Should a test be required before playing public course?

[newtogolf]

I get that it isn't a million dollars, but just going on your figures, an average person is looking to TRY golf at about $350 just to get started. That's a lot of money for a lot of people. That's a car payment. That's the monthly grocey bill (with coupons). It's well more than a month of utilities. I'm not suggesting that golf should be "free." Nothing is free, and everyone has to prioritize their recreation and entertainment.

The beauty of golf, to me, is that anyone can do it. You don't play against anyone but yourself and the course. And no matter how new or bad you are at it, you can always aim to be one stroke better than the last time. You can enjoy the triumph of hitting your drives just a little bit longer than you did last time. You can be proud you finished a round 20 minutes quicker than before. There are a thousand ways to recognize your improvement, and be encouraged by it. That means there are a thousand reasons to keep coming back. But before that, you have to GET STARTED. And if getting started is prohibitively expensive, less people will do it. Adding a test just to let you in will discourage even more.

I'm not denying there are start up costs, but as @iacas stated, almost every recreation has some start up cost.  I played racquetball for many years, which require racquets, balls, eye protection, gym membership plus court fees.

Before you even worry about some of these costs, you have to determine if you even like golf before you make the investment.  In many cases you can buy a demo 6i for less than $20 which is more than enough to get started working on a swing at the range.  For my first few lessons, I didn't swing anything but a 7i so it's not like you'll be disadvantaged only having one club.  You can rent clubs, but you can also find them very cheap if you search on eBay, globalgolf, 3balls or other used equipment sites.  Some of the best deals I've heard of, came from yard sales and playitagain sports, if you have one in your area and especially if you're right handed.

You don't have to play Pro V1 balls at $45 / dozen, you can purchase pre-owned balls from lostgolfballs.com or other sites where you can get decent beginner golf balls at less than $0.25 a ball.

I think you are placing a lot of false barriers up to make your point, but I'd really hate to see people reading this thread to be discouraged to take up golf because of this prevailing myth that golf is too expensive for anyone but the wealthy.

[Fourputt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moxie Dawn

Going back to that "elite" status would hurt golf. I think a much better approach would be for courses to be proactive in recruiting new players and doing so with instruction provided. A nice little package that includes 9 holes, instruction on etiquette, how to repair a ball mark or divot, pace of play, etc. We've discussed many times in other threads that golf is a little too expensive for many people. It seems to me that requiring a test to play means I first also need to go take lessons from a pro. How else can I learn all this stuff? And that's yet another thing that is pricing me out before I even begin.

I'm not specifically directing this at you, but in general, what does that it's another thing that is pricing you out?  I get that's it's cool to beat up on the 1%'ers and their lifestyle, but I constantly hear about the "high cost" of golf but I think that is more perception than reality or a lack of information.

If you want to buy the latest and greatest clubs, dress to the nines and belong to a private country club then yes, it's going to be expensive.  If you're willing to start off a bit more modestly you can;

Borrow or buy pre-owned clubs or box set, cost - $0 - $200

If you play public or muni, regular summer clothes are usually approved, shorts, t-shirt or collared shirt, $0

Play public or muni courses off peak hours, use a service like golfnow, or play 9 holes, cost $15 - $35 per round

Buy a cheap pair of golf shoes or wear sneakers, cost $0 - $50

Range balls - $10 - $15 for 120 balls

Get lessons from Evolvr - $40 setup includes 1st month, $39 per month after

If you borrow the clubs or get them at a garage sale you're looking at a minimal investment to get started.  With the cost of a round between at $15 - $35, (which is less than most spend at happy hour or on one dinner) we're not talking lifestyles of the rich and famous.

I've seen entire sets with bag go for $10 at a garage sale.  They usually have to be regripped, but get the Tour Velvet (my preferred grip) or similar and it's not a big investment.  It's not that hard to get equipped if a person really wants to.

[Moxie Dawn]

If you say so.

What's that supposed to mean, exactly? I mean, if you want to call me a liar then step up and say the word.

I'm not denying there are start up costs, but as @iacas stated, almost every recreation has some start up cost.  I played racquetball for many years, which require racquets, balls, eye protection, gym membership plus court fees.

Before you even worry about some of these costs, you have to determine if you even like golf before you make the investment.  In many cases you can buy a demo 6i for less than $20 which is more than enough to get started working on a swing at the range.  For my first few lessons, I didn't swing anything but a 7i so it's not like you'll be disadvantaged only having one club.  You can rent clubs, but you can also find them very cheap if you search on eBay, globalgolf, 3balls or other used equipment sites.  Some of the best deals I've heard of, came from yard sales and playitagain sports, if you have one in your area and especially if you're right handed.

