Terry, my Dad, and I went to Southwyck to play golf Tuesday morning. It was a cool and breezy morning. There were quite a few players on the course but the pace of play was steady. After a quick front nine, we found ourselves on the tenth tee. I hit first and promptly put one in a back yard. It was my first bad swing of the day. As I went back to the cart to get another ball, Terry and my Dad hit their tee shots. Terry's followed mine and Dad hit it right down the middle.
It was my turn to hit another tee shot. I was a little upset by the first shot, so I swung about as hard as possible at this one. I crushed it over the right side fairway bunker and had a little less than 75 yards to the green. Terry hit his second shot towards the green. Dad was about 140 yards out and he hit a nice shot to the middle of the green. I had walked up to my ball and Dad had the cart. As I was getting ready to hit my shot, the group behind us decided to hit their tee shots. Two of their shots rolled past where Dad was in the fairway and stopped before reaching me. I played my shot onto the green without noticing their balls. As Dad drove towards the green he noticed the two balls in the fairway. He had not seen them roll past him. He thought that someone had just left two balls in the fairway so he picked them up. When he got to the green and told me about them, I said that they were probably from the group behind us. They had hit too early and had hit into us was my guess.
We putted out on the green and started walking back to the carts. That was when one of the guys in the group behind us walked up and asked if we had seen any balls in the fairway. I said under my breath, "here we go." Dad said that he had seen the balls and that he had picked them up. He took them out of the cart, threw them back towards the male, and said in a reasonable tone, "don't hit into us again." This was a polite response. Hitting golf balls into the group in front of you is dangerous. Dad has been hit before. The male immediately said in a very aggressive manner, "F*** you" to my Dad. Not sorry for hitting into you, not you didn't have to do that, not thanks for returning the balls, but f*** you.
To set the scene, the male was probably in his 50's, about 5'10" and 175 pounds. He looked to be in decent shape. I am 6' and 205 pounds and look to be in better shape than I am, and my Dad is 6' and a few more pounds. For the male to see us and immediately jump to f*** you, I was amazed. I started walking towards him. I wanted to be between him and my Dad. I told him to pick up his balls and walk away. He stared at me for a few seconds and I moved a few steps closer to him, we were about 10 yards apart at that point. I waved my hand at him to back away and he did, telling us to mind our own business and go play. I said "your welcome" and walked back to the cart.
As we were about to drive off, one of his playing partners drove up and apologized. He had hit first and had not realized with the wind that he could hit it that far and he had not seen us. He apologized a few more times and we left it at that.
After the incident as Terry and I were talking about it, he was amazed at how quickly the male had jumped to f*** you. I was as well. He had no idea who he was talking to. Saying that does not leave anywhere to back down. It was an immediate and unnecessary escalation of the incident. It is easy to imagine someone else in my shoes walking up to the male and knocking him out for saying that. The last thing I wanted was a physical confrontation, but when those are the first words, a physical confrontation is a definite possibility. Thankfully it did not come to that. We made it the rest of the way around the course without further incident. I ended up playing rather well. Maybe a little adrenaline dump in the middle of the round is a good thing?
It was my turn to hit another tee shot. I was a little upset by the first shot, so I swung about as hard as possible at this one. I crushed it over the right side fairway bunker and had a little less than 75 yards to the green. Terry hit his second shot towards the green. Dad was about 140 yards out and he hit a nice shot to the middle of the green. I had walked up to my ball and Dad had the cart. As I was getting ready to hit my shot, the group behind us decided to hit their tee shots. Two of their shots rolled past where Dad was in the fairway and stopped before reaching me. I played my shot onto the green without noticing their balls. As Dad drove towards the green he noticed the two balls in the fairway. He had not seen them roll past him. He thought that someone had just left two balls in the fairway so he picked them up. When he got to the green and told me about them, I said that they were probably from the group behind us. They had hit too early and had hit into us was my guess.
We putted out on the green and started walking back to the carts. That was when one of the guys in the group behind us walked up and asked if we had seen any balls in the fairway. I said under my breath, "here we go." Dad said that he had seen the balls and that he had picked them up. He took them out of the cart, threw them back towards the male, and said in a reasonable tone, "don't hit into us again." This was a polite response. Hitting golf balls into the group in front of you is dangerous. Dad has been hit before. The male immediately said in a very aggressive manner, "F*** you" to my Dad. Not sorry for hitting into you, not you didn't have to do that, not thanks for returning the balls, but f*** you.
To set the scene, the male was probably in his 50's, about 5'10" and 175 pounds. He looked to be in decent shape. I am 6' and 205 pounds and look to be in better shape than I am, and my Dad is 6' and a few more pounds. For the male to see us and immediately jump to f*** you, I was amazed. I started walking towards him. I wanted to be between him and my Dad. I told him to pick up his balls and walk away. He stared at me for a few seconds and I moved a few steps closer to him, we were about 10 yards apart at that point. I waved my hand at him to back away and he did, telling us to mind our own business and go play. I said "your welcome" and walked back to the cart.
As we were about to drive off, one of his playing partners drove up and apologized. He had hit first and had not realized with the wind that he could hit it that far and he had not seen us. He apologized a few more times and we left it at that.
After the incident as Terry and I were talking about it, he was amazed at how quickly the male had jumped to f*** you. I was as well. He had no idea who he was talking to. Saying that does not leave anywhere to back down. It was an immediate and unnecessary escalation of the incident. It is easy to imagine someone else in my shoes walking up to the male and knocking him out for saying that. The last thing I wanted was a physical confrontation, but when those are the first words, a physical confrontation is a definite possibility. Thankfully it did not come to that. We made it the rest of the way around the course without further incident. I ended up playing rather well. Maybe a little adrenaline dump in the middle of the round is a good thing?
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