I shouldnt be playing golf...apparently!!

[Lihu]

4 hours ago, RussUK said:

Sorry guys, bit of a rant that i have to get off my chest otherwise it will fester.

Had discussion the other weekend at a kids party my son was at with a bloke who turned out to be a fellow golfer. It started off nice talking about where we play, how long we had played for and our last rounds and practice sessions, just the usual.

Then came THE question....."whats your handicap?". At first glance its a fairly innocent question, he said he played of 12 and i replied that i used to play to 21 a few years ago but due to family time taking over from golf time i currently dont have an active or official handicap and just play for fun.

This is the point the converstation turned sour. He told me it was his belief that ALL golfers should maintain a handicap and those that didnt couldnt call themselves golfers going as far as saying that they shouldnt be on the course.

He said as far as he was concerned the handicap system was like "a drivers licence for the golf course" and proof that you were competent enough to be on a course with other golfers but he said i was more than welcome to go to a driving range. "Oh thank you kind sir, im am forever grateful you see fit to allow me to go to the range", i didnt actually say that just simply that he was a dick and went to talk to someone with a much higher IQ......my 4 year old son.

Its rare that i come accross moron's like this but it does happen. Do his beleifs have any validity in your opinions?

Golfers that I know from UK seem to have the same attitude your bloke does. What a sour dim witted thing for him to say.

I always feel like I have to defend my “not so good playing partners” from these “Golf bullies”.

Bugs the hell out of me too and I let them know it.

Edited January 26, 2018 by Lihu

[Wally Fairway]

I guess that guy is proof of the old saying "opinions are like assholes, everybody has one" and he let it show.

Go out and enjoy yourself, if that means playing golf then do it - whether you shoot 72, 92, 122 or don't even keep score.
But for god's sake don't play slow

[Groucho Valentine]

25 minutes ago, Moxley said:

Yes, and some specify a certain handicap, but none that I play at. I also don't think that is a problem if a club wants to be for better golfers, it just wouldn't be my type of club. 

I wish some courses in the US had a policy like that. Or least a policy that has a handicap requirement for playing the back tees..

[Kalnoky]

Some people have an innate ability to effortlessly discourage others. 

[RussUK]

5 minutes ago, Groucho Valentine said:

I wish some courses in the US had a policy like that. Or least a policy that has a handicap requirement for playing the back tees..

There are certain courses over here, generally the exclusive big tournament courses (open and such like) that have a handicap requirement but they are few and far between. These are courses that i wouldnt play anyway.

[Kalnoky]

Just now, Groucho Valentine said:

I wish some courses in the US had a policy like that. Or least a policy that has a handicap requirement for playing the back tees..

Yes. Lots of pretenders out there who should be playing forward one or two tees. 

[Missouri Swede]

5 hours ago, RussUK said:

He said as far as he was concerned the handicap system was like "a drivers licence for the golf course" and proof that you were competent enough to be on a course with other golfers but he said i was more than welcome to go to a driving range.

Most PGA pros don't maintain handicaps, as far as I know.  I'm sure they all used to, on their way up.  So by his logic, they shouldn't be allowed to play on the courses due to expired licenses.

"Now playing on the fourth stall, from Jupiter, Florida ... Tiger Woods!"

[saevel25]

29 minutes ago, Groucho Valentine said:

I wish some courses in the US had a policy like that. Or least a policy that has a handicap requirement for playing the back tees..

Hypothetical,

You have a 5 handicap golfer who hits the ball 235 yards off the tee. He usually plays a course were the back tees are 6300 yards. He goes to a course were the back tees are 7200 yards.

I think it would be good for the starters to inquire of what yardages the players typically play and then advice them to which tees they would enjoy the course the most from.

 

[Fourputt]

5 hours ago, RussUK said:

Sorry guys, bit of a rant that i have to get off my chest otherwise it will fester.

Had discussion the other weekend at a kids party my son was at with a bloke who turned out to be a fellow golfer. It started off nice talking about where we play, how long we had played for and our last rounds and practice sessions, just the usual.

Then came THE question....."whats your handicap?". At first glance its a fairly innocent question, he said he played of 12 and i replied that i used to play to 21 a few years ago but due to family time taking over from golf time i currently dont have an active or official handicap and just play for fun.

This is the point the converstation turned sour. He told me it was his belief that ALL golfers should maintain a handicap and those that didnt couldnt call themselves golfers going as far as saying that they shouldnt be on the course.

He said as far as he was concerned the handicap system was like "a drivers licence for the golf course" and proof that you were competent enough to be on a course with other golfers but he said i was more than welcome to go to a driving range. "Oh thank you kind sir, im am forever grateful you see fit to allow me to go to the range", i didnt actually say that just simply that he was a dick and went to talk to someone with a much higher IQ......my 4 year old son.

Its rare that i come accross moron's like this but it does happen. Do his beleifs have any validity in your opinions?

No, his belief does not have any validity... in fact his belief is the opposite of valid... it's stupid!  It's beyond that.... it's snobbishly stupid.  I'm happy to say that in the 40 odd years since I first picked up a golf club with deliberate intent to damage a golf ball, I have never met anyone close to that level of jerkiness.

