Golf Course Fight !?

tiptap

Just wondering what peoples opinions are on this and how they would have reacted.


Waterford Golf Club, back 9.
I'm playing with two pals and the three of us are around the 8 to 15 handicap.

My two pals tee off and go down the centre of the fairway.
I tee off and mine is on the far left of the fairway (obviously intended it to go there due to pin placement :-) ). Now, all three of us knew exactly where my ball went as we saw it very clearly.

As we just left the tea box, We saw a four-ball to our left, quite a way down. One of them made a serious hook and we saw his ball coming across our fairway and landed in the rough on the very right of our fairway.

Now, the guys were fast and they had reached their area before us.
I noticed one of the guys making practice swings near my ball.
We were about 100 yards away. When he addressed the ball, I politely said "Sorry, that's actually my ball, We saw your ball come across the fairway and it's over there in the rough", about 100 yards from where his ball was.

Well, to say he went mental, is an understatement. Start Effin and blinding saying it was his f*kin ball.
Unfortunately we were both playing teitlest 2 balls with no markings ( I have markings now I tell you !!)

So after him starting to get quite aggressive about everything, said "I'm taking my f*king shot whether you like it or not now f*ck off" .. he took his shot (It went about 20 inches in the air, and about 1 foot forward).
I couldn't help but laugh my head off, I just walked to his ball and played his. He muttered something about kicking the crap out me.

Now, I'm not an aggressive person AT ALL, I didn't want to fight, because I don't, and I probably would have got the crap kicked out of, and I was on a stag with the other two lads and were just out for a good time.



Just wondering how you guys would have handled the situation ? I'd be very interested.

P.S I did report them in the clubhouse, not that it made much use I'd say.

f22

Think you handled it quite well to be honest. The fact that he hit your ball a foot in front of him and you just laughed did more damage to the idiot than a punch ever would.

Can't say I would have been so understanding. :rolleyes:

fireplace1982

well handled sir.

tiptap

hmm..interesting...I've had mixed reports ...
although, thinking about it, the more regular golfers have said they wouldn't have been confrontational, which I wasn't, and others have said....boy, if that was me I would have had a 3 iron wrapped around him.

I suppose it's hard really to know what you would do unless the actual situation happened.

I'm sure there are some horror stories out there, thankfully that's the worst it's been for me.

copacetic

you did the right thing, getting into a fight with some idiot like that would just be bringing yourself down to his level..

fred funk }{

Just goes to show how important it is to mark your ball. I think you handled it OK. I haven't came across anyone like that on the coarse yet, and I hope not to.

callaway92

I think he was trying to cheat in a comp since he couldnt find his ball,,Well Handled Sir..Well Handled

JerryHandbag

Well done....my reaction wouldve been the same, except after he hit the shot i probably wouldve laughed so hard i wouldve been rollin around on the fairway and THEN he wouldve beat the ****e outta me What a knobhead

tiptap

JerryHandbag wrote: »

Well done....my reaction wouldve been the same, except after he hit the shot i probably wouldve laughed so hard i wouldve been rollin around on the fairway and THEN he wouldve beat the ****e outta me What a knobhead

Yeah, I don't think I laughed so much..ever ..
Serves him right anyway :-)

Kimbot

Thats classic. Well done on not loosing the head man.

Had a slightly similer thing happen a few weeks ago aswell, thread is here somewhere. I didn't loose the head and I think that really gets at them more.

stockdam

I'd change where I play if that's the sort of idiots who play there.

A similar thing happened to me except I didn't get up to the guy. I saw my ball land in the short rough and saw him playing my ball. luckily he was well down the other fairway by the time I realised he'd played my ball. He had no top on, was covered in tattoos, was obviously drinking, was playing with 5 others and had a bull terrier. It was on a bad course and I wouldn't go back.

Back to your story.

If somebody plays your ball and gives you lip then just walk away. They probably know they have the wrong ball and probably will think you were easy to intimidate.

However what would getting into a confrontation do........if he beats you up then that's your round spoiled. If on the other hand you beat him up then that's also your game spoiled.

You did the right thing.

rigal

Well done Tiptap, I'm not sure I would have been so calm and understanding. He was obviously a complete psycho. By the sounds of things you probably were wise not to try and reason with him.

A few years ago I was playing in a comp at home and the course was fairly jammed and play was quite slow. We were just teeing off at a par 3 and you couldn't see the group ahead when a guy in the fourball behind us, who was just putting out on the previous green, told us to get a move on as we were holding up the whole course. We were actually all quite fast players and he was being pretty disrespectful and agressive so I just gave it back to him and explained (as nicely as possible ) that we were all getting held up and we were keeping up with the group ahead. I was in my early 20s at the time and he would have been early 40s and I felt he was just trying to be the big guy in front of his mates. Anyway, he just went quiet and walked back to the green. Then the next day I was in the clubhouse and the competition secretary and club manager pulled me a side, someone had told them about it and they said fair play for not backing down as he was a bit of a bully and a few people had complained about him before.

stockdam

Oh and one day he may remember the guy who showed restraint by walking away even though he knew he was correct.

