[Sironimoll]

I try to encourage them as much as I can, if its still continuing I just tend to start to slowly be quiet and try to not make it worse than it already is.

Seriously. Tappin'.

[Heessduernbub]

I dont like just automatically going to a certain strategy. Some people dont want to be humored, some dont want to be talked to. This goes for all golfers, not just ones that have a rough streak on. You can tell what they want by the way they treat you when you play(providing youre an approachable and open human being)

[aceriscoolon]

I'm generally quiet, but then I'm pretty vocal and encouraging when they do something well.

[Jon Woodgate]

If they're having a rough go of it behind trees, in a bunker, an ob drive, etc. I always give them an out. Like "hit another" or "give yourself a shot" followed by "if you want". I just let them know it's ok by me if they cheat a little to make things more enjoyable. If they're stinking it up so bad they're holding up play then I may be more persuasive.

[Irravepem]

I am always encouraging, because, yes, my horrible shots are always lurking nearby!!

[cafeviahe]

Sometimes pretty well sometimes not depending on how I read the persons mood or personality.

To me it is way more important how I react to my bad shots or bad rounds when golfing with others I don't know. The last thing I want to do is compramise someone else's round. I try to keep my attitude & comments positive, don't sulk and if I'm slowing up the rest of the group cheerfully pick-up and move on so they can have a decent round. If everyone tried harder to not "impose" their bad play or their frustration/disappointment on the other members of the group then it wouldn't be awkward in the first place.

[ZXRamon]

I'm not good enough to rip anybody about anything on the course. I usually don't even take stabs at my friends.
But my buddy stabs me at just the right times to keep the air light enough that I don't get too discouraged.

When a string bad shots turns into string of bad holes, pretty much I know the overall round is going to be ugly. Even if I manage a birdie or two, the damage is done. So for lack of a better term, going to that HAPPY PLACE is about all the mind has left. That usually means reflecting on those better rounds I've had, or even what we might call our 'usual game'. However, the only people who care about history are usually the people who wrote it........

[CarmenSanches]

Just because I'm bored on a Friday afternoon and can't get to a course / range. I beg your forgiveness if you think it a stupid topic.

When you're playing with someone that's playing as Charles Barkley would say, "tuuribble," how do you handle it? What do you say when they leave their 3rd-straight shot in the bunker? Do you still try to be encouraging? Do you just stand in awkward silence? Do you try to offer advice? Head for the cart and retrieve them (and yourself) a beer?

Disclaimer: friends don't count. We all know we laugh our asses off when our friends are hacking it up, just in an effort to make their lives as miserable as possible.

As for myself, I typically try to find them an excuse for the bad shot, "Oh, that was a tough lie" or some such, but I don't go over the top with it. I do try to spend more effort congratulating them on their good shots.

Or, in a similar vein, if you're playing like steaming dog-doo, how do you prefer people handle it? Try to encourage you, or just shut the @## up?

I don't say anything about the golf, to be honest. I'll try to chat about their job, or local sports, or anything to keep their mind off golf.

Most of the time the person playing bad golf KNOWS they struggling and is embarrassed enough. I also try to reassure them that they aren't ruining my round- and that they aren't bothering me at all. I think it helps them to relax knowing that I am not holding them to any particular standard.

[ORDERCHEAPVIAGRASOFTWARE]

Good topic;

IF ITS ME hacking it up I usually (even though angry with myself) try to say some funny things just so the others can feel more relaxed and not worry wether or not i'll be receptive to any conversation or kidding around. It makes all feel more comfortable and always works.

IF ITS SOMEONE ELSE, then I'll just offer compliments on the good shots. And still (in between)try to strike up conversation for some laughter or whatever and almost always end up with all parties in the foursome being comfortable.

I will never offer golf advise except if friendly and comfortable with the other golfers, then I might very rarely say something that was very minor but very obvious. For example, once this season I was playing with a good golfer (far better than me). He all of a sudden starts hitting three bad drives in a row and I noticed he was walking out on his swing before finishing. He hasn't done this all day and now he does this 3 times in a row. I said something like "looks like your all of a sudden walking out on your swing". Now, thats not a swing changer, or anything that is telling him how to swing, but simply something very minor I observed that he is now doing that he wasnt doing before (not finishing). The response received was "Am I really?" "you know, now that ya mention it, I think your right". Next shot, he stayed in and finished and hit a good one. I said "ya stayed in there for that one" He replied "yea , that felt better" " thanks for pickin that up"

Anyway, thats about the rare extent I'll ever mention anything to anyone. It would have to be something very obvious that the person is doing thats different from what he was doing when hitting well. And it would also have to be a friendly atmosphere. And even then I wouldn't always do it unless I was sure that it may help and only if I really felt the person wouldn't mind the friendly sugjestion.

[AlissBart]

Since I rarely find someone worse than me on the course except my regular playing partner I don't know what I'd do honestly. When I'm having a bad day/hole/whatever, I tend to make fun of myself more than anyone else could possibly do though. It's my own personal smack talker. I'm capable of hitting that shot, I just chose to top it off the toe and send it into the water instead.

Today, I had played the same TP3 for 24 holes when I sent it into a creek 100ft in front of the #7 tee box because I topped it off the tee, I then did it again with the next one, so I pulled some practice crap balls out of the bottom of my bag and played them the rest of the round because I knew it was over at that point. My buddy gave me complete and utter hell for the remainder of the day and I'm ok with that hahaha.