Are new golfers going to extremes.....?

tothetop777 Legend
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Are new golfers out there going to extremes to be like the PGA Touring Pro's or....? I went out today as a single to the TPC of Scottsdale Stadium Course for what I wanted, and thought would be a great choice for the day. NOT! I get to the first tee box and meet the two others in the group. A young gentleman and his girlfriend, along with the guy I was riding with that was a 15 handicap. Off the first box the young guy hits into the desert, his girlfriend into the bushes just in front of the tee box. Oh boy I thought. Get out to the shots hit and more duffed shot after shot and not to mention they can't find their balls they have hit. Mind you, this continues on through the entire round. A round of hell and back. The golf etiquette? LMAO. If they had a ball 3 feet from the pin and marked? They would stand right behind the ball and surround the pin while you where trying to putt. It was unbelievable to deal with this on a TPC Course if at all. NOW, the kicker....The young guy...Brand new $350 Titleist Staff bag with HIS NAME engraved on the bag like a tour player, $1000+ Titleist MB712 blade irons with ProjectX shafts, Titleist 910 driver with Graphite Design Tour AD Quattrotech 55 "R2" Shaft ($380 for shaft), and then hitting PRO V1x balls. This guy couldn't hit the ball!!!!! He made Sergio look bad on standing over the ball. Hit the ball douche bag! If it wasn't for the big heart I have with people as I have gotten older, I would have absolutely yelled at them for just attempting to play this type of course and ruin it for others paying top dollar. What an absolute bummer on a Sunday morning to get to a TPC course to be paired up with this crap. How would you guys have handled this? I am still angry even though I played well for a 5 hour and 15 minute round and getting yelled at by the course marshall to speed it up when it has nothing to do with my play. FFFFF!
Duckhunter Legend
# 16 8/20/2012 1:03:21 PM
My kids do the same thing has to be new and on the card. I want a blood test done, lol. The mailman got ya again huh? Maybe Milkman???
Goynes42 Professional Champion
# 17 8/20/2012 2:43:42 PM
I honestly believe that upscale (and very challenging) tracks such as TPCs should implement handicap restrictions...basically, you have to present your card to prove you are a certain handicap in order to play the blue tees, or the black tees, or whatever. Show your handicap card to the starter, and they will direct you to your appropriate teebox based on that. Simple. Heck, St. Andrews has a handicap limit for you to even be able to play the course at all. The opposition to that argument is "This is America...they paid the money, they should be able to play whatever tees they want." But like it's been said before, if beginning players play the tips on a tough track, and bunt it around everywhere 20 yards at a time, that will slow things way down, and negatively affect other players' experiences, the course could get a reputation for slow play, and they will receive less business. Not a good thing. I'm not saying ALL courses should be like this. It would be silly for your local $20 muni track to do it. But places where people pay lots of money to play, and expect to have a great all-around experience (and that includes good pace of play), should definitely be doing this, in my book.
Don Freeman Professional Champion
# 18 8/20/2012 3:14:54 PM
I agree with Goynes on this. Show proficiency, and be directed to the proper tees, or be denied access. Private clubs can make any rules they want to, and enforce them. Public clubs should have the same right. There are rules everywhere in life. If I owned a golf club, I wouldn't allow a hacker to play if they were leaving 4 -6 divots in every fairway of every par 4. I bet every one of us has seen courses that look like that. My rules: 1 divot per par 4. 2 divots per par 5. If you don't fill or replace your divot, rake the sand, repair your ball mark, and you are seen by a ranger, you get 1 warning. Next offense........no soup for you!
tothetop777 Legend
# 19 8/20/2012 6:02:12 PM
I honestly believe that upscale (and very challenging) tracks such as TPCs should implement handicap restrictions...basically, you have to present your card to prove you are a certain handicap in order to play the blue tees, or the black tees, or whatever. Show your handicap card to the starter, and they will direct you to your appropriate teebox based on that. Simple. Heck, St. Andrews has a handicap limit for you to even be able to play the course at all. The opposition to that argument is "This is America...they paid the money, they should be able to play whatever tees they want." But like it's been said before, if beginning players play the tips on a tough track, and bunt it around everywhere 20 yards at a time, that will slow things way down, and negatively affect other players' experiences, the course could get a reputation for slow play, and they will receive less business. Not a good thing. I'm not saying ALL courses should be like this. It would be silly for your local $20 muni track to do it. But places where people pay lots of money to play, and expect to have a great all-around experience (and that includes good pace of play), should definitely be doing this, in my book. I like that idea. It should be that way. I think some are just happy to be getting play in this economy. Well stated as usual Tim.
Mark Simmons Legend
# 20 8/20/2012 7:12:48 PM
I honestly believe that upscale (and very challenging) tracks such as TPCs should implement handicap restrictions...basically, you have to present your card to prove you are a certain handicap in order to play the blue tees, or the black tees, or whatever. Show your handicap card to the starter, and they will direct you to your appropriate teebox based on that. Simple. Heck, St. Andrews has a handicap limit for you to even be able to play the course at all. The opposition to that argument is "This is America...they paid the money, they should be able to play whatever tees they want." But like it's been said before, if beginning players play the tips on a tough track, and bunt it around everywhere 20 yards at a time, that will slow things way down, and negatively affect other players' experiences, the course could get a reputation for slow play, and they will receive less business. Not a good thing. I'm not saying ALL courses should be like this. It would be silly for your local $20 muni track to do it. But places where people pay lots of money to play, and expect to have a great all-around experience (and that includes good pace of play), should definitely be doing this, in my book. I like that idea. It should be that way. I think some are just happy to be getting play in this economy. Well stated as usual Tim. I suspect this would actually be good for business. Just like a course with a poor reputation would suffer, a course that handled this well would attract players. Not only would they attract players, but they'd attract the very golfers who play most often...and golf is definitely a business driven by repeat customers.

