Wacky range story... I mean really?

[Krt22]

[quote name='Llortamaisey' timestamp='1384221279' post='8134610']
Same thing happened to me with this girl I was dating. I put her on the BST immediately.
[/quote]

How many rounds did you get in before you had enough?

[HighSpeedScene]

[quote name='ajschn06' timestamp='1384218332' post='8134286']
[quote name='HighSpeedScene' timestamp='1384217279' post='8134176']
[quote name='Gripit_Swiftit' timestamp='1384213233' post='8133768']
Is this a member you've been friendly with? I mean...seriously? He just grabbed your clubs out of your bag and started hitting with them without a word?

That's grounds for a beating.
[/quote]

Wonder where interpersonal violence falls on the scale of discourteous behavior relative to someone using objects for the purpose for which they were designed.

Just curious.
[/quote]

Why does everything get taken so seriously around here?
[/quote]

I know, right? Like handing out beat downs like ice cream cones for awkward, yet not malicious, behavior.

[Par Fore]

You playe handeled it well. I would have been upset too, there is now reason to go and it someone else's clubs unless their good friends, very good friends.

[bruinsPATSirish]

[quote name='scottvw13' timestamp='1384224464' post='8134966']
[quote name='lumberman2462' timestamp='1384219788' post='8134432']
Ok. Some people are strange and don't know how to keep boundaries.....but is it possible that this guy thinks you're bigger buddies than you do?

My take is that this guy feels that you're friends. Build on that.
[/quote]

100% this.

Oh, and you have ZERO to gain by going to your boss.
[/quote]

Well we are absolutely best buds now, almost like Eskimo brothers of sorts. Honestly I'll probably bring it up the next time I see him and ask him if he's got any new sticks for me to test drive. Hopefully he leves his car parked at the bag drop with the keys in it because he drives a sweet BMW. I'll take it for a spin and tell him we are even!

[JJK947]

Golfers have tend to have an odd sense of camaraderie compared to other sports/activities. I've had more useless encounters at the practice green from people gawking over spin or chip-ins [/passive brag] than at the driving range. Although I usually set up as far away as possible from everyone to avoid experiencing the stories mentioned above. So that could have something to do with it. If anyone I didn't know pulled a club out of my bag I would give them 2 seconds to put it back before becoming impolite.

I've never seen someone come over and swipe a stranger's tennis racquet and try it out. Or come over and explain how they would fix your backhand at the public courts. Golf is a weird game.

[apprenti23]

Welcome to the golf business

[eagle1997]

[quote name='ajschn06' timestamp='1384218332' post='8134286']
[quote name='HighSpeedScene' timestamp='1384217279' post='8134176']
[quote name='Gripit_Swiftit' timestamp='1384213233' post='8133768']
Is this a member you've been friendly with? I mean...seriously? He just grabbed your clubs out of your bag and started hitting with them without a word?

That's grounds for a beating.
[/quote]

Wonder where interpersonal violence falls on the scale of discourteous behavior relative to someone using objects for the purpose for which they were designed.

Just curious.
[/quote]

Why does everything get taken so seriously around here?
[/quote]

only by some. don't worry about it, and use the 'ignore' feature liberally. you'd be surprised how much more you'll enjoy being on golfwrx.

[bNeill]

Sometimes people think that because pros don't pay for their clubs that they are not their property, but the clubs.

[KCCO]

That's really weird......kinda like even if friends, your buddy just takes your new car for a test drive without asking. Awkward, but not kosher for me. Love my property too much, and really try to take care of my stuff, so for a stranger to just start fanning thru my bag, I'd be upset as well cause ur kinda beat if its at your private club not wanting to make a beef with another member when in his world that's just normal.

[Anonymosity]

Sometimes I go to the range, grab a club out of a stranger's bag, hit three or four balls off the sidewalk, and then head over to the other end of the range and repeat the process.

It's important to practice cart path shots while not messing up your own clubs. And on a related note, I've gotten pretty good at hitting driver off cart path.

[cornbred19]

that's why i lay my bag on the ground and put my towel over the club heads around the practice green/chipping area...limits people's curiosity

[againstthegrain]

Probably a JETS fan.

[Arizonalefty59]

I would of gotten pissed, I don't even like it when someone I know hits my clubs. It's a huge pet peeve of mine.

