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Being paired with really bad golfers

shmelton

shmelton

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Newnan GA
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My BNL and I had our other 2 playing partners back out on us for our 9am 4th of July outing due to family obligations, which by the way is not acceptable at all, just kidding. With that being said we got paired with 2 horrendous golfs. I mean these dudes were BAD. To make it worse they were planning on playing the front men’s tees(5856) but saw we were playing the championship tees (6637) and decided to play with us.

To make things clear, I don’t mind playing with you if you are not very good, just keep up...these 2 gentlemen we’re playing best ball, and still couldn’t keep up. To make matters worse there was a small tournament like a senior group or something behind us. So the guys behind us couldn’t/wouldn’t play through. I even left my club off the green on the 2nd hole so I could go back and explain our situation. The guys behind me said we really weren’t holding them up, but I guess since I was waiting so long between shots, I felt they must be waiting as much as I was. I hate being held up by slow golfers, and I didn’t want to old dudes having to wait on us.

So after the third hole we finally caught up with the group in front, and were able to keep up. Both of them were blind, they couldn’t track their balls, we had to help. They would be looking in the completely wrong area. After we caught up with the old men in front of us, the worst of the two would wait until the got off the green to hit, and they would be 260 out on there 3rd shot on a par 4, this is the same one that would hit a 3wood from 150.

By the 5th hole I started drinking. I usually wait until after lunch, but I had to distract myself. At the turn my BNL and I ran in the club house to get a sandwich and some more beer. When we got to 10 tee which was 3 minutes after they did, they had teed off, and were waiting for us in the middle of the fairway right where our balls would land.

This was the worst pairing I ever had, and I’ve played with ALOT of strangers in my life. It seems like earlier tee times in the day would/should be set aside for golfers who don’t necessarily have to be the best in the world, but should consist of those who know the rules, and can keep up with pace. If we hadn’t been tracking their balls and pushing them along like they were our children. The course would have felt the effects all day.

What’s your worst experience, and how do you deal with the situation?


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Being paired with really bad golfers

I was dating a girl once and the first time meeting her parents was playing a round of golf with them. Both were terrible golfers and I think she shot about 115 and he about 122. I knew I was in for a long day so I decided I was just there to relax and spend time with the girl and her parents, didn’t plan to really think about golf much. Well wouldn’t you know I finished bogey bogey to shoot 70. I made a great impression on them


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I play alone a lot and end up playing with random people I run across on the golf course. Some are really good and some are really bad. I honestly don't worry about it too much most of the time as long as they are moving along at a decent pace. If I do find the pace is going too slow, I find ways to "help" them out to pick up pace. Things like, hey man just take a drop in the fairway instead of over there in the rough where it went out or something like that. Usually helps them to have a better time and speed up play.
 
Happened to me yesterday, got invited to play with friends who haven't played in 3+ years.. I told them first thing they should be playing a Sunday morning, had to tell them to just pick up or move up to keep a pace, hit multiple balls for practice (said that's what the range is for), and they kept asking me for advise

Usually I play really bad with bad players, but I actually had a really good round this time

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4th of July we played as a six-some with the family and finished in 4:30. Scores were 85-86-92-92-97-120.

The 120 is a true beginner. High school kid who is thinking about picking up golf, no expectations. He actually made a Bogey on 1 and that felt like a birdie for him. We were doing everything we could for him to make 1 Par on the 3 or 4 chances he had but it just didn't drop!

Anyway. Pace of play was zero issue in the group. He re-teed maybe twice when we told him to after a bad drive. But he took his drops, and when he was out of the hole by picking up before he got to the green we just wrote him down for a Triple max.

Playing with bad Golfers isn't a problem at all, anything to promote more people to give it a shot and play. The problem is if they aren't self-aware of what's going on.
 
I've been paired with folks who don't break 110 pretty often, and honestly they were as fun to play with as anyone. Most of the real slow guys I've been paired with I wouldn't put in the "really bad" category, so there's no real correlation for me.

Pretty easy to speed things up if they're having trouble with finding balls and whatnot - if you're waiting on shots, it's not really trouble to lend a hand, and that speeds things up in the process. And I've found most beginners/guys who don't golf all that regularly are open to input help in terms of course management/speeding up play.
 
I've played with hundreds of strangers and have a great time 99% of the time. My worst experience was playing with a guy who didn't speak one word to me the entire round despite me trying to engage a few conversations, and then he also refused to shake my hand at the end. I assumed he didn't speak english but then after the round heard him by his car speaking english on the phone to somebody.

Otherwise there's been a few times on weekend afternoons where I've been paired with a bunch of drinkers trying to escape their wives and children for a day. All the power to them if they keep up, but it's just not an ideal pairing for me. The constant yelling, screeching tires, and over the top testosterone is just not what I go to the golf course for.
 
I'm usually in the 105-110 range but I know when to pick up and play ready golf. I don't want to be out there 5 hours, because I have things I need to do later in the day.
 
