Friend violates rules & etiquette (how to deal with?)

I have recently introduced a friend to Disc Golf and he is enjoying it quite a bit, and really excelling I might add. Recently he joined me in a weekly league event where we play for cash prizes and ctp's. This is certainly not a sanctioned PDGA event for points but all players are expected to play standard rules and etiquette as if it were a tournament.

The other night we were teeing off and my friend shanked a REALLY bad shot off into the woods; offering him a terrible approach shot. As I was walking up to my disc, which was further out than his but on the fairway, I hear a *POP*, *CRACK*, and I look over and there he was standing on a small sumac tree (approx 5-6' height). He had used his foot to bend the little fellow over and proceeded to step on it and hold it down so that he could get a clear shot. I asked him what he was doing and he replied that he had no shot with that tree in the way. I replied with an "exactly, you made a bad first shot". He got smug and threw his approach shot landing right next to the pin for a guaranteed par.

So here lies my problem. According to PDGA rules I should be allowed to penalize him 2 strokes for damaging a live plant, and since his foot was extended past his lie in order to hold the tree down I could also have given him a warning for foot fault and he would need to rethrow the shot without retrieving his already thrown approach shot.

Now from my experience you would probably get DQ'd in any major tournament for such an act. He was such a hot head about it though that I didn't stroke him ANYTHING for the act, and I am really frustrated by this. How do you penalize a good friend and deal with it?

[gang4010]

Hand him a rule book, and let him know that what he did the other night would not have been tolerated under other circumstances. If you let him know (that by sharing this information with him) you are trying to look out for his best interests should he decide to continue being involved with organized DG - it may help take the edge off his attitude. If he's a good friend - you ought to be able to get in his face about it (if that's what it takes) without a brawl ensuing.

[gnduke]

First step is to explain away from the situation the less intuitive rules, especially those about stance and obstacles.

Explain that many players take those rules very seriously, and even though you may not be called on those things all the time, you will be talked about and shunned by the more serious golfers.

Destroying plants on the course is a very serious offense everywhere I play and with most park officials. If it is clearly purposeful it will almost always end with a DQ. If the player admits that he had no shot until he held back or broke the tree in front of him, he will probably be DQ'ed for cheating. An even more serious offense in the eyes of his fellow players and the PDGA.

Read the rules, know the rules, please call vioilations, and make sure you don't give others the opportunity to call violations on you.

[circle_2]

Tell him to learn the rules as 'good habits' now. If he were to be called on a 'bad habit', (read as: rules infraction) at a tournament, it'll get in his head for the remainder of the round(s)...an un-fun distraction.
.02

if your friend enjoys discgolf that much he should learn the rules all of us has thrown a bad shot,it's part of the game.i think he's more mad that you called him on it then anything else,

[bruce_brakel]

If you cannot penalize a good friend for breaking the rules, he is not a good friend. I penalized Jon for a falling putt a year and a half ago. He missed the putt on his re-throw. He got over it. His random-draw partner still hates me. :D

[damonshort]

If you cannot penalize a good friend for breaking the rules, he is not a good friend. I penalized Jon for a falling putt a year and a half ago. He missed the putt on his re-throw. He got over it. His random-draw partner still hates me. :D

It was a beautiful falling putt, though; a face-first snow angel into a 4-foot drift.

I was Bruce's partner, not Jon's. I only hate Bruce occasionally. :cool:

If you cannot penalize a good friend for breaking the rules, he is not a good friend. I penalized Jon for a falling putt a year and a half ago. He missed the putt on his re-throw. He got over it. His random-draw partner still hates me. :D

It was a beautiful falling putt, though; a face-first snow angel into a 4-foot drift.

I was Bruce's partner, not Jon's. I only hate Bruce occasionally. :cool:



Actually it was Damon that made the call, Bruce just seconded it. I think that I displayed balance by doing a half nelson on my way down, but they felt otherwise.

I hate Bruce all the time but Mom makes me be nice to him. :eek:

[rhett]

I think that I displayed balance by doing a half nelson on my way down, but they felt otherwise.



You had a falling putt where you put a wrestling move on someone on the way down??? Wow. Sounds like a good opportunity to for a "no call". :)

I always try the approach that I'm just helping my friend/competitor out. I know that standing behind your marker is counterintuitive to newbies, but they usually don't mind hearing it. Some people do get defensive, but if you leave it alone for a while and then bring it up and tell them you're just helping them out, they usually take it to heart, and then see how the rules make the game more fun and interesting.


