What do you look for in a golf course staff?

[Orange]

Already have a thread about golf courses, but what about the staff that you interact with? Any good or bad stories that you have experienced?

[alf174]

The 2 tracks I play most of the time are owned by 2 brothers and a sister (their parents have passed) and you can see them working 7 days a week. They bought a long course a year ago that had fallen into disrepair and the brothers are out their constantly working on something trying to get it back into shape (irrigation, bunkers, etc). The sister works the older shorter course and always does her best to get you out on the course no matter how busy they are. And they keep their prices at reasonable rates. They and their staff are very personable and pleasant. Today, the long course was packed with only a few carts left available and they made room for our twosome. That kind of hospitality makes for a good round and a returning customer.

[Marinemike]

I want the staff to talk to me like they want me there and like they want to be there. That's all.

The only muni here has a Tuesday special and I tried it...once. The old bastard in the pro shop acted like I was going to steal something. After my buddy and I got to the range (on the other side of the course driving over 4 fairways without cart paths) we realized he didn't give us range tokens. We drove back, and he gave us guff about how he gave them to us and he insinuated that we were trying to rip him off. The cart girl was smoking (like a cigarette, not smoking hot...at all) the whole time and she didn't want to be there. The starter was okay for the 3 minutes we interacted. I never went back.

My real course is awesome. Pro shop staff cares, cart girls are always nice, and the head greenskeeper used to be a teaching pro...ever have the guy on the mower shut down and give you a short lesson because he's been watching you for three holes? Both pros are excellent as far as I know, but I don't interact with them much.

[mfreeman73]

I just want them to be nice and friendly. Some are, but more are not. Most I've dealt with give you a look like, "how dare you waste my time wanting to golf on my course." Heck, I even try to look the part, wearing a collared shirt and behaving politely.

Maybe it's different if you're a member at a club or something. I've never been one, so I have no idea. My wife went out with me one time at a muny and because of the attitudes of the staff, she hasn't wanted to golf since.

Not sure why some staff get cranky. Is it because they have to deal with golf-jerks all day? Some of us are actually nice people who just want to play and have a good time.

[Dub]

The manager of our club does an awesome job.

He is extremely outgoing and friendly and speaks to everyone like they are his best friends. He goes out of his way to follow up on course conditions and investigate complaints (I've seen him in action when a guy came in complaining about slow play).

He does a great job in setting up our tourneys and soliciting outside interest in our course. He's got a Hooter's Tour event scheduled here and other large local tourneys, too. He ensures the course maintains a high level of readiness for these events.

He also manages the golf shop well....keeping it stocked nicely but keeping the prices right so inventory moves.

[1par2win]

I played a tournament at the TPC Twin Cities and was impressed by the staff. It's a private club but the staff treated me and everyone else like guests. Always said hello, made eye contact, and just in general treated us like paying customers. My home course (Bunker Hills) is pretty relaxed and accomidating as well.

[Leftygolfer]

I prefer cute college girls that aren't wearing much. There is nothing worse than a fat guy selling drinks on the course.

[David in FL]

Polite and honest about the course and conditions. Nothing is worse than to be told that the course is in great shape and then to arrive and find that they aerated the greens three days ago.

Starters need to be able to keep groups on time and point golfers unfamiliar with the course to the tees most appropriate to their abilities, and marshalls on the course need to be ready, willing, and able to move along slow players.

[mhodar13]

I appreciate when the cashiers go out of their way to sneak you on when it's crowded, and when the rangers are polite and let you know if they see where your ball lands while they're driving. I also like when they treat kids around my age and younger fairly and not assume we just don't have a clue.

[mirv]

most important to me, i think, is just a plain and simple cheerful disposition. nothing throws me off more than going into the clubhouse and the first thing i'm met with is some guy behind the counter - or somewhere clear across the room, which is more often the case - looking for all the world like he hates his position in life, he hates being in this clubhouse, he hates running the register, he hates other golfers, he hates his boss, he really would love nothing more than to be ANYWHERE else in the entire universe than to be here in this clubhouse right now having to deal with these morons coming through who think they want to play some golf. typical transaction goes about like this:

me: i'd like a green fee and a cart for 18 please.

(he rings it up without saying a word, gets out a key, half-heartedly tosses it across the counter in my general direction)

me: thank you.

(he turns around and wanders off in the opposite direction)

that's just bullshit. have some pride in your work, even if your work is a register jockey. be professional, be courteous. running into a disgruntled jerkwheat in the clubhouse more often than not sets the mood for my whole round - i feel like i'm unwelcome and/or unimportant and, consequently, play less than stellar golf much of the time.

[Forest]

I'm a junior golfer, and I look like I'm around 10 or so. I walked into the Pro shot at my local course, and asked to play 18 holes in the morning. The fat ass cashier behind the counter was talking to me like I didn't know shit. I politely told him not to speak to me like I was a little kid, but then it just got worse. I ended up going to a different person and asking them to play, instead of him. Things like that piss me off.

At another course that I go to, they are really nice. I'm always there, so they know my name, and they always know what I want.

[Clambake]

I simply like a course staff who remembers that the golfers are profit and that they are overhead, and act accordingly.