Paired With A Douche Bag

[Casey Wade]

In terms of calling penalties, whether on yourself or another, is entirely up to you.  I prefer to sleep well at night knowing what I did was right and by the rules of golf.  When you can approach the breach tactfully, and without emotion, is when it is received better.  

In high school, there was a rule that no players could go back on the course after their round was finished.  My team was in our van when I noticed two players from another school walking back down 18 to find one of their partners.  I notified another coach, who was in a nearby van and after discussing it with the rules committee, they were disqualified.  Does this make me a db for knowing the rules?

In a match play situation 3 years ago, I called a penalty on myself because I had grounded my putter on a sloping green and my ball moved.  The other team was looking at fish in the pond in front of the green.  I called them over to tell them my ball had moved, incur the one stroke penalty, replace it and make the putt for now par instead of birdie to halve the hole.
Does this make me a db for knowing the rules?

[Dean Stokes]

TH, I have admittedly let some things slide when said infractor is bludgeoning his way to 107 off his single digit handicap

It's usually the dropping of the ball for shot hit into water hazard. Unbelievable how so many people will drop the ball 80-100 yards ahead of where it actually crossed. Always amazes me.

[Dean Stokes]

In terms of calling penalties, whether on yourself or another, is entirely up to you.  I prefer to sleep well at night knowing what I did was right and by the rules of golf.  When you can approach the breach tactfully, and without emotion, is when it is received better.  

In high school, there was a rule that no players could go back on the course after their round was finished.  My team was in our van when I noticed two players from another school walking back down 18 to find one of their partners.  I notified another coach, who was in a nearby van and after discussing it with the rules committee, they were disqualified.  Does this make me a db for knowing the rules?

In a match play situation 3 years ago, I called a penalty on myself because I had grounded my putter on a sloping green and my ball moved.  The other team was looking at fish in the pond in front of the green.  I called them over to tell them my ball had moved, incur the one stroke penalty, replace it and make the putt for now par instead of birdie to halve the hole.
Does this make me a db for knowing the rules?

It makes you the odd one out for knowing the rules.

[Tom Huckaby]

Casey:

As I said it's a question I struggle with.  

Just understand I sleep quite well at night also.

I tend to believe in karma.  Those who break the rules will not long profit for it.  I just tend to prefer not to force the issue.

TH

[John Kavanaugh]

I think people that bend rules to their favor are douche bags.  I drove up to a course to play a match against a top flight player and course rater (the good kind) and saw him out playing the course.  When I called him on it he informed me that since we were playing match play he had the right to be out testing the greens.  I have never understood why it makes a difference that we were playing match play.

I would also go so far to say that anyone who peaks in an opponents bag to see if they have 15 clubs is a dolby boy.  This is usually done after a guy is down.

[Bart Bradley]

I think people that bend rules to their favor are douche bags.  I drove up to a course to play a match against a top flight player and course rater (the good kind) and saw him out playing the course.  When I called him on it he informed me that since we were playing match play he had the right to be out testing the greens.  I have never understood why it makes a difference that we were playing match play.

I would also go so far to say that anyone who peaks in an opponents bag to see if they have 15 clubs is a dolby boy.  This is usually done after a guy is down.

But John, once I played in a member-guest match with a guy who had 21 clubs in his bag...I didn't notice until he took out a utility club to tee off and then a "chipper" on the same hole.  I was not down and won the match, but I asked the head pro to make an announcement reminding the field of the allowed number of weapons.

Bart

[rjsimper]

I would also go so far to say that anyone who peaks in an opponents bag to see if they have 15 clubs is a dolby boy.  This is usually done after a guy is down.

Can't say I know what a dolby boy is, but I presume it's not a synonym for "respected gentleman"

Would you resort to "dolby boy" activities if your opponent was burying his wedge in the fringes of the greens on the 3rd, 6th, and 7th holes of your home course?

[John Kavanaugh]

I would also go so far to say that anyone who peaks in an opponents bag to see if they have 15 clubs is a dolby boy.  This is usually done after a guy is down.

