I've been the in the "slow group" golfing in front of some one else and I've been in the "fast group" waiting behind.
Like all things in life, there is a nice and respectful way to interact with others on a golf course.
First of all, a man should never treat any women they way these bozos treated these ladies. These idiots need a class on basic "chivalry."
Secondly, these bozos could have very easily walked up and nicely and politely said " on the next hole, do you mind if we play through?" 90% of the time, most people would say "sure. No problem." In the 10% of the time when someone says "no" then guess what, you wait.
This group of men embarrassed themselves profoundly. A bunch of jerks at very best. And arguably much worse.
76
These white men, seem to fit in nicely with the NYTimes article (4/24) on "white, Christian and male voters supporting ... trump were driven by concerns over losing their privilege. If you didn't read it, I suggest doing so. Full title: Trump Voters Driven by Fear of Losing Status, Not Economic Anxiety, Study Finds.
When I read that article I pictured exactly the kind of men the owners of the golf club looks like. Big dumb bullies are how they appear and they're shamefully unAmerican; not how I feel my America is to be.
68
Some basic golf guidelines:
1. Re pace of play, a group of golfers is supposed to keep up with the group ahead of it. If a slow group fails to keep up, the course ranger (the person responsible for wrangling golfers) will ask the slow group to speed up the pace of play. If the slow group does not speed up, the ranger may ask the slow group to skip a hole (or even two) to keep up with the group ahead.
2. Re group size, it is almost unheard of to allow a group of 5 to go out together because it inevitably slows the pace of play; that is, a group of 5 almost never can play a hole as fast as a group of 4. Whoever was in charge of forming and sending out groups that day made a serious mistake.
3. Golf is a genteel sport, with exaggerated forms and expressions of courtesy. However, even at elite private clubs rangers may require slow players to increase their pace of play or to skip a hole in order to keep up with the group ahead. Such an intervention is usually carried out with utmost courtesy and diplomacy, which was evidently not the case here. Members of a golf club are almost always treated with great courtesy and deference, however great their faux pas might be, so it is doubly puzzling that these ladies (members) were given a hard time.
The golf club inappropriately assigned these ladies to play as a group of 5, and the owners/staff treated them discourteously, so the owners definitely owe the ladies an apology.
25
Some basic golf guidelines:
1. Re pace of play, a group of golfers is supposed to keep up with the group ahead of it. If a slow group fails to keep up, the course ranger (the man or woman responsible for wrangling golfers) will ask the slow group to speed up the pace of play. If the slow group does not speed up, the ranger may ask the slow group to skip a hole (or even two) to keep up with the group ahead.
2. Re group composition, it is verboten/beyond the pale to allow a group of five to go out together because it inevitably slows the pace of play; that is, a group of five almost never can play a hole as fast as a group of four. Whoever was in charge of forming and sending out groups that day made a rookie mistake.
3. Golf is a genteel sport, with exaggerated forms and expressions of courtesy. However, even at the ritziest private clubs slow players will be required by rangers to increase their pace of play or to skip a hole in order to keep up with the group ahead. However, such an intervention is usually carried out with utmost courtesy and diplomacy, which was evidently not the case here. Members of a golf club are almost always treated with great courtesy and deference, however great their faux pas might be, so it is doubly puzzling that these ladies (members) were given a hard time.
Was this a racially-based incident? Perhaps, and possibly even likely. In any case, it appears that the ladies were treated discourteously and deserve an apology from the course owners.
1
It's interesting to see the comments expressed by the people who make excuses for the owners. Racism at its best!
28
This is absolutely ridiculous. That smug entitled golf bro is just ugh. The female co-owner has retracted her "apology" so there is that. Anyway, the women should ensure their membership fees are refunded and move on to other golf courses where everyone is welcome. They should come to DC to play at East Potomac or Langston every once in a while as it is a bit of a drive from York.
By the way, is "golfing too slowly" a misdemeanor or a felony?
40
This black lady and her friend have conducted themselves professionally and courteously, with this group of white men coming up to demand them to leave with no justifiable reasons. I'm totally amused by how stumped those white guys (particularly that younger white male) that were totally unprepared by two black women who knew the rules and used the rules against them. Bravo, ladies, way to go.
By the way, these two ladies are totally unlike those two at Waffle House, with disorderly conducts that are more intended on provoking the police while on phone-camera in order to have their gotcha moment.
