Biggest problem on the golf course today?

[MrSandman]

Should have also included people not playing the correct tee, which might have won my vote.

Also, snitches should have been included as well.

[Double Bogey]

Toss up between "Slow Play" and "Ball Marks."  I went with ball marks because that is just common sense.  You tear it up, you fix it.  You dirty it, you clean it.  Pretty damn simple if you ask me.  Slow play can happen and it not totally be your fault (another group member).  Fixing a ball mark or sanding a divot should be standard practice for everyone.

[MrSandman]

I voted for dumbed down pro shops.

At private courses, this isn't much of an issue.  They pay more for a decent staff.

At public courses, the golf pros have lost so much revenue to the dick's and golf worlds that they have to hire minimum wage staff and many of these people are idiots who don't really know golf.  I find this to be the case at most municipal nyc courses (which are actually putting a lot more money into the course itself, but the pro shop staffs are idiots).

[Gresh24]

Originally Posted by MrSandman

I voted for dumbed down pro shops.

At private courses, this isn't much of an issue.  They pay more for a decent staff.

At public courses, the golf pros have lost so much revenue to the dick's and golf worlds that they have to hire minimum wage staff and many of these people are idiots who don't really know golf.  I find this to be the case at most municipal nyc courses (which are actually putting a lot more money into the course itself, but the pro shop staffs are idiots).

How often do you need to, and/or seek out, the expertise of the pro shop staff?

[Dave2512]

I'll add to the divot/ball mark choice but saying course condition overall seems to be at an all time low. The tee boxes are often hacked to bits and fairways can be overly dry as well.

[Dave2512]

Originally Posted by Gresh24

How often do you need to, and/or seek out, the expertise of the pro shop staff?

I was going to ask the same question. Personally I don't think the course in an exception. Customer service, everything from retail to whatever is terrible. I don't deal with the pros but the kids working the register on the course are cut from the same cloth as the kids manning the same machine at Taco Bell. They are better dressed so that counts for something, right?

[pixel5]

I ALWAYS look for ball marks to repair. Always. That's the only way to keep your greens nice at any course.

Behind that it has been worse and worse with my local proshops...i'm lucky they even carry gloves anymore! And I also selected slow play. Because thats just annoying.

Anyone who selected women/minorities needs to not say anthing about their selection because I will kick you in the nuts, you racist idiots.

[RonTheSavage]

I voted slow play

I know Im not supposed to wear Cargo Shorts on the course but many times Im forced too. Im 6'3 and the normal Nike or Ashworth shorts that I've tried stop about an inch above the knee. NOT COOL. I've been looking for decent length shorts for months.

[MrSandman]

Originally Posted by Gresh24

How often do you need to, and/or seek out, the expertise of the pro shop staff?

It's not even the advice.  It's just the common sense factor.  It's like going to the checkout at a super market and the cashier being clueless about everything.

[Dave2512]

Originally Posted by RonTheSavage

I voted slow play

I know Im not supposed to wear Cargo Shorts on the course but many times Im forced too. Im 6'3 and the normal Nike or Ashworth shorts that I've tried stop about an inch above the knee. NOT COOL. I've been looking for decent length shorts for months.

Snake Eyes makes shorts with longer inseam. I grabbed as many as I could find in my size from GS early in the year, on sale for $13.99 each. 6'1 here, same problem. The Adidas stuff is pretty long too. I guess that makes me a golf nerd.

[MrSandman]

Originally Posted by RonTheSavage

I know Im not supposed to wear Cargo Shorts on the course but many times Im forced too. Im 6'3 and the normal Nike or Ashworth shorts that I've tried stop about an inch above the knee. NOT COOL. I've been looking for decent length shorts for months.

Actually, golf nerds might be as big a problem as cargo shorts.  I was busting balls about cargo shorts the other day, but I'd rather play with somebody wearing cargo shorts and a t-shirt, smoking a joint and listening to music than a golf nerd (so long as quality of play was comparable).  Golf nerds take themselves way too seriously and most of them are average players at best.

[Kieran123]

Slow play. Divots etc I don't mind fixing up others - annoying yes...but not as annoying as a 5 hour round.

[Dave2512]

Originally Posted by MrSandman

It's not even the advice.  It's just the common sense factor.  It's like going to the checkout at a super market and the cashier being clueless about everything.

IMO it's not a realistic expectation that customer service would be any better just because it's a golf course. Not going to encounter many rocket scientists willing to work a cash register for $7.50 an hour. The quality of the employee is relative to the pay. Even the nicer courses I frequent have a massive staff of kids and retail rejects. Heck the staff at my parents club, specifically the food service staff, terrible.

[bplewis24]

IMO there are only 3 golf course problems: unrepaired divots/marks, slow play, and inattentive marshals or staff members.

The biggest problem I would prefer attention drawn to is divots/marks.  Why?  Because that's the only one that certainly only requires some level of effort to fix.  Slow play can be caused by a low skill level along with a lack of consideration.  Sometimes the inattentiveness of the marshals is due to other factors beyond peoples' control (like the course being understaffed or overbooked).

The rest of the poll options are no doubt things that have pissed some members off before, but I don't consider real problems.

[Gresh24]

Originally Posted by MrSandman

It's not even the advice.  It's just the common sense factor.  It's like going to the checkout at a super market and the cashier being clueless about everything.

And this causes you the biggest problem with everything in golf?  What problems has this created for you?

[RonTheSavage]

Originally Posted by Dave2512

Snake Eyes makes shorts with longer inseam. I grabbed as many as I could find in my size from GS early in the year, on sale for $13.99 each. 6'1 here, same problem. The Adidas stuff is pretty long too. I guess that makes me a golf nerd.

I will look into that, and cant beat the price! Thanks for the info

[MrSandman]

Originally Posted by Dave2512

IMO it's not a realistic expectation that customer service would be any better just because it's a golf course. Not going to encounter many rocket scientists willing to work a cash register for $7.50 an hour. The quality of the employee is relative to the pay. Even the nicer courses I frequent have a massive staff of kids and retail rejects. Heck the staff at my parents club, specifically the food service staff, terrible.

Prior to Taylor Made spurning the PGA of America and the green grass requirements for major brand distribution, the quality of pro shop employees was usually pretty decent.  Pros had a monopoly on the high end clubs, and hired a decent staff to accomodate.  In the late 90's when Taylor Made bucked the trend by distributing to non-green grass courses, the club pros lost a lot of their revenue and the staffs in the pro shops went from being filled with people who are passionate about golf and enjoyed working in the pro shop to a bunch of idiots.  Now all the distributers have moved away from the green grass requirement.

Dick's actually just hired a buddy of mine who is a PGA pro and was an assistant at a local course.  Dick's is really stepping it up with staff.  I also think New York Golf Center's staff is very knowledgeable.  If these guys were also the ones taking your green fees and monitoring the rangers and startesr, the course experience would be better.

ahh, the good old days.

[preisman]

Most placed I play do not even use rangers/marshals, so you get the slow play, loud music and poorly dressed golfers. I think many public courses are letting some rules go to allow more people to play. I understand the mind thought, but there should be standards.