An Etiquette Question

[Wes Bucey]

In regard to etiquette, it may be instructive to note the PGA assesses fines and suspensions for breaches of etiquette by PGA Tour Players and/or their caddies. These breaches include gambling on a tournament, throwing clubs, using foul language, and demeaning other players or officials or fans. One frustrated Player got fined for cursing at the answering machine when the Tour travel office was closed when he wanted to change flight reservations.

Does anyone have access to the complete list of activities which can incur a fine or suspension? It is a standing joke that foul mouth Tiger Woods has a standing account for paying off the fines on his frequent descents into scatalogical language. It was reported he paid a fine of $5,000.00 when his caddie threw a fan's camera into a lake when the ignorant fan snapped a photo during Tiger's swing.

There's a lot of stress riding along with a lot of money on every tournament. Caddies typically earn a percentage of the pro's winnings. That can mean a big difference between first place and 20th place in the caddie's pocket.

 

[Dean P.]

QUOTE: "I saw members of both the US and the European teams take their caps off to shake hands at the end of the match.

And, I also saw Jim Furyk shaking hands with his opponent, cap on, while his opponent had his cap off after he had played the last hole to win the match."
**********

Have you seen Furyk with his hat off?? If I had a melon like that I'd be keeping my hat on, too!! :mg:

 

[Craig H.]

Dean, you do bring up a good point. I know a couple of guys who almost always wear a cap. One is so self-conscious about his bald spot that he literally has his baseball-type cap in his left hand to throw it on his head as soon as he removes his hard hat with his right hand.

With him, it is not a question of manners, IMO - he treats others very well. The rude ones give him a hard time about being bald.

Also, those of us who have to wear a hard hat 8 hours a day can forget we have it on. Wearing a hard hat indoors, even in the office, has become accepted. Besides, those ceiling panels can hurt (just kidding).

 

[Joe Cruse]

It was reported he paid a fine of $5,000.00 when his caddie threw a fan's camera into a lake when the ignorant fan snapped a photo during Tiger's swing.

First let me say I am a golf fan, and like to play, although my version of it is more of a hatchet job .

But when I think about this particular situation, it always strikes me as "funny". Pro golfers demand absolute silence as they swing away at the ball, and Tiger, among others, gets particularly nasty when someone in the crowd makes any kind of noise on his swing. When I see that happen, I always think about the game of baseball. As a guy stands at the plate, concentrating his best to hit a ball coming at him at a speed that may exceed 100MPH (also having to worry whether or not the ball might be coming for him instead), the roar of thousands of noisy fans is erupting around him. And this person is usually trying to focus on hitting the ball to a specific area (not always, as they may be just swinging for the fence).
I weigh the situation of the golfer swinging and the baseball player swinging, and I have to laugh a little at the golfer. I know that the distraction of one person in the crowd of silence can be big, but still...

Makes me think of the ESPN commercials a few years ago, where they did the "extreme golf" spoof. Guys are teeing off or putting, when all of a sudden, here comes the defensive line of a football team after them. Hilarious!

 

[Randy]

I just took a look at hats in my closets:

• no bowlers
• 1 homburg
• 1 silk top hat (from when I was Master of my Masonic Lodge)
• 1 Stetson (felt) cowboy hat
• 3 "casual" straw hats (no boaters)
• 20 or 30 golf hats (baseball? - not much difference) about 2/3 are logoed from various golf tournaments, 1/3 plain
• 3 hard hats (2 with bills and one with full 360 degree rim)
• 5 or 6 knit stocking caps
• 2 knit combination ski mask/hats
• 1 tweed Irish walking hat
• Added in edit: 5 Shrine fezzes - they are in different place than closet

Let's see....

...a variety of baseball hats (most of them emblazioned with Marines or USMC, National Guard or Police Dept..1 with Arkansas Razorbak)
...my old Marine helmet (the one in my avitar...got issued to me in '69 and I still have it)
...my Kevlar helmet that I've had since '87
...my flight helmet (since '81)
...my armored crew helmet (from when I was a Cavalry Scout)
...my police helmet
...my police hat I got when I made Captain
...my 1st boonie (Tigerstripe) hat dad gave me in '61 (when we were living in Saigon
...my Marine boonie hat I've had since '69 (never been washed)
...my original Receiving Barracks cover (Marine Utility hat to you civilians) (still got my sweatshirt too Sam and Graeme)
....my Green Beret (from when I was with the 12th Special Forces)
...my police Stetson (we stopped wearing them in '76)
....my last boonie hat I wore before I retired in '97


That's enough......

