.  But, after 50 years of golfing, here are the things that bug me the most....

1) Slow play - I HATE having to wait on every shot

2) Slower groups not allowing faster groups to play through - when a faster group (usually because they have less golfers or are riding carts) waits more than once or twice on my group to finish a hole, I ALWAYS let them play through

3) Young, non-impaired, physically able golfers riding in a cart on a walking course - or maybe the younger riders are impaired by drinking a six pack or two, and then they shouldn't be driving a cart

4) Poor etiquette on the course (unraked bunkers, ball marked not repaired, etc.) - golfers who are found disrespecting the course should be assessed an additional fee to pay the ground crew for overtime

[Uncle Peter]

Having the marshall/cart lady pull up behind you and watch you take your shot (which I will probably muff now). I know it's common courtesy and they're doing their job, so what can you do about it?

[theworldengine]

If you have a ball in the fringe or greenside rough and someone else is on the green away from everyone else. They insist you go first because YOU'RE OFF THE GREEN, they think furthest from the pin doesn't apply to being on the green. Lame etiquette stuff like that.

[Slice of Life]

Originally Posted by theworldengine

If you have a ball in the fringe or greenside rough and someone else is on the green away from everyone else. They insist you go first because YOU'RE OFF THE GREEN, they think furthest from the pin doesn't apply to being on the green. Lame etiquette stuff like that.

I would recommend they go first if want the pin in, since it doesn't make sense to pull-place-pull-place the pin every hole. Kind of goes against the whole pace of play thing...

If they want it out, then by all means...

[theworldengine]

Right, but I have seen the insistance that furthest from the pin never applies to the greenside area lol