Biggest Driving Range Annoyances

[sazz]

Gents,

You all left out my No. 1 pet peeve...

Guy who appearantly brought just one tee to a grass range, and has to wait for everyone to reload so he can run 5-10 yards infront of you to retrieve his tee or look for a new one...

More annoying than Ball picker upper guy b/c at least you know where he's going...Tee guy always takes about 10 seconds...

[mitchleary]

I have gotten a lot luckier since I go to the ground level of the driving range. All the young studs who only bring their driver or use demo drivers to impress their sitting girls friends are on the upper level.

I guess mine are the people that come there to jack around. Sure, I am all for having a good time, but please do not take Happy Gilmore driver shots. I think some of the people are doing this with demo clubs. That takes a lot of balls doing that with a 300+ dollar driver that is not yours.

Another one is the dude that pulls his driver and then on almost every shot they hitting it off the toe and you are in the stall next to them, constantly hearing the wall behind you getting drilled.


And I would say my final one was the guy, after I had been swinging for about 4 months, telling me I need to learn to hit cut shots, fades, etc with every club. No kidding? What, you only been playing like 30 years, right(he would never tell me)? And the worst was when he said, "Let me show ya. I need some of your golf balls." GRRRRR!

[jdub123]

[quote name='Eec55' post='823665' date='Dec 13 2007, 09:11 PM']the dude with the hot girlfriend who sits there and she just adores every slice he hits[/quote]


Jealous are we?

[Pdougherty]

oh and I forgot about the guy that tells me I'm using alignment sticks wrong then proceeds to take one out of the ground and show me what they are used for.

[mat562]

I never visit a range, but I hit balls a lot on the practice ground at my club, and on the chipping green.

My pet hates are pretty tame, but they annoy [i]me[/i]:

Entire practice ground empty. I'm hitting a mid iron into a group about 180 yards away, and someone comes and sets up shop [i]right[/i] next to me. I wouldn't mind if they did the same thing and hit balls into a group to the side of mine, but they don't. They chop all sorts of different shots all over the place - including into my group, left and right of my group, short of my group... and then they go to pick them up while I'm hitting, giving the cursory wave of apology as they wander around in the area where my balls are landing for the next ten or fiffteen minutes... And despite the fact that my balls all have a BIG and OBVIOUS identifying mark, they still pick up several, examining them for about 30 seconds (as they stand in my group of balls) before tossing them back to the turf when they realise it's not a 15 year old Top Flite... It has me mulling over the potential jail time for assault with their own plastic ClikkaTube.

Also, people who use the practice ground to exercise their dogs. Nothing wrong with that at all. I've got dogs, and I'm generally there in the evening when people are out walking theirs. Despite the fact it's a private club, and you'd be well within your rights to inform them they were trespassing nd to stick to a public right of way, no-one does (or at least I don't) since common sense prevails in my part of the world. However, when their ill-behaved dogs run amok all over the place, picking up, chewing and ruining several of my golf balls, that begins to grate. As does the owner's casual 'sorry! they do that when they see balls..'

Hmm... they do it because you let them and because they're not under proper control..

Tell you what, I'll let my dogs run up and claw the bodywork of your new car, and when you stand there stunned I'll reply 'Sorry mate. They do that all the time to expensive paintwork' before walking off without a care in the world... Seems fair to me...

[Bobcat43]

This seals it for me no more practice...

"I mean listen, we're sitting here talking about practice, not a game, not a game, not a game, but we're talking about practice. Not the game that I go out there and die for and play every game last it's my last but we're talking about practice man. How silly is that?... Hey I hear you, it's funny to me to, hey it's strange to me too but we're talking about practice man, we're not even talking about the game, when it actually matters, we're talking about practice."

-A.I. not a franchise player

[The Boom Bapp]

[b]The "Kamikaze Golfer"[/b] - dribbles a few in front of themselves about 10 - 15 feet and after hitting a jumbo size bucket, to risk their life to grab those few balls and proceed to do so until he hits a good drive to finish their range session so they can leave with a good swing thought.

[b]The "Golf Pretender" [/b]- Look at my clubs, look at my bag, look at my clothes, look at me.....DON'T LOOK AT MY SLICES, THINS, FATS, CHUNKS, HOOKS, SKYBALL, WIFFS, DIVOTS, SETUP, SWING.......I AM DONE.....Look at my clubs, look at my bag, look at my [b]clothes, look at me, look at my car!

