[pbcgolfer]

Will try and shorten story for the ADD's: At range today praciticing putting for tourney on Saturday with my 10 year old brother, I practice at this course everyday it's mile from my house. I'm on the practice green for chipping/putting and it's pretty crowded ( 2 colleges use as home course) about 5-6 ppl practicing putting, 1 or 2 chipping but still lots of room. I go to hole with brother and we are warming up and hittting 3 footers and whatever. I keep seeing balls flying near me so I'm like ok, move to other side of hole and hit opposite way. 1 minute later same thing happens, so I look to see some hack hitting flops head high 3 feet away from my head all the way across green. I'm like okay... so I move to other side of hole to get out of way, turn my back and hits me right in the back. I look back and guy just stares me down, few seconds go by... still no apology, I ask if he's gonna still keep hitting at me on purpose and says "Yup!". I was pretty mad at this point but had my little brother with me, so he walks across green toward me I'm like great here we go..... He goes, " You need to get out of my way and respect adults or are you to young to do that, oh and you're not aloud to putt on this green (5-6 ppl are putting at this point still) " So I had my brother move to other side and told him I'm with my little brother but if you hit at me again on purpose I'm throwing your ball in the road. Then he gets all mad and starts cussing and whatever so I just walk away, then picks up bag and leaves. I don't think I was to harsh because he could have hit someone else or even worse my little brother, and if he did that I wouldn't have been able to control myself I know for a fact .( Anyone who has little brother or sister knows this feeling) Yeah so practice was fun today.

[nickGT]

If someone gave me s*** like that i wouldn't be quite as nice about it as you. I probably would have picked his ball up and threw it in his face. I can't stand people who act like that. He was probably a spoilt bratt as a child and never learnt how to share.

[Boba]

Wow, If I was in that situation he wouldn't have walked back across green. I'm amazed that you kept your cool.

[jebb]

Just re-wrote my post as it came over as advocating taking a hard line.

You did the right thing and violence is never the answer but my God some people are so ignorant.

I'd have been tempted to start chipping balls at him to see how he would have liked it. Lack of consideration really and thers a lot of it about these days.

[Two Down]

I think you acted more like an adult than he did. As for me, I'm 40 and if he would have did it to me he would be picking his F@%&!*G teeth off the green!!!!!

[BILL12x]

I had the opposite problem last year. I'm 48 and I was practicing putting and had been there for about 15 minutes when a kid starts chipping to the same hole from about 40 yards away. He was with his father who was coaching him.

I stared him down and spread out my arms in a "what the f&@?" gesture, but he just kept chipping away.

Every year, we host a major junior tournament. Not only do we lose playing 4 of our 5 courses for the week, but we have to deal with kids who have a sense of entitlement. "If someones in my way, bully him out."

Sorry you had to deal with what you did, but it's not just adults, nor is it just kids. There are just too many people who do not have any respect for others. Teach your children well.

[TM golf guy 182]

Good job keeping your cool. I think you handled the situation well. I would've been very tempted to snap his wedge in half.

[goondawg]

Must say, you have a lot more self control than I do.

[3mulligans]

You're a better man than me.

That guy needed a taint punch.

[scotchblade]

You used good judgment in keeping your cool. Report the guy to the person charge or call the cops if you have to. Bopping the jerk with your putter would only get you into deep doo doo.

[dennis4190]

I worked at a practice facility and I see people like him all the time. Many times I see people hitting flops over the sign that says PUTTING ONLY. When I confront them, they think I"M the a******!!!

[IndyIN]

pbcgolfer, on Nov 5 2008, 05:13 AM, said:

He goes, " You need to get out of my way and respect adults or are you to young to do that, oh and you're not aloud to putt on this green (5-6 ppl are putting at this point still) "

Sounds like you handled yourself the right way.

BTW, I'm curious... was this a chipping or a putting green? Just because 5-6 people were putting, doesn't make it a putting green. A course I play frequently has the chipping green very close to the first tee, and lots of people walking up either don't know or don't care.

Was this guy chipping at the hole before you walked up to with in 3 feet of the hole and started practicing? Again, no excuse for bad behavior on his part.

I'm not doubting you, I always believe there are at least 2 sides to every story .

[niconico]

what course? or practice facility?

I used to live in Boynton and know how people can be down there....

