Smiter
Dunce Cap For A Bit
Some of you may remember the thread I started last year (someone with better search-fu, feel free to link it) where I showed my ass. Long story short, I took my kids out to play a quick (misnomer) nine. We got stuck behind the trail group of a “league” and they were the slowest group ever. We caught them on hole 6 after not seeing a soul on the prior holes. It took almost 2 hours to complete our nine from that point. On hole 8 I made an ass out of myself and yelled something like “hey! Hurry up, we want to finish before dark too!” I wasn’t even playing, just trying to finish a nine where my kids were.
One of the fellas in that group threw his putter down and charged at me. I was about 170 yards back in the fairway behind them on this long par 4. I’m too old and fat to run and it’d been a long time since I’d been in a fight, so I threw my hat off and yelled out a (to me) Ric Flair like, “Wooo!” I may or may not have laughed when his golf buddy and him did the “hold me back bro” routine.
I was 100% in the wrong here and I’ve already been beat to death (online) for it. I shouldn’t have resorted to that no matter what and particularly with my kids with me. I set a bad example, I’m wrong, I’m sorry. Don’t beat that bush, we’ve been there already. Scouts honor, I’ll try to not be there again. I couldn’t stomach 30+ minute holes with no other groups on the front and them not willing to let through a group that plays nine in less than1:30. Yes they were the trailing end of a league, but I just couldn’t take them savoring the very last light all for themselves while my kids were not going to finish it. Again, I admit I was wrong and that’s not the issue here, far as I’m concerned. If y’all want to pile on a beating I rightfully took last summer, go for it but it’s not where I’m going.
Problem. The mediator in that incident (the guy that held “the guy” back, lives right behind me. With floor to ceiling windows in my living room, I’ve been looking at his house all frickin winter. Prior to that, he and I had a decent neighborly type relationship. He seems like a decent guy, even if he golfs at a snails pace in the almighty “league”. There was another incident in the parking lot, this was as I was taking my kids bags to the car, after finishing with zero light. The guy stared me down and like an ass-something I stopped the cart to confront him (again, I know I was wrong, admitted it, will try not to do it again, and not what this thread is about). At that point my directly behind me neighbor intervened, and what could have came to a fist fight was sort of laughed off. I said “hey, you’re my neighbor!” He said “we’re all neighbors here”. I said “ok” and started to walk off. Then my directly behind me neighbor said to my kids “if you ever want a golf etiquette lesson, I’ll give it to you”. I then asked him if playing 9 holes in 5 hours was considered proper etiquette, to which he again told my kids that he’d be glad to give “them” an etiquette lesson.
I’m not downplaying my wrong doing here. This is the first time I’ve ever been truly upset about pace of play, but 30 minutes a hole was too much, especially when it meant we wouldn’t finish in enough light to see. But I was wrong as rain. I shouldn’t have handled myself that way, I’m wrong there.
So very long back story, but I’ve gotta live with the guy. I waited until 2am that night in my driveway because I wanted to talk (just talk, that was it-to explain my side and apologize for where I went wrong). He never showed up. He’s a prison guard and has Thursday’s off, as do I. Should I knock on his door and offer to treat him to a round some Thursday at a nice area course? Should I just leave it alone? I’m lost here, this was at the end of last season and I haven’t really seen him outside since. He took care of my sidewalk when it snowed once this winter and I was at work, I did the same for him the next time. Once spring hits (if it ever does!) I’m sure I’ll see him outside a ton like last year. We got along ok until that incident. I didn’t appreciate his group playing an almost 5 hr nine, I’m sure he didn’t appreciate me not tolerating it. I REALLY didn’t appreciate the tone he took with my kids, but I’m willing to look past that since everyone was an ass all around.
I was wrong. They were wrong. If you wanna beat on me for it, go ahead. I know I wasn’t in the right, at least totally. Putter throwing guy was more wrong then me, but I guess I don’t expect smart decisions from a beer league. That’s not what’s at issue. All the backstory amounts to, should I invite him to play a round with me on a Thursday and hopefully be at peace neighbors, or should I just leave well enough alone and be content with glaring at each other until one of us croaks? What would you do in my shoes? What would you do in his shoes if invited along by someone you had a run in with? I’m lost here and as the weather is hopefully about to break, I dunno what the heck to do? I don’t want to harbor bad feelings, we’d been fine prior to that.