The "Meat Head Golfer"[/b] - The 18 year old or even the 30 year old (at times) that comes out to the range with his swagger and chest all puffed out, acting as though he is carrying wheat sacks under his arms and he is set to impress all with his towering moon shots. Sets his bag down right next to mine as if to say "The man has arrived", whips out the driver takes a few cuts at 110%, recognizes who has noticed him (is that girl watching me?, where is the Golf Pro?) tee's it up and is out driven by 10 yards embarrassingly by the 14 year old making an easy swing just behind him.

[b]The "Unprofessional"[/b] - The guy who loves to give bad advice, he has chewed up his patch of grass bad enough and caught maybe 1 out his last 8 shots cleanly and exclaims "That was perfect" and grows an eye for perfection in 1 swing, feels good enough to add his interjection into my game. "I see your having trouble with a slice! ya gotta start the club outside to come from the inside and get those hands to square up!" Thanks but I am a working the ball to cut! "Your coming over the top" Hello,,,I am doing this purposefully! "Your face is open at impact” Thank you, it is called intent, I am doing this on purpose! "If you need any help I'll will be right over here" I appreciate your help sir, have a nice day!

No problems with kids, love em all, just have problems with the parents who have no desire to teach them manners, respect, discipline, and how to behave for their own safety. I would be extremely upset with myself if I accidentally hit someone’s child during my back swing because they were not being properly tended to and cared for recklessly. There is no excuse for it and all the more evidence why some people should never be allowed to have kids.

Cell Phones - Don't have a problem with many noises or a movement because the one thing about golf I find to be absolutely absurd is the desire to have complete and utter silence and stillness during the swing. You practice at the range with millions of things going on at once and you have to have complete calm on the course??? PUHLEEEESE!!!!!! Hit the damn ball already and please don't give me dirty looks and punk comments because I moved. That is moronic. If you can talk at the same time as you swing it can only help to take your mind off of the action and mental strangulation some people have prior to their swing resulting in a good outcome.

Putting and Chipping - Is an all out artillery and firing range and usually the green is not cut and in bad shape.

Since I moved to a 3 day work week it has become very nice, I have Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday off, I play everyday I am off and when I do go practice and being that it is a "work" day, joyfully, I am usually the only one there and rarely see or hear the things that make me hit a small bucket. Saturdays i head over to Golf Galaxy and spend a couple of hours on the Launch Monitor, Golf Galaxy near me just got a new Doppler system installed with very nice mats that resemble normal playing conditions.

Forgot to add the greatest and nastiest offense to be found on any given driving range or golf course for that matter. Cigar and Cigarette smoke.
Die already and get it over with. This is not exercise for your lungs not to mention mine people. CANCER and all the body and mind killing side affects that come with it are beautiful things!!

[stryper]

Loud talking, cell phones, smoking upwind, guys bashing clubs on the ground after shanking yet another devastatingly-important practice shot...just to name a few.

Oh yeah, and I agree with the turf management practice of keeping your divots in a line. Most golf grasses are creeping varieties, which means they propagate by sending shoots out along or just under the ground. The thinner the area they have to cover, the easier it is for them to fill in.

[ErichZF]

Matts, Downhill range, Down Wind, Left to Right Wind, Crapy Balls and unreal hitting targets. I would rather hit out of a bunker or dirt then hit off a matt. Two balls and my arm is done.

[Olan1987]

[quote name='mat562' post='824117' date='Dec 14 2007, 08:53 AM']I never visit a range, but I hit balls a lot on the practice ground at my club, and on the chipping green.

My pet hates are pretty tame, but they annoy [i]me[/i]:

Entire practice ground empty. I'm hitting a mid iron into a group about 180 yards away, and someone comes and sets up shop [i]right[/i] next to me. I wouldn't mind if they did the same thing and hit balls into a group to the side of mine, but they don't. They chop all sorts of different shots all over the place - including into my group, left and right of my group, short of my group... and then they go to pick them up while I'm hitting, giving the cursory wave of apology as they wander around in the area where my balls are landing for the next ten or fiffteen minutes... And despite the fact that my balls all have a BIG and OBVIOUS identifying mark, they still pick up several, examining them for about 30 seconds (as they stand in my group of balls) before tossing them back to the turf when they realise it's not a 15 year old Top Flite... It has me mulling over the potential jail time for assault with their own plastic ClikkaTube.

