Rude conduct on the course...

[Robert Brown]

What is the right way to handle this?

I saw the thing with Bubba & Elk... I just want to ask you guys about what you would do if and when this happens when you are playing...is there a rule or something that tells a golfer what not to do or to do? This has not happened very much to me but when it has, I'm not really sure what is the best way to handle this! Thanks, Bob

[KevCarter]

I saw the thing with Bubba & Elk... I just want to ask you guys about what you would do if and when this happens when you are playing...is there a rule or something that tells a golfer what not to do or to do? This has not happened very much to me but when it has, I'm not really sure what is the best way to handle this! Thanks, Bob

 

Great question, and I don't know the answer, but I would have been very uncomfortable!

 

Kevin

[floyd]

I saw that too, my wife was reading a book and when he starting his crap my wife looked at the TV and said "Whats his problem", then we started laughing, I have DVR so I kept rewinding it, the more we watched the harder we laughed, she finally said "What a baby".

[MatthewT]

I missed most of the coverage today, what happened?

 

EDIT: Nevermind, theres another topic about it

[bsteven43]

I saw the thing with Bubba & Elk... I just want to ask you guys about what you would do if and when this happens when you are playing...is there a rule or something that tells a golfer what not to do or to do? This has not happened very much to me but when it has, I'm not really sure what is the best way to handle this! Thanks, Bob

 

A pretty good rule of thumb is that you should not be moving while another player is playing his shot unless you are completely out of his vision. Some guys will start moving while you're over the ball and you catch them in your peripheral, it is distracting. If a player does it to you, I'd give them the benefit of the doubt the first time. After the second time, I'd mention it after the hole is completed - calmly and politely that them moving while you're playing your shot is distracting. If they do it again - a Bubba-type reaction is probably warranted. :clapping:

[Joe Duffer]

It looks like Elk just gets to close to his playing partners...

 

Here's a photo from yesterday where Elk clearly got too close to the head of Shigeki Maruyama's driver. :clapping:

[Diesel]

you should not be able to be seen by the person getting ready to hit...

 

that al depends on your group though... i know if i'm ahead, i'll walk up to the area my ball is, but if i see the player out addressing his ball, i'll stop and wait for him to hit his shot...

 

some people prefer if you wait back and not approach your ball until after he shoots...

 

we do it to keep pace of play up... if i can get up there, assess my lie, pick a club, i can be hitting shortly after the previous player...

[bulldog8b]

I think Bubba actually handled it well. If SE really did it all day yesterday and then again today, Bubba put up with it for a long time. If something like that was bothering me I would have said something after about the 2nd time. So I don't think Bubba is a baby or that he handled it poorly.

 

That being said, I don't think there are any rules about that kind of stuff. It is just basic golf ettiquette. From the comments about SE in the other thread it sounds like he is just an a** and doesn't have any respect for anybody or etiquette. However, I don't think there is anything you can do about it, rules wise. There are quite a number of things I can think of to remedy the situtaion, although none of them are covered under the rules of golf.

[scottcheek]

I saw the thing with Bubba & Elk... I just want to ask you guys about what you would do if and when this happens when you are playing...is there a rule or something that tells a golfer what not to do or to do? This has not happened very much to me but when it has, I'm not really sure what is the best way to handle this! Thanks, Bob

 

 

There is a correct way to handle this and its called being polite. There is NEVER a time for a Bubba type reaction, that was childish and I hope he gets fined heavily. Dropping F-cker under his breath and then the loud outburst was just drama for drama sake by a young overly pampered punk. He started it out right, he looked at him and waited for him to stop, if you do that in a golf tournament most players will get the hint when they realize that you are not hitting a shot and waiting for them to stop. If they continue, its "Gamesmanship", step up to the challenge and they will see that it does not affect you and you get the upper hand.

 

If you are not playing in a tournament, get over it, be nice and ask the person to stop walking while you are hitting. They will stop. Most of the time they are not even aware that they are offending sensitive golfers who think they should have tour levels of peace and quiet with no distractions when they play golf.