You don't have to play Pro V1 balls at $45 / dozen, you can purchase pre-owned balls from lostgolfballs.com or other sites where you can get decent beginner golf balls at less than $0.25 a ball.

I think you are placing a lot of false barriers up to make your point, but I'd really hate to see people reading this thread to be discouraged to take up golf because of this prevailing myth that golf is too expensive for anyone but the wealthy.

This is what I'm talking about. And I apologize if my remarks have led us on a tangent, so let me see if I can bring this back around to the original question to put what I'm saying in better context. Of course all recreation has costs, some more than others, and I think you'd agree that golf is a more costly recreation than many other things people can do. So your statement in bold above is very important. My question is, how can one determine if they like golf if they have to demonstrate an arbitrary level of proficiency before being allowed to play a course? Where do they acquire this proficiency? Who signs off on it? Are we talking about lessons? We can argue the start-up costs of playing golf, but I don't see the value in adding yet another cost to getting started. I don't see how that encourages more people to take up the game.

I've seen entire sets with bag go for $10 at a garage sale.  They usually have to be regripped, but get the Tour Velvet (my preferred grip) or similar and it's not a big investment.  It's not that hard to get equipped if a person really wants to.

No doubt, especially depending on where you live, a person can get equipped at a reasonable cost with used clubs and whatnot. And that's a good thing. So let's not put up a barrier that would discourage someone from taking advantage of it.

[iacas]

What's that supposed to mean, exactly? I mean, if you want to call me a liar then step up and say the word.

It means I don't put a lot of faith in anyone's experiences, particularly when they're not my own. There are 25 million golfers or so in the U.S. That you don't happen to know very many doesn't say much of anything.

[Moxie Dawn]

It means I don't put a lot of faith in anyone's experiences, particularly when they're not my own.

There are 25 million golfers or so in the U.S. That you don't happen to know very many doesn't say much of anything.

Oh, so you're a cynic. Fair enough. We all have our ways.

I was simply responding to your notion that it's easy and common to borrow up clubs from friends and relations, but what is true for some is not true for all. But I have to confess that I lied, not on purpose. I just remembered that I do have a cousin-in-law who plays golf a lot. He's a dentist. The other guy I was talking about is my bank president. Yay, stereotypes! Point is, in this lonely outpost of North Alabama, we common rednecks are more likely to be cow tipping than ball chipping.

[iacas]

Oh, so you're a cynic. Fair enough. We all have our ways.

Nope. I just don't think one person's personal experiences carry much weight.

I was simply responding to your notion that it's easy and common to borrow up clubs from friends and relations.

Yes, again, with nothing but personal experiences.

I was simply responding to your notion that it's easy and common to borrow up clubs from friends and relations, but what is true for some is not true for all. But I have to confess that I lied, not on purpose. I just remembered that I do have a cousin-in-law who plays golf a lot. He's a dentist. The other guy I was talking about is my bank president. Yay, stereotypes!

Golf was expensive in the 1990s. And early 2000s. And even the 1960s, 70s, 80s, etc. Yet people still took up the game and played it. They found a way, even when there were not 25 million golfers to help introduce someone to the game, loan them some starter clubs or give them some old golf magazines, etc.

Point is, in this lonely outpost of North Alabama, we common rednecks are more likely to be cow tipping than ball chipping.

Better get to it then.

[Moxie Dawn]

I would never tip a cow. They are fine people.

[ToblaT]

My question is, how can one determine if they like golf if they have to demonstrate an arbitrary level of proficiency before being allowed to play a course? Where do they acquire this proficiency?

There are 2 normal ways to see if you want to start playing golf here in Sweden, where we got this test system.

1. You borrow a club or two and go to the range and see if you like it. I would say that most people will know if they like it or not after this.

2. You borrow a set, couple or a single club and go play on one of the courses that doesn't require a green card. There aren't super many of them, but enough for it to be a viable option for most people.

Both are the same options you got in the US.

I can think of more ways to do it but these two are the best.

