Anti-whining thread - what I like about "other" golfers ....

[rkim291968]

I am surprised at the rate of incoming threads on griping about other golfers.   One new thread per week seems to pop up.   This is a thread to counter those and help educate the "other" golfers on what we expect to see in them.   I will start with one.

I walk my home course a lot.   When my tee shot goes into "unknown" place, I see some playing partner on cart will drive up there to find my ball, point to it, and go to his ball.   He may be doing it to speed up my play but I'd like to think that he is doing it b/c he is just a nice guy.

[Strandly]

Some guys will offer to buy a round of drinks off the goodie cart which is a cool gesture.

[meenman]

My regular group, I consider to be friends.

There are 7 of us and we usually go off 3/4, but as much as we bust each others chops, we root for everyone on every shot. We generally pair the turtles up behind us, but they are good guys - they just drive me me nuts when they are in my actually foursome.

We enjoy taking the others cash(as small as it is) - I fight with the 2 red sux fans every time we are paired together - but at the end of our round, it is all good and we look forward to the following saturday morning.

[dfreuter415]

I've told this story before, but this is truly what I like about other golfers...

As a teen, (45 years ago), my two brothers and myself were matched with an 80+ year old golfer. We hit the ball long and wildly, while the senior hit it about 120 straight, every time. We walked 9 holes together.  He told us stories of his youth and the raising of his family, but more importantly, he taught three teenagers how to be gentlemen on the course. This was one of the few venues where young men and senior citizens could come together and spend a wonderful summer afternoon.

Now flash forward to the time when I coached high school golf, (I retired in 2011). I would pick up my clubs and play a few holes with the team. As a senior citizen, I loved that golf gave me a vehicle for relations with the much younger generation. As we played together there were many opportunities to talk about school work, girlfriends, life, and what it was like playing golf "in the good old days". I was now the one who hit it 40 to 50 yards shorter off of the tee, but I was also usually the first one in the hole. I would then ask them, "Now what did you learn about making a lower score?"  The answers that I got were priceless. I can only hope that the guys on our team got as much out of our interactions as I did on that summer day more than 45 years ago.

Golf is a wonderful vehicle for bringing different generations together.

[rkim291968]

I've told this story before, but this is truly what I like about other golfers...

As a teen, (45 years ago), my two brothers and myself were matched with an 80+ year old golfer. We hit the ball long and wildly, while the senior hit it about 120 straight, every time. We walked 9 holes together.  He told us stories of his youth and the raising of his family, but more importantly, he taught three teenagers how to be gentlemen on the course. This was one of the few venues where young men and senior citizens could come together and spend a wonderful summer afternoon.

Now flash forward to the time when I coached high school golf, (I retired in 2011). I would pick up my clubs and play a few holes with the team. As a senior citizen, I loved that golf gave me a vehicle for relations with the much younger generation. As we played together there were many opportunities to talk about school work, girlfriends, life, and what it was like playing golf "in the good old days". I was now the one who hit it 40 to 50 yards shorter off of the tee, but I was also usually the first one in the hole. I would then ask them, "Now what did you learn about making a lower score?"  The answers that I got were priceless. I can only hope that the guys on our team got as much out of our interactions as I did on that summer day more than 45 years ago.

Golf is a wonderful vehicle for bringing different generations together.

I saw your post on another thread and thought it was a good story. I must say, I have not been paired with teens except once when I played with a father & daughter pair.  The girl was covered in tatoo, rings on her nose & lips, and was very intimating looking teen.   In fact, my wife didn't believe she was a girl even after I told her afterward.   But despite how she looked, she was polite and easy to get along with.  It reinforced the saying of don't judge the book by its cover (cliche, I know).

I do get matched up with folks in their early 20's and we don't get to talk much.   I just sense that they are not much interested in 50 something's life stories, lessons in life, etc..   Changing of times, perhaps?

[ghalfaire]

I saw your post on another thread and thought it was a good story. I must say, I have not been paired with teens except once when I played with a father & daughter pair.  The girl was covered in tatoo, rings on her nose & lips, and was very intimating looking teen.   In fact, my wife didn't believe she was a girl even after I told her afterward.   But despite how she looked, she was polite and easy to get along with.  It reinforced the saying of don't judge the book by its cover (cliche, I know).

I do get matched up with folks in their early 20's and we don't get to talk much.   I just sense that they are not much interested in 50 something's life stories, lessons in life, etc..   Changing of times, perhaps?

I have and still do spend time with my Grand Children playing.  I started them with plastic clubs in the back yard and now they are 12, 15, and 19 years old and we still get together and play.  Sometimes with their friends who can sure look "different" at times.  But I have found them all to polite and helpful with each other and we elder folks.  Must be something about the game that we all share and brings out the best in most of us.

[cipher]

I mainly play alone. However I love watching scratch or better guys play. I like hanging out with family and other golfers I respect.

[RickK]

Most of my golf is played with people I know and enjoy their company.  We pull each others chain quite a bit but it is all done in fun.

But, even when I play in tournaments with strangers, I do my best to try to keep it light hearted with the fellow competitors.  Unless someone has been a total jerk and not done anything to help others in the group, I will always help them look for their ball.

