It seems, however, the hooligan element is beginning to trod upon fairways and greens once the exclusive domain of bankers, tycoons and affable folk who didn't misbehave until the 19th hole. A recent story in the Los Angeles Times detailed how golf's gentility is under assault and rudeness and violence are becoming commonplace. The cultivated terrains abounding with exquisitely devised lagoons, manicured greens and tree-lined fairways have been invaded by conduct more common at arenas housing rock concerts and wrestling matches. The old guard is uneasy. The experts refer to this behavior as golf rage and it is manifested in multiple ways other than combat.
Rules state no golfers are to play until the players in front are out of range.
Many of today's players don't observe that courtesy, and like England's infamous Light Brigade in the Crimean War, charge in with indifference to the ensuing consequences. Courtesies such as raking the sand traps after use, or repairing ball marks on putting greens, are often ignored. The Times article quoted Barry Fitzpatrick, a golf pro at a course in Pompano Beach, Fla., whose verbal exchange with some roughnecks almost ended in fisticuffs. The group had gone out of its way to ride its cart through mud puddles and damaged grounds that had been roped off after heavy rains. I suppose golf, like so many sports, is a reflection of our society.