If the course is crowded, once they've fallen behind their own group (or the group ahead) "really bad golfers" should pick up their ball and move on to get ready for the next tee box.
 
There are "bad" golfers, and there are "slow" golfers. Not necessarily the same.

I can play a round in about an hour less than Jordan Spieth, from what I've seen on the ol' television.
 
shmelton said:
My BNL and I had our other 2 playing partners back out on us for our 9am 4th of July outing due to family obligations, which by the way is not acceptable at all, just kidding. With that being said we got paired with 2 horrendous golfs. I mean these dudes were BAD. To make it worse they were planning on playing the front men’s tees(5856) but saw we were playing the championship tees (6637) and decided to play with us.

To make things clear, I don’t mind playing with you if you are not very good, just keep up...these 2 gentlemen we’re playing best ball, and still couldn’t keep up. To make matters worse there was a small tournament like a senior group or something behind us. So the guys behind us couldn’t/wouldn’t play through. I even left my club off the green on the 2nd hole so I could go back and explain our situation. The guys behind me said we really weren’t holding them up, but I guess since I was waiting so long between shots, I felt they must be waiting as much as I was. I hate being held up by slow golfers, and I didn’t want to old dudes having to wait on us.

So after the third hole we finally caught up with the group in front, and were able to keep up. Both of them were blind, they couldn’t track their balls, we had to help. They would be looking in the completely wrong area. After we caught up with the old men in front of us, the worst of the two would wait until the got off the green to hit, and they would be 260 out on there 3rd shot on a par 4, this is the same one that would hit a 3wood from 150.

By the 5th hole I started drinking. I usually wait until after lunch, but I had to distract myself. At the turn my BNL and I ran in the club house to get a sandwich and some more beer. When we got to 10 tee which was 3 minutes after they did, they had teed off, and were waiting for us in the middle of the fairway right where our balls would land.

This was the worst pairing I ever had, and I’ve played with ALOT of strangers in my life. It seems like earlier tee times in the day would/should be set aside for golfers who don’t necessarily have to be the best in the world, but should consist of those who know the rules, and can keep up with pace. If we hadn’t been tracking their balls and pushing them along like they were our children. The course would have felt the effects all day.

What’s your worst experience, and how do you deal with the situation?


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You were playing at 9am on the busiest golf holiday of the year, and it seems like the only person on the course who had an issue with pace was you. I'm not trying to be rude, but the guys you were paired with, as bad as they may have been, didn't seem to cause any problems. Without the good and the bad, this wouldn't be a game. Everyone has to start somewhere.
 
shmelton said:
My BNL and I had our other 2 playing partners back out on us for our 9am 4th of July outing due to family obligations, which by the way is not acceptable at all, just kidding. With that being said we got paired with 2 horrendous golfs. I mean these dudes were BAD. To make it worse they were planning on playing the front men’s tees(5856) but saw we were playing the championship tees (6637) and decided to play with us.

To make things clear, I don’t mind playing with you if you are not very good, just keep up...these 2 gentlemen we’re playing best ball, and still couldn’t keep up. To make matters worse there was a small tournament like a senior group or something behind us. So the guys behind us couldn’t/wouldn’t play through. I even left my club off the green on the 2nd hole so I could go back and explain our situation. The guys behind me said we really weren’t holding them up, but I guess since I was waiting so long between shots, I felt they must be waiting as much as I was. I hate being held up by slow golfers, and I didn’t want to old dudes having to wait on us.

So after the third hole we finally caught up with the group in front, and were able to keep up. Both of them were blind, they couldn’t track their balls, we had to help. They would be looking in the completely wrong area. After we caught up with the old men in front of us, the worst of the two would wait until the got off the green to hit, and they would be 260 out on there 3rd shot on a par 4, this is the same one that would hit a 3wood from 150.

By the 5th hole I started drinking. I usually wait until after lunch, but I had to distract myself. At the turn my BNL and I ran in the club house to get a sandwich and some more beer. When we got to 10 tee which was 3 minutes after they did, they had teed off, and were waiting for us in the middle of the fairway right where our balls would land.

This was the worst pairing I ever had, and I’ve played with ALOT of strangers in my life. It seems like earlier tee times in the day would/should be set aside for golfers who don’t necessarily have to be the best in the world, but should consist of those who know the rules, and can keep up with pace. If we hadn’t been tracking their balls and pushing them along like they were our children. The course would have felt the effects all day.

What’s your worst experience, and how do you deal with the situation?


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i can feel what your talking about. regardless of ability its simply very uncomfortable playing with slow people who back things up. I hate that no matter the ability cause ive experienced it with both good and bad players. it makes me very uncomfy and feel like i jhave to rush everything i do so as to help make up for lost time and as a result i play worse which causes me to have to move even more rushed.