Can't say I know what a dolby boy is, but I presume it's not a synonym for "respected gentleman"

Would you resort to "dolby boy" activities if your opponent was burying his wedge in the fringes of the greens on the 3rd, 6th, and 7th holes of your home course?

I only used dolby boy because I have grown tired of douche bag and I always hated dolby.  If I saw someone disrespecting Rustic Canyon I would take action.  Several people have wondered lately how much longer it will be before I get my ass kicked for informing strangers of misteps in their social etiquette. 

[Dale_McCallon]

Played in a twilight 9 hole scramble last night.  Teams are divided A,B,C,D players--we get to the first tee and d-bag quickly steps up saying, "well since I'm our A player I'll be hitting last."  No problem yet, since none of us had seen him play.  He really was  not a bad player, but after 4 holes we still had never used one of his shots.  As we prepare to putt on the fourth, one of the players says to our "B" player, "go ahead and knock it in--I think you're our A."  The stare that was given to this man would have melted steel, but nothing was said.

Finally our "A" player sinks about a 15 footer for a birdie and with a resounding chest bump..."Now whos the A player?"  

I knew the minute I saw this guy warming up he would be my worst nightmare.  Iron covers, tour bag, the whole nine yards of stupidity.

[John Kavanaugh]

I knew the minute I saw this guy warming up he would be my worst nightmare.  Iron covers, tour bag, the whole nine yards of stupidity.

I'm a douche bag because I profile golfers before I am ever introduced.  As hard as it may sound to believe I have been working very hard on improving this character flaw.  I have found a source for my problem at the poker table because it is required to profile the people you are playing against if you want to trim your losses.  Golf is not the same as poker or driving in your car where most profiling is accurate and required.  It's a tough habit to break.

[Kalen Braley]

What a thread epic stuff.

I prefer throw #3 myself as well, (seems to be the popular one).

In terms of blowing up on the course, I had one massive blowout that ended up with two irons in the pond after hitting two fat shots into said pond preceding the club chucking.  It wasn't all that big of a deal, but didn't help that I brought other life anger issues to the course and took it out on the golf clubs.

Even though my buddy was walking gingerly for a few holes because in the words of John Kirk, I'm one of those scary big guys when I blow a rod, after the next hole, the release was complete and it was a happy and laugh filed round the rest of the way.

I appreciate all the epic stories, and even my worst douchebag playing partner round doesn't touch most of these. Except when I got paired with that huckaby guy at the last KP!! 

[Tommy Williamsen]

I must have been lucky.  I have been paired with guys with who, I'd prefer not to play, but really never had a terrible experience.

[John_Cullum]

You should have used your laser or skycaddy

[Bill_McBride]

Modest chuckle to that...very modest 

Is it true that the laser can be aligned to bounce off the cheater line?

[Bill_McBride]

So we got that going for us.

[Mark Smolens]

I have witnessed many a proficient club throwers in my time, but it is the "bogey thrower" that is most memorable.

The best "bogey throw" was in the annual father-son matches my friend and I used to play with our dads.  After 3 putting the first 3 holes, my friend's dad thought enough was enough and threw his putter (Sikorsky style) over the 4th tee and into some very long grass on the other side.  After a few minutes of looking my dad turned to him and said, "the least you could do is throw it where we can find it."  The look he gave him made me wonder if he was going to be without a partner, and me without a father.

Another good "bogey" was the friend who threw his putter that ended up in a tree beside the 16th green (right next to the driveway).  A second was dispatched to knock down the first...then a third.  I guess it was a triple bogey.  One look at the tree coming up the driveway and you'd have thought it was Christmas.  The clubs stayed up there for a couple of days until he could jig together a couple of ball retrievers to get them down.

At Pinehurst # 8 several years ago I had one of those tricky little shots from just off the green that you should either putt or chip with the hybrid.  Playing well that day, I decided to hit it with my X wedge with some spin.  Upon being bladed across the green, the wedge slipped over my head, lodging itself some 40' in the top of a tree (a very nice Pelz 64 degree wedge).  Within several minutes, I had four wedges lodged in the same tree at varying heights, while my playing partners crawled across the ground, laughing quite justifiably at my expense.  I was ultimately able to get two of the clubs back using (and destroying) a ball retriever.

