What F'n differnce does it make?

[schigara]

My brother in law and I showed up at our regular course on sunday early and their was a league with about 10 foursomes. The wait was gonna be quite a long one so we started to play the back first. The marshall came up to us and said we had to play the front first and just sit an wait for the league.

He said it would mess things up for new arrivals as we would make the turn from the back to the front! Even on the weekends, at this course, it's never packed except for the leagues. This was the only league playing that day and they were all starting the front so there was no chance of us getting in their way by playing the back first. The prick would not budge and did not let us start the back 9.

We sat behind this "league" of hackers for right at 2 hours before we could tee off. Out of forty guys, only 3 or 4 hit it in the fairway and longer than 200yds! These were grown men but it was like watching and bunch of 8-10 y/o's wack away at it.

We got there at 7:30am and didn't finish until almost 4pm!! It usually takes us about 3 hr 15-45 min to play a round there.

Rant: OFF

[$2 Nassau]

What course has a league on Sunday morning? This a private course?

[amcquay]

Sorry to hear it. In situations like that I always let my wallet do the talking. I'd rather go to a normal course that allowed people to start at 1 or 10 than to have a near 8-hour round of 18. In the end though, you were still playing golf so it can't be all that bad right?

[schigara]

It's a municipal course. It's actually quite nice and is only $21 any day. This was the first time we have encountered a league on Sunday.

What course has a league on Sunday morning? This a private course?

[kfowler]

While this sounds like it was poorly managed by the club, their skill level has nothing to do with it unless they were playing slow. Did you have a tee time at 7:30 or was it a walk up? When you actually got to tee off, how did the course move?

[imtomtomim]

it's just like that guy who put tiger and paddy on the clock this past weekend. they're following the rules, but c'mon, does that really need to be enforced like that? Lack of better judgement is a killer these days.

[chriskzoo]

Stupid course policy. When I worked at a muni for several years, we always took tee times for the front and then allowed walk-ins off the back for the first hour and a half for 9, but no guarantee of making the turn to 1 unless there was an opening when the finished.

Hell, we even had a few guys who would beat me to the course, play 9 and pay after.

[benhd1]

Time to find a new course or tell the club house what an idiot the ranger was! I play the back at my home course twice as much as the front. Many times I play the back twice. Longer and more challenging than the front.

[David in FL]

Were you just walking on, or did you have a tee time?

Lesson to be learned is to always get a tee time before showing up. Sometimes you can get a starter to put you out the back, but if the course is crowded, he's right, groups making the turn coming off 18 can really screw things up on the front nine.

[Fourputt]

It's a municipal course. It's actually quite nice and is only $21 any day. This was the first time we have encountered a league on Sunday.

When you walk on, you take what you get. If you want a certain time, then make a reservation. If the course has a policy about back 9 starts, then you go with their policy. I'm a starter at a public course, and we

only allow 9 hole players to start on the back 9 in the morning, and even then only for the first 1-3/4 hours of the day. All 18 hole players start on the 1st tee. If you tried to jump on the back 9 where I work you would have met the same fate. In fact NOBODY goes on the course, front or back nine without my say so.

[sp33d]

One of my local courses is like that, its an annoyance. Seeing as most the people that play there are 50 years old +, Not that theres anything wrong with that. But I play much faster than they do and I would never hold them up. I know the guy that runs the starter box, so if hes there he usually lets me play the back. But if someone else is there its go find a different course.

[Jay-Bird]

If you have a problem with course rules, find another course.

It's FAR MORE ANNOYING to have just finished the front 9 and get to #10 tee only to find people who didn't play the front playing the 10th.

[Sowbug2000]

I'm from Memphis too....which course are you talking about??? I might have an idea....public course....REALLY crappy back 9? Would be interested to hear...

[schigara]

It's Pine Hills. We and most everyone walk up at this course. The course had just opened so there was no chance of getting in anyone's way making the turn from the front. We always take a break after 9 holes and would have been happy to wait a while for any groups starting the front as we went from the back to the front. But c'mon.......waiting 2 hours while absolutely no one is on the back?? I will be going elsewhere.

I'm from Memphis too....which course are you talking about??? I might have an idea....public course....REALLY crappy back 9? Would be interested to hear...

[Sowbug2000]

I was thinking maybe it was Audubon....the front is in okay shape...some greens are spotty....but the back is in awful shape. I've never played Pine Hills....I played Fox Meadows on Saturday....and it was in surprisingly good shape.

[schigara]

Oh, I don't care for Audubon. I love Fox Meadows and even though it's more money, I will start playing there more often. The Marshall there has never given us any BS. If the front is very crowded, he'll suggest that we go ahead and play the back first. Rather than overloading one side, he's smart and splits the load front and back.

I was thinking maybe it was Audubon....the front is in okay shape...some greens are spotty....but the back is in awful shape. I've never played Pine Hills....I played Fox Meadows on Saturday....and it was in surprisingly good shape.

[senorchipotle]

that's when you go back into the clubhouse, get your money, and hit up a real golf course.