Also, people who use the practice ground to exercise their dogs. Nothing wrong with that at all. I've got dogs, and I'm generally there in the evening when people are out walking theirs. Despite the fact it's a private club, and you'd be well within your rights to inform them they were trespassing nd to stick to a public right of way, no-one does (or at least I don't) since common sense prevails in my part of the world. However, when their ill-behaved dogs run amok all over the place, picking up, chewing and ruining several of my golf balls, that begins to grate. As does the owner's casual 'sorry! they do that when they see balls..'

Hmm... they do it because you let them and because they're not under proper control..

Tell you what, I'll let my dogs run up and claw the bodywork of your new car, and when you stand there stunned I'll reply 'Sorry mate. They do that all the time to expensive paintwork' before walking off without a care in the world... Seems fair to me...[/quote]


Oh my god the exact same as me. I go to the practice ground more than the driving range. Many people bring the dog for exercise but the first paragraph hits a real nerve with me also. What is also extremely annoying is when there is a guy in the practice ground before you and he smack in the middle hitting drivers with big dirty slices and nice duck hooks. Balls all over the place taking up the whole practice ground. No space for you to hit any shots.

[mags300]

I can't stand the range that takes your money (8-10$ dollars a bucket) and you go to a stall and the grass is as long as the rough at my local course. So you have to hit your longer clubs out of grass 2"-3 " long.

[mat562]

Olan

A man after my own heart. Old faithful practice ball bag, a couple of clubs on the ground, and a happy man beating balls into a nice tight group... 100 and more balls in a 15 yard circle.

Until Chumley Warner comes along and gets in the way.. 25 balls in plastic tube; soon spread over about 4 acres...

Aaaarrrrgghhh!

[mindz]

The people that keep taking divots from our practice green, i mean c'mon peeps ur not putting for the open its just practice i mean how mad can you get?

[mat562]

I'm on a roll now...

Someone at our place [i]insists [/i]on hitting bagfulls of balls from an area right next to our practice green.

There's God-knows how much flat and open space to hit balls from, but no. They dump the balls within about 10 feet of the green edge and rip out an area that looks like Ian Woosnam has been there for a month.

So, the area around the green where you want to hit chips from ends up with permanent troughs and scars in it.

The worst thing is, the pattern of divots suggests that the unknown idiot is a decent player.

[e-dog9]

I guess loud kids are the worst.

However, I have encountered two separate weird events that freaked me out a bit. I mean, it not only distracted me from practice but made think I should be someone else’s keeper.

Apparently there is an old timer, maybe in his seventies, who walks around the driving range, looking under the planters separating the stalls. I have no idea what he is looking for, perhaps more balls. I think he is senile, or maybe has Alzheimer’s. Anyhow, he is oblivious to what others are doing. I’ll have the driver in my hands at the top of the backswing and out of the corner of my eye I see this guy farting around the flowers dividing our stall. Man, its like I’m gonna hit him in the head if I’m not careful. He never even sets up in a stall. He just pokes around looking. Either he goes to the range and suffers bouts of dementia, or he is under the care of someone jonesing for some range balls.

On separate event, this spring, I was on the second deck of a crowded day of practice. Most stalls were full so that a threesome looking to stick together would have to part. Two guys in their late 30s early 40 show up with a toddler, A 4 or 5 year old TODDLER on the SECOND Deck. She wanted to hit balls too. We’ll the old guys set up together, and left her alone, with me separating them. So I do the right thing, all warmed up I stop and offer to move. The irony is the kid is obviously uncomfortable away from her father, and he pulls this stunt so I’ll offer up my place. If I were cold like my grandmother, I’d not have given an inch, but this is the second deck, and she’s walking so close to the edge. The kid was not afraid of heights, but she was totally frightened of being away from her father and he does this rather than ask me up front if I’ll move. Then as practice progresses he ignores her chats away with his buddy, while I watch in horror how close this kid comes to the edge. I should have called child services! Its one thing to block out distractions, but I could not keep my eye off her up there like that basically alone.

[Olan1987]

[quote name='mat562' post='824340' date='Dec 14 2007, 12:46 PM']Olan

A man after my own heart. Old faithful practice ball bag, a couple of clubs on the ground, and a happy man beating balls into a nice tight group... 100 and more balls in a 15 yard circle.

Until Chumley Warner comes along and gets in the way.. 25 balls in plastic tube; soon spread over about 4 acres...

Aaaarrrrgghhh![/quote]

I couldn't agree with you more. 4 acres and more. I also hate when you are there minding your business hitting a few balls and this person comes up to and says i am seem to be hit this fade and i want to hit a draw and he says watch this can you see what i am doing wrong. He then hits a shot that starts down the middle and ends up in the other parish and he his so much across the ball it is like he is trying to whip a horse and what can you say?