Almost had a similar run-in with a pro long drive golfer...
I'm 6ft 250 and he made me look like a point guard on a girls
high school basketball team. I just started chipping a 100yds
the other direction at a tree.

[pu_golf88]

congrats on holding your cool.

my little brother is 16, but i still feel protective of him. i know i would have beat that guys a**!

[AUDuffer]

Great job keeping your cool especially with your little brother there--great example for him for sure. And I wouldn't be surprised if the reaction had been different if he hadn't been there--I know I would've been for me!

[swanry30]

3mulligans, on Nov 5 2008, 05:02 AM, said:

You're a better man than me.

That guy needed a taint punch.

you couldn't have written a better ninth post - well played/executed my friend...

[Fore_Man]

wow, i would have lost it at that point.... what did the rest of the people on the green do? just sit there and watch??

[Kreth]

While swatting the guy may have been briefly gratifying, the only way it would have been justified is if he attacked you. You did a good job keeping a cool head. The only thing I would have done differently is reported him.

[Wsc04forever]

a couple months ago i was putting on the practice green, this young kid was hitting flop shots on the same green, after i hit a putt i look up and there is a ball wizzing right at my face, i pulled a "neo" from the matrix to avoid getting hit in the face, apparently he thinned the crap out it, i stared him down, he appologized

[KDMullins]

IndyIN, on Nov 5 2008, 08:19 AM, said:

BTW, I'm curious... was this a chipping or a putting green?

This was my first question, too. Don't get me wrong, the guy obviously acted like an a$$, but if you were also in the wrong, the story definitely takes on a different tone. For example, if it was a chipping-only green like many places have (for this very reason), and you were standing in the middle of it as if you were the only person in the world, that might irritate some (or a lot) people. That's still no reason for the guy to act like an a$$. Even if that was the case, the guy should've come over, talked about what a nice day it was and politely pointed you in the direction of the putting green.

[devlbasher]

yeeeeeeeeeeah, i don't know about that Kreth. I'm thinking, if someone hits me in the back with a golf ball on purpose, I feel like thats being attacked. I mean, sure, I didn't have someone take a swing at me, but yeah, thats good enough for me...could have hit me in the head, could have hit my little brother. I think the OP handled it very well, but I can't say that the other guy didn't deserve to be beat on a little. Unless he was Phil Mickelson or the like, that really is taking other peoples health in your own hands. What if he skulls a ball and hits a kid in the temple. I actually feel pretty confident you could have someone thrown in jail for assault for that...not that THAT is the best way to handle it either.


Man...what a jerk you've got to be to hit be like that guy...

[Richie3Jack]

As a former junior golfer and now an adult, I can safely say that half of the time the adults act far worse than the juniors. One time as a junior, I was playing golf with 2 of my friends and we had a S-L-O-W foursome ahead of us. Of course, the foursome wouldn't let us play through. Anyway, we get on a long par 5 and the foursome ahead of us is in pullcarts. They get up on the green and have the pullcarts roughly 25 yards in front of the green. So I hit and with the rock hard ground from the summer time, my ball carries about 210 yards and then rolls roughly 50 yards and finally trickles up under one of the pullcarts (while these idiots are putting on the green). It was actually a helluva shot that rolled forever, that could not have hurt anybody and could not have distracted anybody. So a douchnozzle sees it and then tees it up and hits it into a field. I went up there and asked what his problem was and he complained about hitting into them (gimme a break) and then after the round he complained to the pro shop that we were hitting into him every hole (this was the only time we even came close to hitting into them).

Eventually I started working at a course, but if there was a problem between an adult and a junior, I was never going to just believe the adult. I had a lot of stuff like what happened to you and what I posted above go on all of the time. A lot of adults on a golf course don't like juniors and know that the course will tend to believe the adult over the junior...unless the juniors parents are well known, established members.




3JACK

[InTheHole]

Great job keeping your cool and great example for your little brother.

EVEN IF you were wrong (and I don't think you were) there is no reason in the book to hit a golf ball towards someone. That's assault. The intent was not to ignore you but was to hit you with the golf ball- that is not golf, it is an attack. It is premeditated assault.

Hey- look at that golfer last year that hit and killed the hawk while filming a golf instructional video (his name esacapes me at the moment)- he was convicted of animal cruelty and a bunch of other stuff. Same concept should apply here.

