Golfing With Strangers-The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

[gregsandiego]

9 hours ago, Gator Hazard said:

Nah no need. I've said worse things, an understandable reaction to an unfortunate misunderstanding.  That said, If you ever find yourself out in Tampa area we can definitely have a round and drink some beers!

Sounds good. 

[Elmer]

Years ago (2011) I was down in Disney Orlando playing one of their courses. I was play with my mother's BF who was a 60 something blue collar, ultra conservative and a grizzled curmudgeon, (CG from here on out). 
We got paired with an old married couple from on PA.

They introduced themselves (Call them mickey & minnie because I can not remember their names). Minnie immediately tells me she is a women of faith, not that the gold cross on her neck would give it away. She doesnt drink, curse or take the lords name in vein, I do all 3!!!!

We start playing. Mickey plays from the whites and hits a 150 drive middle of fairway. CG hits about 175 in the fairway. I hit about 250.
We then drive up to the reds and wait for her to find her driver, take a minute to work on posture and take 4 practice swings.
She then WHIFFS......"nice try hon"-Mickey.

I went to my bag grabbed my flask and took a big slug!

During the round CG and Mickey talked about how Obama was ruining the county, kids today are soft. The youth are incapable of running the country or being responsible etc...etc...
This left Minnie to stand and talk to me. She felt I looked like Rory, I dont. She felt I hit the ball as far as Rory, I didnt!

Further talk was about Arnold Palmer being not only the greatest golfer but the greatest human being. 
"he is a god fearing christian" minnie interjected!
"not like that tiger woods!!" she further explained.

the pace of play was killing me! Minnie must have shot 300 over 12 holes!
Mickey did his best to convince me that a life was better under Eisenhower's administration. He also predicted that Obama would outlaw Christianity in 2 years (he didnt).

They also tried telling me that Jim Furyk was full of himself for holding out for a higher paying sponsor deal, they knew someone who knew someone who knew someone.

By the 10th hole I started ordering beers 2 at a time. I am after all on vacation. I also did so because Mickey dislike of Obama & tiger woods began to go down some less than comfortable roads.
Not to mention I could not take the pace of play which turned out to be a 7 hour round!!!!!!

on 16 I was 40 yards off the green on my drive only to skull the wedge over the green "Jesus-F_____ Christ" I blurted out.

You would think I had drowned minnie's her grandkids in a bucket. She was horrified and not pleased.
I apologized for being a heathen from a liberal state who did not understand her peaceful, religious way of life which enabled her to look down upon everyone else!
I grabbed my beer and said little for the last 2 holes.
I let CG explain to Mickey that it was the fault of my generation. We apparently dont appreciate anything and have worked for nothing.
I think Mickey said something along the lines of "Arnold Palmer would never do this, but I could see tiger behaving like that".

Suffice to say I have not golfed with CG either.

[jkelley9]

@Elmer your story had be rolling at my desk haha! Sounds like a crappy day of golf but at least you have a good story :) 7 hours...? I would have died! lol

[boogielicious]

2 hours ago, Elmer said:

Years ago (2011) I was down in Disney Orlando playing one of their courses. I was play with my mother's BF who was a 60 something blue collar, ultra conservative and a grizzled curmudgeon, (CG from here on out). 
We got paired with an old married couple from on PA.

They introduced themselves (Call them mickey & minnie because I can not remember their names). Minnie immediately tells me she is a women of faith, not that the gold cross on her neck would give it away. She doesnt drink, curse or take the lords name in vein, I do all 3!!!!

We start playing. Mickey plays from the whites and hits a 150 drive middle of fairway. CG hits about 175 in the fairway. I hit about 250.
We then drive up to the reds and wait for her to find her driver, take a minute to work on posture and take 4 practice swings.
She then WHIFFS......"nice try hon"-Mickey.

I went to my bag grabbed my flask and took a big slug!

During the round CG and Mickey talked about how Obama was ruining the county, kids today are soft. The youth are incapable of running the country or being responsible etc...etc...
This left Minnie to stand and talk to me. She felt I looked like Rory, I dont. She felt I hit the ball as far as Rory, I didnt!