[Sam Morrow]

This thread is BS, Jack started a thread about playing with douchebags and Kyle and Casey both reply yet no mention of my name.

Damn, I thought myself douchier.

[cary lichtenstein]

This thread is BS, Jack started a thread about playing with douchebags and Kyle and Casey both reply yet no mention of my name.

Damn, I thought myself douchier.

After you've played with the douchee, have you been douchitized?

[Jed Peters]

So we got that going for us.

Which is nice.

[Sean_A]

Then it is an innocent mistake.  If I was the guest I would have gone back to putt just to protect the integrity and reputation of the member.  If you want to be a respected member who always gets a game it is best to never win a member guest.

JakaB

What a load of cobblers.  You really do have some bug up yer ass when it comes to private clubs.  A given putt is a given putt - no matter the circumstances.  I can't imagine any fool who gives a putt not fully knowing the situation trying to take back his word - that is about as low class as it gets and certainly wins thew DB award.  Its especially amazing in this case as the ball was already picked up.  Of course you can't go back and putt - the ball is in the pocket - I have never heard of anything so dopey.  I don't have a clue about the USGA rule book so I will point you to the R&A rule book. 

Rule 2-4 (last line): A concession may not be declined or withdrawn. 

This has to be about the most straight forward rule in the entire crappy book.  Which leads me to my pet peeve - though to call the folks DBs is a bit harsh.  Folks who putt given putts.  These types must not realize that there may be a reason the putt was given.  If you want to have a go at the putt, wait until the hole is finished - otherwise its cheating and it slows the game down.   

Ciao

[John Kavanaugh]

Sean,

A member guest is a social event not a golf tournament.  I see offering to go back and putt the putt when a mistake was made no different that paying for a window your kid broke while playing baseball.  There is honor and then there is rules.

[Sean_A]

Sean,

A member guest is a social event not a golf tournament.  I see offering to go back and putt the putt when a mistake was made no different that paying for a window your kid broke while playing baseball.  There is honor and then there is rules.

John

The member guest I am familiar with is quite competitive with excellent prizes.  Sure, its a social event (as nearly all amateur golf is), but all are expected to play by the rules.  Furthermore, I would suggest that if their is honour in this scenario then it should lie with a person keeping his word.  This is how folks learn.  I bet that chap won't give a putt without being aware of the circumstances for a very long time.  He made the mistake, so others shouldn't be asked to break the rules to compensate and it is shocking (to me at least) that he would ask or demand to "replay" the situation.  I am not looking forward to the day where you are in charge of the rules for any golf match.  It seems to me it would be the Rules According to John. 

Ciao

[John Kavanaugh]

Sean,

First of all I am going to go back and make the putt so all this is moot.  So you are saying that if one of your opponents says a putt is good you no longer have the right to question if they knew you were getting a stroke.  Sounds to me that according to the rules that once a putt is given it is given and there is no remedy as soon as the words leave his mouth.  I can just see a guy saying "Thanks, hope you knew I was getting a stroke cause that's one more point for the home team." 

[Carl Nichols]

John:

If my friend, the member, had thought it appropriate to go back and putt, I certainly would've deferred to him -- but he took the same position Sean is taking.

If you were our opponent (i.e., if you had given a putt not realizing the stroke situation), would you then ask me on the next tee to go back and putt it?  I would never, ever do that.

[John Kavanaugh]

Carl,

No, if I was your opponent I would not have asked you to go back.  I think there is a 85% chance that as soon as you take your putter out of your bag and start walking back to the green your opponents are going to say forget it.  Like you said, you could have avoided all the drama that continued through the tournament, involved the pro, other guests who had to hear about it, everyones families and now the good people of Golfclubatlas.  You could have been a hero all at the possible expense of one lousy point.  Sometimes you have to deflect the douche back on the bag.  Squeeze it so to speak.