Poorly run golf courses...I witnessed one last Friday.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by k-troop

Yeah, I'm going to have to agree with most of the folks here:  you have no position to complain.

You called for a same-day tee time, on a Friday afternoon, and were given limited options.  Unbelievable.

Other people were on the course ahead of you.  Unbelievable.

You personally decided to jump to the back nine, and the course staff told you that wasn't allowed.  Unbelievable.

They were only willing to refund you the amount of money you actually paid.  Unbelievable.

And, a good course which offers a $20 (with cart) rate at noon on a Friday in the middle of summer was crowded.  Totally unbelievable.

If you want to have the run of the course, I suggest you either buy your own, or join a limited membership private club.  Otherwise, you'll just have to accept that other people might be on the course, and the course staff might want to control how and when you play in order to accommodate EVERYONE who comes out to play.

+1 on this.

Originally Posted by formula428

You both are wrong.

I wanted a later tee time and they forced me to go 12:46.  OK, fine, that's the way it is and I accept.  I'm upset because I get there and WAS NOT TOLD about the large groups (walkers!) and the mess on the Front 9 when I paid.  For the record, I've been told almost every time at other courses when something like this goes on.  I decide to stay and accept it, or leave, or ask to play the other side of the course.

So, I play the first hole.  I move onto the second hole, and THEN I find out about the giant mess from the other golfers (NOT the staff!).  I make the mistake of playing the Back 9.  I'm not sure if I was actually "kicked off" but my friend just wanted to end the hassle and get our money back.  So, we go back to the clubhouse and the pro KNOWS it's a big mess out there.  We we're the only ones who got refunded.  Yet he STILL collects new players' money and sends them off to join the mess, which they'll later figure out in about 20 minutes.  The starter also KNOWS it's a mess, but he's wandering around the course trying to sort it out, so no one was even at the Back 9 when we tee'd off.  We got reported by the 4-some behind us, who apparently had exclusive rights and "could not be held up at all" in the eyes of the pro/course.  Total chaos, and insulting too!

I'm sorry, but I just think it's a cheap way to collect peoples money, especially when they KNOW it's a disaster all-around.  It pisses me off even more because I had the day off and could have went anywhere, but I really like(d) this course.  Key word:  Liked.

Formula,

I wish you well when you move out here, or for your vacation, or whatever it ends up being ... just know that the courses out here are always busy, they will never let you jump around holes at your own discretion, and (I'm really only guessing on this one cuz I've never tried it) they probably won't refund your money in that type of situation you described.  As long as you know that going in, you should be fine.

(One other thing:  Don't look down your nose at walkers so much ... they are frequently just as fast, sometimes faster, than riders)

Good luck!

[sacm3bill]

Originally Posted by formula428

...At that time, I make an executive decision to reverse course and play the Back 9 first... We are behind one group, but they go quickly and we get to the box, tee up, and are now on the green.  As we are walking toward the green, putters in hand, we get approached by another women.  She is an employee of the course and she is pitching a fit because we are not supposed to be on the Back 9.  I explained to her that the Front 9 is jammed up because of a HS golf club and we figured since the Back appeared open, we'd play it.  Plus, we are only a group of 2 and should not hold anyone up.  She explains back that there's a league of gentlemen behind us and they will be very upset they are held up at all.

You contradict yourself there - the back 9 is obviously not open if you're waiting for a group in front of you on the 10th tee already.

Regardless of that, no matter how wide open a back 9 might look, you never know what's up ahead, and you need to consider that. The odds are good that if you're a quick twosome you're going to eventually be held up by groups ahead of you. Once that happens, any groups you jumped in front of could potentially catch up and now find themselves with one more group in front of them, making their round that much longer.  This is something that's always bugged me about those singles driving around the course in carts looking for an open hole to slot into.

[Ernest Jones]

I would have refused to refund you. You have absolutely no grounds for claiming a refund. They would have been justified kicking you off the course IMO.

[formula428]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeNut

I've learned many golf lessons the hard way........