17
A veritable tinderbox of social, historical, racial, and golfing factors, inevitably ignited by an indisputable (and thus far ignored in this thread) spark: there has never been in the history of the game a group of FIVE golfers, of any gender or ethnicity, whose pace was not slow. Four is the accepted norm and max; ergo, it was the club's fault for allowing this aberration of play. But yeah, calling the police was cra-cra.
9
Is golfing too slowly a crime that you need to call the police? That is an oxymoron, to say the least (golfing too slowly). But they called the police? What is wrong with these people?
57
After having things THEIR way for hundreds of years,
it's gotta be a serious blow to these men's egos. I bet they're not alone.....
37
When will Americans admit that we are a racist and sexist society that desperately needs to change? Keep taping, everybody!
77
This fivesome of slow women golfers certainly were quick to take offence! They should try accommodating others also trying to have a relaxed day, rather than aggressively trying to score victim points for themselves. They ruined the day out for everyone around them.
5
The players behind them were not held up, but played at about the same pace. One of them told the women that he was on their side.
Why do you ignore this? Is it poor reading comprehension, or did you skip over much of the article?
62
Did you actually read the article? They were not slow: "the women kept up the pace the entire game. “Not one time,” said [a player in the group behind them], “did we catch up with those ladies.” He described them as nice and professional." These women are not trying to "score victim points," they were harassed.
131
I've seen several responses like Peter Johnson's. WHY is it so difficult for some people to put themselves in someone else's shoes for a moment? Did you watch the video? Did you see that big guy getting in their faces? Have you had someone do that to you before? What if someone did that to you for--playing slow golf? Or what about if someone did that to your mother, sister, or wife--for the offense of playing slow golf. Would you call them out for trying to "Score victim points"? Can't we try to have some compassion? Your comment is full of anger and assumptions.
65
Do we have all the facts? If the women were playing at a normal pace, the owner's reaction is reprehensible and inexcusable. If they were slow I'd like to see how slow golfers of others races are (mis)treated at GGC.
10
Yes, we have all of the facts. The women were not playing too slowly, as the article makes clear. Of course, you do have to read the article if you want to know what it says.
66
The gender and race these golfers is of no importance. Slow play is the only issue. Playing slowly affects every group behind the slow players and can slow down the course for hours after the guilty ones have gone home. I'm glad these ladies are playing. It's a wonderful game and we need more women to participate, but slow play is the biggest factor keeping folks from trying the game. When told your group is falling behind there are several things which can be done to speed up. Please try.
5
I must point out, that towards the end of the article, it states that there was only 1 group behind the 5 women, and that the group never caught up to the women and stated that the women kept pace the entire time. "One of those golfers, Damen Carter-Mann, told The Daily Record on Wednesday that the women kept up the pace the entire game. “Not one time,” he said, “did we catch up with those ladies.” He described them as nice and professional."
137
Read the article. Apparently slow play was not a real issue.
89
Read the article. They weren't playing slow. That was a pretense for the owners racist, misogynist harassment & discrimination. Hope these women sue the club & owner.
54
If a group is playing slowly, then they wave the group behind them through. My guess is that this has much less to do with race and mostly to do with certain expected customs around how the game is played. If the group behind is consistently waiting on the tee behind you, and if there is no group in front of you so that you are not waiting for anyone, then you let that group play through. In general a group of 5 is unorthodox and highly unrecommended. It is about being conscious of your neighbor and allowing the quicker to play at their pace, and the slower to do their thing, recognizing their slower pace. The general custom is that the quicker play through.
3
Yes, a group of five is unusual, but the club permitted this. They should have declined five playing a round if it bothers them. Common sense dictates it may take 20% longer for a group of five (rather than four) to play. The complaints (not by the golfers behind them, by the club owners) started almost immediately, at the 2nd hole. These were experienced golfers and club members.
In any case, the pace of the golfers, even if they were slow - certainly isn't a police matter; the police agreed and left. I hope the police bill the golf club, as happens when people use 911 for non-emergencies.
17
The article clearly states that the group behind them was at no point waiting on them, even quoting one of the men in that group: "One of those golfers, Damen Carter-Mann, told The Daily Record on Wednesday that the women kept up the pace the entire game. “Not one time,” he said, “did we catch up with those ladies.” He described them as nice and professional."
33
You are right about waving a group through, but the group behind them was never waiting on the fivesome and didn't complain, so the issue of courtesy on the part of a slow group is irrelevant here. They weren't slow, or at least, not slow enough to matter to other players.
