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just a rant

A

Art M

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I teed off with my 12 year old yesterday as we like to do once a week. We played a fairly busy, local 9 holer that we had been wanting to try. An older gentleman asked to join us as we waited our turn in the box to which we replied "of course you can." A drive and a short iron for my boy to the dog leg and a ball from the tee box misses him/us by about 10 feet. I quickly turn towards the box and stare at the guy with his hands up like, as I interpret body language as, he is gesturing oh well. We finish up and move to tee box 2. The same guy comes within feet of us again, without a shout "fore", on his approach to hole 1. Now I am pissed but being as I am the adult here, walk over to his ball and proceed to drive it into the ground as much as I could stomp. He and I did not exchange words as no good at all was going to come from it. The gentleman in our group was mad also but could see I was going to blow a gasket so he had words the the d*head. Hole five, I drive long but pull the drive left to the edge of fairway four. As I leave the tee box, i see a player walk up to my ball and put it in his pocket. I walk straight to him and asked for my callaway chrome+ with my initials boldly printed on it. My ball is not in the fairway it is in his pocket. He says I did not put a ball in my pocket. i can see the ball in his pocket. I see to him then take the ball right there out. That is not a ball he says. He should thank a 12 year old boy that he did not get bloodied up right there. My game went to crap after that.....
 
You're from MA, what course did you play?
 
The sardine theory continues to be right. We are getting tighter and tighter in our box/can.
 
What a jerk... Probably the nicest ball he's ever going to own :p
 
Well...um...two wrongs don't make a right?

Catch more flies with honey than vinegar?
 
blugold said:
Well...um...two wrongs don't make a right?

Catch more flies with honey than vinegar?
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Actually, flies seem to be drawn to s**t the most. ;)

Stomping the ball into the ground was not the wisest of moves. It escalates a situation and even though you may not have thrown the first punch, that a-hole may have ... and do you really want to get into a fist fight (and all that entails, with cops, etc) in front of your child?

Golf is supposed to be relaxing, I mean we all play it as a hobby. People can only have an effect (for good or bad) on you if you let them.

If a guy was constantly hitting into me, I'd let him play through. Safer for me, and keeps that idiot in front of me so I can keep an eye on him.
 
deuce said:
Actually, flies seem to be drawn to s**t the most. ;)

Stomping the ball into the ground was not the wisest of moves. It escalates a situation and even though you may not have thrown the first punch, that a-hole may have ... and do you really want to get into a fist fight (and all that entails, with cops, etc) in front of your child?

Golf is supposed to be relaxing, I mean we all play it as a hobby. People can only have an effect (for good or bad) on you if you let them.

If a guy was constantly hitting into me, I'd let him play through. Safer for me, and keeps that idiot in front of me so I can keep an eye on him.
Click to expand...

A lawyer friend of mine says a business card works better than a ball stomp. :smile:
 
deuce said:
Actually, flies seem to be drawn to s**t the most. ;)

Stomping the ball into the ground was not the wisest of moves. It escalates a situation and even though you may not have thrown the first punch, that a-hole may have ... and do you really want to get into a fist fight (and all that entails, with cops, etc) in front of your child?

Golf is supposed to be relaxing, I mean we all play it as a hobby. People can only have an effect (for good or bad) on you if you let them.

If a guy was constantly hitting into me, I'd let him play through. Safer for me, and keeps that idiot in front of me so I can keep an eye on him.
Click to expand...

I agree with you for the most part, but I compare some of the situations that come up while golfing with driving your car. Neither one is a good place to lose your temper but then you don't do either with the intention of getting angry. Some people's stupidity just make you see red. It's infuriating and people are wired differently so the honey vs sugar doesn't work for everybody. Also sounds like another instance of never seeing a ranger when they're needed.
 
Boston_golfer said:
I'm gonna guess Fresh Pond. I've had a number of run ins with classless scum bags there.
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Haha layout doesn't match up though. I actually haven't had a bad experience like you're mentioning. The rangers can be pretty rude though...
 
Sorry to hear what happened OP.

