The Practice Range Stalker...

Samsquanch · July 21, 2008

... He's back...

So, I was at the practice area of my course today putting some time in, minding my own business and hitting chip shots to two holes at the very end of the green.. The practice green is about 200 feet long, 50 feet wide and there are at least 15 pin locations.

This guy pulls up about 10 feet away from me and starts chipping to the same hole, and it's not 1 ball, he starts hitting all of them out of his bag he had, whistling away.

So instead of getting mad I gather up all of my balls I had and walked over to the range, there was no one there either and I set up in a spot. The range is about 70 feet wide. Another guy pulls up and sets up right behind me, he was so close that I had to worry about our clubheads colliding at the top of our swings (I'm left handed, he's right). On top of that, he was making grunting noises after each swing...

So I moved to the other end of the range and hit the rest...

What do you even say to a person like that? This has happened to me on numerous occasions now and it's starting to get really aggravating!

jed peters · July 21, 2008

This post and non-acceptance is very non-canadian of you.

StugyGolf · July 21, 2008

I probly am a driving range stalker, but i dont give a crap where ppl are, i look for where theres a good patch of grass, whether that be at the other end of the range or right beside someone it doesnt matter to me.

Although the practise green one is annoying, had that happen the other day as well.

blkdiamond · July 21, 2008

At my home-course there are two small practice greens and I always attempt to choose the one that has the fewer number of people on it; but, it never fails that when I am there by myself, with no one else on either green one guy shows up and he has to use the green I am on. Incredibly annoying.

sigmapete1 · July 21, 2008

How about the guy I ran into last week....

Practice area with about 40yds of fairway length grass and a target green to pitch onto. I am at about 35yards out alternating lobs and bump and runs to the hole for some practice. I walk up to gather my balls and return to my spot and as I turn around to start hitting again, I see this guy (who was watching me hit), is now standing on the green at a hole no more than 10 feet from where I am landing my shots, practicing his putting. PLUS, the range has a SEPARATE area for putting (for safety's sake i assume).

I am a halfway decent golfer but by no means am I immune from letting one get away and this guy standing right there is in my head so after 30 minutes of some really good shots before he got there, I am now shorting all my swings for fear of hitting him. I am mad at this point so I intentionally skull one (but not hard) so it rolls right past him (before anyone yells at me for this, if it actually hit him, he would have barely felt it). He looks up and say "whoa buddy, your supposed to put backspin on those kinda shots" and goes back to putting on the damn target green. Good news was, after that dumbass comment, I didn't care if I hit him now and was back to hitting good shots, flying the lobs all the way to the hole, I even holed a couple. He left 15 min later. Maybe that was good mental game practice?

How come there are so many stupid people in the world, and why are they all following me around?

larrybud · July 21, 2008

I forget what comedian said it, but he says he likes to go into a nearly empty movie theater and sit RIGHT next to someone!!

JeffreySpicoli · July 21, 2008

How come there are so many stupid people in the world, and why are they all following me around?

Hmmm, only stupid people follow you around?

Gawfman123 · July 21, 2008

Before I go to work (24 hours on 48 hours off) I got to this golf course that is a couple blocks from my station. So they have a huge open area that they let people hit their own golf balls, since they have no range. So I get there at my usual 5 am and start hitting 7 irons toward this old maple tree. I stay to the far left and aim only at this tree becasue I have a tendency to come over the top, and if I do, it hit tree branches, so it's a great drill for me.

Anyways, I hit 30, then go down to retrieve them when some guy walks up to the 10 - 15 balls I have left on the ground next to my bag, literally, 1-2 feet away from my bag, and starts hitting them. 2 of which almost hit me. So I make my way up to my bag in a hurry, and this guy just has no clue. He actually say sto me "oh, I thought you were done hitting them and you left them for somene else to hit" CLUELESS!!!!

Dude, seriously, come on now....Anyways, long story longer, I was nice to him, but told him that was an offense that could get your wedge placed where it might be a bit uncomfortable. :swoon2:

kal32473 · July 22, 2008

How about the guy I ran into last week....

Practice area with about 40yds of fairway length grass and a target green to pitch onto. I am at about 35yards out alternating lobs and bump and runs to the hole for some practice. I walk up to gather my balls and return to my spot and as I turn around to start hitting again, I see this guy (who was watching me hit), is now standing on the green at a hole no more than 10 feet from where I am landing my shots, practicing his putting. PLUS, the range has a SEPARATE area for putting (for safety's sake i assume).

I am a halfway decent golfer but by no means am I immune from letting one get away and this guy standing right there is in my head so after 30 minutes of some really good shots before he got there, I am now shorting all my swings for fear of hitting him. I am mad at this point so I intentionally skull one (but not hard) so it rolls right past him (before anyone yells at me for this, if it actually hit him, he would have barely felt it). He looks up and say "whoa buddy, your supposed to put backspin on those kinda shots" and goes back to putting on the damn target green. Good news was, after that dumbass comment, I didn't care if I hit him now and was back to hitting good shots, flying the lobs all the way to the hole, I even holed a couple. He left 15 min later. Maybe that was good mental game practice?

How come there are so many stupid people in the world, and why are they all following me around?

I don't know but based on the fact that you didn't care if you hit the guy, it sounds like you let him dumb you down as well.

Ronzo · July 22, 2008

How come there are so many stupid people in the world, and why are they all following me around?

"What am I -- flypaper for freaks?!?" :swoon2:

atlanta golfer · July 22, 2008

My "favorite" practice green behavior (chipping and pitching) is definitely where you have only one or two pins, and there are several people using the green, and there is always somebody who has, like two whole golf balls, and he insists on hitting them, going to get them while everyone else waits, hitting his two balls again, etc. I feel like saying "hey buddy, take ten of mine if you are that short". My other approach is to not wait very long to hit my pitches after he starts to walk off. Like maybe he will figure it out.

Titleist1455 · July 22, 2008

GEEZZZZ....

yall play golf around some seriously STUPID people. I've never had ANY of these situations happen to me????

golfortennis · July 22, 2008

My "favorite" practice green behavior (chipping and pitching) is definitely where you have only one or two pins, and there are several people using the green, and there is always somebody who has, like two whole golf balls, and he insists on hitting them, going to get them while everyone else waits, hitting his two balls again, etc. I feel like saying "hey buddy, take ten of mine if you are that short". My other approach is to not wait very long to hit my pitches after he starts to walk off. Like maybe he will figure it out.

How about the guy who putts to a hole, digs his balls out, and then stands right next to the hole. So not only is he tying up the one he's putting to, he's tying up the one he's standing next to as well!!