Legend

228 Views 20 Replies 1 Like

Are new golfers out there going to extremes to be like the PGA Touring Pro's or....?

I went out today as a single to the TPC of Scottsdale Stadium Course for what I wanted, and thought would be a great choice for the day. NOT!

I get to the first tee box and meet the two others in the group. A young gentleman and his girlfriend, along with the guy I was riding with that was a 15 handicap. Off the first box the young guy hits into the desert, his girlfriend into the bushes just in front of the tee box. Oh boy I thought. Get out to the shots hit and more duffed shot after shot and not to mention they can't find their balls they have hit. Mind you, this continues on through the entire round. A round of hell and back. The golf etiquette? LMAO. If they had a ball 3 feet from the pin and marked? They would stand right behind the ball and surround the pin while you where trying to putt. It was unbelievable to deal with this on a TPC Course if at all. NOW, the kicker....The young guy...Brand new $350 Titleist Staff bag with HIS NAME engraved on the bag like a tour player, $1000+ Titleist MB712 blade irons with ProjectX shafts, Titleist 910 driver with Graphite Design Tour AD Quattrotech 55 "R2" Shaft ($380 for shaft), and then hitting PRO V1x balls. This guy couldn't hit the ball!!!!! He made Sergio look bad on standing over the ball. Hit the ball douche bag!

If it wasn't for the big heart I have with people as I have gotten older, I would have absolutely yelled at them for just attempting to play this type of course and ruin it for others paying top dollar. What an absolute bummer on a Sunday morning to get to a TPC course to be paired up with this crap.

How would you guys have handled this? I am still angry even though I played well for a 5 hour and 15 minute round and getting yelled at by the course marshall to speed it up when it has nothing to do with my play. FFFFF!

Duckhunter

Legend

# 16 8/20/2012 1:03:21 PM

My kids do the same thing has to be new and on the card. I want a blood test done, lol.

The mailman got ya again huh?

Maybe Milkman???

