Been teaching for 30 years. The very first lesson starts with Proper Care of the Golf Course. Ball Marks, divots, and bunkers to start. This creates a washed golfer.
A person who respects the golf course first. A person who doesn't pee in the pool at the expense of others.
Golf is cow pasture pool. Imagine shooting pool with divots on the table. Not fun.
With 250 rounds of golf played in a day. Around 125 players don't hit greens. They are chipping. If the other 125 fix 2 ball marks it covers the field. It would be nicer if they did not have to do that. But that is a perfect world.
The unwashed golfer, one who has never been taught proper care of the golf course, or missed that part of their first lesson, does at some point need to be baptized.
Sorry to say it will be by the washed as it should. And this is why the washed don't want to play with the unwashed. Overtime the washed will move away from the unwashed so they are not babysitting each round. And they don't want to see a golf course abused in this fashion.
As a persons handicap lowers they start to gain more respect for the golf course.
And sometimes this is why clicks form. No washed player(educated to respect the golf course) will willingly play with an unwashed golfer.(no respect for the golf course who think the grounds crew is supposed to do that.
A washed golfer will do this care regardless of age or physical ability to bend over.
I have seen them get on one knee to fix a ball mark. Dropping divot sand at waist level only requires the strength to lift the bottle. The first move when you reach a bunker is to look for the rake. I have even passed people the rake if they have issues.
So, yes! The washed golfers need to baptize the unwashed wherever they can.
Otherwise, the group of unwashed will grow and conditions will worsen.
So, if you are unwashed, it's time to get baptized and show some respect for these Fields Of Dreams. :bowdown: And if you are unwashed, don't call yourself a golfer, your not. Your doing something, but it is far removed from golf.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BrianL99
(Post 2410319)
I've been around & in the golf business for 30+ years. Ball marks, not raking bunkers and not filling divots and people complaining about it, is never going to change ... until golfers call out those who don't do it.
If I see someone in front of me, walk through a bunker and not rake it, I call them out. If I'm close enough to see them not fill/replace a divot ... I say something.
Barring clubs providing babysitters on every hole, the only way it's going to change, is for golfers to call out their playing partners and others they see, abusing the golf course. See something, say something.
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