Almost threw down a the range today...

[Dill Pickleson]

Reading about the incident pbcgolfer described here brought back memories of a very similar incident and I am still confused by it.

 

This is a public course run by private mgmt company and is considered a public facility. The mgmt company offers membership for free range usage and free greens fee after noon. This happened on a chipping/pitching/sand bunker practice green. The bunker is deep and if you are behind the bunker practicing high pitch/lob, you can only see part of the green. I was chipping and could see the whole green. There was this another guy practicing from behind the bunker. He was a member also and I have had some verbal exchanges with him before and we didnt care for each other. Being a public facility, we have quite a few kids (6+) in the practice area. Some play, some just hang with the parents. Most of them behave allright, but you always have exceptions. I have always observed that this guy had little patience with kids around.

 

This was late evening and the range was winding down. While we were practicing, 2 kids ran from the range to the pitching green and started to collect the balls as we were still practicing. As a courtesy, we stop the practice and let them collect the balls. This was a bit unusual. Normally people pick up the balls to hit it back on the green. It looked like the parents sent the kids to collect the balls for the range. If I remember correctly, they collected once and came back. When they came back the second time, I told the boy not to collect balls to take it to the range. He was fine with that. This time the younger girl was on the green running around chipping and getting some balls. I stopped practicing, but the other guy was tired of the antics and started hitting into the kids. I spoke to the boy again about the girl and she might get hit. She did get hit a few seconds later. Nothing serious but the ball hit her leg or something. The guy couldnt care less either and continued to hit into them and parents were busy socializing with the friends. After that, I left the green.

 

Even though, i thought the kids behavior was obnoxious, hitting into them was over the top. The parents of the kids were completely reckless not paying attention and the guy couldnt care less. I stopped by the club house and complained about the kids, but complained more about the guy. I opined that irrespective, he shouldnt have hit into the kids. Not really sure what happened, but I dont see him around anymore.

 

What do you guys think you would have done?

 

im sorry but this is too funny, it sounds like a seinfeld episode

[InTheHole]

I think you did the right thing- when in doubt, report it to management.

 

When I go to a place with my son where he is the ONLY kid (he's currently 10), I tell him that he has to be attached to my hip- he doesn't breath without my permission. He also needs to act like the other adults are acting- unless they're morons and then he needs to act better.

 

When I take him to a family place, he gets more freedom, within reason. But he's never unsupervised and he would never be doing what these kids were doing. But at the family place, I also don't have the same expectations- I know kids are going to get noisy and a little out of control. That's a reflection on the parents, not the kids.

 

First, sounds like the parents in this place gave their kids too much freedom. And second, sounds like this other guy was treating the place like a non-family facility, which it obviously wasn't- his expectations were too high.

 

I'll always step in if there is an imminant safety issue- but just to stop the activity or remove the kids- then go immediately to management and let them handle the personalities.

[resist_hard.]

I would have said something to the guy at the time. Although the kids were shouldn't have been doing it... They are children and don't know any better. The guy should have acted like an adult and been a bit more careful. If he was to skull one of the balls and it hit the kid it could do some damage.

 

If you consider a flop shot swing can be about 50mph that makes the ball speed 75mph... If that hit a kid in the face... ouch!

[sigmapete1]

Unfortunately some people don't realize that golf balls can do some serious damage. Probably because they've never been hit by one.

To the OP...well done and I hope that there are more people like you on the golf courses I play.

 

I think the best bet is to keep your cool in these situations, yelling and escalating things just makes it worse for yourself.

 

Last September, I was getting in 9 after work. I was on 8 and there was plenty of daylight left. * is a par 5 with water in front of the green, so I hit my lay up and was pitching onto the green when a ball whizzed by my face inches away. As I'm putting 2 guys in a cart pull up and start yelling at me to hurry up its getting dark. I kindly inform them that there is plenty of daylight left for one hole and that they missed my head by inches. They responded by telling me I shouldn't have still been there. Now I hadn't seen these guys for the last 7 holes and I think they cut over from 17 or 18 to get a few extra holes in before dark. Plus there was an elderly man ahead of me and seeing as there was no one behind me and I was in no hurry, I wasn't pushing him to move.

 

I putt out (slowly) and walk to 9 which is a dogleg right with a creek across the FW at about 250ish from the tee. Normally its a layup because its not a long par 4 but I decided to try and carry it just to see if I could. As I'm waiting for the elderly man to get out of my max range, my friends from the last hole pull up and one guy says, "what are you waiting for, you think you're gonna carry the creek." I ignore him and hit one of my best drives, clear the creek by a good 20yds and with a slight fade around the dogleg. I just looked at him and said, "Yeah I do, but don't worry, I'm sure you can hit as soon as I get to my ball, I think I'm out of range."

