The golfer who claims to know it all has been ranked the most frustrating to play a round of golf with, according to a recent survey carried out by specialist golf insurance provider Golfplan.
Half of UK male golfers said that slow play was the most annoying behaviour on the fairways (50%), and it seems as you age this increases, with 40% of 16-24 year old golfers getting irritated compared to over half (52%) of golfers aged 55+.
Bad weather bothers women, with a third disappointed when rain or snow calls off play (33%), while 15% of men get frustrated when mobile phones interrupt their game. Welsh and North East golfers would like the greens improved, with half admitting the quality of the courses infuriates them.
They are not the only one to cause upset on the course, with a quarter of golfers saying those that cannot control their anger frustrate them too (25%). A fourth of men are particularly put off by noisy golfers who talk or cough while they try and focus on their shot (25%), opposed to 16% of women; they find the over celebrator and colourful dresser an annoyance.
Men tend to be most aggravated with certain characters on the course, one in ten admitting the golfer that spends most of the game collecting balls a real bore, while 25% of North West golfers have declared they avoid playing with people who take too many practice swings. A fifth of Yorkshire golfers can’t stand the master putter, who thinks he’s taking part in a professional tournament and surveys their putts from every angle.
Irish golfers have revealed they are the most likely to feel the fury on the fairways, with over half (53%) confessing they have broken or bent a golf club when they have missed a shot. They could take a leaf out of the Yorkshire or North West golfers book, a third of which play a round of golf to relieve stress (33%). The nation’s golfers are less likely to abandon their game as they age, with a fourth (25%) of 16-24 year olds admitting they have left a game halfway through because it got the better of them, compared to nine per cent of 55+ golfers.
- Other key findings:
‘The know it all’ is the most annoying to play against say UK golfers (47%)
Nearly half said that slow play annoys them most on the course (46%)
The average golfer surveyed spent over £1,200 a year on golf