Then theres always just jerks, but we would rather know who they are anyway so we can avoid them.

[bruce_brakel]

If you cannot penalize a good friend for breaking the rules, he is not a good friend. I penalized Jon for a falling putt a year and a half ago. He missed the putt on his re-throw. He got over it. His random-draw partner still hates me. :D

It was a beautiful falling putt, though; a face-first snow angel into a 4-foot drift.

I was Bruce's partner, not Jon's. I only hate Bruce occasionally. :cool:

If you don't hate me occasionally, you aren't paying attention.

[20460chase]

if he cheats now and gets away with it he will always look for the opportunity..........

[20460chase]

Hey Damon!!! How have you been? Going to Worlds? Chase

[damonshort]

hey Chase - yeah; going to QC this Friday and then on to DM on Sat a.m.

I think that I displayed balance by doing a half nelson on my way down, but they felt otherwise.



You had a falling putt where you put a wrestling move on someone on the way down??? Wow. Sounds like a good opportunity to for a "no call". :)



I don't even remember what a half nelson is, but I do know that once my feet went out from under me I was trying to grab at anything...only problem was the only thing to grab was me. So, I think I did a self-half nelson which is illegal in Utah, I believe.

[rhett]

I don't even remember what a half nelson is, but I do know that once my feet went out from under me I was trying to grab at anything...only problem was the only thing to grab was me. So, I think I did a self-half nelson which is illegal in Utah, I believe.



Now I'm picturing something from the finale of the "walk off" in Zoolander...

[20460chase]

Damon....have you played Longview yet?They just revamped it ...now its 18

[damonshort]

...cool. I'll give it a try Friday.

dg4life, above are some good answers.

What you SHOULD HAVE DONE when he mooshed the tree down to save a stroke was to stand on your next lie, then run with your disc as fast as you can and release the disc about a foot away from the hole. When your friend complains about that you just say, "oh that might have been a foot fault, but everybody does that once in awhile, no big deal right?, especially to someone who mooshes down trees to save a stroke."

Don't forget the smile :) or your friend might take it the wrong way!

[letho]

what do you all think of DNF. for example even though you know you are not going to finish in the cash, but do you go on and play or do you just say f-it. just curious. had a buddy do this it seems more and more lately.

[jasonc]

FINISH......you paid to play all of the holes, unless something is physically wrong or some kind of emergency comes up. I quit a tourney 1 time because i wasn't doing very well and my attitude really sucked, after I looked back on it I couldn't belieive I was stupid enough to do something like that and have never done it again.

Just my oponion :D

[kenmorefield]

The practice that bugs me more than etiquette violations to another player is when players are rude to non-players on community property or to the property itself. In my experience people who have been playing disc golf for a while are often the worst culprits. Many of them have an air of entitlement over community property that transcends frustration at someone accidentally walking across a fairway.

I've played a lot this year at a fairly new course (less than 1 year old) in a community park funded by tax dollars. The eighteenth hole is along a property line with a local church, and I have seen players who, when having a bad round, will not even aim for the hole but bet a dollar (or more) on whether or not they can hit the church building and/or steeple with their drive.

These same golfers will then express shock, wonder, amazement, anger at community meetings when members of the public don't want a course in their park.

When a player is rude to another player, I can simply choose not to play with him (or her). When a player is rude to a bystander or community member, we all suffer in the long run.

Here endeth the venting.

Ken

[letho]

i feel the same way you do Jason. i've been tempted to quit a few times. but then realized i've thrown the money down to play just finish up. but it is when they start throwing crap getting obnoxious and start dropping the F-bomb on top of their lungs, which really bugs me.

or they are on the last hole and just quit cause they went OB to many times!

Don't know just needed to vent.

or last one they make a scene at a tourney and people ask you if you are friends with him or know him and you hesitate to answer.

[md21954]

How do you penalize a good friend and deal with it?

kick him in the nut(s).

[noey21]

I feel like playing through the tough rounds will make you better.

The mental game is so important and alot of time you can finish on a strong note.

Or at worst just fire for aces and make some money that way (this hasn't worked for me yet).

[Rodney Gilmore]

kick him in the nut(s).


If I meet Md and become friends I gotta remember to buy a cup. Wow and for disc golf even.