COMMUNITY

I just returned from Albuquerque, New Mexico on my annual golfing triip. I played with "The Golfer From Hell" on Tuesday. I met him at the first tee and we introduced ourselves. This guy was probably in his mid-40's, very husky, balding and crude. We were riding in seperate carts when our third showed up and rode with TGFH. TGFH had loaded up with about four 16 ounce beers to start. He was a poor golfer and chugging his beer. I would estimate a 20 to 25 handicap. He rarely hit a shot where he was aiming and we had a difficult time following his shots because they generally went where we weren't looking. We were trying to follow his shots but we had an "envelope of view" towards the hole and he usually skied or popped one way left or way right. As he drank more, his shots got progressively worse. His ettiquette was terrible. If he didn't like his shot, he would just pull another ball out and hit again. On the greens, whenever he missed a putt (which was virtually all the time) he would just set another ball down and putt again.

By hole number five he's pretty much drunk. He hit an approach shot and had no clue where it went. We were playing our second and third shots to the green so were seperated. When he arrived at the green, he asked me where his ball was. I had just played my ball out of a bunker and did not see a ball anywhere near the green I told him I had no idea. He started yelling and using loud vulgar profanities and complaining that we weren't watching his ball. He complained that he was watching our golf balls but that we weren't watching his. We increased our efforts to monitor his shots but they were some of the worst I have ever seen. The ball literally could go anywhere.

Every time the drink cart came buy he bought more beer. The third time the cart girl came up and asked if we wanted anything, he responded crudely and vulgarly. I was surprised she didn't just drive off. By the time we made the turn the young guy that was riding with him was looking for a reason to leave, He did not like the fact that TGFH was drunk, filthy-mouthed, crude and lacked any kind of social graces. He got the chance to leave us when a friend of his came by playing on an adjacent hole. He went with his buddy and I was left alone with TGFH who by now is totally drunk.

We continued on the back nine and he continued to drink, belch loudly, play whenever he wanted without regard to whether someone was in the way or it was his turn and he frequently urinated in whatever bush was handy even though there were restroom facilities on the course. As he and I played the back nine he constantly asked me "did you see my ball" whenever he hit a shot. I was able to track most of his shots or at least the direction that they took. Then he started to argue with me. He would tell me "No way, my ball didn't go there. Are you serious?" This went on all afternoon.

On eighteen, I hit a beautiful drive on a par five and only had 185 to the green My ball was dead center of the fairway and he had hit two seperate drives. One wide to the left and one wide right neither of which he saw. I had to point them out to him and then lead him to his ball because he wouldn't believe me. Before I could get to my ball, he had hit three additional shots from his second drive while I was picking up his first ball because he had no clue where it went. He was too drunk to rememeber that I had pointed the ball out to him when we left the tee, When I drove up to my ball he was addressing a ball and I asked him if that was my ball he was preparing to hit? He bent over (nearly falling on his face) and said "oh yeah." I thought that was my ball." He drove off looking for his ball I assumed and I played my shot to the green. I hit the ball left of the green into a bunker and went to play my next shot. I looked arounf for him but didn't see him. I finished my shot on eighteen and looked around for him but he had disappeared. I contemplated calling the clubhouse and warning them that a "drunk golfer" might be getting into his car and driving but when I topped the hill I saw him getting into a car in the parking lot. Fortunately a lady was driving and he got into the passenger side, He never said bye or told me he was leaving.

And so ended my day with The Golfer From Hell. You might wonder why I stayed? I was having a very good day golfwise. I ended up shooting a 77 on my second eighteen that day. I birdied eighteen out of that bunker I mentioned.

Fortunately I am back in Houston and probably won't bump into TGFH again I hope.

