Creating the Tournament Atmosphere

[filobedo]

I've been pondering this today after a fairly unpleasant experience in my last tournament.

Without going into too much detail, I was carded with someone who took a very casual attitude towards the rules, particularly with regard to rules like marking and properly holing out on "gimmes" which are often relaxed in casual play. Not to mention, he was under the influence of a variety of different substances, some of which he continued to consume throughout the round. When I explained that I prefer to take sanctioned play more seriously, he gave me a "come on man, lighten up" kind of attitude.

The problem was a stark contrast in attitude. It was the second round and we were well out of contention, so there was very little to play for. I still wanted to compete and try to improve upon a poor first round, and he wanted to party and play it like his usual casual or league rounds.

So the discussion I want to have is this: what can be done to better instill an atmosphere of serious competition at tournaments?

Sounds like some of the casuals that only play their local event each year. I can spot these guys with or without the checklist,

- Shows up at the first tee listening to Florida-Georgia Line, Creed, Coldplay or some other garbage with a caddy carrying the biggest dg bag you have ever seen with 25 drivers, a putter and a midrange

- Announces safety meeting,

- Wearing jorts and newly purchased Dynamic Discs shirt or no shirt, jeans and barefooted (happened the first tournament I ever played)

- continues to putt during the two minute warning and gets irritated when told to stop

- explains he did not hear two minutes while card mates think, "if he would have not been telling us about all the aces he has had on the course he would have heard it" or "if he was not telling us how he shot 42 the last time he played the course" he would have heard it.

Each one of these annoying scenarios has happened to me with masters age players which is even more pathetic.