One of the fellas in that group threw his putter down and charged at me. I was about 170 yards back in the fairway behind them on this long par 4. I’m too old and fat to run and it’d been a long time since I’d been in a fight, so I threw my hat off and yelled out a (to me) Ric Flair like, “Wooo!” I may or may not have laughed when his golf buddy and him did the “hold me back bro” routine.
I was 100% in the wrong here and I’ve already been beat to death (online) for it. I shouldn’t have resorted to that no matter what and particularly with my kids with me. I set a bad example, I’m wrong, I’m sorry. Don’t beat that bush, we’ve been there already. Scouts honor, I’ll try to not be there again. I couldn’t stomach 30+ minute holes with no other groups on the front and them not willing to let through a group that plays nine in less than1:30. Yes they were the trailing end of a league, but I just couldn’t take them savoring the very last light all for themselves while my kids were not going to finish it. Again, I admit I was wrong and that’s not the issue here, far as I’m concerned. If y’all want to pile on a beating I rightfully took last summer, go for it but it’s not where I’m going.
Problem. The mediator in that incident (the guy that held “the guy” back, lives right behind me. With floor to ceiling windows in my living room, I’ve been looking at his house all frickin winter. Prior to that, he and I had a decent neighborly type relationship. He seems like a decent guy, even if he golfs at a snails pace in the almighty “league”. There was another incident in the parking lot, this was as I was taking my kids bags to the car, after finishing with zero light. The guy stared me down and like an ass-something I stopped the cart to confront him (again, I know I was wrong, admitted it, will try not to do it again, and not what this thread is about). At that point my directly behind me neighbor intervened, and what could have came to a fist fight was sort of laughed off. I said “hey, you’re my neighbor!” He said “we’re all neighbors here”. I said “ok” and started to walk off. Then my directly behind me neighbor said to my kids “if you ever want a golf etiquette lesson, I’ll give it to you”. I then asked him if playing 9 holes in 5 hours was considered proper etiquette, to which he again told my kids that he’d be glad to give “them” an etiquette lesson.
I’m not downplaying my wrong doing here. This is the first time I’ve ever been truly upset about pace of play, but 30 minutes a hole was too much, especially when it meant we wouldn’t finish in enough light to see. But I was wrong as rain. I shouldn’t have handled myself that way, I’m wrong there.
So very long back story, but I’ve gotta live with the guy. I waited until 2am that night in my driveway because I wanted to talk (just talk, that was it-to explain my side and apologize for where I went wrong). He never showed up. He’s a prison guard and has Thursday’s off, as do I. Should I knock on his door and offer to treat him to a round some Thursday at a nice area course? Should I just leave it alone? I’m lost here, this was at the end of last season and I haven’t really seen him outside since. He took care of my sidewalk when it snowed once this winter and I was at work, I did the same for him the next time. Once spring hits (if it ever does!) I’m sure I’ll see him outside a ton like last year. We got along ok until that incident. I didn’t appreciate his group playing an almost 5 hr nine, I’m sure he didn’t appreciate me not tolerating it. I REALLY didn’t appreciate the tone he took with my kids, but I’m willing to look past that since everyone was an ass all around.
I was wrong. They were wrong. If you wanna beat on me for it, go ahead. I know I wasn’t in the right, at least totally. Putter throwing guy was more wrong then me, but I guess I don’t expect smart decisions from a beer league. That’s not what’s at issue. All the backstory amounts to, should I invite him to play a round with me on a Thursday and hopefully be at peace neighbors, or should I just leave well enough alone and be content with glaring at each other until one of us croaks? What would you do in my shoes? What would you do in his shoes if invited along by someone you had a run in with? I’m lost here and as the weather is hopefully about to break, I dunno what the heck to do? I don’t want to harbor bad feelings, we’d been fine prior to that.