I just returned from Albuquerque, New Mexico on my annual golfing triip. I played with "The Golfer From Hell" on Tuesday. I met him at the first tee and we introduced ourselves. This guy was probably in his mid-40's, very husky, balding and crude. We were riding in seperate carts when our third showed up and rode with TGFH. TGFH had loaded up with about four 16 ounce beers to start. He was a poor golfer and chugging his beer. I would estimate a 20 to 25 handicap. He rarely hit a shot where he was aiming and we had a difficult time following his shots because they generally went where we weren't looking. We were trying to follow his shots but we had an "envelope of view" towards the hole and he usually skied or popped one way left or way right. As he drank more, his shots got progressively worse. His ettiquette was terrible. If he didn't like his shot, he would just pull another ball out and hit again. On the greens, whenever he missed a putt (which was virtually all the time) he would just set another ball down and putt again.

By hole number five he's pretty much drunk. He hit an approach shot and had no clue where it went. We were playing our second and third shots to the green so were seperated. When he arrived at the green, he asked me where his ball was. I had just played my ball out of a bunker and did not see a ball anywhere near the green I told him I had no idea. He started yelling and using loud vulgar profanities and complaining that we weren't watching his ball. He complained that he was watching our golf balls but that we weren't watching his. We increased our efforts to monitor his shots but they were some of the worst I have ever seen. The ball literally could go anywhere.

Every time the drink cart came buy he bought more beer. The third time the cart girl came up and asked if we wanted anything, he responded crudely and vulgarly. I was surprised she didn't just drive off. By the time we made the turn the young guy that was riding with him was looking for a reason to leave, He did not like the fact that TGFH was drunk, filthy-mouthed, crude and lacked any kind of social graces. He got the chance to leave us when a friend of his came by playing on an adjacent hole. He went with his buddy and I was left alone with TGFH who by now is totally drunk.

We continued on the back nine and he continued to drink, belch loudly, play whenever he wanted without regard to whether someone was in the way or it was his turn and he frequently urinated in whatever bush was handy even though there were restroom facilities on the course. As he and I played the back nine he constantly asked me "did you see my ball" whenever he hit a shot. I was able to track most of his shots or at least the direction that they took. Then he started to argue with me. He would tell me "No way, my ball didn't go there. Are you serious?" This went on all afternoon.

On eighteen, I hit a beautiful drive on a par five and only had 185 to the green My ball was dead center of the fairway and he had hit two seperate drives. One wide to the left and one wide right neither of which he saw. I had to point them out to him and then lead him to his ball because he wouldn't believe me. Before I could get to my ball, he had hit three additional shots from his second drive while I was picking up his first ball because he had no clue where it went. He was too drunk to rememeber that I had pointed the ball out to him when we left the tee, When I drove up to my ball he was addressing a ball and I asked him if that was my ball he was preparing to hit? He bent over (nearly falling on his face) and said "oh yeah." I thought that was my ball." He drove off looking for his ball I assumed and I played my shot to the green. I hit the ball left of the green into a bunker and went to play my next shot. I looked arounf for him but didn't see him. I finished my shot on eighteen and looked around for him but he had disappeared. I contemplated calling the clubhouse and warning them that a "drunk golfer" might be getting into his car and driving but when I topped the hill I saw him getting into a car in the parking lot. Fortunately a lady was driving and he got into the passenger side, He never said bye or told me he was leaving.

And so ended my day with The Golfer From Hell. You might wonder why I stayed? I was having a very good day golfwise. I ended up shooting a 77 on my second eighteen that day. I birdied eighteen out of that bunker I mentioned.

Fortunately I am back in Houston and probably won't bump into TGFH again I hope.

Wouldn't call this bad behavior, but it really does not fall in the ranks of "proper golf". Ohh where do I begin,,,,give it to you short and sweet....I have played in a couple "florida scramble" format charity events, that have been sponsored by adult nite clubs. Need I say more...Forgive me, I have sinned. $300 per person to join, donations start @ $500.00 and I have no idea what charity it went to or how I got where I got @ the end of the night.

I often wonder why guys like this bother to take up the game. We do it for enjoyment, to experience a beautiful day, the nice weather and occasionally a good round of golf. Guys like this make it tough to have a good day on the course. Sorry you had to endure TGFH that day.