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Paired with club thrower... What to do?

Dance_Business

Dance_Business

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Today I played with two guys at a local course. My second round with them. My last, too. One of them started drop kicking his driver, flinging his irons towards the cart - tree-whatever. Behavior that jacks with my game & is just plain embarrassing. I do not know this guy, the other is a mutual acquaintance. I did not say anything, I just sped up my play(90 minutes on the back nine). Gratefully there was not anyone in front or behind us to witness this craziness.

Years ago I had a friend fling a 4 iron 30 yards, over my head & into the side of a house. I left the course. Didn't play with him again.

Thoughts? What would You Do?
 
Dance_Business said:
Today I played with two guys at a local course. My second round with them. My last, too. One of them started drop kicking his driver, flinging his irons towards the cart - tree-whatever. Behavior that jacks with my game & is just plain embarrassing. I do not know this guy, the other is a mutual acquaintance. I did not say anything, I just sped up my play(90 minutes on the back nine). Gratefully there was not anyone in front or behind us to witness this craziness.

Years ago I had a friend fling a 4 iron 30 yards, over my head & into the side of a house. I left the course. Didn't play with him again.

Thoughts? What would You Do?
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I think I would politely say, "Why don't you guys go on ahead? That kind of behavior has a negative impact on my game." I think that would get the point across. Either he'll apologize and quit, or they'll go on ahead. Sure, you'll have to play slow behind them, but that's preferable to playing with them.
 
Tell him "that looks like fun" and start throwing his clubs too. Then when he asks what you are doing tell him you are showing him how much of an ass he looks like.
Guys who throw clubs are the same inconsiderate self centered ego driven apes who hate it when you hit a better shot than them. They dont say anything but you can see it eating them up inside.
 
I don't know what I would have done, except excuse myself from the round if it was someone that I didn't know.

As much as I don't like to admit this, I once was not a happy golfer. I was playing with a great friend and threw my driver after a rough day on the course. My buddy walked over and picked up my driver out of the trees. I was expecting him to bring it back to me, and I would probably get a talking to. Instead, he turned around and threw my driver into the middle of the lake in front of us and exclaimed: "If you're going to do it, do it right". I looked at him in shock, and then noticed the effect that my anger had on the group as a whole. He then told me in front of everyone that if I ever threw a club or got that angry on the course he would never play a round with me again and that my anger effected the entire group negatively and that he chose to play the game for fun and he would not let anyone ruin his round of golf. I was shocked, stunned and embarrassed at the same time. I realized how much of a jerk I was at that moment in time and from that point on, have never felt any anger on the course.

While I've never went to the extent to throw someone else's driver into a body of water, I have reminded playing partners that we are not professionals, and we are supposed to be out here enjoying ourselves. If you're going to get that angry, then you probably shouldn't continue playing and they usually respond very well to that.

BTW: at the end of the round, my buddy took me into the pro shop and bought me a new driver and told me that driver belonged to him and I was just using it because mine was "lost" and that I was in no way to abuse that club.

The entire situation changed the way I look at golf completely, and I'm glad he did it.
 
I would pick up the club and put it in my bag and say something like I have been looking for a new ...... club.
 
Tough one. It is easy to come across like you are being uptight - even though it is his behaviour that is clearly wrong. I would have had a word with him in the bar afterwards - and calmly explained that I found it difficult to play in those conditions and that even though I would be happy to play with him again, it would be on the condition that he behaved like a grown-up. Everyone gets frustrated, but anything that is adversely affecting others enjoyment should simply not happen.
 
I was paired with two club throwers and I just let it go. People vent and release frustration in the their own. It's a bad action that doesn't make the thrower a bad person. Every hole it might bother me but the occasional helicopter is needed from time to time.
Just not at my head
 
Dance_Business said:
Today I played with two guys at a local course. My second round with them. My last, too. One of them started drop kicking his driver, flinging his irons towards the cart - tree-whatever. Behavior that jacks with my game & is just plain embarrassing. I do not know this guy, the other is a mutual acquaintance. I did not say anything, I just sped up my play(90 minutes on the back nine). Gratefully there was not anyone in front or behind us to witness this craziness.

Years ago I had a friend fling a 4 iron 30 yards, over my head & into the side of a house. I left the course. Didn't play with him again.

Thoughts? What would You Do?
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I have a friend who is an angry golfer. He has been playing less than 2 full years (but he plays 5-6 days/week) and has already broken 80 several times. He now thinks that 84 is abject failure, and loses his mind when he hits bad shots. For him, there is nothing I can say to change his ways...I just don't play with him very often.
 
Be happy it's not you! Just try not to play with him. Some people have no self control, I choose not to be around them. I see no need to confront them but no need to play with them. There's a good chance that by the time one is an adult they will not change.
 