[graham57]

I grew up in Scotland and now live in Germany, so I have experienced both systems. In Scotland, golf is accesible to just about everyone: we used to play truant from school to go to the golf course, and my first "set" of clubs were sawn-off hickories. I was horrified when I came to Germany and found you had to go through a strict (and not cheap) procedure to obtain a license to play golf. I am pretty sure that, had I grown up in Germany, I would never have started the game: the entrance formalities and barriers would simply have been too high for a schoolkid. I don't mean only the financial side - having to join a club, get there (in Scotland, we used to walk around 4 miles to our local municipal course, carrying our clubs on our backs), and spend a prescribed amount of time learning the game would have been too many obstacles to overcome.

On the other hand, as some people here have pointed out, being a member of a private club and having acquired the licenses, etc. does not necessarily mean that people are going to behave properly on the golf course. I am constantly dismayed at our private course at the number of unrepaired divots and pitchmarks, unraked bunkers and the amount of litter some people just throw down on the ground.

To sum up: I am all for some form of instruction on rules and etiquette for everyone starting the game, but let's keep the practical barriers as low as possible, in order not to scare people away from our game.

I love the idea of issuing drinks coupons for good behaviour - courses in Germany have now started checking that everyone has a pitch repair tool in their pocket before starting the round. One course I went to recently made you make a contribution of 15 Euros to the youth fund if you didn't have one!

[turtleback]

I grew up in Scotland and now live in Germany, so I have experienced both systems. In Scotland, golf is accesible to just about everyone: we used to play truant from school to go to the golf course, and my first "set" of clubs were sawn-off hickories. I was horrified when I came to Germany and found you had to go through a strict (and not cheap) procedure to obtain a license to play golf. I am pretty sure that, had I grown up in Germany, I would never have started the game: the entrance formalities and barriers would simply have been too high for a schoolkid. I don't mean only the financial side - having to join a club, get there (in Scotland, we used to walk around 4 miles to our local municipal course, carrying our clubs on our backs), and spend a prescribed amount of time learning the game would have been too many obstacles to overcome.

On the other hand, as some people here have pointed out, being a member of a private club and having acquired the licenses, etc. does not necessarily mean that people are going to behave properly on the golf course. I am constantly dismayed at our private course at the number of unrepaired divots and pitchmarks, unraked bunkers and the amount of litter some people just throw down on the ground.

To sum up: I am all for some form of instruction on rules and etiquette for everyone starting the game, but let's keep the practical barriers as low as possible, in order not to scare people away from our game.

I love the idea of issuing drinks coupons for good behaviour - courses in Germany have now started checking that everyone has a pitch repair tool in their pocket before starting the round. One course I went to recently made you make a contribution of 15 Euros to the youth fund if you didn't have one!

 

Good post.  I especially like the way you were able to contrast the 2 systems.  And I agree with you that the German system does not seem like it would promote golf very well, elsewhere.  Perhaps it works there for cultural reasons, but it would never work here nor, apparently, in Scotland.

[Big_in_Belgium]

I have not read the entire thread but this is my experience: I live in Belgium and here, if you want to play, you have to pass a test, both theoretical and practical.

First there is a test on rules and etiquette: this is an open book exam and you pass if you get 25 points out of 30.
I know of no people that have ever failed this.

Then there is a practical test:

- you have to hit ten balls, relatively straight, 130 yards (total, whatever club you want, 110 yards for women). Six of them have to be good, or you fail.

- a series of chips and pitches from varying distances: you get points based on proximity to the hole. A certain amount of points is required.

- a series of putts from varying distances: again, you get points based on proximity to the hole. Again, a certain amount of points is required to pass.

This sounds quite strict however: no one I know has ever failed the rules test. But when I'm out on the course, I still see a lot of infractions.

However, I do know of a lot of people that did not pass the practical test the first time but eventually everyone passes (not necessarily because they are able).
 

It's supposed to prepare you for playing on the course and I guess in some ways it does. But when I look around when playing I'm not that sure it does.


 

 

 

[x3nt0n]

I think basic rules and etiquette would be good. As for some kind of practical to check your ability, it's not needed if you actually demonstrate the correct etiquette. If you're going slow, you let people play through. If you are spending all your time letting people play through, it's back to a shorter/easier course or the practice area/range.

 

[CR McDivot]

I voted "Not a test, but a booklet hand-out with the basics should do". I voted based on the assumption we were speaking of public facilities.

I live in a free country based on the rights of the individual. Freedom is required, responsibility expected.

Public courses should out of respect for responsibility voluntarily educate the initiate.

Private clubs are free to do as they think appropriate without restriction (that's kinda the definition of private).