[hoganfan924]

[quote name='Tenementrock' post='824739' date='Dec 14 2007, 06:43 PM'][quote name='atlanta golfer' post='823625' date='Dec 13 2007, 08:43 PM']1. The range has at least 4 dozen hitting stations, there are maybe 10 people there at most, and some guy has to pick the station directly next to yours. Why?[/quote]

I've been noticing this type of behavior all over the place, from seats on the bus or subway train to treadmills and bikes at the gym. It bugs the hell out of me too. But why?? [/quote]

Because humans are pack animals. Hard to fight 250,000 years of evolution!

[TheCapedAvenger]

Running children right behind me and smoking people-

those are the only two my mp3 player and noise cancelling headphones can't cure

[TheCapedAvenger]

[quote name='hoganfan924' post='824749' date='Dec 14 2007, 03:49 PM'][quote name='Tenementrock' post='824739' date='Dec 14 2007, 06:43 PM'][quote name='atlanta golfer' post='823625' date='Dec 13 2007, 08:43 PM']1. The range has at least 4 dozen hitting stations, there are maybe 10 people there at most, and some guy has to pick the station directly next to yours. Why?[/quote]

I've been noticing this type of behavior all over the place, from seats on the bus or subway train to treadmills and bikes at the gym. It bugs the hell out of me too. But why?? [/quote]

Because humans are pack animals. Hard to fight 250,000 years of evolution!
[/quote]

The only place this behaviour bothers me is urinals. If theres a row of six and I'm the only guy there, don't just walk up and take the one right next to me man! Give a brother some room to relieve himself.

[crew_138]

So today I go to the range after work... its 730 in the morning. There is like 3 other guys that show up at the same time.. and one of them is the "butch harmon" of the group and speaks loud enough I can hear everything he says like 6 stalls down.

He comes by to steal a rubber to in the emty stall next to mine and eyes my bag for a sec says hello... no prob.

then on there way out I am hitting my driver and pause as they walk by waiting for them to leave, but they decided to watch me... I didn't know this because the door was behind me. So, I hit a good one out there and the Dude says is that the Hammer driver!...

I thought that was funny... because I play the Hibore XL.

[R Stones]

So true.

[azgolfer2]

[quote name='jtitleist12' post='823721' date='Dec 13 2007, 09:46 PM']The most annoying for me is un-warranted swing advice. There is a gentleman at my local course who is there almost every-day only hitting balls. He never plays, just pounds ball after ball. He must think he is the resident swing guru because he will give advice and ask you questions like, "What were you trying to do there?", or "You had the club layed off a little at the top..." etc, etc. without you even asking.

Sound like we practice at the same place. Couple of guys( 20 handicapers) sitting on bench discussing swings giving advice because they just finished Hardys plane swing cd. It's so annoying and so prevalent that I found another grass range with new balls and better people. Happy to take advice when I ask and when it's from someone who can beat me on the course.[/quote]

[pinky_toe]

Hello all,

Me first post.
Someone's hot girlfriend gives me extra 10 yards on my drives.
Smokers bugs me a bit.

But what really annoys me is gas. For example, say you grooved a nice swing. Then bam, gas and more gas.
I start to lose my tempo trying sometimes to sqeeze it back in or sit in a particular posture in hopes to slowly
and quietly leak the stuff out. Sometimes both methods fail and I just have to swing gently and pray it doesn't
trigger a massive discharge cause it's really hard to concentrate when that happens. And it's just not right
trying to swing with a tight sphincter.

[Shaitan]

hahahah - nice first post pinky_toe


Um my pet hates:

On the driving range: This came up last Thursday during a tourney, and this guy has come up about 5m or so to the right from where I'm hitting balls. I'm taking my time, really putting in time to warm up properly and make sure I know how I'm hitting everything that day. As I'm taking a couple of practice swings I notice that this guy's not too bad a player, but he takes some seriously hefty divots. I step up, hit my ball around the same time as I hit mine and get to eat grass, dirt and sand for my efforts - I also notice he's aiming left and the wind is blowing into us and to the left - nice combination buddy. Another minute or so later and I step up to hit my next ball and earn myself another lovely bit of grass sandwich. A couple of minutes later his phone goes off and I'm like wtf, piss off man - I'm trying to gear up and get prepared for a serious tourney and ur hacking up and making noises all over the place - probably hitting the guy 5m away from me with dirt. Its lucky I had nearly finished my session, but jeez, if I'd been there any longer I would have had to ask him to move elsewhere.