Further talk was about Arnold Palmer being not only the greatest golfer but the greatest human being. 
"he is a god fearing christian" minnie interjected!
"not like that tiger woods!!" she further explained.

the pace of play was killing me! Minnie must have shot 300 over 12 holes!
Mickey did his best to convince me that a life was better under Eisenhower's administration. He also predicted that Obama would outlaw Christianity in 2 years (he didnt).

They also tried telling me that Jim Furyk was full of himself for holding out for a higher paying sponsor deal, they knew someone who knew someone who knew someone.

By the 10th hole I started ordering beers 2 at a time. I am after all on vacation. I also did so because Mickey dislike of Obama & tiger woods began to go down some less than comfortable roads.
Not to mention I could not take the pace of play which turned out to be a 7 hour round!!!!!!

on 16 I was 40 yards off the green on my drive only to skull the wedge over the green "Jesus-F_____ Christ" I blurted out.

You would think I had drowned minnie's her grandkids in a bucket. She was horrified and not pleased.
I apologized for being a heathen from a liberal state who did not understand her peaceful, religious way of life which enabled her to look down upon everyone else!
I grabbed my beer and said little for the last 2 holes.
I let CG explain to Mickey that it was the fault of my generation. We apparently dont appreciate anything and have worked for nothing.
I think Mickey said something along the lines of "Arnold Palmer would never do this, but I could see tiger behaving like that".

Suffice to say I have not golfed with CG either.

Did you ask Minnie why it was acceptable for Arnie to mess around with other women when he was married being that he is "the greatest human being" an all? I would have just to see the look on her face. 

[Valleygolfer]

I play with strangers all the time. This weekend I played nine holes with three women. Two were solid players and hit the ball pretty well. One of the ladies was bombing putt after putt. I get to the 9th hole and one of the ladies says, "she is 85 years old." Apparently the putt bomber is going to be 86 in a couple of months. She was hitting just as far as the younger ladies and appeared to have one of her better rounds. I am pretty sure she beat me heads up... Fortunately she didn't beat me at my best...

[vangator]

9 hours ago, Valleygolfer said:

I play with strangers all the time. This weekend I played nine holes with three women. Two were solid players and hit the ball pretty well. One of the ladies was bombing putt after putt. I get to the 9th hole and one of the ladies says, "she is 85 years old." Apparently the putt bomber is going to be 86 in a couple of months. She was hitting just as far as the younger ladies and appeared to have one of her better rounds. I am pretty sure she beat me heads up... Fortunately she didn't beat me at my best...

You got beat by an 85 year old woman?  I don't think I've have told anyone that.

[Valleygolfer]

8 hours ago, vangator said:

You got beat by an 85 year old woman?  I don't think I've have told anyone that.

I am not 100% sure she beat me but it sure seemed like she was playing better than I was...even though she was playing a different track...

[taxgolf]

Stupid people on a golf course in every country. Sunday, I booked a greenfee. That course uses a spiral for starting times. I was there at 08.50. Friendly madam warned me that a club tournament would start at 9.30, so she advised us not to go to the dr, but directly to hole 1 and warm up a bit. Oh yeah, that's the start of a solid round. Anyway, we were just about to tee off (9.00) when a clubmember walked up. Starting with a "slight' arrogance tone telling us we should keep up with the group in front of us, keep our pace etc., because, a club tournament was just about to start! A bit surprised I told him that we were informed about that but that the tournament  would start in half an hour, and that we probablywould be at hole 4 by then. What's the problem? But again, the lecture start. Just a member with a disrespect to green fee players (and courses in Holland do need the greenfee player). The arrogance made me angry, I asked him friendly to bugger of, cleared my throat and dropped a bom near the teebox. He walked away. 

[vangator]

16 minutes ago, Valleygolfer said:

I am not 100% sure she beat me but it sure seemed like she was playing better than I was...even though she was playing a different track...

Actually, there's no problem getting beat by someone who is better or just playing better.  Plus, those red tees do look like an advantage.

