NO MULLIGANS FOR RUDE PEOPLE

With many golfers already lacking basic etiquette and common courtesy on the course, it is time for rude golfers to respect others.

*AS APPEARED IN GOLF DIGEST MALAYSIA (NOVEMBER 2017)

We know mankind cannot be perfect.

But, we also know that if there is a will, there is always a way.

I am not here to deliver a sermon to right the wrongs of others but I feel compelled to bring to light how “nasty” humans can be.

A conversation with an event manager of a high-profile amateur golf event brought back nightmares of my short stint as public relations and sales manager at A’Famosa Golf Resort.

The event manager and her assistant related to me how “evil” some difficult golfers are over the phone.

The most disgusting habit that these Malaysians have are replying way past the tournament entry deadline, and threatening these innocent victims that they will call their client to complaint if they do not change the terms just to suit their whim and fancy.

How can they accuse an event manager for being incompetent when they did not read the terms and conditions stated?

And this event manager and the team members endure this every year. And, they tell me that it is not just the rich golfers that act like spoiled brats.

The event management company’s story also brings back memories of rude incidents that I have witnessed in my career.

And it perplexes me why people just like to complain without any reason.

This year, I attended an ilovegolf-Srixon event in TPC Kuala Lumpur and witnessed how rude and nasty a golfer can be.

A “gentleman” made a rude remark at the breakfast buffet line. 

He ticked-off an innocent kitchen staff for no reason, saying loudly: “Why no more scrambled eggs? The organizer got no budget to pay is it?!”

Thankfully, the young man kept his cool and explained to this nasty person that he will be bringing out a new batch of scrambled eggs.

My all-time favourite “nasty golfers” memory has to be a lady golfer from Singapore when I was at A’Famosa.

The moment she arrived by coach, she was just rude when she had an opportunity. 

Everything we did to welcome her and her entourage was wrong apparently.

“Your welcome drink tastes horrible,” was her first complaint. Her second was equally uncalled for, as even the food wasn’t up to her high expectations.

Her final complaint was a classic as she scowled at me: “Your shower rooms are dirty and pathetic. I will never visit your golf course again!”

Upon checking with the shower room staff on duty after “Madam Nasty” had left the resort, I discovered that she had verbally abused the staff too, all because of one wet tissue paper on the floor of the shower room cubicle.

While thankfully there was only one pathetic human from this group of golfers, greedy golfers are another group of humans that feature regularly on the “nasty golfers” list.

I chuckle whenever I register for a golf tournament and observe golfers who are never satisfied with the items in the goody bags.

“Itu saja kah (Is that all)?” is a common question you would hear them ask the staff at the registration table. 

And we obviously know that some goodies in these bags have a retail value of more than RM500.

So why have people become this way? 

This kind of apathy and behaviour is not the positive influence that young golfers will benefit from.

I have more “nasty golfers” stories to tell, but unfortunately I do not have the space in this column.

But as a fellow civilized human being, I ask of everyone to pause for a moment. 

Be aware of your speech and actions not just in golf, but life in general.

Let’s learn to respect others first and not feed the ego.

Happy golfing.