Typhoon
Well, a couple things... I really don't hate anybody. Or try not to anyway. So I seriously doubt that I'd hate you or your buddies. I actually enjoy meeting people, sharing the golf experience with others, having a few drinks and getting to know a few likeminded golfers beyond the course maybe. And sure - there are a few that from what I can tell - I really probably wouldn't want to get to know. But that's the case at any club.
But, and I say this with every ounce of humility that I can muster because I'm certainly not the best golfer at my club, let alone top-10 material in my region for that matter... but there's two games I play. The one game is the social game... the friendly matches, the weekend matches with my buddies. We're still playing by the rules, but it's a completely different level of seriousness. We're out to have fun.
The other game is completely different. It's tournament golf. It's a different level of intensity, a different level of seriousness. Now obviously I prefer to have fun in that environment too... why else would you bother playing if you didn't get some sort of enjoyment out of it?
But on occasion, in both of those different environments, there are obviously opportunities for disagreements to occur. They tend to be a little more intense in tournament golf, because obviously you're competing for more than just a 3 or 4 dollar nassau. And anyone who competes regularly in tournament golf should be pretty familiar with the rules. And also - you kinda expect some form of gamesmanship, but still you hope that a fair and competitive spirit of the game is honored.
Rules... most of the situations I talk about - they revolve around tournament-player types who either don't know the rules like they should, or they're trying to gain an unfair advantage. Maybe both, who knows...
What I do know however is that this golf forum is dead a lot more often than it is active. My posts might be longwinded, they might have common themes about certain experiences I share, they might be completely biased from someone else's perspective, although I try to show some means of understanding. But I post here because hardly anyone else does. It's an opportunity to share some of my joys and frustrations. It's not about hating people or looking down on a certain segment of the golfing population because of their skill level. And sometimes when people reply to something I've written, maybe offering a completely different viewpoint - I appreciate it. I might not agree with the opposing viewpoint all the time, but I do appreciate it. At least someone took the time to read and respond.
I just find the game and some of the people who play and work within the industry within my circle pretty interesting. Interesting enough to me, at least, to waste a little time here.