My normal group often buys drinks from beverage cart or in the grill afterwards for each other.  If a guy is running a skins game in a tournament I play in, I will generally always buy him a drink, even if I win nothing.  I appreciate his efforts.

I enjoy the game and do my best to help make it enjoyable for the people I am playing golf with.

[rehmwa]

Great thread - hope it lasts.

I find most golfers really enjoy joining up with a single when they have a spot.  Meeting new people is a lot of fun.  Some of the best rounds I've had were joining up with older retired folks - trading stories is great.

Yesterday played with an old fart I joined on the first tee.  Good player, and fast.  I found we both just walked on the green and we'd each fix 3 or 4 or 5 ball marks just on our walking line.  And when one of us got there first, he would invariably fix the other's ball mark while he made the walk to the green, and this helped speed up play too.

[rkim291968]

I found we both just walked on the green and we'd each fix 3 or 4 or 5 ball marks just on our walking line.  And when one of us got there first, he would invariably fix the other's ball mark while he made the walk to the green, and this helped speed up play too.

I do that, too.  When I first learn to play golf (8 hour clinic from local course), the instructor taught me to fix at least 2 ball marks, yours and your partner's.   It's a habit for me.

[boogielicious]

I play as a single a lot.  I must say that I have yet to play with any strangers that weren't genuinely nice people.  Even when they or I am struggling, they are nice.

[rkim291968]

I play as a single a lot.  I must say that I have yet to play with any strangers that weren't genuinely nice people.  Even when they or I am struggling, they are nice.

I played with two older men yesterday, one was in his 70's for the look of it.   His was hitting his drives 180 yards on average but landed them consistently on fairways, with a slight draw to boot.  He had a smooth swing, decent short game, and made a few good putts.   The guy outplayed me for sure but complimented me at the end of the round.   I was feeling crappy throughout the round b/c of my sub-par play.   With a final handshake and a little bit of encouragement, he made me feel better.

[GangGreen]

I typically go out as a single so almost always get put together with people I don't know. I find that no matter how my round is going that folks always give you a sincere "nice ball" when you do hit a nice shot. I was out yesterday with 3 other singles, I was not having a particularly good round and was clearly the weakest player in our foursome. We got to the 6th, 355 yard par 4 and I hit a nice one of the tee (finally!), dead center of the fairway with about 90 yards to the green. We all ended up on the green in 2, 2 of us walked off with pars (my only one for the day), the other 2 with birdies with a lot of high 5's on the way over to the next tee. Good stuff for sure.

[krupa]

As a first-year golfer, I have gotten nothing but support and encouragement from everyone I've met on the course.

[Hardballs]

Last time I got paired up was with a couple of old boys, 60+, i really enjoyed their company! Even though they beat us, I find I always enjoy the company of old people, the older the better, I dig their laid back attitude to life, they seem to find happiness from the simplest of pleasures, and their politeness and courtesy is infectious! + You can always learn something from an old timer, they've been around longer than us, if an an elderly person takes the time to talk to you, We should always take the time to listen!

[turtleback]

Last time I got paired up was with a couple of old boys, 60+, i really enjoyed their company! Even though they beat us, I find I always enjoy the company of old people, the older the better, I dig their laid back attitude to life, they seem to find happiness from the simplest of pleasures, and their politeness and courtesy is infectious! + You can always learn something from an old timer, they've been around longer than us, if an an elderly person takes the time to talk to you, We should always take the time to listen!

Totally agree.  Early this summer I was out playing alone behind a 2-some of older guys.  I caught them on a tee and they invited me to play through or play along.  I joined them for the last dozen holes or so.  The older guy was 91, the classic "Oldest Member" and the other guy have to be in his late 70s (I am 57).  You could tell by the quality of their hits and short game that they were very good players in their younger days.  The 91 year old had been a member of the club (which was now a public city-owned course) since its earliest days and the other guy has been the course super for many years.  These were a couple of the nicest guys I had ever played with.  And they invited me to come back and play with them any time.  I ended up playing with both of them a lot this summer and it was some of my best times.  The 91 year old had great stories to tell, and was one of the most genuinely nice people I've ever met.  Late in the summer I played with him, his grandson (in his 40s) and his great grandson, a 7th grader.  And someone in that family has been doing something right as the grandson was delightful and the great grandson, who was a beginner, was about as polite as you could ever hope a 7th grader (the grade I teach) to be.  I felt privileged to play with them.

[bplewis24]

This weekend I got paired with a couple guys sharing a cart while I walked.  I was especially horrid off the tee (leading to my worst round of the year), and I appreciated the fact that, since they were faster than me in the cart, they would often drive ahead and spot my ball for me before heading to their balls to set up for their shots.

No, it did not slow the pace of play any.

Edit: just looked up my stats.  I hit zero greens and only 2 fairways (both on the back 9). I put those guys to work!

[rkim291968]

The ball giver :   (got the idea from Stereotype golfer thread)

I met a gent who gave me a sleeve of Callaway new ball with a Pebble Beach logo.

My wife gets a lot of colored, ladies balls from others.   I guess guys pick up ladies ball by mistake, and when they see women partner, they unload the balls.

Marshals will also give out balls they find.   Perhaps, they see me play and feel I can use more used balls .