[NM Golf]

While the competitor in me will never understand not keeping score, I certainly recognize the right someone has to play however they choose. As long as they pay their greens fees and don't tear anything up have fun! Many golf courses would quickly go out of business if not for the casual player.

[Groucho Valentine]

37 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

Hypothetical,

You have a 5 handicap golfer who hits the ball 235 yards off the tee. He usually plays a course were the back tees are 6300 yards. He goes to a course were the back tees are 7200 yards.

I think it would be good for the starters to inquire of what yardages the players typically play and then advice them to which tees they would enjoy the course the most from.

 

Yeah, but I've found that playing well on bigger tracks bears a greater correlation to skill than how fair a player hits it. A 5 handicap is skilled enough to make up for his lack of distance and not bog down the course. A 20 handicap usually isn't.

I played with a older pro in the state open years ago that barley drove it 250 off the tee. The guy shot 2-3 under for 36. Think that course was playing around 7100. Beat me by at least 10 shots and i was hitting the ball 20-30 yards past him on most driver holes. 

[Vinny Cap]

WoW.  What a tool bag! You def wont be out playing with him anytime soon Russ.  That is prob better for you.  Snobs like this can go and pay $10,000 to play on their Private CC and leave us regular Joe's alone as we have fun with our buddies on a St or Sun.

We pay our green fees and have fun.  Keep your score and handicap if you like but as others have said, proper Tees and pace of play... biggest two factors. 

An old saying was - With friends like that, who needs enemies!

Golf on brutha!!

[RussUK]

2 minutes ago, Vinny Cap said:

WoW.  What a tool bag! You def wont be out playing with him anytime soon Russ.  That is prob better for you.  Snobs like this can go and pay $10,000 to play on their Private CC and leave us regular Joe's alone as we have fun with our buddies on a St or Sun.

We pay our green fees and have fun.  Keep your score and handicap if you like but as others have said, proper Tees and pace of play... biggest two factors. 

An old saying was - With friends like that, who needs enemies!

Golf on brutha!!

Yeah, guys like this can definatley spoil a nice afternoon on the course. They are definately a minority but sometimes when some people have money it makes them think they are better than others.

On the other side if the coin my uncle plays at a club where most of the members are wealthy ex public school boys, they call everyone by their surnames (except my uncle, its always Bob) and he's says they are the most down to earth guys he's ever met. They even all chipped in to pay for his green fee's for their trip to scotland for his 70th. Top gents.

[Vinny Cap]

10 minutes ago, RussUK said:

Yeah, guys like this can definatley spoil a nice afternoon on the course. They are definately a minority but sometimes when some people have money it makes them think they are better than others.

On the other side if the coin my uncle plays at a club where most of the members are wealthy ex public school boys, they call everyone by their surnames (except my uncle, its always Bob) and he's says they are the most down to earth guys he's ever met. They even all chipped in to pay for his green fee's for their trip to scotland for his 70th. Top gents.

I can relate to what you said.  I know some rich bitch MoFo's that are total A$$ Clowns that I wouldn't waste a breath on.  I also know some real nice rich people.
Luckily you can pick your friends.

It looks like your Uncle is old school and things were soooo much different back then.  I think you know what I am talking about.  That was nice of his buds to hook him up on that trip.  Bet he had a great time.

[RussUK]

Just now, Vinny Cap said:

I can relate to what you said.  I know some rich bitch MoFo's that are total A$$ Clowns that I wouldn't waste a breath on.  I also know some real nice rich people.
Luckily you can pick your friends.

It looks like your Uncle is old school and things were soooo much different back then.  I think you know what I am talking about.  That was nice of his buds to hook him up on that trip.  Bet he had a great time.

Yeah he enjoyed it. He used to play top level amateur in the 60's and 70's so returned to some of his old haunts like carnoustie. I asked him what Carnoustie was like "it was alright i suppose, nothing special. Back in my day......." Uncle Bob, king of understatement! 

[iacas]

6 hours ago, RussUK said:

Its rare that i come accross moron's like this but it does happen. Do his beleifs have any validity in your opinions?

No.

The only driver's licenses on the golf course should be:

• can you play in a reasonable pace?
• can you respect the course and the players?

That's it.

[Vinny Cap]

9 minutes ago, RussUK said:

Yeah he enjoyed it. He used to play top level amateur in the 60's and 70's so returned to some of his old haunts like carnoustie. I asked him what Carnoustie was like "it was alright i suppose, nothing special. Back in my day......." Uncle Bob, king of understatement! 

Thats Awesome!  Love it when Uncles or Grandads say stuff like that.  Very humble.

Awww, it was nothing, no big deal... but back in the day!!! 

[Foot Wedge]

1 hour ago, Kalnoky said:

Yes. Lots of pretenders out there who should be playing forward one or two tees. 

I see this at times with guys my age.  To some, mid 20's apparently means you have to play stiff shafts and back tees.  Just because you CAN carry a driver 275 when you hit it on the screws doesn't mean you do it (even remotely) consistently enough to play from the tips.  Enjoy needing a hybrid for every other approach when that toeball driver ends up carrying only 220.  I'll stick to the white tees and my R300's.