One lesson:

When playing an away course (especially if not playing at the crack of dawn).........is to ask if there will be any events or groups on the course when making the tee time .  If you ask, they will tell you........

This same lesson should apply to spring and fall aeration!!! .....if you don't ask, they will not tell you.

I just thought since golf was supposed to be a gentleman sport, that type of info would be supplied.  Again, I wasn't the only person/group  that was issued a refund.  Bottom line -- I need to always ask this stuff.

Originally Posted by Dave2512

All the courses I play post info about aeration, repairs, tournament and league play, whatever on their website. Recently played a course I've not been to and they had an alert on their site that a few greens had been damaged due to vandalism. Because of that they were offering discounted rates. Some of the places that require an on-line profile to book a tee time send email alerts about course issues. Comes with the coupons and other spam.

I played a very reputable course and on one occasion, they actually closed down a hole completely.  We were not told about that until we came up to that hole.  I don't care so much about discounts or getting it as cheaply as possible.  However, to not even mention that at all?  Again, I guess I just need to start asking if all the holes are in play and conditioned properly.

Originally Posted by Paradox

they forced you to go off at 12:46?  If that time didn't suit you why did you accept it?

You're missing my point.  My point is, if they booked 5 groups of 5...let's say between 11:31 and 12:31 or whatever, WHY on EARTH would they continue to book people at the normal time, knowing full-well that the course would most likely get jammed up?  I guess 12:46 really didn't matter, other than it was too close to the large groups.  I thought courses considered that, and that was the point of booking a tee time, to attempt to make the course play at the normal pace.  Then again, maybe I'm wrong...

Originally Posted by wolfsburg2

The course is trying to make money. They make money with green fees.

You paid $20.

This is nuts.

You didn't even run into the group out front, you assumed you would be held up by the "mess". And by mess, I mean group of other golfers on the public golf course.

You got your money back, STFU. You might want to pick up a different hobby.

But they lose money when everyone on the course is pissed off and getting refunds due to poor management.  And those people may only come and play their credited round and then never play again.  The point isn't so much about the $20, it's more that I wasted the drive and my time with that circus.  I can plenty well afford a round of golf, thanks.  I went there because I really enjoy that course and it's really nice within my area.

I could very well see 3 of the 5 groups that were ahead of me.  Obviously it wasn't just me, since others tried to jump ahead and everything.

You seriously don't need to get pissed with me or anything.  You may want to join another forum.

Originally Posted by jetsknicks1

I agree. They offered a full price credit for the cost of the round, that's all they had to do. The muni course I play all the time is also the home course for area high schools and sometimes gets backed up with kids. When one side of the course is slammed, the staff is really good about letting us start off/move to the back 9 if we ask. Just deciding to jump ahead is most likely what pissed them off.

Agreed about jumping.  It was the wrong decision, though I'll still argue that jamming the course up for what is already a mess is also wrong.  Had I know, I would have certainly asked to start off the back.  No one ever told me, until I was already on the course and found out.

Originally Posted by mad max

I don't understand how you can say it was a "mess" you didn't even see the high school golfers.  For all you know they might have been playing at a reasonable pace.  They might have only been planning on playing the front 9 in that case you might have been slowed up a little when you caught them on hole 5 or 6 but by 9 you would have had the back 9 wide open to you.

How dare that 4 some think they had the exclusive right to not have some random 2 some jump in front of them because they wanted to.  You sound like the type of guy that wouldn't mind at all if a group jumped in front of you and inconvenienced you because they wanted to.  The fact that they saw you means that the back 9 was not wide open.  Before you say "it was wide open in front of us they wouldn't have seen us after the 10th hole."  They must have seen the group in front of them sometime during the round otherwise they wouldn't know that you were not the group that was supposed to be in front of them.

It amazes me how many times a twosome will ask to play through when the course is full and there is nowhere to go.  If a foursome clears the green and gets to the next tee box and the 2 some can hit their approach shots chip and putt out and get to the tee before the 4 some can hit drives. Chances are the 4 some had to wait for the group in front of them, or they should be drug out in the street and shot for incompetence.  Don't ask to play through unless you can see that their is no one in front of them.  I know when I play with 3 friends when the the course is backed up we might linger on the tee together, rather than hit our tee shots the instant the group in front is out of range and than stand over our second shots with our hands on our hips waiting for the green to clear.