[Krt22]

Perhaps he is under the assumption the club pros and their equipment are an extension of the club, and as an active member he is free to have at it with their clubs

[Soloman1]

[quote name='bNeill' timestamp='1384237357' post='8135856']
Sometimes people think that because pros don't pay for their clubs that they are not their property, but the clubs.
[/quote]

They get a personal use discount (PUD), which still doesn't make them even close to free.

Tour pros and club pros are different animals.

[boxerjoe2011]

That's weird. No self control. You must have irresistible clubs. I would have said that isn't very polite. As the assistant pro, I sort of feel like you are obligated to correct this guy's manners. If one of my friends (that isn't a hack) went up to my bag and start hitting some shots, I wouldn't care at all. On my high school team, we used to do this all the time and we were comfortable with it because we knew we would treat everyone's stuff with respect and always asked first even though we knew the answer would be yes. However, if some random hack start pulling irons and chunking them and screwing up the lie angles, NOT COOL.

[TheOrange2002]

You should remove the "Demo" sticker on your shafts, it will never happen again ...

[LittleLeftToRight]

He obviously felt some sense of entitlement, more than likely he thinks you are a peon or his bestest buddy. Either way it is Lame.

Personally I prefer to deal with those types of situations by saying something completely unexpected, way outside the box. It has to be something though that no one else can hear and something no one else will believe if he repeats it. In this case i probably would start scratching my arm while whispering to him "it is a bad idea to touch my clubs because I have a contagious skin condition...." Then just walk away. That would do it for sure. I call it the mind f***. The dude will never touch your clubs again.


When life gives you lemons, it is more fun to juggle with them than to make lemonade, unless you are thirsty....

[Skaffa77]

That's very odd...next the guy will think he can dig through your locker and wear your clothes! Seriously, some people really need to learn the concept of personal property and space.

With that said, I did make a similar type of mistake once at a golf course. Went to the restroom between 9's and saw a bottle of sunscreen on the sink (no one was at the sink). I've played at a lot of courses where they provide sunscreen, mouthwash, etc. in the restrooms...so I just thought it was there for golfers to use. To my surprise...someone "finished up" and came to sink and asked me if I wanted to use some more of his sunscreen. I apologized and explained, but he really didn't care to hear my reasoning.

[idriveahonda]

[quote name='Soloman1' timestamp='1384276875' post='8137608']
[quote name='bNeill' timestamp='1384237357' post='8135856']
Sometimes people think that because pros don't pay for their clubs that they are not their property, but the clubs.
[/quote]

They get a personal use discount (PUD), which still doesn't make them even close to free.

Tour pros and club pros are different animals.
[/quote]

I know a bunch of assistants/apprentice's who got much better than PUD.

Myself included.

Used to happen often when I was in the business, but it was always the better players who had plenty of money to replace (and would) if they marred one of my clubs.

Don't want them to gawk? Get some Callaway Hawkeye VFT shovels and an old C4 driver. That will keep them at bay.

[sheppy335]

You handled it very professionally and i commend you for that, me personally hope i would have also. I can't imagine touching anyone clubs with out permission. I am like you bag drop to handle my clubs but please dont remove from bag without asking first.

[prorobo]

[quote name='Medic' timestamp='1384214497' post='8133910']
Had a guy sniffing around my bag at the turn. Not exactly the same but similar. When I approached and asked "what are you up to?" he had the nerve to reply none of my business. When I said that he was looking in my bag and that makes it my business he scurried off.

Now, what makes this a little scary for those of us who love our clubs, [b]the Orlando area had a rash of club thefts. People posing as employees would greet people as they arrived, take their bags, and leave. [/b]They hit several of the nicer tourist courses in the area. Got so bad some of the courses actually started giving their employees ID badges.

You handled it well in my book. Hard not to get a little bent about someone being so bold (and stupid). Kudos for holding back - not sure I could/would have.

This gets filed under the "it takes all kinds" file.
[/quote]

That's crazy! I've never been a fan of the bag drop but this just ensures I won't be using it at clubs I'm not familiar with.

We have this problem in the Northeast at the larger ski resorts since you leave your equipment outside the lodge which is conveniently located next to the parking lot for thieves. But their approach is slightly different in that they simply pull their car up and grab a bunch of skis and snowboards then take off.

[Cwing]

Beat up bag, club head covers help. Nothing like that bright Scotty or slidr head cover to advertise what is in your bag.