[Richie3Jack]

InTheHole, on Nov 5 2008, 09:49 AM, said:

EVEN IF you were wrong (and I don't think you were) there is no reason in the book to hit a golf ball towards someone.

Amen.

This says it right there. Getting hit with a golf ball can EASILY kill somebody. There's no way to justify hitting somebody.




3JACK

[powerchild33]

I'm sorry, I'll say it, that guy needed to be dealt with. Yeah, violence isn't the answer, but this guy will continue to do the same until someone beats his @$$. I'm a laid back person, but getting hit with a golf ball that was PURPOSELY hit in your direction is an assault, a threat on the individuals life and well-being.

[Kreth]

devlbasher, on Nov 5 2008, 09:46 AM, said:

yeeeeeeeeeeah, i don't know about that Kreth. I'm thinking, if someone hits me in the back with a golf ball on purpose, I feel like thats being attacked.

Good point. I can't guarantee that I wouldn't have gone after him if I got hit. But, you'd almost be guaranteed at a minimum a lot of wasted time dealing with the police. I also wouldn't be surprised that if the OP went and beat down the guy, then he'd sue, and claim the whole thing was an accident.

[jones137]

powerchild33, on Nov 5 2008, 11:25 AM, said:

I'm sorry, I'll say it, that guy needed to be dealt with. Yeah, violence isn't the answer, but this guy will continue to do the same until someone beats his @$$. I'm a laid back person, but getting hit with a golf ball that was PURPOSELY hit in your direction is an assault, a threat on the individuals life and well-being.

Exactly.

In this case, the golfer was using the ball as a weapon to attack someone intentionally.........my response would have been to ask him exactly what you did in regard to his intentions and once he agreed that he was going to continue to do it you would have been well within the law to beat his a""""""!!! Not saying you should have given people like this aren't really worth wasting energy on but I would have seriously considered it. Like someone else said, you can DIE from getting hit with a golf ball. Crazy.

[LP28]

As soon as the guy hit the ball in my direction once or twice I would have atleast said something to the effect of 'is there a problem'. And if he hit me in the back with the ball it would have been on right there......no words just get it on!! I'd have snapped......kid brother or not....hell I'd have snapped even if I had my 6 year old son with me.....even more reason to snap, imagine if he had hit your brother in the coconut?? Then what?? There's no reasoning w/ a sh*thead like this, those are grounds for physical engagement before he hurts someone(like you or your brother).

[mk920]

Seriously good job on keeping your cool bro. But if it was me I would have put him in a rear naked choke and when he went night night the problem would have been solved and I would continue putting without any problems.

[tmfan54]

ok something similar happened to me but it was on the course. at my lcoal course there are two hole which are par 3 by each other. however there is about a 75 foot fence and tal trees sparationg them. i was on the 16th and some guy was on the 12th. the 12th is about a 205 yd hole. and it about 30 yards to the right of the 16th tee box and guarded by trees. ok so im hitting on 16 and in the middle of my backswing i get hit in the shoulder. no fore. nothing. guy comes over and asks if i see his ball. i say. "you actually hit me, but im ok." and toss him the ball. he tells me to put the ball back down and let him play it! haha i say, "a little apology would be nice or at least you could have yelled fore" he tells me to fu^% off. i jsut toss the ball and say you arent allowed to play it off this tee box take a free drop. he does not like that and gets in my face. i tell him nice, "if you come an inch coser to me, you will never walk again." he decided to walk away. lol i think things like this happen because people get upset with themselves for doing the wrong thing and are afraid to apologize and do the right thing, so they end up making it worse. violence is usually not the answer, but i must say i would have hurt him pretty bad if he touched me.

[tbowles411]

Two Down, on Nov 5 2008, 06:39 AM, said:

I think you acted more like an adult than he did. As for me, I'm 40 and if he would have did it to me he would be picking his F@%&!*G teeth off the green!!!!!

+1

I probably would have snapped. I'm not a small guy. Knowing he was doing it on purpose is enough to set me off.

[rblmp32]

I do believe you handled that exceptionally well. I woulda probably wrapped my putter around the guys head...haha. But seriously, perhaps you should have reported him to the pro?

[grelltw]

BILL12x, on Nov 5 2008, 07:04 AM, said:

I had the opposite problem last year. I'm 48 and I was practicing putting and had been there for about 15 minutes when a kid starts chipping to the same hole from about 40 yards away. He was with his father who was coaching him.