[gregcindyh]

When your playing great nothing distracts you, but when your struggling every little thing bothers you!

[idiotbox]

I always ask playing partners to let me know if I am in their line of sight in the fairway. I also to make sure that I am not in their sight line on the green. It's just common courtesy. For me, it doesn't matter because nothing distracts me.

[labillyboy]

I made my biggest improvement the day I decided to never get PO'd about what kind of shot I hit or what the idiot I was playing with did. If you let things get into your head it is hard to hit that little white ball. I just laugh it off. Most often that turns the tables on the guy who is doing it on purpose to get to you. Usually they are doing it because they are sensitive to it, when it doesn't work they go crazy.

[NPVWhiz]

I had a situation like that come up once, about 10 years ago. I had walked on with a fellow and his teenage son at a course in Chicago. How the guy talked to and treated his own son was a separate matter, but it was a situation where I don't think the guy wanted any company, and he really didn't want the company of a much better player.

 

I was pulling my bag on a pull cart that I owned, one of the old Titleist carts. It squeaked a little. I'm a stickler for polite behavior, since I play a lot of golf as a single. But on hole 10, I was coming down the fairway to my drive, and he was just ahead of me getting to his second shot, so when he reached the ball, I was about 20 yard away across the fairway, about even with him. I had my hand resting on the handle, which caused a little squeak as he was addressing the ball, and he really lost his cool. I just stood there and listened, then turned and headed back toward the clubhouse.

 

Life's too short to waste a minute on people who lack the presence of mind to deal effectively with situations. This is why you can tell a lot about how people will behave in business by simply playing a little golf with them. Golf has a tendency to expose who you really are, but it also can show other people what you really aspire to be as well.

[Bulldog31]

Elk knows better then that.

[Swingtheclub]

I totally feel for Bubba and I can tell you why.

 

Anytime you say something to another player about etiquette you come off as a jerk.

 

I grew up playing with people that cared about etiquette

 

they did not talk move stand in your line run behind you when you were hitting a shot to watch stand on the other side of the hole in front of you when your putting. Or one of my all time favorites not mark their ball because its not in your line.

 

Laying the flag down behind the hole is another good one.

 

these things bug me but if I say something no matter how nice I am a jerk. So like Bubba I usually hold it in. Two or three times a year I tend to loose it.

 

I screamed at one guy "Please do not let my playing interfere with your talking" now everyone knewthis guy never shut up I still came off the jerk

 

The fact that I treat everyone I play with respectfully and I am careful about my etiquette does not matter.

 

If I tell them nicely or I yell at them I am still a jerk.

 

Its a vicious circle for me I simply care more about my golf game than I do their feelings. So I try not to worry about it.

 

Usually its the same offenders over and over so were not buddys anyway. A couple I just refuse to play with.

 

I guess it comes down to what is more important to you their feelings or your golf game but I am telling you if you say anything nice or loud your still a Jerk

[sheppy335]

When your playing great nothing distracts you, but when your struggling every little thing bothers you!

 

 

bubba shot -3 that day, so your statement wasnt true for him.

[Robert Brown]

Thanks for the comments, thoughts, and suggestions...also, for the life experiences. I believe that golf is the last sport where honesty, kindness, sportsmanship and such things still exist. I believe that it will stay that way with an exception every now and then. I am grateful for the "golfers" I have played with...every now and then I play with a guy that plays golf, but is not a "golfer". Bob 6 hdcp.

[Swingtheclub]

honestly Bob your post lost me.

 

 

"I believe that golf is the last sport where honesty, kindness, sportsmanship and such things still exist. "

 

so in this post who is not the golfer

[Robert Brown]

No one in the post is not a "golfer"... sorry I did not speak clearly. Golfers are those who play by the rules, do not distract from others game, etc. The non-golfer is the guy that moves, makes noice, is rude, etc. that you get stuck playing with from time to time....