I played with a dillusional nutbar today

[hackzaw]

So I show up at the course, and there's hardly anybody there with rain threatening. I get paired up with this other member... just the two of us.

This guy just starting playing golf last year, so I've got to cut him some slack. His knowledge about the game is limited, and he's not very good, as one could imagine with such limited experience.

I was entered in our member monthly game and as such, we had to play off the white tees. White tee course rating is 69.3 with 125 slope at 6322 yards (blues are 71.6 course rating, slope 130 and total yardage of 6765).

This guy turns out to be dreadful!!!!! Literally taking 9-12 shots on every hole. No big deal. We weren't slowing anybody up, so I didn't care. He'd have a 20 foot putt that he'd putt 50 feet off the green. He'd have a 20 yard pitch that he'd fly over the green, then back again but further than where he started. It was pretty hard to watch, but comical at times.

And then, on the 15th hole, he says "Playing from the white tees might be throwing him off my game!!!! I says "pardon?". He says "I'm going to try from the blues and see if that fixes me.

Up until this point, this guy hit every tee shot in the woods about 150-200 yards.

So on 16 par 4, he ended up scoring about a 12. On 17, par 3 he got maybe an 8, losing his second shot right in the woods. On 18 he ran out of golf balls and couldn't finish the hole, but was up to at least 8 with 150 yards to go!!!!

I wanted to ask him if he's ever broken 100 from his "regular" blue tee deck. I wanted to tell him that he should really play from forward tee deck until he can break 80 regularly, but it wasn't my place.

So, help me understand this guy's logic. He's playing with only me... now a 10 hcp. I was playing pretty good, and ended up shooting 78 today. He's playing aweful, so he decides to go to a much more difficult tee deck. The only word that comes to mind is.... dillusional.

[Kiwi]

Easily explained... weekend pass from Penetanguishene. Even the inmates get long weekends...

[Indio]

By gawed man, I think you met SillyWilly!

[tacks451]

disregard

[big mac]

Did he ask for a "rematch?" Kudos for making the 18

[Skiddlydidly]

I say if he can keep pace shooting from the blues, and have fun shooting 200, more power to him.

[Dan_0]

good show of patience. i would have walked off when he started from the blues.

[kerisb]

How on earth did you last the 18 holes, I would have been laughing too hard to play. Did the guy stay in a good mood all day or did he seem to get upset with how he was playing. The part of him not having enough balls to finsih the round would have got me rolling on the ground laughing.

[rancherJ]

my thought is that by 15th hole he had used up every other imagineable excuse

[Big Johnny69]

Are all of you done picking on me now? I was really having a bad day and thought, although I no longer have any golf balls let to play with, moving to the back tees would at least make me look like a player.

[kerisb]

If this was you Geoff, I am sorry but I would not have been able to hold in my laughter. Some people think of me as being cold harded and cruel sometimes, I prefer to think I am just more honest than most and say what other's are thinking, but won't say!!! Like I tell everyone else, I would kinda be laughing with you , not really at you!!!!

[hackzaw]

Yes - it took great patience. The guys mood was okay up until he hit his fourth ball in the trees on 18 and was out of balls. I figured he was just going to walk off the course at that point, but I needed my scorecard signed for my member event. So I said to him, "I just need you to stick around long enough to sign my card", and he was pleasant enough to hang around..... even held the pin on 18th green.

If I EVER see myself getting paired with this guy, I'm going to nicely refuse. Unfortunately, I often just walk on as a single, and so does this guy, so I don't think my opportunities are quite over.

[Indio]

If this was you Geoff, I am sorry but I would not have been able to hold in my laughter. Some people think of me as being cold harded and cruel sometimes, I prefer to think I am just more honest than most and say what other's are thinking, but won't say!!! Like I tell everyone else, I would kinda be laughing with you , not really at you!!!!

[leftylucas]

I actually find people like this quite amusing. I have a friend who consistently cannot add up his shots and never takes a penalty stroke if he finds his ball O/B or in a hazard and plays "redos" almost every hole. He always tells me his score and I used to shake my head and wonder what he really shot. I was playing poorly one day and he turns to me after 12 holes and says, I am beating you by 3 strokes. I always keep my own scorecard and turned to him and asked what score he had for me and in fact he had 2 fewer strokes than what I had. He wondered why and I explained about a couple of penalty strokes I took and he said "Oh,you count those?". All I said was "I like to keep an accurate score for my H/C but you can play any way you want" He never said anything after that nor did he bring up that he thought he beat me after the 18. Since then he still does not count correctly but we still have great fun on the course.

[Skiddlydidly]

If I EVER see myself getting paired with this guy, I'm going to nicely refuse...