I stared him down and spread out my arms in a "what the f&@?" gesture, but he just kept chipping away.

Every year, we host a major junior tournament. Not only do we lose playing 4 of our 5 courses for the week, but we have to deal with kids who have a sense of entitlement. "If someones in my way, bully him out."

Sorry you had to deal with what you did, but it's not just adults, nor is it just kids. There are just too many people who do not have any respect for others. Teach your children well.

Bill, you are a member at Doral and the tournament is the Doral Publix isn't it?

[Johnny]

chipping putting green should always be separate. The mgmt' of the area to make a decision.. putting or chipping only.

[InTheHole]

Johnny, on Nov 5 2008, 12:29 PM, said:

chipping putting green should always be separate. The mgmt' of the area to make a decision.. putting or chipping only.

100% agree- but if the "putter" is putting on the chipping green, the "chipper" is still not justified in hitting golf balls at him. He should calmly and cooly walk over, explain the error, and redirect the person to the correct area. If the "putter" doesn't cooperate, you go get the facility manager to correct the situation.

Even take the high road- "I'm sorry, I don't want to hit you with a golf ball and possibly hurt you, that's why management has made this a "chipping area only" - you could get hurt."

Now in this case, if it was a chipping green, the fact that there was a bunch of people already putting there means he should have just gone to the pro and made him aware. Especially if it was a practice facility- the one I go to charges money for the chipping/pitching green, the putting green is free.

What this guy did was say to himself, "this guy's in my way- I'll show him who's boss!" He's nothing more than an elementary school bully. It sounds like he had plenty of opportunity to correct the situation in a better manner, but decided to be a jerk instead.

You are never justified in hitting a golf ball intentionally at another person unless maybe it is like life or death self defense or something. But I would throw it first in that case- or just grab a 5 iron as a weapon.

[blaird]

congrats on handling the situation in a more mature fashion than some old a-hole. it really shouldnt matter whether its a chipping/putting green the guy should not have hit you on purpose.

[nickGT]

Thinking about it again i don't think doing nothing was the right thing to do. I know it may have been the mature and 'adult' thing to do. But by letting him get away with it you are almost advocating to your little brother that doing what the guy done was ok. And that people like him should get away with acting like jerks.

Maybe planting one on him wouldn't have been the best idea but walking away wasn't either. You should have chucked his golf balls in the bushes or something.

[ballzo]

85% of the people in this world are idiots. I find it easier to just find another place to practice than try and deal with an idiot. Just walk away an let him practice in his own little world.

[IndyIN]

InTheHole, on Nov 5 2008, 11:57 AM, said:

Johnny, on Nov 5 2008, 12:29 PM, said:

chipping putting green should always be separate. The mgmt' of the area to make a decision.. putting or chipping only.

100% agree- but if the "putter" is putting on the chipping green, the "chipper" is still not justified in hitting golf balls at him. He should calmly and cooly walk over, explain the error, and redirect the person to the correct area. If the "putter" doesn't cooperate, you go get the facility manager to correct the situation.

Even take the high road- "I'm sorry, I don't want to hit you with a golf ball and possibly hurt you, that's why management has made this a "chipping area only" - you could get hurt."

Now in this case, if it was a chipping green, the fact that there was a bunch of people already putting there means he should have just gone to the pro and made him aware. Especially if it was a practice facility- the one I go to charges money for the chipping/pitching green, the putting green is free.

What this guy did was say to himself, "this guy's in my way- I'll show him who's boss!" He's nothing more than an elementary school bully. It sounds like he had plenty of opportunity to correct the situation in a better manner, but decided to be a jerk instead.

You are never justified in hitting a golf ball intentionally at another person unless maybe it is like life or death self defense or something. But I would throw it first in that case- or just grab a 5 iron as a weapon.

Agree 100%, I don't think anyone is saying the guy chipping was right. There might just be a little more to the story.

[gregcindyh]

Some people are just arrogant and self centered. I had that happen to me from a guy 30 yards away from me. He shanked one off his driver and hit my arm hard enough to put me on the ground. I asked if he would mind pointing the other way and another guy got pissed at me and wanted to throw down. Almost did, but was on the T next in a sectional qualifier. Unfortunatly, violence is not the answer. You made the right decision. Little eyes are watching!