18 most irritating things a golfer can do | Roberts Rants

Poker chips, three-jabbing and clipping heels - 18 things that really p*** me off when it comes to golf!

29 Aug 2023

18 most irritating things a golfer can do | Roberts Rants

Golf is an amazing game, don't get me wrong, but an irritating one too!

From excruciatingly annoying playing partners to unfortunate incidents on the course, I think we can all relate to at least one or two things that irk us when it comes to this beautiful yet frustrating sport of ours.

Now after revealing what I consider to be 18 of the most annoying golf phrases last week, I've come up with 18 of the most irritating things a golfer can do in this week's latest edition of Roberts Rants.

READER REACTION: We asked 500 golfers what irritates them most on the course? You might be surprised by the results!

Let's dive into them and see if you agree with any of my choices.

I bet you're with me on at least a couple!

Scroll down...

POKER CHIP BALL MARKERS!

These look great on a mantelpiece.

Not quite so much when they are placed on a green blocking your crucial 10 footer for three points.

Sometimes not even 'two to the left please' is enough to get the monstrosity out the way of your line.

What's wrong with loose change?!

PEOPLE THAT RELIVE THEIR ROUND OVER AND OVER ON SOCIAL MEDIA!

Had enough of these guys now.

Maybe it's just the people I follow on social media, but they are all in severe danger of getting unfollowed very soon.

When the round is over, it's in the books. It's done. Move on. Enjoy your weekend with friends and family.

But oh no, some of these guys just need to get it all off their chest to their 86 followers.

Enough now.

FINDING YOUR GOLF BALL IN A DIVOT IN THE FAIRWAY!

Is there anything more irritating than ripping a drive straight down the middle, bouncing down the fairway, and then realising you've found a divot.

It makes you want to walk straight into the 19th wearing a 'Why Always Me?' T-shirt.

Now we all know the divot in a fairway rule should be changed in 2023, but sadly it's not going anywhere any time soon, because well, nobody has listened to us for 40 years now...

It's an irritant like no other, and it will likely remain that way until we depart.

THREE-JABBING FOR PAR!

So you've hit two of your Sunday Best to reach the par-5 8th in two shots.

You're 20 feet away and the eagle is on. It's so close that you've already in your mind given yourself a birdie on the card.

That's at the very worst.

You then proceed to leave the putt in the jaws and three feet short.

If that wasn't annoying enough, you then let out a sigh and then step in to miss the return putt for birdie.

Down goes a par on the card as you trudge off the green wondering why you even bothered to play golf today.

PLUMB-BOBBING!

Seriously, is this still a thing?!

It's even worse when the guy doing it in front of you plays off 24, and has three-jabbed the first 12 greens.

Not even he knows what he's doing!

PAYING FULL PRICE WHEN THE GREENS ARE HOLLOW TINED OR SANDED!

I mean, we wouldn't have even bothered turning up in the first place to be honest.

I know it can't be helped, but it's a big irritant when reaching the 1st green and not being told about it.

The only positive I can say is that it gives me an added excuse for not having made a single one-putt all day.

NOT SHOUTING FORE!

One of the worst, if not the very worst thing, a golfer can do.

I still find it baffling why a number of Tour players still refuse to shout 'FORE' when they are sending a wild drive into a bunch of people who are wearing nothing but a T-shirt and shorts.

It really doesn't take much to shout a four-letter word at the top of your lungs, or at the very least stick out a hand.

CLIPPING YOUR HEEL WITH A PUTTER!

Ouch!

It's the golfing equivalent of standing in a four-man wall and taking one for your football team.

Trust me if you have never done it before, when you accidentally clip your ankle with a putter you will certainly know about it.

SLOW PLAY!

Probably the biggest irritant for all of us right now when rounds take over five hours.

There really is nothing worse than being held up on the golf course.

Sometimes you just have to swallow your pride and call players through, but sadly not a lot of people fancy doing that these days.

If we all sped up, the game would be so much more enjoyable for everyone... and it might even attract new players to the sport, too.

BEING CONSTANTLY ON THE PHONE!

Fair enough if it's a quick status update when there is a wait on the tee.

Social media is a huge part of all our lives (for the majority!) at the end of the day.

It might even be a quick message to update your partner you're going to be two hours late home due to "horrendous slow play".

I'm all good on those fronts.

But those golfers taking calls or still faffing about on their phones when it's their turn to play, come on now, do me a favour...

CLUB SNAPS AND TANTRUMS!

Yes, the likes of Sergio Garcia and Thomas Pieters have been spotted throwing temper tantrums and snapping clubs in recent times, but come on, it's not a cool look.

The best players in the world also don't have to hand over serious dollar to purchase their equipment, unlike the rest of us.

We all hit bad shots, especially us amateurs, so place the club (forcefully!) back in the bag and do your best to move on.

ON-COURSE SWING ADVICE!

Unless you are playing golf with Butch Harmon or David Leadbetter, chances are you won't be asking your playing partner for any swing advice following an errant shot.

We've all been there though.

You send a ball OB and the golfer you are playing with, usually off about eight, decides to come over and break down your swing frame by frame.

Don't be 'that' golfer please.

NOT REPAIRING PITCH MARKS!

I hate seeing unrepaired pitch marks.

Always make sure you take a pitch repairer tool with you on the golf course.

We've recently put together a guide on the best divot tools for you.

The art of pitch repairing does take some skill at first, but it does not take long at all.

You just simply push the earth inwards to the centre of the crater and then tap down any excess material around it.

A successfully repaired pitch mark can heal within twice the time it takes for an incorrectly repaired pitch mark.

If you have time and see a fresh pitch mark that isn't yours on the green, please do the courteous thing and repair it.

TAKING GOLF FAR TOO SERIOUSLY!

Obviously if you are Tour pro and your livelihood depends on the outcome of the round, then fair enough, you should probably take it seriously...

But if you are an amateur hack like myself, come on, just enjoy the game and have a laugh out there.

Does the score really matter?!

STUFFY GOLF CLUB MEMBERS!

I'll keep this one short and sweet.

But we all know clubs with 'stuffy' members that make you never want to return.

These people are a huge turn-off for potential new participants to the sport.

Get with the times people, and become more accepting of golf's wider audience please.

CHEATING!

We all know someone who loves to use a magic pencil, but come on, don't be that guy who is still trying to figure out what he made on the 12th by the time he reaches the 18th.

There is also nothing worse than catching a playing partner drop a ball down from out of nowhere, or even play a different coloured ball for their second shot to the one they started using on the tee!

I've actually seen both of those scenarios play out on a golf course believe it or not!

Cheats never prosper.

LEAVING A GOLF BAG THE OTHER SIDE OF THE GREEN TO THE NEXT TEE !

This is a huge contributor to slow play.

When walking up to a green, always look at where the next tee box is located and place your bag in that direction rather than on the other side of the green.

Most courses will even provide a 'Next Tee' sign to help with the decision process.

CLOSED HALFWAY HOUSE!

Is there anything more irritating than having your belly set on a bacon sarnie and perhaps even a little livener at the turn, only to realise the halfway hut is shut.

It's even worse if you're having a mare out there on the front nine!

What irritates you most when it comes to golf? Share your thoughts and comments over on the GolfMagic social media channels.