golf course etiquette

let me start this out by saying i am as guilty as the next regular guy...but not as guilty as some. sure i have cussed my ball in flight! i have slammed my club into the ground and i  have even flung one back to the cart (which was about 50 yards away), not really proud of all that but it happens to regular guys who are really disappointed with their current performance.

what i don't understand is the group that won't let you play through, the guys who drive up to the fringe in the cart, the guys who hit into your group and don't give the customary warning FORE! there are certainly other issues that i will address in the future, but for now these basic three will be the topic.

wont let you play through - what the hell are these guys thinking? all of sudden they are going to get good and speed up? don't think so. i mean really, if a solo or a group comes up behind you how long do regular guys wait before the start thinking "we should let them through". does it take one hole, two? i personally hate having someone up my rear on the course, makes me feel rushed and therefore adds to the number of bad shots. so regular guys just say, hey, come on through.

guys who drive on the fringe - i am not a member of any course and certainly don't have any loyalty to any course...but when i see some old fart driving his cart right up to the fringe, i start to wonder if he is regular or not...you know what i mean. who in their right mind drives a cart all the way up there? well i know who...the same guy who drives his cart right up on the freakin tee box, that's who. if you have a handicap card or flag, you still don't need to get that close. i have played with older regular guys who have a challenge getting around, but they managed to walk 30 yards to the green or tee box. it is not easy for courses to keep conditions good, you know the way regular guys like to play them...green grass, nice greens...they don't need people with issues tearing up their hard work! so if you are one of those lazy guys, please become regular or at least more regular.

hitting into a group and not warning - i think it has happened to all of us...funny story: i was playing in a golf week amateur tour event (by the way a great group of regular guys), one of my foursome was my friend adolph...adolph is stupid long. on one of the tee boxes he hits a 230 yard 5i right at the cart in the fairway...which he thought had started moving away....landed right behind another friend of mine, johnny s, who is not only a big guy but a sheriff also. johnny s turned around and starred me down...thought it was me...in the end it was pretty funny and we still joke about it today. back to the issue at hand, if you hit into a group or even if it looks like it might be close, save yourself and yell fore! not much the group in front of you can do if you warn them...sorry guys didn't know i could get it that far, is what regular guys do, other guys just walk back to the cart and act like it didn't happen...you guys need to work on becoming more regular.

and as always don't forget to golf your balls