Hot topic these days: bad etiquette and clueless golfers on the course. Can we fix this?

[grm24]

10 hours ago, rogolf said:

We all know examples of the issues.  I think the original post question was "Can we fix this?"  The next obvious question would be "How do we fix this?"

 

That was a question the OP posed. However also posted his friend claims poor golf etiquette has been caused by relatively new TopGolf which of course it wasn't. Did you read that? As to your question to how to we fix this. Fixing etiquette in every day life, which is of greater importance, would be a great start. Good day.

[tatertot]

10 hours ago, rogolf said:

We all know examples of the issues.  I think the original post question was "Can we fix this?"  The next obvious question would be "How do we fix this?"

 

I'm assuming forced sterilization is off the board?

[Petethreeput]

It definitely isn't just new players.  Its old, new, and everything in between.  I play with plus handicaps who listen to 80's spandex rock too loud, I play with 36 cap women who play as fast as they can.

 

Blame it on the PGA.  They are too slow and they see how they do it, and they emulate them.

Blame it on carts, I know I don't walk because there is no way I am packing around that much beer.  Walking 4 somes are faster overall.

Blame it on improved agronomy, greens (even the bad ones) are faster today than they have ever been and the time on the greens has increased a ton.

Blame it on their peers who only judge a course on the green speed, necessitating faster greens to attract golfers.

Blame it on a resurgence in the number of players.

Blame it on society if you want.

It's everyone.

 

I played sports my whole life and the most amazing thing to me in men's leagues was the most dangerous were the one's who weren't good enough to play into high school/college (whatever their goal was as kids).  They were serious and went all out and in contact sports an old guy with no co-ordination is a dangerous thing.  Golf is the same way, the slow ones are the ones who don't think they are as good as they should be... which to be fair, is everyone.

Edited September 28, 2023 by Petethreeput

[Hawkeye77]

Not seeing anything any different than when it's come up literally hundreds of times before - there will always be "those" folks that offend someone somehow and often understandably with certain pace of play issues, but for the most part, most golfers are pretty courteous. 

[Pepperturbo]

I've said it before and will again, the pace of play cannot be tackled without at least etiquette education.  People play at a pace that's comfortable for them and their skill level.  Most of the people affecting PoP are mid-high caps, with some low caps, and it happens at PVT clubs as well as Muni's. 

 

Fortunately, at private clubs, it's easier to influence members rather than neanderthal hacks and entitled nutcases on muni's.  Most people on DB's like this forget how difficult it is for beginners, hacks, seniors, and women to factor in all that's involved.  I've talked about this with plenty of people, too.  More people are simply trying to remember all that's involved in making their shot, plus all that's needed to actually get the club to hit the ball, and some people just can't move very fast.

 

I associate PoP to laptop processors; some laptops have slower processors, so incapable of processing a lot of input at once or speeding up; while other laptops have very fast processors, allowing faster input and PoP. 

 

The fastest I've played comfortably was 3.5hrs, the slowest acceptable time is 4.5hrs.  One-time tackled playing in 2.5hrs; the quality of the game was crap; though I could do it, mentally it made golf less enjoyable.

 

We CANNOT force people to play at the pace of some people that like running around a course, to get somewhere else, afterward.  They ARE NOT the NORM; same goes for the other extreme, that pushes PoP to 5+hrs.  I just got back from a golf trip where every course & tee box was rated and sloped over 128.  I call that difficult, and each Club Pro told me they like 4.5hrs as the norm.

 

IMO, when people apply for an index, the USGA could stipulate each person take an etiquette course given at a local course, before receiving an index card. 

[jlbos83]

It won't solve all the world's problems, but when I play with clearly inexperienced players I recognize that they may never have been shown "proper" course etiquette.  So, I will try to remember to mention things to them, and, perhaps more importantly, pay more attention that usual to my own behavior.

On the other hand, I play regularly with a somewhat slow player.  With him I will play ready golf, plus a bit.  I will putt if I am ready and he is still thinking.  After I putt out, I will go to the edge of the green, perhaps a little past.  When we are teeing off, if I am first, I will go straight to the cart, ready to roll.  Maybe a hair impolite, but if it helps keep us moving, I think it is worth it.

[rogolf]

10 hours ago, grm24 said:

That was a question the OP posed. However also posted his friend claims poor golf etiquette has been caused by relatively new TopGolf which of course it wasn't. Did you read that? As to your question to how to we fix this. Fixing etiquette in every day life, which is of greater importance, would be a great start. Good day.