I know I was playing one time with a couple of buddies 15 years ago. There were 3 of us. There was 1 person behind us. We were in the middle of the fairway as one of us finished up our shot when a ball landed a few feet from us. This was not the first time that the player behind us had hit into us. My buddy Jayme grabbed his 4 iron, angrily approached the offending ball, and then proceeded to drive it away into a nearby tree line. We continued on our way and finished our round. Didn't see that player at all after that.

I'd have been tempted to send that golfers ball back at him after the second time he drove into you... or just picked it up and pocketed it with a thankful wave. After all, he was trying to give it to you right?
 
I think you handled things perfectly, especially considering how your son was with you and if he ended up getting hit by a ball then things may go a little differently. You stomping his ball in the ground was appropriate as it was a step beyond the hand gesture, but not as aggressive as hitting his ball into the woods or picking it up or hitting it back at him. It gets the message across, but it's not a physical threat. As far as the jackass who pocketed your ball, that's just BS. You said you went to try this course. I doubt you'll go back after that stellar experience.
 
Texasbrons said:
I think you handled things perfectly, especially considering how your son was with you and if he ended up getting hit by a ball then things may go a little differently. You stomping his ball in the ground was appropriate as it was a step beyond the hand gesture, but not as aggressive as hitting his ball into the woods or picking it up or hitting it back at him. It gets the message across, but it's not a physical threat. As far as the jackass who pocketed your ball, that's just BS. You said you went to try this course. I doubt you'll go back after that stellar experience.
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Handled things perfectly? I would think a quick cordial conversation would have solved the problem without any passive aggressivity
 
OITW said:
Haha layout doesn't match up though. I actually haven't had a bad experience like you're mentioning. The rangers can be pretty rude though...
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you're right. Is it the 2nd hole with the dogleg over that big ass hill. I hate that hole. It's my arch nemesis.
 
blugold said:
Handled things perfectly? I would think a quick cordial conversation would have solved the problem without any passive aggressivity
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Just curious, how do you define the guy that has hit into them not once but twice and then gave the "oh well" gesture? How would you approach that guy cordially to diffuse it when he seems to be the aggressor? I understand if there's no one in front, just let him play through, but it sounds like it was busy and there was nowhere to go.
 
moosejaa said:
Just curious, how do you define the guy that has hit into them not once but twice and then gave the "oh well" gesture? How would you approach that guy cordially to diffuse it when he seems to be the aggressor? I understand if there's no one in front, just let him play through, but it sounds like it was busy and there was nowhere to go.
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"Hey buddy I'm with my kid and you've come close a few times to hitting us. I will let you play up. But please just wait for me to wave you up."
 
moosejaa said:
Just curious, how do you define the guy that has hit into them not once but twice and then gave the "oh well" gesture?
Click to expand...
He can be defined in one word: Idiot.

How would you approach that guy cordially to diffuse it when he seems to be the aggressor?
Click to expand...
Just let him play through. Maybe give him the stink eye as he does it, but I've got to remember I have a twelve year old standing there with me and whatever happens, he/she will internalize it. If I'm sitting there telling them the game is for fun, and then I get into a verbal/physical altercation, what message have I truly sent?

I understand if there's no one in front, just let him play through, but it sounds like it was busy and there was nowhere to go.
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You can always let someone play through, especially if your sanity counts on it. Just my two cents though. YMMV.
 
moosejaa said:
Just curious, how do you define the guy that has hit into them not once but twice and then gave the "oh well" gesture? How would you approach that guy cordially to diffuse it when he seems to be the aggressor? I understand if there's no one in front, just let him play through, but it sounds like it was busy and there was nowhere to go.
Click to expand...

some of you seem to be wired a bit differently than I. I wish it had not gotten to me because may attitude was ruined. I appreciate the demeanor of the gentleman I played with for acting as a buffer. with the guy hitting into us twice: I could have been that guy hitting into a group of players in a somewhat close teebox/green. I would have most definitely shouted a warning. I would never hit into a group in front of me in the fairway. And his attitude sucked. Aside from ignoring his actions all together, which is not a message I will send to my son, I did not see a choice. There was no way to play through. that's just it, none of us could possibly move faster! The second guy was just plain lucky and, in hindsight, so was I
 
deuce said:
He can be defined in one word: Idiot.


