• Welcome To ShotTalk.com!

    We are one of the oldest and largest Golf forums on the internet with golfers from around the world sharing tips, photos and planning golf outings.

    Registering is free and easy! Hope to see you on the forums soon!

Bad Golfer Rant

warbirdlover

Ender of all threads
Supporting Member
Jul 9, 2005
19,151
5,601
central Wisconsin
Country
United States United States
This should have been titled "SLOW" golfer rant. I have no problem with bad golfers if they are attempting to get better.

This has been a slow week golfing and I mean in terms of following some of the worst and slowest golfers ever to hit the game of golf. They all play at the courses I play.

My gripe is NOT that they aren't skilled but that they go out and play this game with a ho-hum attitude about how to do it correctly. No effort extended whatsoever. Just go out and kill some time with the boys (or girls). No lessons, ancient equipment, two golf balls in the bag etc etc

Today (Sunday of all days) two dads take their daughters out to "learn" how to play golf. No range sessions, just show them how to grip it on the first tee and turn them loose. Oh my God! The ranger finally caught on to them after they had the whole course backed up but by then it's a mess getting it straightened out. It's great they want to teach their daughters golf but start at the range and get them some lessons, then go out on a slow weekday or evening. Not on Sunday.

The day before that I'm behind two whole foursomes of "Mr. Havercamps" (Caddyshack old guy). They were slow but okay until they hit the greens. Then they each take their turn lining up the putts (they can't do it while others are putting I guess).

Then behind them are the guys that are playing for the first time this year and take no less then ten practice swings before hitting each shot only to shank them anyway.

Day earlier they had high school girls team competition and the one thing they DON'T teach them is golf etiquette. Like GET THE HELL OFF THE GREEN WHEN YOU'RE DONE SO I CAN HIT MY SHOT. Or QUIT PUTTING LIKE THE HAVERCAMPS. Or let me play through if you're going to make trips to get your water bottles filled before teeing off. One coach told the ranger (who told me) that "some of these girls never played golf before". No sh*t Sherlock. How can a girl who never played golf before make the H.S. golf team? Are they that desperate for team members? Yikes.

And finally, they have a golf "outing" on the weekend. I've never heard of doing that before. Every one I've ever played in has been during the week. In any case here's some more people out golfing that hardly ever play golf. Wheeeeeeeeeee!!!

Sorry about this. If it hadn't all happened every day I was out this week I could deal with it but it was "rampant"!! :mad:
 

Clugnut

Gimme some roombas!
Aug 13, 2006
3,423
1
I haven't played behind slow golfers for a while now. This last Wednesday was the first time for me this year getting seriously slowed up on the course. Luckily, it was at my home course, so we just jumped around until we found a spot where we could haul it. Our first 6 holes took over an hour, and that felt like forever. I would have melted down over a 3 hour nine. I honestly could not have taken it. I have too much stuff to do. When I play the weekends lately, I have been starting at 5:30-6:00 in the morning. You do not have many groups to pass, and anyone that starts that early is usually not a hacker or someone who doesn't care about playing.
 
OP
warbirdlover

warbirdlover

Ender of all threads
Supporting Member
Jul 9, 2005
19,151
5,601
central Wisconsin
Country
United States United States
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #3
I thought starting at 8:00 this morning was good. But the course was packed already. I guess I haven't reached the point where I can get moving that early. limp and clug, how do you do it?
 

shep3470

Well-Known Member
Apr 5, 2009
271
0
Omaha, NE
And finally, they have a golf "outing" on the weekend. I've never heard of doing that before. Every one I've ever played in has been during the week. In any case here's some more people out golfing that hardly ever play golf. Wheeeeeeeeeee!!!

Interesting. Granted I haven't played in an outing for a couple years, but I have never played one during the week. They have always been on a weekend. Sounds like the course had some bad management.
 

limpalong

Mental Ward Escapee
Supporting Member
Oct 18, 2006
13,821
13,653
I forgot!
Country
United States United States
As with most, I hate slow play. I can understand everyone wanting to get better at this dastardly game. However, common sense and courtesy will gain you much more satisfaction with the game than being on the receiving end of the wrath of the masses behind you.

As I've said before, we always have the first tee time on Saturday and Sundays at our course. We play quickly. Saturday, we were waiting for the sun to get up just enough to see past the bend on #1. As we were setting there, a couple walked up and proceeded to take their place on the tee box. We struck up a conversation about the weather and politiely stated that we would get out in front of them just as soon as we could see. The gentleman said that he and his wife were first on the tee sheet and we could follow them. Ummm... We headed to the pro shop. The pro, who can be known to be less than congenial, asked the couple what the H*ll they were doing on the tee box. When the gentleman said they were getting ready to tee off, the pro asked why they hadn't even checked in at the clubhouse. He told them to get out of the way until we were off the tee and down the fairway. As a 4-some, we played in 2 hours 45 minutes... all 18 holes.

Friday, I got home a little early and the SIL and I went out to play. Rather busy at the course, with a small shotgun tourney. Pro told us the back was empty and to go off there first. We did and played the back in 50 minutes. As we came off 18, the front looke backed up. The pro told us there were only the groups on 1 and 2. He told us to go to 3 and begn there. We played 3-9 and, then, played 1 and 2. Total time for 18 holes... 2 hours 5 minutes... on a busy Friday.

