Cart driver at range goes off

[blightbulb25]

I was at the range today taking a lesson. I was aiming to a target on left side of range with my 3 wood. I hit a low liner about 200 with a mean slice. The cart was being driven from right to left and my ball smacked into the cart. The pro and I didn't really think much of it, just an oops I hit the cart. Well he proceeds to drive back around, and he's yelling that he thinks his hand is broke. The guy gets out of the cart and is yelling at me. I say I'm sorry and don't really know what to say, I mean he's driving out there in a caged cart with people hitting golf balls. Apparently there was an 8 inch opening that my ball made it through and hit him. Anyway I apologize and the pro tells him, "hey I don't know what to tell you, he's aiming out there and hit a slice". I say yea I suck, that's why I'm here getting lessons. We again tell him that we weren't aiming for him(I couldn't hit that cart if I tried). He walks off and we continue our lesson, we begin talking about something different and I must of smiled or laughed, he runs back over and yells, "I bet you think you're pretty cute smiling about it, I wanted a better apolgy!" I stay pretty cool and just tell him I'm sorry again, and I ask what he wants me to do? "Should I get on my knees and beg for forgiveness and kiss it for you?" He walks away yelling more nonsense, I look at the pro and tell him I'm leaving. Anyway I only got half my lesson in. This guy was being ridiculous, right? I mean I feel bad I hurt his hand, but come on.

[Tat14]

You could have tapped his shin with a short iron - forgets all about that hand.

Seriously though, if the incident stopped at just words and hurt feelings then good on you.

Food for thought: if the pro lost out on time ($$$) you may never see that particular range rat operator again.

[eich41]

Not much you can do.  I doubt the guy is working there much longer.  It'd be a bit different if you were just on the range, and he thought you did it on purpose.  But if you're taking a lesson with the pro, it's not like he is saying "Okay, now we're going to work on your snap slice into the cart guy".  Then to come berate you in front of essentially his boss, is pretty dumb, especially if it was to the point that it cut your lesson short.

[SavvySwede]

What does the range picker expect to happen when operating with a hole in the cage? It was bound to happen sometime.

[Patch]

"Stuff" happens even when it's not intentional. A check up paid for by workmen's comp should have solved his problem.

[Tat14]

And another thing, right to left is a foolish way to drive the "lobster" as I call it.

In between careers (2013) I worked at my local course. I would pick the range on occasion and it was always long legs, far to near. That way you could keep the extra mass of the front/rear of the rig between you and the firing line. Turns would happen in between volleys.

No cage doors, never hit once.

[Duff McGee]

Um, the entire point of range carts is to hit at them, duh.

[Jake Goodman]

I can see some serious safety issue with the cart, the owner of the range could get in trouble with it. Is it possible that the cart operator was the owner, so he didn't have anyone else to complain. Anyhow that was totally bad behavior in his part.

[Judah Ben-Hur]

My slice only goes into the woods.

[Jon Hoover]

Wow crazy story and ya that guy was being ridiculous, I don't think I've hit the cart once in all the times I've been trying to hit it, but that's golf isn't it you never seem to hit what your aiming at.

[blightbulb25]

The pro is not the cart operators boss at this place. It's a stand alone range, the cart driver was the manager and the pro rents a spot there to teach. Yea I talk to this guy once a week, I hit a bucket there weekly on top of a lesson here and there. I'm glad the pro just agreed with me when I said I needed to leave. I was going to really lose my cool at any minute. The pro called me after and told me he chewed his ass for costing him a customer and acting like an idiot. I really like the pro and we have set up another lesson at a different range. Apparently the manager wanted my number to call and apologize, I said no we're good. Either he realized how big a jackass he was, or realized I come there weekly with usually a few friends. None will be coming back after this incident.

[turtleback]

What the hell were you apologizing for?  Hitting an 8 inch target with a "cut" (saying it nicely) 3 wood from 200 yards?

I might say something like, "hey I'm sorry you got hurt but do you really think I can do something like that on purpose"?

The range manager is an idiot and if he treats his customers like that he will be an unemployed idiot before too much longer.

[MrDC]

Agreed, I doubt I would have been so nice, and no way would I have apologized, I would probably have asked him to get his manager to talk about his attitude.

[rkim291968]

I was at the range today taking a lesson. I was aiming to a target on left side of range with my 3 wood. I hit a low liner about 200 with a mean slice. The cart was being driven from right to left and my ball smacked into the cart. The pro and I didn't really think much of it, just an oops I hit the cart. Well he proceeds to drive back around, and he's yelling that he thinks his hand is broke. The guy gets out of the cart and is yelling at me. I say I'm sorry and don't really know what to say, I mean he's driving out there in a caged cart with people hitting golf balls. Apparently there was an 8 inch opening that my ball made it through and hit him. Anyway I apologize and the pro tells him, "hey I don't know what to tell you, he's aiming out there and hit a slice". I say yea I suck, that's why I'm here getting lessons. We again tell him that we weren't aiming for him(I couldn't hit that cart if I tried).

He walks off and we continue our lesson, we begin talking about something different and I must of smiled or laughed, he runs back over and yells, "I bet you think you're pretty cute smiling about it, I wanted a better apolgy!" I stay pretty cool and just tell him I'm sorry again, and I ask what he wants me to do? "Should I get on my knees and beg for forgiveness and kiss it for you?" He walks away yelling more nonsense, I look at the pro and tell him I'm leaving. Anyway I only got half my lesson in. This guy was being ridiculous, right? I mean I feel bad I hurt his hand, but come on.

You handled it well.

At my range, as soon as a guy goes out to collect balls in his armor cart, I'd say about 70 - 80% golfers intentionally try to hit him, even at very close range.   Some will even throw their balls at him for added accuracy.   Is that the norm for other ranges?     Once, the guy yelled at back at the golfers to cut it out.   Good for him.

[DrvFrShow]

You handled it well.

At my range, as soon as a guy goes out to collect balls in his armor cart, I'd say about 70 - 80% golfers intentionally try to hit him, even at very close range.   Some will even throw their balls at him for added accuracy.   Is that the norm for other ranges?     Once, the guy yelled at back at the golfers to cut it out.   Good for him.

This ^^

It's pretty scary. Yeah, the guy went off. He was probably tired of it. Bottom line is that he files a worker's comp claim about his hand.

[DeadMan]

Yeah, uh, the guy is really mad because someone was hit the range picker? He has to expect that. Everybody aims at that thing when it's out there. Bad luck for him that the ball hit the 8 inch gap, but he has to expect that.

This is probably a good reason not to aim at the range picker though (I know you didn't do that, OP, just saying that for future reference for the rest of us).

[bubble]

I dont get your range pro.

If the cart is in range you should not hit balls and choose a different club or wait doing routines etc.

[Duff McGee]

There was a Family Guy episode where Chris was a ball picker and had two mattresses tied into him front and back and everyone at the course hit at him.