Another is painted balls that leave marks on ur clubs and super hard balls that leave dents and scrapes on ur irons and driver.

On the practice range at my course: The guys that decide they have to pitch and chip just off the green when there are two perfectly good chipping/short pitching and putting greens up near the tee block of the first hole. I want to work on my short irons or my 70m pitches or something and he and his mate and anyone else that wants to practice longer stuff but can't are up right near the green. Dayamn!

Thanks for reading lol,
Brodie

[soupandtea]

The one thing that bugs me is the guy giving advice to his girlfriend and he's CLEARLY giving bad advice. That I could almost deal with, it's when he says "Let me show you" and reverse pivots his 6-iron into a massive slice that kills me. I want to just grab him and tell him he's only hurting her swing! I also hate when he gives advice that clearly isn't the problem. "You lifted your head" is the biggie!

When I taught my wife I showed her the proper grip, said put your weight on the right foot on the backswing and on your left foot on the downswing and have fun. That's all the advice most of these guys need to give, just enough to make contact and have a little fun.


david

[Blues Golfer]

High prices for cr@p facilities. For the rest of it, it's all petty annoyance.

[phatchrisrules]

High Prices for crap places.

[b]My absolute favourite is the trunk slammer[/b], he/she has not been mentioned yet. They come in strutting their hot stuff, chest all puffed, "I'm holier than thou" smirk on their face and a brand spanking new something or other, usually a driver, sitting there gleaming in the bag. No warm-ups or anything just immediate driver hitting. They realize that they hit this one just as bad as the old one and subsequently go to their car and slam the trunk, ticked off. It is never the swing...

[b]I hate the "Pack" as well[/b]. A group of about six whiffs who all use the one set of clubs which belong to the "alpha-chop". They all take turns hitting, and I use this term loosely, it looks more like they kicked over the bucket and watched to see where the balls went. They slice, hook, roof-job, fat, thin: you name, they have hit it. The "alpha-chop"'s bag usually comes out worse for the wear with dents and roof marks and one time I even heard an iron head snap and fly 30 yards down the range and they all burst out laughing, except for the alpha-chop who was mortified; not one of them said sorry, I actually felt bad for the guy.

[b]The Purist is also an annoyance[/b]. The guy with the brand new blades, new fairway woods and driver etc. Usually all Titleist as well. Then they don't hit it marginally better than an average 12 handicap. They walk away happy as a pig in dirt. Good job buddy, go join the Tour.

[b]The museum[/b]. This is usually a 90 year old + male using persimmon woods and some sort of ancient, rusted, knife-like blade. They usually have the Stiff or X shaft from like 55 years ago in it but never bothered to change the shaft with their increasing lack of power. These clubs always have the original grips. This is also true for the 40-something male/female who uses their fathers/mothers old set and says "I'm a hack anyways, so why bother changing?"

[b]The Timebomb.[/b] My father is a perfect example of a time-bomb. These guys mumble under their breath after every bad shot until eventually they just explode in anger swearing loudly, belittling themselves and then slamming the clubs back into their bag. These people are usually one in the same with the Trunk slammers.

Lastly, the [b]Swing God[/b]. They give horrible, horrible lessons to anybody and everybody within earshot and try, miserably I might add, to explain how the game can be "so simple my way".


Not all of these are people I hate but most are just observations of who or what shows up at a range on a daily basis.

[teeman2116]

[quote name='taylormadefan' post='823632' date='Dec 13 2007, 08:47 PM']Only thing that really gets me - people who need to take an entire square foot of grass for each shot and divot they take.

Driving ranges could save so much money and not have to move the lines if people could learn how to move their divots in lines. It helps the grass heal faster and keeps things neat for the people using the range behind you as well.[/quote]


I second that motion.

[Croadie24]

Not really associated with driving ranges but more practice greens.

Irresponsible parents are my biggest annoyance. Those who let there kids run amok on a practice green yelling and screaming and generally annoying the ^%& out of me. To makes matters worse, when i was on the practice green today the father told me to "relax its just a game and your not very good anyway" when i asked him to control his children and stop them from hitting my balls that were around the hole that i am putting at.

Firstly, i am not that good (26 Handicap) but when i hit the practice green, which is generally several times a week I like to see how many i can 2 putt, i figure i gotta learn to consistently 2 putt before i can 1 putt.

GRRRRR i hate irresponsible parents.

[karjar]

SNOW!!!!