I said in another thread about those pain in the butt slow good players and many of which all their antics around and on the greens. mean while im rushing everything 9and possible another fellow as well) to help make sure we as a group keep up. And the idiot who is playing at the open goes about everything with no sense at all for any of it and all his antics. never once realizing if we were not helping make up for his time we would be behind. the whole thing is annoying and so wrong. Butb thast the case wather a newbie or a good avid player. But with the newbie in fact its often easier to suggest things and talk about the pace. Not so much with Mr. US open. he is good and therfore it cant possibly be him talking too much time. And nowadays...if your that person?...go get your own darn flag for your chip so we can prepare for our shots since we already already rushing our stuff for your sake. Ok rant over.
 
If I'm with people that are struggling or are off a higher handicap I play with them like I'd play with anyone else. To have fun. Congratulate for good shots, go 'ahh tough luck' on bad ones or something like that
 
I don't care about score or enter it in my HC...just looking for a few good shots and enjoy the company...
 
shmelton said:
I mean these dudes were BAD. To make it worse they were planning on playing the front men’s tees(5856) but saw we were playing the championship tees (6637) and decided to play with us.


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This here is my absolutely worst experiences. I play as a single a lot at my home course so I get paired up all the time. The back tees are 7092 yards, which are no problem for me. But, they are way too long for 99% of golfers that play the course. What you described is exactly what happened so many times. I get paired up with a 2 some or a 3 some that are not very good or long off the tee. Next thing you know, instead of them playing from the 6,100 yard set of tees, they are back there playing with me because of ego. It became so frequent, that I now only play the tips if I'm playing with golfers I know. Otherwise, I play the 6,500 yard blues to lessen the painfulness when these groups insist on playing the same tees as me.

I've had it happen with the young 20's frat boys and the 70 year olds.
 
On another note, the best bad golfers I play with are the one's that are enjoyable to talk to and also pick up when they realize that they are starting to slow everyone else up.
 
A buddy and I got paired up with a couple of "newer" golfers. One guy wasn't hitting it very well, and, they were quite slow. We were a hole behind after the first hole. My buddy didn't want to wait on them, so, after our tee shots on the 2nd hole, we continued on, and, left them searching for their golf balls. I think we finished about an hour before they finished.
 
I guess I play a lot of my rounds with bad golfers if you consider that my wife and my usual playing partners wife are both pretty much beginners, yet we always have a laugh out on the course

It doesn't matter the level of ability, as long as everyone enjoys the round and the company then everything is good in my eyes
 
In our foursome yesterday 3 of the players shot 100+. Doesn't bother me at all, they were great guys, everyone was playing an appropriate tee box, and once a hole was pooched they would pick up or offer a long gimme to stop the pain and suffering.

I've always said "Nobody cares if you suck at golf (we all do), just don't suck slowly".
 
I didn’t know golfunfiltered had more than one account
 
I ditch them if I can. If not I put in my ear buds and take a chill pill. Recite the Serenity Prayer
 
Depending on whom I am playing with, I can be on either side of this equation.

When I am the sucky player, I offer the other guys the opportunity to play ahead and leave me behind.

On the flip side, I will suggest to slow or bad players, if I am paired with them, would they mind me playing ahead?
 
I usually show up to the course as a single, so I get grouped with randoms all the time. Most people are bad and struggle to break 120 but it doesnt really bother me. Im out there to have fun and knock the ball around, just like everyone else. If it takes them a few more strokes that it does me and that means I have to wait a bit longer each hole, it doesnt matter to me much.
 
Like everything else, golf has its challenges... beyond ability to play. I would suspect that this problem mainly refers to play on Muny courses. I can't imagine it being a problem on private course; certainly not on my Home course, where the starter and marshall are tasked with these situations not happening. On many other private courses all the golfers very likely know one another and thus such a conflict is also unlikely. As a starter at my club, I know how to deal with such situations. On a public course, I haven't a clue. Many of our public course here in the PNW do have active marshalls, but not all. I think if paired with less skillful players, I'd tend to remember my challenges and make the best of it. I mean, it's not like I have mastered the game... playing anywhere from like an 8 hcp to an 18 hcp on a given day. It's just a game. And when I get to the point of letting distractions bother me, then it might be time to find another game... that I can enjoy.

66861048_10156746677688401_2795021805494992896_n.jpg
 
My fear is that I get paired up with a great golfer when I go out to play the last few times. Getting back into the game recently and heading to the course by myself, I have intentionally tried to play on my own. First time out was a week day and I was on my own. Next time on Sunday afternoon I ended getting paired with an employee which was nice, he knew the course and could tell me where to aim at for each hole. He wasn't much better than I was and it was an enjoyable round.

This past weekend I got paired up with a twosome which was fine until I saw them hit longer bombs on the first drive than I could even try to hit, they were also playing from back tees. I usually play from the blues. LOL! I told them at the first green as I was on my 5th shot and they were already done, to go on ahead as I would just be slowing them down. I then played on my own for the rest of the front 9.

Back 9 was backed up so I asked a twosome behind me if they would like to join me. It ended being a great back 9. I hit some really good shots and played way over what I normally have played in any of my rounds prior. Exchanged number and we are playing again this Sunday afternoon.
 
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