On the other hand, will you ever learn anything from him.....nope.

Golferx

The only thing you could have possibly done was to drop a ball where yours had originally landed, after picking up his.

I had something similar in Waterfod Castle a few years back. My fourball was accosted by a gombeen berating us for slow play, when , in fact, we were three holes ahead of him and it was two novices directly in front of him who were his problem.

tiptap

stockdam wrote: »

I'd change where I play if that's the sort of idiots who play there.

A similar thing happened to me except I didn't get up to the guy. I saw my ball land in the short rough and saw him playing my ball. luckily he was well down the other fairway by the time I realised he'd played my ball. He had no top on, was covered in tattoos, was obviously drinking, was playing with 5 others and had a bull terrier. It was on a bad course and I wouldn't go back.

Back to your story.

If somebody plays your ball and gives you lip then just walk away. They probably know they have the wrong ball and probably will think you were easy to intimidate.

However what would getting into a confrontation do........if he beats you up then that's your round spoiled. If on the other hand you beat him up then that's also your game spoiled.

You did the right thing.

lol, sounds like your were playing in a prison ground !!

luckily it was just a once off on that course for me

BunkerMentality

tiptap wrote: »

lol, sounds like your were playing in a prison ground !!

luckily it was just a once off on that course for me

Maybe it was this one:
http://www.prisonviewgolf.com/

Although it might be hard to get a bull terrier and drink in there as there are some local rules

RULES:

* Prison View Golf Course is located on the grounds of Louisiana State Penitentiary; therefore, all guests must provide personal information (date of birth, drivers license number, social security number, etc.) for complete background check before play. (48 hours in advance)

* No tee times will be scheduled prior to completed background check.

* Convicted felons and individuals listed on any inmates visiting list will not be allowed access.

* All golfers must present valid, state issued identification upon arrival.

* Play may be suspended at any time, due to institutional need or at the Warden's discretion.

* Tee times may be cancelled without notice.

* Absolutely NO firearms, drugs, alcohol or other contraband items (such as, but not limited to, cameras, knives, etc.) are allowed on the premises.

* Persons entering Louisiana State Penitentiary must consent to a search of their vehicle, belongings and/or person at any time, while on institutional grounds.

BrianD3

I'd say it's very unlikely that you'd get into a physical scrap on a golf course. If you exchange words with a loudmouth pr1ck or a scumbag he'll be well aware that both of ye are armed with 14 potentially lethal weapons.

LOL at bull terriers being brought onto the course though.

ShriekingSheet

I'm just thinking, if TipTap's story had been in a GUI Comp or an Intermediate Scratch Cup say, what would the actual rule be?

I'm fairly sure that technically his ball would be deemed lost and the other guy would be in play without penalty - though TipTap's group would know he'd played the wrong ball but couldn't prove it because it wasn't marked.

In reality, if TipTap was my playing partner and regardless of what the rule is, I'd wait til yer man hit the ball and f*cked off and tell TT to place a ball as near to the point as possible, play without penalty and say nothing more about it.

This is of course purely on the basis that all of us saw both balls fly to distinctly different spots and there was no shadow of a doubt on my part that it was TT's ball and he was the victim of an idiot.

I'm very scrupulous about rules but in that case I can honestly say I would disregard the rules that in truth, don't allow for such behaviour.

Golferx

ShriekingSheet wrote: »

I'm just thinking, if TipTap's story had been in a GUI Comp or an Intermediate Scratch Cup say, what would the actual rule be?

I'm fairly sure that technically his ball would be deemed lost and the other guy would be in play without penalty - though TipTap's group would know he'd played the wrong ball but couldn't prove it because it wasn't marked.

In reality, if TipTap was my playing partner and regardless of what the rule is, I'd wait til yer man hit the ball and f*cked off and tell TT to place a ball as near to the point as possible, play without penalty and say nothing more about it.

This is of course purely on the basis that all of us saw both balls fly to distinctly different spots and there was no shadow of a doubt on my part that it was TT's ball and he was the victim of an idiot.

I'm very scrupulous about rules but in that case I can honestly say I would disregard the rules that in truth, don't allow for such behaviour.

If your ball is moved by an outside agency, as it was in this story, it must be replaced without penalty. The OP has nothing to worry about, he did nothing wrong.

The other player, should be penalised two shots, for playing the wrong ball. He, and his playing partners, should be notified about his transgression. after that, it's down to their honour what to do.

Should they have been playing in the same competition as the OP, then the committee should be notified about the incident.