[Pete F]

Actually I think every proshop should have a sign that says free golf lessons.

l started this year and I would have asked about them. It can be a group lesson. Does not have to be right that minute. At the very least it starts a conversation, that can be: saturday am is not a good time for beginners, yada, yada, yada  

Free lessons for beginners would help both the course and the sport. Nothing too complicated and it could even be on a Saturday am or some evening. Pretty basic instruction, you guys could volunteer!

I also think free club rental for beginners would be workable. 3 wood, hybrid, 5i, 7i, 9i, sand wedge and putter in a sunday bag will get people started without tons of confusion.

[rehmwa]

I'm an "innocent until proven guilty" kind of guy.  Giving away tools or quoting rules, etc by the starter seems pointless.  Jerks are jerks and try telling them what NOT to do is a recipe for distaster.

The rest of us had good parents and we just apply courtesy and awareness to the course and that covers 100% of it - none of it is rocket science.

Tests and Training should be mandatory - AFTER someone is kicked off a course for really bad behavior.  They can't come back until they've done something to address their issues.   Forcing someone that doesn't show bad behavior to take, essentially remedial classes is pointless.

But - Getting kicked off has to be by a marshall, or MULTIPLE complaints from more than just one group.  Sometimes a single group can compose a 4 some of clicky snots that have no issue ganging up on outsiders.

1 - avoids forcing it on people when someone complains about some minor infraction that's just his personal pet peeve - we see quite a few of these on this forum at times - I could see it getting out of control.

2 - eventually the bad apples run out of courses - or the courses can even cross communicate the names and descriptions of people that abuse the activity and the property.  If they want to play, then training or class is the hoop to jump through to prove they'll behave.

It's been successful in other activities...

As for taking a course just because?  - Offering a course on play and ettiquette is a good idea.  If courses would just do this gratis, on a periodic basis, then I see no issue and a long term benefit for any course participating (Get Golf Ready is a great program, silly that not everyone does it, I wonder if a good coach offered it wouldn't get a set of clients buying lessons because of the exposure).  requiring it, and then charging for it (see the Swedish post) seems just gratuitous and way too big brother to me.

[rkim291968]

In yesterday's round, we were paired with a gentleman who needed 6 - 10 strokes

I have not read the entire thread but this is my experience: I live in Belgium and here, if you want to play, you have to pass a test, both theoretical and practical.

First there is a test on rules and etiquette: this is an open book exam and you pass if you get 25 points out of 30.
I know of no people that have ever failed this.

Then there is a practical test:

- you have to hit ten balls, relatively straight, 130 yards (total, whatever club you want, 110 yards for women). Six of them have to be good, or you fail.

- a series of chips and pitches from varying distances: you get points based on proximity to the hole. A certain amount of points is required.

- a series of putts from varying distances: again, you get points based on proximity to the hole. Again, a certain amount of points is required to pass.

This sounds quite strict however: no one I know has ever failed the rules test. But when I'm out on the course, I still see a lot of infractions.

However, I do know of a lot of people that did not pass the practical test the first time but eventually everyone passes (not necessarily because they are able).
 

It's supposed to prepare you for playing on the course and I guess in some ways it does. But when I look around when playing I'm not that sure it does.

 

Yesterday, here in USA, we were paired with a gentleman who needed (no exaggeration) 10 strokes just to get to green.  10 seems to be a magic number for him to pick up the ball.  Otherwise, on a par 5 hole, it could have taken him more than 10 strokes to get to green.   We could have used the Belgian testing process for this gentleman.

The group behind was complaining from hole number 3 although our group wasn't the one slowing down the pace.   A group in front was the last group of a large tournament and they were really slow - our group often waited on them.   But the group behind us saw the man struggling in field and thought/assumed we had to be the slow group.  

Edited October 26, 2015 by rkim291968

[tdiii]

What if someone opened a course that had pre-reqs?  Perhpas a basic ettiquette test plus demonstration of some basic ability to strike a golf ball.  Would you pay more to play such a course than an otherwise identical track elsewhere?  Presumably, bunkers would be better raked, pace of play would be better, etc. 

 

[vangator]

I voted for number 2.  Basic rules and etiquette.  I don't care how you play, just so you play at a reasonable pace, rake the bunkers, fill your divots (fairway and tee box), fix your ball marks and don't scuff your feet on the greens.  Then enjoy yourself and allow everyone else to as well.

 

BTW, I'd have problems with the putting part of the test.   !30 yards might be tough as well when I'm drunk.

Edited October 27, 2015 by vangator