 

Long story, but of course I love to tell it because people like that deserve to be made to look stupid.

[Simp]

I absolutely HATE idiots, and when they're on a golf course they're ARMED & DANGEROUS IDIOTS.

[mookie]

The guy was a Tool! You did the right thing. A fantastic example of what a great older brother you are! :friends:

 

Exactly. I realize my post won't be popular, but honestly......It's easy and fun to talk all kinds of smack like, "What I would've done is taken my club and..." OP's choice of action may have been difficult, and some on this thread feel that OP should've done "more."

 

As some suggested, reporting him would've been a good idea, but NOT going with your first instinct and resorting to violence was among the best choices you could've made, IMO. The best thing is that your younger brother saw an alternative to handling difficult situations w/o using violence.

 

Aloha.

[jshiver15]

The guy hit you in the back and didn't apologize?? What a piece of work...

 

Almost the same thing happened to me...I was walking from my car to the starter for my round and this old guy in these black sunglasses driving around in this old beat up toyota almost hits me and nicks my bag. No apologies at first so I look at him with a "WTF" face and then he rolls down his window and asks what i just said and i said "thanks for almost running me over"...

He then starts mouthing off about kicking my a&% and I shouldn't start shi%$ with him cause i dont know who i'm dealing with...blah blah blah...this guy looks like hes hitting his late 50s...

I tell him that its great to see people of his age setting a great example for young adults like myself (i'm 26)...he stays in his car still going off and drives off....

The whole time he acted like it was my fault for being in the way of his car.....WTF :o

 

This happened to me about two months ago at the BX on Hickam. My wife and I were walking into the parking lot and we let this woman in a Toyota SUV pass. So, she passes and we start walking across the street to our car. Then my wife yells "JOEY!" and pulls me back from my shirt and this woman in the Toyota SUV was flying in reverse right towards us!

 

So, then she parks in an 05 and above parking spot (for those not in the military, those are reserved for Colonels (Navy Captains) and above). I am FUMING because this woman didn't even acknowledge that she nearly hit me and my wife. But I try to let it go and continue walking towards my car. I get to my car and my leg is shaking on the gas pedal. So, I pull out of my parking spot and drive over to where she's parked. She's still sitting in her car as her husband walks into the BX (and both are OBVIOUSLY not 05's or even in the military for that matter, they were retirement age and both about 100lbs overweight).

 

I was very calm and cordial when I approached her, I said "Ma'am, I just wanted to let you know you nearly hit me and my wife when you were driving in reverse a minute ago. It can get a little dangerous out here when it starts to get dark (BTW, it wasn't even dark, it was 5p in the afternoon, but I didn't want to call her an idiot to her face)."

 

She then starts yelling at me! "Well, I was in the road, I had the right-away and you shouldn't be crossing the street with cars in the road!" My jaw nearly dropped and I took a deep breath and tried to remain calm and as affable as possible. I tried to convince this woman that she was driving in reverse WAY TOO FAST but she just wouldn't accept the fact that it was her fault. She continued to argue with me and I kept getting even more mad. I ended up screaming in her face every expletive I could possibly think of. I think I even called her the "c" word a couple times. I have never, ever talked to anyone like that in my life, let alone a middle aged woman.

 

[Carl Spackler2]

Golf brings out the worst in some people.... But the orginal poster is right, juniors do not get any respect on the golf course. It is mostly because 75% of junior golfers do not have manners or have no idea what is correct and incorrect is. But I think golf brings the worst in us because we pay to get our butt whooped by acres of green gas, and when other people slow us down or ruin or our experience we get pissed!!!

[powerfade_maller]

And since its not a boxing ring, i'll hit you with whatever will hurt the most...fist, headbutt, kick, 4i, Dr, putter, shank with a divot tool or tee.

 

i can't get the image of you shanking a dude with a divot tool out of my head... that's hillarious

[blade_man]

Hey, cut the old guy a break. Maybe his Depends were too tight... :hi:

 

+1

:cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy:

[chaley6077]

That story is unbelievable. All I can ask of the adults reading this is PLEASE if you ever see anything like this happening don't just let it slide. We all question when we should and should not step into a situation but when an "adult" is intentionally hitting golf balls at a kid and his kid brother, this is certainly not a borderline questionable situation. There's absolutely no place in golf for behavior like that or people like that. Truthfully, what almost frustrates me more is that on a crowded green there had to have been several others witnessing the whole thing who didn't say a peep.