I played with a 72 year old guy that played from the senior tees.  He could still hit the ball.  I remember crushing a few drives Sunday and his ball was past mine.  The rest of my game was better though.  He probably shot in the mid 80's and I was in the 70's.  I hope I hit my driver that well when I'm 72.

[Valleygolfer]

2 minutes ago, vangator said:

Actually, there's no problem getting beat by someone who is better or just playing better.  Plus, those red tees do look like an advantage.

I played with a 72 year old guy that played from the senior tees.  He could still hit the ball.  I remember crushing a few drives Sunday and his ball was past mine.  The rest of my game was better though.  He probably shot in the mid 80's and I was in the 70's.  I hope I hit my driver that well when I'm 72.

The golds are very generous at this course. They pretty much eliminate the dangers on most of the par threes. For example, I am hitting 186 over 100 yards of swamp and they are hitting adjacent with no swamp and 80 yards...

5 minutes ago, taxgolf said:

The arrogance made me angry, I asked him friendly to bugger of, cleared my throat and dropped a bom near the teebox. He walked away. 

Is this like dropping a deuce?

[9wood]

1 hour ago, vangator said:

I played with a 72 year old guy that played from the senior tees.  He could still hit the ball.  I remember crushing a few drives Sunday and his ball was past mine.  The rest of my game was better though.  He probably shot in the mid 80's and I was in the 70's.  I hope I hit my driver that well when I'm 72.

I realized that at age 67 I am no longer a spring chicken so last year was the first year for me that I started using the senior tees but there still are a few holes that have only one tee box area like the 412 yd par 4 ditch hole as well as others. Secondly, after watching many players a lot younger than me, it becomes quite obvious from their tee shots and game that they should be using the senior tees even more than I do. But instead they continue to play from the pro tees and slow everyone behind them down.

[vangator]

What is the age I can "legally" tee off from the senior tees.  I'll be 59 this Saturday. It's 49 for AARP.  Senior residences here in Florida start at 55.  The Senior (Champions) Tour starts at 50.

[No Mulligans]

Just now, vangator said:

What is the age I can "legally" tee off from the senior tees.  I'll be 59 this Saturday. It's 49 for AARP.  Senior residences here in Florida start at 55.  The Senior (Champions) Tour starts at 50.

Happy Birthday.  I'll be 59 this year also.  Your HI encourages me, folks our age can be in the single digits.  Looks like you may shoot your age some day.

I've got a long ways to go.

[onthehunt526]

10 minutes ago, vangator said:

What is the age I can "legally" tee off from the senior tees.  I'll be 59 this Saturday. It's 49 for AARP.  Senior residences here in Florida start at 55.  The Senior (Champions) Tour starts at 50.

@vangator my guess would be when ever you feel like it.... here's my issue the an amateur can play in the Senior Open at 50, but has to wait until 55 to Play in the Senior Amateur... and most golf leagues make a player wait until 60 to play from the senior tees... 

If you and I were playing together, and you wanted to play the senior tees, I'd probably play the senior tees right along with you, and i'm only 29... As long as 2 1/2 year old Alina can play from the family tees, we're cool.

[gregsandiego]

On 3/14/2016 at 6:58 AM, Elmer said:

Years ago (2011) I was down in Disney Orlando playing one of their courses. I was play with my mother's BF who was a 60 something blue collar, ultra conservative and a grizzled curmudgeon, (CG from here on out). 
We got paired with an old married couple from on PA.

They introduced themselves (Call them mickey & minnie because I can not remember their names). Minnie immediately tells me she is a women of faith, not that the gold cross on her neck would give it away. She doesnt drink, curse or take the lords name in vein, I do all 3!!!!

We start playing. Mickey plays from the whites and hits a 150 drive middle of fairway. CG hits about 175 in the fairway. I hit about 250.
We then drive up to the reds and wait for her to find her driver, take a minute to work on posture and take 4 practice swings.
She then WHIFFS......"nice try hon"-Mickey.

I went to my bag grabbed my flask and took a big slug!

During the round CG and Mickey talked about how Obama was ruining the county, kids today are soft. The youth are incapable of running the country or being responsible etc...etc...
This left Minnie to stand and talk to me. She felt I looked like Rory, I dont. She felt I hit the ball as far as Rory, I didnt!