I saw the HS golfers, though I didn't watch them to see their pace.  I assumed that since the 2-some in front of me actually jumped a hole (or tried to) that it must be bad.  The issue with the 4-some on Hole 10 wasn't that they caught up to us.  It was that (and again my fault on this one) others followed us to the Back 9.  We were well ahead of the 4-some but they must have caught up to the other groups behind us.  When we got there, 2 had tee'd off and they were moving quick.  So, that's how I figure "wide open" considered a sunny Friday afternoon.  I agree about the course being backed up and others wanting to go in front, but there's no where to go.

Originally Posted by k-troop

Yeah, I'm going to have to agree with most of the folks here:  you have no position to complain.

You called for a same-day tee time, on a Friday afternoon, and were given limited options.  Unbelievable.

Other people were on the course ahead of you.  Unbelievable.

You personally decided to jump to the back nine, and the course staff told you that wasn't allowed.  Unbelievable.

They were only willing to refund you the amount of money you actually paid.  Unbelievable.

And, a good course which offers a $20 (with cart) rate at noon on a Friday in the middle of summer was crowded.  Totally unbelievable.

If you want to have the run of the course, I suggest you either buy your own, or join a limited membership private club.  Otherwise, you'll just have to accept that other people might be on the course, and the course staff might want to control how and when you play in order to accommodate EVERYONE who comes out to play.

Did not call on the same day.

It's not "other people" but instead 5 groups of 5 (walkers).  Back to back to back to back to back.  Big difference.

I agree about the mistake to jump.

I was just pissed because they started to write out 18 and then caught themselves and only said $20.  If I was the owner, I would have just given them 18 anytime.

I figured it would be crowded by the number of cars in the lot.  However, 5 groups of 5 playing back to back to back to back to back?  Seriously?  That's the unbelievable part.

I don't want to have the run of the course.  And it's evident that the staff wasn't accommodating ANYONE except for the group of all-special 4 that was on Hole 10, who likely made a fuss.  They just kept taking money and jamming it up, knowing that it's already a disaster.  After we got our money and returned our cart, I could see 4 more groups waiting on the Front.  Boy if they only knew what lied ahead of them!  And for the record, I personally would have no problem if a group of 2 wanted to go in front of me and I was playing a group of 4.  Hell, I even let groups of 2 play ahead when I'm playing a two-some.  Doesn't bother me.

[wolfsburg2]

You paid $20. Focus on that point please. You paid $20. This was far from a painful greens fee. AND YOU GOT IT REFUNDED.

I am glad I don't deal with customers like you for a living. I'd hate my life.

[Stewie007]

Wow, I've never seen such vitriol arguing about a round of golf....

I don't know what is more humorous.... The fact that you're still worked up about it..... or The fact that after nearly 2 weeks its still being discussed....

[Putridgasbag]

You can count me in the group who thinks you are lucky that you got credit with the course.

Let me see you went out on a Friday early afternoon and you knew it was busy because you were offered your choice of 2 tee times over an hour apart. Hell if I show up at a course around these parts at that time I would be lucky to get out and if I did I would be betting it would be slow out there with a full sheet out on the course. Pesky other people playing golf how dare they.

I have never been to a course that warns you that it could be slow out there because there are golfers on the course. Really you are pissed that golfers were on the course and that you and your buddy couldn't buzz around the course in minutes flat?!?! Oh noes they are walkers!?!? Really.

You took it upon yourself to jump around the holes because you felt entitled to? If I was in a group that teed off a couple of hours before you and saw you zip in front of me I would be pissed at you and your buddy. I still can't figure out what you expected at a course that is charging 20 bucks for a round. You want to play on an course unencumbered with golfers it is going to cost a lot more than 20 bucks. First there will be the initiation fee.....