[Ruddy]

The guy definitely was over the line, but you handled it well. No way he should touch somebody else's clubs.

I was once worried my clubs would get stolen if left outside, so I brought them into the clubhouse lobby. Within 3 minutes, 2 or 3 guys were fondling my clubs. I asked one if he liked them, and he said yes, were they the first prize?

[vbb]

I think the guy thought you were better friends than you did. Yes, he's tactless, but not a jerk. I think you handled it well. Telling your boss wouldn't do you any good either. If he ever does it again, I'd definitely say something like, hey man, since you keep taking my clubs for a spin, would you be okay with me taking your car for a spin? I've always wanted to drive your BMW. Either he gets the hint, or you get the keys. Win win.

[Upgrayedd]

karma will take care of this person

[bruinsPATSirish]

[quote name='Upgrayedd' timestamp='1384346680' post='8142014']
karma will take care of this person
[/quote]

I mean he didn't skymark them or hit rocks with my irons. He's actually a fairly decent player. I don't think karma should catch up to him outside of maybe some rando guy grabbing his sticks and whacking some range balls.

[sunbeltgolfer]

I am an instructor and club builder at a private course, where I am also a member. When the course is open I'm at the range 7 days a week and my bag is always sitting around. I have never had a member take a club out of it without asking first. I would find it irritating if it did happen. To be honest I'm not sure how I would handle it. In the ten years I've been here full time I don't remember ever seeing this happen.

[VinceFurnier]

I have had a similar situation. I was warming up, hitting balls at the course I worked at. I brought out 2 drivers, and 2- 3 woods to decide which one i was going to play. After 10 or so balls, I had to use the restroom. When I came back out, one of the regulars is banging away with my driver. I watched in disbelief until he hit one so high on the hosel I just grabbed it and said "that's enough". The rest goes something like this:

Him: "why?"
Me: "well, you didn't ask me to use them, and you almost hit that on the freaking shaft."
"I thought they were, from the shop"
"The shop? They are all 2 years old. You demo clubs every other day. Have we ever sent out a driver that wasn't taped up?"
"No. Why are you busting my balls?"
"Look, I'm not mad at you, but if a club is not yours, please don't touch it without permission. Others may not be as patient as I am. They might think you are trying to steal it or something."
"Well, I thought they were from the shop."
"OK man."

Sorry to say, people are just stupid sometimes. You can try to explain things to them, but they just don't get it. I never went to the GM or pro. I doubt it would have done any good. The guy still came in every other day to demo clubs, but he never did apologize. I even played with him once. When he said "nice drive", I thought to myself, "yeah, I thought you liked this one."

Laugh it off, if you can.

[Loki]

[quote name='prorobo' timestamp='1384302450' post='8139958']
[quote name='Medic' timestamp='1384214497' post='8133910']
Had a guy sniffing around my bag at the turn. Not exactly the same but similar. When I approached and asked "what are you up to?" he had the nerve to reply none of my business. When I said that he was looking in my bag and that makes it my business he scurried off.

Now, what makes this a little scary for those of us who love our clubs, [b]the Orlando area had a rash of club thefts. People posing as employees would greet people as they arrived, take their bags, and leave. [/b]They hit several of the nicer tourist courses in the area. Got so bad some of the courses actually started giving their employees ID badges.

You handled it well in my book. Hard not to get a little bent about someone being so bold (and stupid). Kudos for holding back - not sure I could/would have.

This gets filed under the "it takes all kinds" file.
[/quote]

That's crazy! I've never been a fan of the bag drop but this just ensures I won't be using it at clubs I'm not familiar with.

We have this problem in the Northeast at the larger ski resorts since you leave your equipment outside the lodge which is conveniently located next to the parking lot for thieves. But their approach is slightly different in that they simply pull their car up and grab a bunch of skis and snowboards then take off.
[/quote]

We had that happen at Spirit Mountain in Duluth, MN back in the '90's, only problem was my buddy and I split our skis to prevent exactly that. We never did get our skis back.

I used to teach skiing at a hill outside Minneapolis. A lot of us had same brand/model skis because we got a big discount from the School director. One day my skis were missing from the employee storage area. Apparently, a ski patroler mistakenly took mine for hers. They were the same model, but a foot taller than hers. How is a poor college student going to afford another pair of skis? Luckily, I got a call a couple days later saying the woman realized her mistake and returned them. I didn't have anything postive to say to her. Never used the storage area again either.