Rant about golf course

[anthony]

First my rant. My local course used to be a private club. I used to drive by and dream about what it would be like to play there. I always wanted to join because it was so close to home. Well, it went public last year and I was overjoyed. I played 9 after work one day and my first thoughts were it was tougher than most of the courses I played. Now, after playing it numerous times since last year, my thoughts are "Are they trying to get rid of customers?". I don't know what it's like on the weekend, but when I play during the week it's never packed. Which, is good for me, but bad for business. Even with the lack of people and the course to myself it seems, I'm ready to quit playing there. It's barely a 5 minute drive and I don't know if I can play it anymore.

The main reason is the shape of the course. It's awful. Grass clippings....wait....hay everywhere. I don't know if it's from not mowing enough, but there is an unreal amount of brown mowed grass clumps everywhere. Mainly it's in the rough, but that doesn't make it better. I've hit balls to a spot, walked to it, and couldn't find my ball (this was less than 10 yds off the fairway). In addition to the hay everywhere, I think the rough is too long. If your course is well known for difficult conditions and what not, that's one thing. That's not this course though, this place needs customers. If people are loosing balls in the rough because it's too deep and there is freakin hay, they're not going to be inclined to return.

Yesterday nearly drove me over the edge. 8th hole, Par 5 that plays into the sun. When I tee'd off there was a cloud semi-blocking the sun. I saw it start left and drop what looked like the center of the fairway. Obviously it could have rolled one way or another, but I felt quite confident I hit a good shot. It looked good and felt good. Well, I noticed that this hole, along with #1 had hay in the fairway. I get down to where my ball should be and I CAN'T FIND IT! I've never seen a fairway in such bad condition before. For one, the grass should never be that high in the fairway where it clumps after you cut it. Secondly, if it does, CLEAN IT UP! In the fall when the leaves drop, I can understand loosing a ball under cover, but not in June. Certainly, not in the middle of the fairway. Granted, the sun was really beaming yesterday. However, if there wasn't so much shit in the damn fairway, my ball would have stuck out like a sore thumb.

I really want to support this course and play here, but they need to maintain the place or I'm done. It's pretty sad if you can't keep a customer that lives a mile and half from your facility. I like everyone that works the pro-shop and the food is actually really good here. But, if they don't clean up the hay and start watering the damn greens (that's another issue), I'll only being coming here for lunch once in a while. And that just sucks.

[sean_miller]

Tighten those loose balls!!

[Fozcycle]

Have you talked with the Greenskeeper?

Possibly he is strapped for help and can't get it all done....

I suggest that you try it on the weekend.

Where I play regularly in Tampa, FL we have a Saturday morning game that gives us a discounted rate year round, a set tee time 9shotgun start), you don't have to have a foursome as they will pair you up with others and it's a 420 game where you can win dough. We average between 24 and 40 players every week. they keep track of your scores and handicap everyone.

[iacas]

Thing is, bitching about it here (I mean that in the nice way - I think you're right to be upset) won't help you OR the course. They need to hear that things are really wrong. It's tough to imagine that they might be so clueless, but maybe they are.

[Dpricenator]

There are several course here, that become extremely difficult if you miss the fairway. I'm talking about 4 feet -4 yards of rough and then Iceplant. If you go into the ice plant forget it. you may or may not find your ball, but you have to take a drop because there is no way to hit out of it. I just bring extra balls because there are several holes I really like. BVut like was said before, tell the management, so they know the issues. Complaining here won't do much good except for to blow off some steam. Good luck. I wish I had a course nearby that was not completely packed.