 

[Wes Bucey]

First let me say I am a golf fan, and like to play, although my version of it is more of a hatchet job .

But when I think about this particular situation, it always strikes me as "funny". Pro golfers demand absolute silence as they swing away at the ball, and Tiger, among others, gets particularly nasty when someone in the crowd makes any kind of noise on his swing. When I see that happen, I always think about the game of baseball. As a guy stands at the plate, concentrating his best to hit a ball coming at him at a speed that may exceed 100MPH (also having to worry whether or not the ball might be coming for him instead), the roar of thousands of noisy fans is erupting around him. And this person is usually trying to focus on hitting the ball to a specific area (not always, as they may be just swinging for the fence).
I weigh the situation of the golfer swinging and the baseball player swinging, and I have to laugh a little at the golfer. I know that the distraction of one person in the crowd of silence can be big, but still...

Makes me think of the ESPN commercials a few years ago, where they did the "extreme golf" spoof. Guys are teeing off or putting, when all of a sudden, here comes the defensive line of a football team after them. Hilarious!

I agree with you, Joe. My use of the word "ignorant" for the fan was not pejorative, it probably should have been put in quotes. My guess is the fan was clueless, especially about Tiger and his caddie.
I can't imagine the caddie that Tiger fired for being too famous (Mike "Fluff" Cowan) ever going after a fan that way - too much class.

I've played "business golf" with some executives who talk and stand in line of sight when I'm addressing the ball. I even had one schmuck come up within 2 feet behind me on the green to watch the line of my putt. These are the same guys who kick the ball in the rough to a better lie without counting strokes and want a mulligan on every hole. Unless there is serious money on the game, I usually let it go to maintain the pace of the game.

The worst, of course, are the alcoholics at business association golf outings who carry a bottle of whiskey and whistle and shout for the beer and brat cart every time it comes in sight. I recall one (not my foursome, thank the Deity) who stopped looking for Porta Potties by the six hole. He was more like a male dog marking territory than a human playing golf.

 

[D.Scott]

Yup, I think I know those guys Wes.

Joe - I agree with the comment but in fairness, if baseball was played to a silent crowd, I doubt that many people would come. A similar situation is tennis where you not only can't make a noise, you can't even move. I remember the pro tennis league they started where the fans were allowed to scream throughout the whole match. The players soon adjusted. I think if fans were allowed to yell at a golf tournament, the players would learn to shut them out. After all, if they can shut out a linebacker with a hockey stick, they can learn to ignore pretty much everything. It is the sudden unexpected yell or camera flash that would bother anyone no matter what their level of play.

Dave

 

[Sam]

Let's see....

...a variety of baseball hats (most of them emblazioned with Marines or USMC, National Guard or Police Dept..1 with Arkansas Razorbak)
...my old Marine helmet (the one in my avitar...got issued to me in '69 and I still have it)
...my Kevlar helmet that I've had since '87
...my flight helmet (since '81)
...my armored crew helmet (from when I was a Cavalry Scout)
...my police helmet
...my police hat I got when I made Captain
...my 1st boonie (Tigerstripe) hat dad gave me in '61 (when we were living in Saigon
...my Marine boonie hat I've had since '69 (never been washed)
...my original Receiving Barracks cover (Marine Utility hat to you civilians) (still got my sweatshirt too Sam and Graeme)
....my Green Beret (from when I was with the 12th Special Forces)
...my police Stetson (we stopped wearing them in '76)
....my last boonie hat I wore before I retired in '97


That's enough......

Randy,
During my tenure we had five covers;
our standard issue utility cover,
a helmet liner,
a helmet liner w/ hard cover,
A dress cover, green, tan, white,
There is one other, but I don't remember the name. It was the flat cover. Like a flat dixie cup (navy). I believe we were only allow to wear it stateside.
I had all of these at one time, but over the years I had to lighten my load and eliminate a few things from storage.

 

[Joe Cruse]

Dave,

I agree with you 100%. It's all in what the game is set up as and what the participants have become used to in its pursuit.

I still think it's kind of funny though, comparing the "background" against which golf and baseball strike their ball against. I've always wanted to try the ESPN "Extreme Golf" vesrion too . Actually, I guess I have; I was ran over by a golf cart once upon a time...

 

[SteelMaiden]

I was ran over by a golf cart once upon a time...

Do tell...did they hit you on purpose, or was this an accident? Hope you found a more friendly trio to fill out your foursome the next time?