So, what was the problem, exactly? Was he slowing you down? Is it just that you had to stay with him to get your scorecard signed, and you were in a hurry?

Did the round take an abnormally long time because of this guy?

[BogeyGolf]

What course was it? Was it a difficult course with lots of water, tight fairways, etc... For me that would have been a long painful day....

[little brit]

The thing I hate the most is when you are playing with someone who is having that much difficulty and holding everyone up behind then you get in trouble from the marshall and you can't do anything about it. You don't know the person so it is hard to keep saying we have to hurry.

[Big Johnny69]

If this was you Geoff, I am sorry but I would not have been able to hold in my laughter. Some people think of me as being cold harded and cruel sometimes, I prefer to think I am just more honest than most and say what other's are thinking, but won't say!!! Like I tell everyone else, I would kinda be laughing with you , not really at you!!!!

It wasn't me, I was just joking.

[hackzaw]

So, what was the problem, exactly? Was he slowing you down? Is it just that you had to stay with him to get your scorecard signed, and you were in a hurry?

Did the round take an abnormally long time because of this guy?

Absolutely, the round took longer than it should have. I wasn't in any real hurry, but it was just the two of us, which made it even more painfully challenging to watch. Thank goodness the course was empty, and we didn't have anybody in sight behind us, or that would have added an additional stress that I'd rather not have to deal with.

I don't mind playing with people that aren't very good, so long as they're having fun and aren't holding anybody up (including me!). But at some point, enough is enough, wouldn't you agree? I mean, imagine taking 5 strokes to reach a 400 yard par four, and then scull it back and forth another 4 times across the green.... all the while, I'm standing there waiting to pull the pin for my 12' birdie putt. There's only enough bad play that is tolerable.

The course is King's Forest in Hamilton. I think most would agree it's a difficult course, but only because of it's length and fairway lined mature trees. If you're struggling off the tee, it's a long day for anybody.

[Big Johnny69]

Something I've come to realize about golfers, their ego always gets in the way. I've never played any other sport where personal perception means so much. Be it having the latest and greatest equipment, outrageous distance claims or having a vanity cap. Golf does strange things to some people, and in most cases you just have to suck it up sometimes to get out and enjoy a round.

[Peggy]

Being a very new player that isn't even ready to play a course yet, this is one of the reasons why I wouldn't be caught dead playing on a course...I wouldn't want anyone coming on any forum making fun of the way I play lol..meanie

[Indio]

Being a very new player that isn't even ready to play a course yet, this is one of the reasons why I wouldn't be caught dead playing on a course...I wouldn't want anyone coming on any forum making fun of the way I play lol..meanie

ROFLMAO!! Go Peggy Go

[Peggy]

lol well it's true...I shot balls yesterday and am finally starting to consistently hit the 9 iron LOL...tomorrow I will practice some more and move on to the 7 iron I'm pretty proud of myself that I can actually FINALLY swing the club LOL. I know when I play a course I will suck and wouldn't want people laughing at me....I would love nothing more than to be able to able to play like Tiger and drive like John Daly (lenght wise anyways) LOL

[Indio]

lol well it's true...I shot balls yesterday and am finally starting to consistently hit the 9 iron LOL...tomorrow I will practice some more and move on to the 7 iron I'm pretty proud of myself that I can actually FINALLY swing the club LOL. I know when I play a course I will suck and wouldn't want people laughing at me....I would love nothing more than to be able to able to play like Tiger and drive like John Daly (lenght wise anyways) LOL

Suck it up Peggy, get your butt out onto a small course that isn't busy and prove yourself wrong! No one is going to laugh at you.....

[Peggy]

Yeah I like going to a driving range in Gatineau that has a 9 hole par 3 course that I think might be fun to play...but i usually just stick with the driving range for now until i can hit all the clubs

[Kilroy]

They are not laughing at the player's ability, or lack thereof.

They are laughing at his delusional desire to play from the most challenging tees at his skill level, believing he will miraculously play better, which is indeed laughable.

Have no fear. When you are comfortable hitting a variety of clubs on the range, head to one of the Par 3 courses and bop it around. Lots of beginners at these short courses and it's a great way to get used to the course atmosphere.

[Peggy]

I was very excited when I finally was able to start hitting my 9 iron LOL I was jumping up and down yesterday because I was hitting it pretty far (for a beginner anyway)..thank god i was not at the driving range when I did that LOL

They are not laughing at the player's ability, or lack thereof.

They are laughing at his delusional desire to play from the most challenging tees at his skill level, believing he will miraculously play better, which is indeed laughable.

Have no fear. When you are comfortable hitting a variety of clubs on the range, head to one of the Par 3 courses and bop it around. Lots of beginners at these short courses and it's a great way to get used to the course atmosphere.