Goynes42

Professional Champion

# 17 8/20/2012 2:43:42 PM

I honestly believe that upscale (and very challenging) tracks such as TPCs should implement handicap restrictions...basically, you have to present your card to prove you are a certain handicap in order to play the blue tees, or the black tees, or whatever. Show your handicap card to the starter, and they will direct you to your appropriate teebox based on that. Simple. Heck, St. Andrews has a handicap limit for you to even be able to play the course at all.

The opposition to that argument is "This is America...they paid the money, they should be able to play whatever tees they want." But like it's been said before, if beginning players play the tips on a tough track, and bunt it around everywhere 20 yards at a time, that will slow things way down, and negatively affect other players' experiences, the course could get a reputation for slow play, and they will receive less business. Not a good thing.

I'm not saying ALL courses should be like this. It would be silly for your local $20 muni track to do it. But places where people pay lots of money to play, and expect to have a great all-around experience (and that includes good pace of play), should definitely be doing this, in my book.

Don Freeman

Professional Champion

# 18 8/20/2012 3:14:54 PM

I agree with Goynes on this. Show proficiency, and be directed to the proper tees, or be denied access. Private clubs can make any rules they want to, and enforce them. Public clubs should have the same right. There are rules everywhere in life. If I owned a golf club, I wouldn't allow a hacker to play if they were leaving 4 -6 divots in every fairway of every par 4. I bet every one of us has seen courses that look like that.
My rules:
1 divot per par 4.
2 divots per par 5.
If you don't fill or replace your divot, rake the sand, repair your ball mark, and you are seen by a ranger, you get 1 warning. Next offense........no soup for you!

tothetop777

Legend

# 19 8/20/2012 6:02:12 PM

I honestly believe that upscale (and very challenging) tracks such as TPCs should implement handicap restrictions...basically, you have to present your card to prove you are a certain handicap in order to play the blue tees, or the black tees, or whatever. Show your handicap card to the starter, and they will direct you to your appropriate teebox based on that. Simple. Heck, St. Andrews has a handicap limit for you to even be able to play the course at all.

The opposition to that argument is "This is America...they paid the money, they should be able to play whatever tees they want." But like it's been said before, if beginning players play the tips on a tough track, and bunt it around everywhere 20 yards at a time, that will slow things way down, and negatively affect other players' experiences, the course could get a reputation for slow play, and they will receive less business. Not a good thing.

I'm not saying ALL courses should be like this. It would be silly for your local $20 muni track to do it. But places where people pay lots of money to play, and expect to have a great all-around experience (and that includes good pace of play), should definitely be doing this, in my book.

I like that idea. It should be that way. I think some are just happy to be getting play in this economy. Well stated as usual Tim.

Mark Simmons

Legend

# 20 8/20/2012 7:12:48 PM

I honestly believe that upscale (and very challenging) tracks such as TPCs should implement handicap restrictions...basically, you have to present your card to prove you are a certain handicap in order to play the blue tees, or the black tees, or whatever. Show your handicap card to the starter, and they will direct you to your appropriate teebox based on that. Simple. Heck, St. Andrews has a handicap limit for you to even be able to play the course at all.

The opposition to that argument is "This is America...they paid the money, they should be able to play whatever tees they want." But like it's been said before, if beginning players play the tips on a tough track, and bunt it around everywhere 20 yards at a time, that will slow things way down, and negatively affect other players' experiences, the course could get a reputation for slow play, and they will receive less business. Not a good thing.

I'm not saying ALL courses should be like this. It would be silly for your local $20 muni track to do it. But places where people pay lots of money to play, and expect to have a great all-around experience (and that includes good pace of play), should definitely be doing this, in my book.

I like that idea. It should be that way. I think some are just happy to be getting play in this economy. Well stated as usual Tim.

I suspect this would actually be good for business. Just like a course with a poor reputation would suffer, a course that handled this well would attract players. Not only would they attract players, but they'd attract the very golfers who play most often...and golf is definitely a business driven by repeat customers.

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