Further talk was about Arnold Palmer being not only the greatest golfer but the greatest human being. 
"he is a god fearing christian" minnie interjected!
"not like that tiger woods!!" she further explained.

the pace of play was killing me! Minnie must have shot 300 over 12 holes!
Mickey did his best to convince me that a life was better under Eisenhower's administration. He also predicted that Obama would outlaw Christianity in 2 years (he didnt).

They also tried telling me that Jim Furyk was full of himself for holding out for a higher paying sponsor deal, they knew someone who knew someone who knew someone.

By the 10th hole I started ordering beers 2 at a time. I am after all on vacation. I also did so because Mickey dislike of Obama & tiger woods began to go down some less than comfortable roads.
Not to mention I could not take the pace of play which turned out to be a 7 hour round!!!!!!

on 16 I was 40 yards off the green on my drive only to skull the wedge over the green "Jesus-F_____ Christ" I blurted out.

You would think I had drowned minnie's her grandkids in a bucket. She was horrified and not pleased.
I apologized for being a heathen from a liberal state who did not understand her peaceful, religious way of life which enabled her to look down upon everyone else!
I grabbed my beer and said little for the last 2 holes.
I let CG explain to Mickey that it was the fault of my generation. We apparently dont appreciate anything and have worked for nothing.
I think Mickey said something along the lines of "Arnold Palmer would never do this, but I could see tiger behaving like that".

Suffice to say I have not golfed with CG either.

I think the moral of the story - if there is one - golf can teach you to deal with people totally unlike yourselves. But in this case it seems like there was too big a divide for either party.

I also think if you can't deal with bad language golf is probably the wrong sport for you.... 

 

 

 

[9wood]

7 hours ago, vangator said:

What is the age I can "legally" tee off from the senior tees.  I'll be 59 this Saturday. It's 49 for AARP.  Senior residences here in Florida start at 55.  The Senior (Champions) Tour starts at 50.

The use of senior tees should be based on the players ability rather than on his age. For example, if a 30 year old player is scoring say 108, then maybe he needs to consider using the senior tees until his game improves so that he is not slowing better players down. 

[boogielicious]

8 hours ago, vangator said:

What is the age I can "legally" tee off from the senior tees.  I'll be 59 this Saturday. It's 49 for AARP.  Senior residences here in Florida start at 55.  The Senior (Champions) Tour starts at 50.

I just turned 56. My last league we used 60 as the cutoff. My current league, we had to coax a good friend who just turned 70 to move up. At first he was reluctant. But then after scoring much better, he was glad he made the move.

I think it really depends on distance off the tee. For my buddy, there were holes that he couldn't consistently make the distance to clear a hazard off the tee (170-180). He hits some drives 200+, but not all the time. Once he moved up, he was placing his tee shots in the same place we were for the approach shots, which evened things up.

[disaster]

21 hours ago, taxgolf said:

Stupid people on a golf course in every country. Sunday, I booked a greenfee. That course uses a spiral for starting times. I was there at 08.50. Friendly madam warned me that a club tournament would start at 9.30, so she advised us not to go to the dr, but directly to hole 1 and warm up a bit. Oh yeah, that's the start of a solid round. Anyway, we were just about to tee off (9.00) when a clubmember walked up. Starting with a "slight' arrogance tone telling us we should keep up with the group in front of us, keep our pace etc., because, a club tournament was just about to start! A bit surprised I told him that we were informed about that but that the tournament  would start in half an hour, and that we probablywould be at hole 4 by then. What's the problem? But again, the lecture start. Just a member with a disrespect to green fee players (and courses in Holland do need the greenfee player). The arrogance made me angry, I asked him friendly to bugger of, cleared my throat and dropped a bom near the teebox. He walked away. 

In my opinion, that's part of the club's fault. Of course that does in no way apologize the arrogant behaviour of that guy. But here the first tee is usually closed about one hour before the actual tournament starts, so that the first players of the tournament (which are usually the best according to their handicap) do not run into any players that just started right before them.