17
All these stories are finally being given importance and voice by the media. Perhaps now America will understand the magnitude of racism today. All the folks who are liberals (and I am one), pretend that this is a problem sequestered in small rural areas. I think if you look around you in big cities, it’s there walking besides you at the grocery stores, malls, offices. I too believed that it did not exist in the Bay Area, till we had this last election. It seemed to bolster ordinary people who had never before given voice to their dark thoughts. If it exists in such diverse metropolises then it is the duty of newspapers to help us confront such problems. Only by narrating such episodes will people stop living with their eyes shut. It is extremely sad that people of color face so many unfair hurdles to success even today.
Please sue that golf course for a lot. Only sticking it to them in their wallets seems to make some difference.
42
Georgetown in Wash, DC and the Upper East Side are both well over 90% white. So called progressives don't want to live among non whites.
2
Well this is just plain embarrassing, for the entire country.
49
There sure is a lot of racism in northern states.
16
Yeah, you're right. Good thing it's only in the North and not all over the US.
16
They were warned for slow pace of play on the 2nd hole? That's just bizarre. How slow could they have been on just one hole? The average round takes 4 hours or 13 minutes per hole. Since the course let a fivesome go, they have to tolerate slightly longer play, perhaps 15 minutes. And regardless of how long they actually took, slow play customarily precipitates a polite warning. After just one hole, there was not enough time for this to escalate to being asked twice to leave and threatened to have their membership canceled.
73
Yup. Just as we have been told by old white guys...racism is a thing of the past...
54
Pretty poor behavior by these guys ...On a golf course, oOne would expect to be able to grab a beer & a snack prior to starting the back nine, without a roust. If it were men, drinking, that young grinning fellow may have needed LEOs
Even the older white haired fellow made demeaning remarks about the women's intent with a head shake ...
These are learned behaviors ... we are all guilty at some point ... Education is the key
28
Why do white people feel the barest "slight" or "transgression" by a black person - playing golf slowly, asking to use restroom at Starbucks while waiting for colleague or walking through the neighborhood where they live? This sort of overreaction echoes the 19th and 20th centuries when black people were lynched for (allegedly) whistling at white women, insulting a white person, taking a job as postmaster in a largely white town amongst other "offenses".
I was going to say thankfully, black people are no longer lynched, but then again in recent years many unarmed black people have been shot or strangled by officers, or killed by mass shooters, or stabbed by white men shouting racial epithets.
92
Sounds like the women were just playing golf, as any other person does. They didn't impede the people behind them; they played in a normal time frame. White male racism and misogyny clearly at work.
114
Ms. Thompson said that the group had completed nine holes in two hours. Not only were they playing on pace, the sole group playing behind them had also not been impeded, she said. That group can be seen on the video, taking a break before teeing off.
Taking a break means waiting for the people in front of you to move on to the next hole
7
Some basic golf guidelines:
1. Re pace of play, a group of golfers is supposed to keep up with the group ahead of it. If a slow group fails to keep up, the course ranger (the person responsible for wrangling golfers) will ask the slow group to speed up the pace of play. If the slow group does not speed up, the ranger may ask the slow group to skip a hole (or even two) to keep up with the group ahead.
2. Re group size, it is almost unheard of to allow a group of 5 to go out together because it inevitably slows the pace of play; that is, a group of 5 almost never can play a hole as fast as a group of 4. Whoever was in charge of forming and sending out groups that day made a serious mistake.
3. Golf is a genteel sport, with exaggerated forms and expressions of courtesy. However, even at elite private clubs rangers may require slow players to increase their pace of play or to skip a hole in order to keep up with the group ahead. Such an intervention is usually carried out with utmost courtesy and diplomacy, which was evidently not the case here. Members of a golf club are almost always treated with great courtesy and deference, however great their faux pas might be, so it is doubly puzzling that these ladies (members) were given a hard time.
The golf club inappropriately assigned these ladies to play as a group of 5, and the owners/staff treated them discourteously, so the owners definitely owe the ladies an apology.
Yet another case of the Police acting as private security, for a Business. How much did THIS cost the Taxpayers ??? A complete lack of common sense, all due to racism AND sexism. Just try to deny it. Seriously.
69
As a white 57-year-old male, I watch the men with utter disbelief, but especially the younger owner, who clearly has that sick sense of entitlement that makes me ashamed as a human being. I personally hope the women end up owning the course. I don't even play the game, but I'd drive up from Tennessee just to play a round with these women and enjoy ourselves.
183