Just let him play through. Maybe give him the stink eye as he does it, but I've got to remember I have a twelve year old standing there with me and whatever happens, he/she will internalize it. If I'm sitting there telling them the game is for fun, and then I get into a verbal/physical altercation, what message have I truly sent?

You can always let someone play through, especially if your sanity counts on it. Just my two cents though. YMMV.
Click to expand...

you need to be a mentor if you are not already. no kidding
 
Boston_golfer said:
you're right. Is it the 2nd hole with the dogleg over that big ass hill. I hate that hole. It's my arch nemesis.
Click to expand...

Yup, but at least they cut that tree down. Tee shot is huge on that hole sets you up the rest of the way.
 
Art M said:
some of you seem to be wired a bit differently than I. I wish it had not gotten to me because may attitude was ruined. I appreciate the demeanor of the gentleman I played with for acting as a buffer. with the guy hitting into us twice: I could have been that guy hitting into a group of players in a somewhat close teebox/green. I would have most definitely shouted a warning. I would never hit into a group in front of me in the fairway. And his attitude sucked. Aside from ignoring his actions all together, which is not a message I will send to my son, I did not see a choice. There was no way to play through. that's just it, none of us could possibly move faster! The second guy was just plain lucky and, in hindsight, so was I
Click to expand...

I am wired more like you. I tend to let other people's stupidity get me pretty riled up. Deuce and blugold are right though, but it is hard to take the high road sometimes when dealing with idiots.
 
I don't agree with stomping the ball. A (polite) conversation about not hitting into us, yelling fore or playing through suffices, as does calling the clubhouse to ask for assistance. There are more choices than doing nothing or being provacative.

I absolutely hate when people pick up my ball. And if someone does it just man up, say you made a mistake and return the ball.
 
Art M said:
you need to be a mentor if you are not already. no kidding
Click to expand...
Thanks, admittedly I learned my lessons the hard way as I grew up a very angry young man. On the bright side, no harm no foul in regards to your day, and I hope your next outing goes much more smoothly.
 
Art M said:
I teed off with my 12 year old yesterday as we like to do once a week. We played a fairly busy, local 9 holer that we had been wanting to try. An older gentleman asked to join us as we waited our turn in the box to which we replied "of course you can." A drive and a short iron for my boy to the dog leg and a ball from the tee box misses him/us by about 10 feet. I quickly turn towards the box and stare at the guy with his hands up like, as I interpret body language as, he is gesturing oh well. We finish up and move to tee box 2. The same guy comes within feet of us again, without a shout "fore", on his approach to hole 1. Now I am pissed but being as I am the adult here, walk over to his ball and proceed to drive it into the ground as much as I could stomp. He and I did not exchange words as no good at all was going to come from it. The gentleman in our group was mad also but could see I was going to blow a gasket so he had words the the d*head. Hole five, I drive long but pull the drive left to the edge of fairway four. As I leave the tee box, i see a player walk up to my ball and put it in his pocket. I walk straight to him and asked for my callaway chrome+ with my initials boldly printed on it. My ball is not in the fairway it is in his pocket. He says I did not put a ball in my pocket. i can see the ball in his pocket. I see to him then take the ball right there out. That is not a ball he says. He should thank a 12 year old boy that he did not get bloodied up right there. My game went to crap after that.....
Click to expand...

Call the clubhouse next time. Either they will send someone out to help you, or they will do nothing which would tell you to never return. Good job at holding back. Taking matters into your own hands lowers you to the level of the assclown that made for a bad day. The world is full of people that need to be kicked off the golf course.
 
I like the passive aggressive approach of a overly friendly wave and placing the ball on the tallest tee I have in my bag. If it happens again I like to encircle the ball with a heart made from tees stuck in the ground. But I'm a smart ass.
 
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