I played my first ever round today and I am feeling disheartened by the golf community
After a couple of years of going to the driving range, I went for my first ever round of golf with a slightly-more-experienced friend at a local pay-and-play course (Ansty, Warwickshire). We booked our tee time as early as possible to avoid the influx of golfers and to avoid clogging up the course if we were slow. Bear in mind - this is my first experience of interacting with "proper" golfers outside of the driving range.
I arrived a couple of minutes late. Not great, I know. We were on the course no more than 3 minutes after our allotted tee time (times are spaced 6 minutes apart). We got to the first tee box and there were 2 people walking up the fairway, clearly having just teed off. There was a group of older guys, no-less than 10 of them, 40-60 y/o, standing on the tee box having a chat - one of who had already teed up and waiting. We assumed they were before us still so we stood behind them waiting.
7-8 minutes pass, and they still haven't teed off, so we go and ask them when they're starting. The conversation was:
Them: we've still got another couple of minutes yet, we're waiting on 1 more to join us
Us: ah, we assumed you were before us and we should have teed off about 10 minutes ago. Do you mind if we play through whilst you wait?
Them: no, tough shit you're too late now, come back another day when you're more organised
Us: that's not very fair, you've seen us waiting behind you, we're only 2 people, please let us play through
At this point, a man who is some kind of staff, appeared from within the group and asked us what the problem was.
Man: You have no business playing here if you're going to be late, you'll have to leave and try another day
Us: I get we were late but we were still ahead of the next tee time, and we thought this group was the slot before ours
Man: Well regardless, you've definitely missed your slot now at this point
I apologised, I explained it was my first time playing and hadn't experienced the flow of the game properly before, I was late because I was organising a toddler at home before I left. He chuntered and then pointed us to the back-nine and "let" us play through that if there was a gap, which there was.
I understand I was late and can only blame myself but I'm taken aback by the shit attitudes and superiority complex, even by those who weren't involved with the initial encounter. I tried hard and did better than I expected, but felt like I reeked of beginner and was frowned upon. I enjoyed the back-9 but was too annoyed to concentrate on it. This is the least-welcoming sport/activity I've ever done, I'm thinking of hanging up the clubs before I've even started because I don't want to be associated with people like that.