 

And just to be clear "stepping into the situation" doesn't mean running up behind the guy and jacking him with a 4 iron. It means going up to him, looking him in the eye and telling him that it's time to leave for the day. I guarantee you that he would have gone red in the face, said a few curse words at you and then, when that didn't work, would have packed up his bag and left. People like that are always the biggest (a word that starts with the letter P) when actually confronted.

[Double True]

That almost happened to me and a friend of mine. We were playing Steele Canyon and on one of the 9 hole courses there are houses that line the left side of the fairway. Well my friend is a lefty and isn't the greatest golfer in the world but the houses are required by their HOA to have a net in their backyard. Well this one tool didnt put his net up and my friend sliced one into his pool. So we are out there looking for it (didn't know it went OB) and this fat drunk guy has the ball in our hand and says "You Faggots almost hit me with your ball" then proceeds to throw the ball at us like a 7 year old girl (missed us by like 10 feet) and then starts cussing at us. So I get out and tell him to STFU and he needs to put his net up like everyone else on the damn course. Well after about 10 minutes of him making false threats he finally gives up with his closing remark of "Eat me!" to which I quipped "No thanks buddy. Your wife tastes better". Morale of the story, DONT TAKE CRAP FROM ANYONE ON THE COURSE!!!

[Left Rough]

That almost happened to me and a friend of mine. We were playing Steele Canyon and on one of the 9 hole courses there are houses that line the left side of the fairway. Well my friend is a lefty and isn't the greatest golfer in the world but the houses are required by their HOA to have a net in their backyard. Well this one tool didnt put his net up and my friend sliced one into his pool. So we are out there looking for it (didn't know it went OB) and this fat drunk guy has the ball in our hand and says "You Faggots almost hit me with your ball" then proceeds to throw the ball at us like a 7 year old girl (missed us by like 10 feet) and then starts cussing at us. So I get out and tell him to STFU and he needs to put his net up like everyone else on the damn course. Well after about 10 minutes of him making false threats he finally gives up with his closing remark of "Eat me!" to which I quipped "No thanks buddy. Your wife tastes better". Morale of the story, DONT TAKE CRAP FROM ANYONE ON THE COURSE!!!

 

I dunno man, net or not, if I was minding my own business happily drunk in my house and saw a couple guys in my backyard, I might have the same reaction!

[Double True]

That almost happened to me and a friend of mine. We were playing Steele Canyon and on one of the 9 hole courses there are houses that line the left side of the fairway. Well my friend is a lefty and isn't the greatest golfer in the world but the houses are required by their HOA to have a net in their backyard. Well this one tool didnt put his net up and my friend sliced one into his pool. So we are out there looking for it (didn't know it went OB) and this fat drunk guy has the ball in our hand and says "You Faggots almost hit me with your ball" then proceeds to throw the ball at us like a 7 year old girl (missed us by like 10 feet) and then starts cussing at us. So I get out and tell him to STFU and he needs to put his net up like everyone else on the damn course. Well after about 10 minutes of him making false threats he finally gives up with his closing remark of "Eat me!" to which I quipped "No thanks buddy. Your wife tastes better". Morale of the story, DONT TAKE CRAP FROM ANYONE ON THE COURSE!!!

 

I dunno man, net or not, if I was minding my own business happily drunk in my house and saw a couple guys in my backyard, I might have the same reaction!

 

We didn't go into his back yard. We were looking in the rough about 10 yards before his yard. We apologized and what not but he just flipped out and started getting irate. F that.

[Left Rough]

That almost happened to me and a friend of mine. We were playing Steele Canyon and on one of the 9 hole courses there are houses that line the left side of the fairway. Well my friend is a lefty and isn't the greatest golfer in the world but the houses are required by their HOA to have a net in their backyard. Well this one tool didnt put his net up and my friend sliced one into his pool. So we are out there looking for it (didn't know it went OB) and this fat drunk guy has the ball in our hand and says "You Faggots almost hit me with your ball" then proceeds to throw the ball at us like a 7 year old girl (missed us by like 10 feet) and then starts cussing at us. So I get out and tell him to STFU and he needs to put his net up like everyone else on the damn course. Well after about 10 minutes of him making false threats he finally gives up with his closing remark of "Eat me!" to which I quipped "No thanks buddy. Your wife tastes better". Morale of the story, DONT TAKE CRAP FROM ANYONE ON THE COURSE!!!

 

I dunno man, net or not, if I was minding my own business happily drunk in my house and saw a couple guys in my backyard, I might have the same reaction!

 

We didn't go into his back yard. We were looking in the rough about 10 yards before his yard. We apologized and what not but he just flipped out and started getting irate. F that.

 

Point seen - in that case I probably would have had the same reaction as you then!