And you think you had a bad day.....

[limpalong]

Two-day, members tourney this weekend. Saturday, you play tee times with whomever you want. You MUST play with another that is in the tourney, so score cards can be swapped and attested to.

Saturday, our regular group showed and we had a fivesome. All five were signed up for the tourney. First group off... played solidly... carded an 80. The course has me listed as a 10, so the 80 was within reason. Kept the ball in play... made some great putts. All five shot fairly well. Fun was had by all!!

Sunday is an 8:30 a.m. shotgun. Everyone is flighted and it is rare to play with someone from your regular group. Course management "mixes it up" so you have a chance to meet new members and have a little different "experience". And... today was quite an experience!!

I've played in the members tourney about 6 consecutive years. Entry fee has always been the same, $35.00. For that grand fee of $35, you get entered into the tourney... a shirt with the course logo... free cart rental for the two rounds... an outdoor barbecue on Saturday night and a lunch after the Sunday round. Best deal in the world!! And, most generally, we have a really good time.

One of the four, today, had his 5-year old kid with him. Yes, tournament... everyone trying to play fairly serious golf... and a hyperactive 5-year old is in the group. He's running around the tee box and running around the greens. He's climbing on top of the cart and under the cart. And, dad spends 18 holes screaming obscenities at the kid. Heard more "f" words from one mouth, today, than I hear in a week on a construction site. And, all those words were directed at this child.

Needless to say, this idiot and his kid ruined the round for the other three of us. Certainly, in retrospect, one of us should have called the clubhouse and asked for a member of management to come out and visit with him. Or, the three of us should have offered to kick his butt if he didn't keep the kid in the cart... or leave! Instead, we all talked amongst ourselves... upset and angry that we were being taken advantage of by this dolt. It's a game... It's not to be taken too seriously... It's not worth having someone go postal because you tried to get him tossed off the course... We sucked it up and, all three, played horrendous rounds. I struggled in with an 87, after the 80 yesterday. And, most of those strokes were pure frustration after a kid runs circles around the hole, over everyone's putting line.

Adding insult to injury, we were playing the next to last hole for our day. Three of us were tired and frustrated. We're playing a par 4 that is a slight dogleg left, uphill. Mr. Dad cranks one over into the waste area right of the fairway. From there, he hits driver off the dirt and sails one over the back of the green. Putts from gunch that anyone with common sense would have tried to chip out of. Putter makes contact with back of ball and ball shoots straight up into the air as if it was hit with a 64 degree wedge. Ball hits the green going 90 mph... hits the stick and drops into the hole for a bird. We three just looked at each other and shook our heads. No congrats... nothing... just utter disgust!

At least the weather was nice!!!!!

Two of us have scheduled a meeting with course management Friday, when we're off. Okay... how would you guys have handled the situation?????

[xamilo]

I would have called the course management after the first hole. You are right, its a tournament "just for fun", but it is still a tournament, an even if it wasn't, tranquility when playing is what it it all about. I play golf to relax, not to stress up, or I would rather stay in he surgery room all day (at least I would get paid). He should know he was playing a tournament with other people and his spoiled child shouldn't come with him. Instead of screaming at him, talking to the manager would have been the most polite way to go.

[RickinMA]

I'm actually surprised the course let the kid out - seems like most courses have rules against people who aren't playing being on the course

there have been plenty of times I would have liked to take my wife/sister/nefew/(insert non-golfer here) for a ride along, but it's against the rules at most courses - after reading your post, I now understand why

[utahgolf]

You are a paying customer just like everyone else in the tournament and you deserve your right to be able to have an enjoyable round, free of 5 year olds. At our course no one under the age of 8 is allowed under ANY circumstances, just to be fair to everyone. If a similar situation would have happened to me, I would have immediately called the pro shop and had a marshall come out to speak with the guy. There is no reason you should have to put up with that while paying to play in any kind of tournament. Or just playing regularly for that matter.

P.S. You have alot more patience with the matter than I would have.

[warbirdlover]

I would have "raised the flag" before even teeing off the first hole. No way would I put up with the "potential" for the disaster that DID happen. What if some of the pros took their bratty 5-year olds out in a tourney? You know it wouldn't happen.

[cwo2lt]

I love kids and think they should be out amongst the adults to learn how to behave in society as they grow and mature. I also do not tolerate fools who allow their children to run amuck. As you may guess, I would have said something; first to the fool second to management.

[gwlee7]

I would have politely told the guy that dealing with unruly children is what I do for a living and that I am not going to do it on any of my days off. If he couldn't get this kid under control after that, I would have calmly called the pro shop and had them deal with the situation. If that didn't work, I would most likely then show him what an unruly 45 year old looks like. Trust me, it ain't purty.

[slickpitt]

I bring my daughter with me to the course all the time. She's 7, and if she acted like you described then the beatings would have to begin! But I probably wouldn't bring her to a tourney at any rate.

