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I've been golfing with this guy off and on for several years. I try to help him w/ his course management but he just tells me to shut up and stop ragging on him. Onour course there are several short par 4's (300 yards or under). On one in particular there fairway is only 15 yards wide and on one side a severely upsloping sidehill.And on the other there are thick trees. If you have the unfortune to miss the short gras trouble abounds on all sides and the green is guarded by bunkers in the front. This idiot pull outs his driver every time. 9 times out of 10 he is in the ****, trying to pull off a miracle to get on the green. I take my 5 wood and punch it out to within 80 yards(sand wedge) and my shot leaves me a 15 footer for bird.
I just don't get it. 3/4 of this guys shots are 100 yards and under and when at the range he hit 3/4 of the bucket w/ his driver and 3 wood , the rest (3 balls each from his 7,8,9 iron and then putts for 15 min.
I just shake my head. All I can think of is he must be trying to make up for some other inadequecy in his life. All he cares about is " one time when I played this hole I drove the green and almost made my eagle putt".
One time I asked him how many times he double bogey that hole after his tee shot left him in the ****. "oh just shut up. I'm not afraid to use all my clubs. I'm not the wuussy that tees off w/ my 4 iron on a par four".
Once I said yeh, but your the idiot w/ the bogey and I've got the par. Some people just don't get it!!!

I'd have to start taking some of his cash if I were you...and double the money on who gets the lower score on the 300 yard hole that he gets into the **** all the time...else find a new partner...those kind of guys are amazing..."Drive for show, put for dough..."...looks like he can't even "drive for show" from what you tell us.

oh he can drive the ball all right. But he has no idea where its gonna land. 320-350 yards is what he is capable of, but some time its left sometimes its right. I just think he's caught up in the glory of the long ball. Once i while he'll really get a hold of one and someone says "that's the longest ball I've ever seen". And I hear about for the next year. Oh, and something else- he's actually likes the Pinnacle distance balls, yet he marvels how my short 20 yard chip shots hit, jump, and stop from the prov1 I use.
I told him "I'll give up 15 yards to have a ball that will do that.

carverelli - If his antics bother you, I'd suggest you find a new partner. Otherwise let him be. He obviously does not want your advice, as sound and insightful as it is.

If he enjoys playing his "brand of golf," and it doesn't infringe on anyone else's golf game, let him be! The courses are filled with people who forget to enjoy the game in their pursuit of golf excellence. I'd rather be out there with someone playing bogey, double-bogey golf having fun, than someone who gets upset at missed shots and ends up cursing, throwing clubs, not talking to their partners, etc....

Personally, my golfing partner in our 9-hole after work league is one of the worst golfer in the league. But he has fun, doesn't bother anyone else, and everyone enjoys playing with him - me included. He was ecstatic the other night with his 54.

Generr, you are exactly right. I really don't mind playing with him. WE both enjoy it. I most generally beat him.(too bad we don't play skins).
I am very competetive and have had to learn course management the hard way, but its coming. I can drive 300 yards when everything is perfect, but thats not usually the case, so I steer from trouble. I unserstand my tendacies and when I "miss hit" a shot, its generall playable.
It still pains me to see someone who has decent ballstriking still play to a 20 handicap when it could be 10.

Did you ever notice that his head looks kind of "block-ish" in nature?

Keep taking his money, and then introduce a single figure lady tot he game.While he is outdriving her, he should finally learn why her powder puff drives into the fairway are better than his awesome contacts intot he jungle.

While he really doesn't get it, maybe that's how he enjoys the game. If the guy is a friend and you enjoy playing with him, you're probably better off not offering any advice and letting him be. It's better to let him do his own thing rather than ruining the relationship with the guy over something that doesn't truly matter.

You sound like a good friend to have caverelli!

had to look in my bag to make sure this wasn't me we were talking about.....nope, still got my "Lady's"....LOL !!!

I have a buddy of mine who does this. Will shoot 90's one day, and 130 another. He likes to "pull me into his "Bird vs Jordan" mode. "Over the tree, around the hill, off the cartpath, green!"
Sometimes we just like to let loose and play the course for risk/reward once and awhile. BUT, as long as we're not annoying our partners.
Unfortunately my friend has a way of forgetting this and ends up annoying the heck out of people until I pull him aside and "whack" him one, which sometimes makes it worse. So far, the only thing that has worked is to call the next hole a "skins hole for car keys". Loser is anyone who has dbl bogey or worse. He has a nice sports car, I drive a mini-van that no one in Tijuana will steal. Guess who "sobers" up quickly?

I'll second this. You sound like a good friend who is truly concerned with helping his friend improve. However, on the course, uninvited advice is a no-no. What you might try is the two of you getting on the range and maybe starting up a conversation. He may be more receptive then, or maybe in the clubhouse over a beer or something. Might be a good time to rehash the round and talk about what you could have done better. A good way to lead into what he could have done better. If the conversation isn't just about his mistakes I believe he will be much more likely to listen to you. Best of luck to you and your friend.
Jerry

What a good point Lefty...I like that idea a bunch, talk about EGO down the tubes...she would humble the crapola out of him...

I dunno. Maybe he'll figure it out after a few years and his swing speed comes down around 100. Then he won't be able to hit 350 or score well. So maybe he'll take one out of two. Almoost like a major league pitcher that can throw 100 mph and thewn has an injury that brings his fastball down to 92. Now he has to learn how to pitch- not just throw. For now, I'd think he be happier joining the long drive tour and try to make that his game. But then again, he'd have to be in the "fairway " for the drive to actually count.

I don't remember playing with in weekend?? Mmmmm

Could be that he is most comfrotable hitting his Driver. You said he only practices with Driver, 3 wood, 7,8,9 and some putts. Maybe on a 300-something yard hole he doesn't think the 7 will get him close enough and the next hightest club he feels the best chance of hitting is his Driver. I am more comfortable hitting driver than 3-wood, or 3 and 4 irons.