ArmyGolf said:
Tell him "that looks like fun" and start throwing his clubs too. Then when he asks what you are doing tell him you are showing him how much of an ass he looks like.
Guys who throw clubs are the same inconsiderate self centered ego driven apes who hate it when you hit a better shot than them. They dont say anything but you can see it eating them up inside.
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That's great! Ill try it next time. It is embarrassing. I always tell em..... Ya it was the clubs fault, it sucks, not you.
 
I understand not liking it but not playing with a friend over it, man that's rough. In the end my friendships are worth more to me than a club toss
 
There is a guy at the club I play at that is just like that. He played with us one Saturday and if he makes one bad shot he starts screaming and cussing and throwing his club. It got so bad a lot of the guys at the course refuse to play golf with him. About two months ago he was on the course and made a bad putt and threw his BRAND NEW Bettinardi putter into the water hazard, which is about 7 foot deep. Needless to say he lost a 350 dollar putter that he had used once.

This guy also use to be the golf coach for the local high school until he started treating the high school players the same way.
 
Maryland Golfer said:
There is a guy at the club I play at that is just like that. He played with us one Saturday and if he makes one bad shot he starts screaming and cussing and throwing his club. It got so bad a lot of the guys at the course refuse to play golf with him. About two months ago he was on the course and made a bad putt and threw his BRAND NEW Bettinardi putter into the water hazard, which is about 7 foot deep. Needless to say he lost a 350 dollar putter that he had used once.

This guy also use to be the golf coach for the local high school until he started treating the high school players the same way.
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Did he threw high schoolers into the pond???
 
To be fair he didnt say he ended the friendship, he just didnt play anymore golf with him.
Tadashi70 said:
I understand not liking it but not playing with a friend over it, man that's rough. In the end my friendships are worth more to me than a club toss
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I hate clubthrowing with a passion. It comes across as so childish. I also hate people who whine, kick stuff, etc.
 
How long has the guy been playing golf and what is his age? If he is somewhat new to the game and young a little coach and counsel might do the trick. I can say that from experience. In my early twenties I once through a pretty good tantrum (no helicopters) after twice failing to get out of a bunker and got dressed down a little bit after the round by an older player. It stuck and I have been conscious of my on course behavior ever since.

If the guy has been golfing 15 years and is a middle aged adult I'm guessing nothing you say will matter. The behavior is too ingrained. I'd just skip playing with him in the future. Sounds like you are not close anyway.
 
Walk away. It's not hard to do.
 
Someone at a club near us lost an eye last month because of a club thrower in his group.
 
Dance_Business said:
Today I played with two guys at a local course. My second round with them. My last, too. One of them started drop kicking his driver, flinging his irons towards the cart - tree-whatever. Behavior that jacks with my game & is just plain embarrassing. I do not know this guy, the other is a mutual acquaintance. I did not say anything, I just sped up my play(90 minutes on the back nine). Gratefully there was not anyone in front or behind us to witness this craziness.

Years ago I had a friend fling a 4 iron 30 yards, over my head & into the side of a house. I left the course. Didn't play with him again.

Thoughts? What would You Do?
Click to expand...

I would have walked off/drove off and left him standing alone.
 
With a thumbs up and feigned excitement say, "nice distance! That went further than your drive!!" Sarcasm is not only fun, but also effective.
 
KellyBo said:
Someone at a club near us lost an eye last month because of a club thrower in his group.
Click to expand...

That's crazy!

I used to throw clubs in anger when I was younger. Of course, my friends in my regular foursome were also younger and it was more funny than serious anger. Once I started investing time and money into my golf game, the club throwing went away.

Playing in two golf leagues a week pairs me up with people I don't really know so well. A few weeks ago, one of the A+ players in our league was in my group and really struggling. After slicing his tee shot on the 5th hole OB right, he went to flick his driver to the left towards his bag, but held on to it a bit too long, and it kind of popped up and straight back towards where we were standing. Another in the the group lifted his own driver and deflected it into the ground in front of him to keep it from hitting him. Could've been dangerous if he wasn't paying attention. The worst part? The A+ moron who tossed the club let out a "heads-up", but never apologized afterwards. Never said a word shaking hands after finishing the round.

I'm not going to stop golfing with this guy when he comes up in the schedule in my league, but my new goal is shutting him out every time we play.
 
I usually just fall silent for a little while and let them cool off. If it happens several times, tell them politely that its dangerous and embarrassing to everyone...
 
It was at a private club. I've heard of worse injuries than that (http://www.snopes.com/sports/golf/shafted.asp). I really think something should be said sooner than later. It's not only awful behavior, but it could seriously injure or even kill someone.

KellyBo said:
Someone at a club near us lost an eye last month because of a club thrower in his group.
Click to expand...
 
If it happens once and he isn't throwing the club at someone its not that big of a deal but if it keeps happening I would let him know what an ass he looks like and tell him to knock it off or get out of our group.
 
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