Trouble is, when we do play later in the day or do get behind a slower group, it really throws off your game. When you are used to hitting, finding it and hitting it again... it stinks to have to actually wait on someone to clear the green or fairway in front of you.
 
OP
warbirdlover

warbirdlover

Ender of all threads
Supporting Member
Jul 9, 2005
19,151
5,601
central Wisconsin
Country
United States United States
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #6
Good points limp. For the most part the guys in the clubhouse try to do their best and frequently apologize for the slow groups in front of us. Many times they send me off the back nine to avoid slow groups. It's a popular course between two large cities (Kenosha and Racine) so is always busy. I can also use my gold pass at another course that has two 18's and a 9. I've been playing there more lately as there is always an 18 (or 9) that's less crowded but that is the course where they had the H.S. girls on. All 3 courses! Not as good at managing things there.
 

thekid65

Well-Known Member
Jan 2, 2009
406
0
Bottom line, IMO, is the pace of play should be solely dictated by the course/marshals. You will always have beginners/hacks (we were all one, once) and just plain inconsiderate/oblivious players out there...and they will be slow. It's the marshals job to keep them moving, instead of just sitting on his keyster in the cart drinking a soda.

Some courses do it well, and others do not.
 

Clugnut

Gimme some roombas!
Aug 13, 2006
3,423
1
Getting up early kind of stinks, until you realize you can have a lovely golf course all to your self at dawn in the summer. My routine is to swing into Dunkin' at about 5:45, and get a nice big cup of coffee. Sipping that and rolling down the fairways at dawn is just one simple pleasure in life.
 
OP
warbirdlover

warbirdlover

Ender of all threads
Supporting Member
Jul 9, 2005
19,151
5,601
central Wisconsin
Country
United States United States
  • Thread Starter
  • Thread starter
  • #9
My routine is to swing into Dunkin' at about 5:45, and get a nice big cup of coffee. Sipping that and rolling down the fairways at dawn is just one simple pleasure in life.

What about the donuts?
 

limpalong

Mental Ward Escapee
Supporting Member
Oct 18, 2006
13,821
13,653
I forgot!
Country
United States United States
What about the donuts?

I always am up before 5 a.m.... Always!! 7 days/week, I rarely sleep past 4:15 to 4:30 a.m. One of the few vices left, at this age, is a couple cups of fresh coffee every morning. (Every tree on our course has been "anointed" with my used coffee!) Don't know about Clug, but add the sugar from sssssome dddonuts tttttooo mmmy ccccofffeeee and mmmyyyy ppppppputttter would eeeven bbbbe wwwworse tthan it is nnnnow!!!!
 

Clugnut

Gimme some roombas!
Aug 13, 2006
3,423
1
Don't know about Clug, but add the sugar from sssssome dddonuts tttttooo mmmy ccccofffeeee and mmmyyyy ppppppputttter would eeeven bbbbe wwwworse tthan it is nnnnow!!!!

Hehe, maybe that's why I had to switch to the long putter! I'll admit, last time I picked up a couple of chocolate creme's to go with my brew. I've gained a couple of pounds in the last few months. I gotta knock that stuff off.
 

WMitch6

Well-Known Member
Jul 24, 2006
483
18
Some slow play is the course's fault. A good greenskeeper will maintain the course so that it's not too punishing for the high handicap players while still making it tough on good players. The rules and conventions of golf also have bearing on the pace of play. One of the worst rules for non competitive golf is the "away" rule. Courses should mandate ready golf. Go to your ball and if there is no one in front, hit the friggen thing. Unfortunately though, the main cause of slow play are a**holes. Guys that that just don't give a rat's a** for anyone else on the course. They paid their money and they're gonna' play at the pace they want.

My wife and I play late every Sunday. We usually have the course nearly to ourselves aside from a few other couples and singles working on their game. Our goal is a 2 1/2 to 3 hour round. We don't rush and will occasionally dawdle because it's almost like having our own private course. Our dawdle is a 3 1/2 hour round. Nobody in front, nobody behind.

Last week we caught up to a foursome of really bad golfers. I suck, but I suck at a good pace. These guys were awful. A couple of them kept practicing putting while we were waiting to hit (I actually yelled at them to get the eff off the green after the 3rd or 4th time it happened). One guy would write down his score while on the green after everyone else was off. We finally jumped a hole. We were in the clubhouse having a beer when they came in and one of them asked me why I was yelling at them. My wife told him that if he recorded his eights while waiting on the next tee it wouldn't be a problem.
 

SilverUberXeno

El Tigre Blanco
Jul 26, 2005
4,620
26
Some slow play is the course's fault.

This is very apparent when OB stakes are very close to the green. On some of the courses I play, hitting it 10 yards beyond the green is OB. The green is elevated on one hole in particular to where you don't know the ball is over the green, or OB, until you are already there. I've seen competent golfers have to slow the entire course down to go back and take a stroke/distance penalty. I respect them for playing by the rules, and they did the right thing, but the course just shouldn't be set up that way.

I've never done this myself, as I'd rather hit a shot I need to PURE to get to the flag rather than chance hitting it long on any and every hole, but the fellow it happened to was livid about the situation. I felt his pain as he went back 160 yards and hit another shot. At least he posted a legitimate score.
 

🔥 Latest posts

Top