[SiberianDVM]

It's amazing what people do and think nothing of how it affects others. Still, to bring a 5 year old to a tourney is just madness.

One guy in our tourney Saturday was on his 3rd beer before he got to the 1st tee. He had a 12 pack with him in the cart, and of course they will sell you any amount you want in the grill.
He doesn't seem to understand that not everyone wants to hear his big mouth on every hole.

I'm really surprise that tourneys are not stricter with things that increase their liability, like drinking and bringing children to the course. All it will take is one tremendous lawsuit to succeed, where someone loses an eye to a drunken golfer, to dramatically increase the cost of playing golf, due to an increase in insurance premiums. They won't stop allowing beer, of course.

[Eracer]

I played on Saturday with two strangers. Basically nice guys, but didn't have a clue. Terrible players, and had this bad habit of driving right by the short hitters tee shot and looking for the long hitters shot, which was invariably in the woods somewhere. And the short hitter had this awful habit of giving course advice on every shot. You know the type:

"There's water running all the way up the left hand side, but don't aim too far right, since the woods are OB, and that fairway is really narrow up there. Don't hit it in that bunker, bacause then you won't have a clear shot to the green...blah, blah, blah."

I finally had to say to the guy: "I appreciate the advice, but would you tell me where I WANT to hit it, instead of where I DON'T."

He looked at me like I had just molested his Collie, and never said a word to me the rest of the round.

I just can't figure people out sometimes...

[ualtim]

Originally Posted by Eracer

He looked at me like I had just molested his Collie, and never said a word to me the rest of the round...

So, your Judge Smails now?

I was just getting used to you as Forest.....

[Eracer]

Originally Posted by ualtim

So, your Judge Smails now?

I was just getting used to you as Forest.....

.........................

[gpo]

I have brought my daughter with me on the course before when she was 4-6. But I did this only at the end of the day during twilight hours. She was always quiet and respectful of others. Mostly sat in the cart and watched.

I bring my two girls now 7 & 3 to the range all the time. I go later in the evening and we always have a big discussion on the way about being quiet. They do a pretty good job, usually being no louder than two buddies talking at the range.

I would never bring one during a tournament.

[Augster]

Limpalong, that tourney, at $35 is the greatest deal I have ever heard of. Being that it is a member's tourney, the green fees are already paid, but still. What you get for the $35 is amazing!

I have been bringing my kids to the course since they were in diapers. When I had one, my son, I had a jogging stroller with him in it and I'd walk 9 holes a few days a week. When I had my daughter, we had to start getting carts for the 3 of us.

Now my daughter is 4 and my son is 6. They take turns driving the cart on alternating holes. I just ride along in the passenger seat.

They never act up on the course. They are never loud. They practice out on the course. Sometimes shots, most of the times chips and putts.

Any course with a junior program of any type should be covered in case something happends to a child on the course. The course is already paying the premiums to have kids out there. Just FYI.

Even though my kids have been perfectly groomed to behave on a golf course, I still would NEVER, EVER bring them to a tournament I was playing in! Not INSIDE the "ropes" anyway. There is just too much chance that even they MIGHT act up and ruin the other competitor's concentration.

The fault does not lie with the misbehaving kid, obviously. This "member" is a total dildo in my opinion.

Now I have a heart. I can think of any number of scenarios where this guy got "stuck" with the kid for his Sunday round. Wife got sick, babysitter didn't show, etc. etc. etc. Absolutely none of this matters.

Given the above, a really good, REAL, excuse for having the kid there, I still would have brought the kid. But as soon as the kid wasn't just sitting there minding his own, as soon as he became a distraction, it would have been time to WD, apologize to my competitors, and head home.

Since he did not do this, I would take it up with whomever you can take it up with. Tournament board, men's club committee, course management, whoever. Make sure everybody knows what this douche did and make sure he doesn't do it again.

In other words, walk into the office, and using your best Judge Smails voice say, "I demand satisfaction."

[limpalong]

Auguster, it is great that you have the opportunity... take the opporunity... to spend time with your kids! Too many parents, today, are content allowing the kids to grow up in front of the tv's or video games. Spend all the time with them you can! Too soon, they will be gone from home and you'll cherish those times you've had together.

Certainly, I don't agree 100% with everything you said as far as the place of children on a golf course. Goodness knows, I'm not going to argue one bit! You sound like a dedicated parent, determined to be a positive influence on your children. They... and you... are blessed!!!

As far as the "good deal" we have at our course, many of our members just don't understand how great we have it. Zoysia fairways... greens that putt like a table top... We have an excellent grounds crew and super accomodating clubhouse staff. Our annual dues are $500 for unlimited golf. And, things like the mentioned member's tourney even sweeten the pot. A course like ours located in a metro area would demand green fees in the $50+ range. We play year round for $500. If you want to take a quick peek at the tall, ball eating cottonwood trees lining our fairways you can see some good photos of our course at Stagg Hill Golf Club - Home