Threads that are predominantly rants, on and on about an issue, and don't address the original post are, imho, awful, and this one fits that description.

[shankasaurus rex]

It's been said, but it bears repeating. What you're seeing on the golf course today is nothing more than a reflection of what's going on in society as a whole. 

 

[sui generis]

22 hours ago, shankasaurus rex said:

It's been said, but it bears repeating. What you're seeing on the golf course today is nothing more than a reflection of what's going on in society as a whole. 

 

 

And, nothing new. Society has been grumbling about the behaviours of the young for millennia. 😉

[charli]

Sure can, go private. 

[bladehunter]

On 9/26/2023 at 9:46 PM, deadsolid...shank said:

I think it’s more the result of Covid than TopGolf. 
 

All these people who never, ever thought of playing golf (probably made fun of people who played) all of a sudden it was about the only thing they could do. The only thing open. So let’s go “golfing”.  
 

It’s “Bro” golf. Just an excuse to drink beer and be loud and obnoxious. We had another one wreck another cart last weekend. Head on into a tree.  I’m also  amazed in the last couple of years how many people I’ve seen get a bucket of beer to go the range. 
 

Unfortunately,I don’t think there is anything to be done about it. No one is teaching those etiquette basics, and I’m not sure most of these new people would care anyway. Kind of indicative of society today. “If it’s good for me that’s all that matters”.  If there is a negative effect on someone else, so what, it works for me. 

1000 %. This ^.  I cannot tell you how many 3 cart groups I see with 3-4 guys and girlfriends in tow who aren’t playing. And the guys will be absolutely clueless. They drive on green complexes , tee boxes and each cart will have different music blaring.  If you hit a ball anywhere but dead middle of your fairway , you’d better get to it quick.  One of these clowns will pick it up asap.   I had to yell at the top of my lungs a month ago … I hit a ball into the right rough that separated two holes.   I saw it land and walked directly  to it. It was sitting up. I could see it the whole time. A group of bros come riding up as I’m halfway there. Circle my ball abs then stop. One jumps out.  I yell “ hey.  That’s my ball “. To which he paused and said “ No I think it’s mine “. So I yell while walking faster “ what ball are you hitting ? That’s a tp5x with 3 black dots “.  He looks and says as I reach then “ oh. I don’t know what kind mine is “.  Jumps in the cart and speeds away.    
 

on one hand it’s just a golf ball. On the other hand - shallow graves down in the woods would  fix the issue.  Kidding of course…….I just cannot understand being that stupid.  And it’s not ignorance.  Ignorance assumes a lack of willfulness….and information.  They all have more info in their pockets than any human who was born before them.  Including a complete reference on how to play golf and etiquette including marking a ball. So it’s willful stupidity or lack of self respect …. It’s not ignorance.  

[shankasaurus rex]

On 9/30/2023 at 10:13 AM, sui generis said:

 

And, nothing new. Society has been grumbling about the behaviours of the young for millennia. 😉

I don't know what you're seeing, but here age is not a limiting factor, with middle-aged dudes being the worst. 

[sui generis]

7 minutes ago, shankasaurus rex said:

I don't know what you're seeing, but here age is not a limiting factor, with middle-aged dudes being the worst. 

Geezers who drive their golf carts all over the place contravening the day's cart restrictions complaining about dudes with caps on backwards, shirts untucked and  loudly playing music (except Lawrence Welk). 😉

[mshills]

I don't know if it's COVID, Top Golf, fast greens, carts, or what, but I've certainly perceived less basic courtesy on the course. 

 

This may not be universal, but my observation is so much rude behavior on the golf course can be traced back to alcohol.  Look, if your primary objective is to "hang with the boys, goin' golfin'" and drink as many White Claws as you can, pick another sport, please, or just go somewhere else to drink.  Can't stand drunks on the course.

[Petethreeput]

On 10/3/2023 at 6:05 AM, mshills said:

I don't know if it's COVID, Top Golf, fast greens, carts, or what, but I've certainly perceived less basic courtesy on the course. 

 

This may not be universal, but my observation is so much rude behavior on the golf course can be traced back to alcohol.  Look, if your primary objective is to "hang with the boys, goin' golfin'" and drink as many White Claws as you can, pick another sport, please, or just go somewhere else to drink.  Can't stand drunks on the course.

If only Scally's were still there.  It was the perfect answer.