Drinking Water on Courses

[Everardo]

Not because of what happened here years ago but I just don't like cooler water, you know when it tastes like cooked plastic? Yeah I guess I'm a water snob and only like bottled water.

[beung]

Some courses around here give you a free bottle of water, you bring your own water if the $2 is too much or if you don't feel that the course water is safe to drink.

Besides who has room for water when it should be used for beer :P

[Scratch-Hopeful]

My home course is very good at maintaining water at three holes throughout the nine. It may be one of the only things they are good at and it may not be the best water but I'll take it. Even for this past year of high school golf for me we played at about two different 18 hole invites that never had any water offered and even the bigger events such as the conference tournament, regionals, and sectionals never had water. State had water, but how could it not.

[ohiorobp]

A course here that I play (Weatherwax) in Ohio has water fountains throughout the course. Kind of like the ones in schools. I like playing there on hot days for that sole reason.

Rob

[CG031]

My home course got rid of water on the course about a year or two ago. They offer poland spring water though on the 5th hole, but you are supposed to pay a dollar to get one.

[ettsn]

I've got a Sun Mountain C130 cart bag that has a built-in cooler on it. I found that the bladder from my Camelbak fits perfectly inside, so I can take a nice cold sip whenever I want. And that thing's got 1.5 liters in it! The hose is long enough to sip from standing next to my bag, and the fill mouth is large enough to stuff with ice cubes before filling with filtered water. Hydration is critical to concetration and shoot, it makes you feel better!

[lhshurdl3r]

at the course i work at we have a water station (cooler in a big stand thats locked and covered) on the sixth hole, 8th/17th tee box, 10th green, and 11th/14th tee box.

[Dyna]

At what I would consider to be my home course they have exactly 1 water cooler which is locked & it's between the 5th & 9th tee box. Usually there is water but not always. The cart girls are flaky because sometimes you will see them twice in 9 holes & other times you wont see them at all. Then you have the times where she is just sitting way off the course & just drives back & forth to the clubhouse without selling anything.

I have a cart bag with an insulated cooler pocket which I now put a couple gatorades in.

[Cleveland Gunmetal]

It's not that they have bad water when it's put in the cooler, it's from people sticking their dirty towel on the coolers tap to wet the towels down

Yep. That's exactly what people do. Disgusting.

Remember, now, that a lot of public courses have done away with offering drinking water. A few people have died recently or gotten quite sick after drinking contaminated water on some courses. It's not a good situation.

Yeah, I understand that and I admit I am at fault because I forgot to bring my own drink (seldom happens). Still, if not water they should have a beverage cart or snack bar open. Snack bar was closed, car wasn't out there and it was a 95 degree, busy day. Plus, I asked ahead of time (when I realized I forgot my own water) and I was told not to worry.

[P3R3]

I hate it if a course does not have water. Too hot here not to offer it.

[DDBowdoin]

it can be an insurance issue for a golf course but they need to offer drinking water... I know some people have died but when considering how many rounds are logged in the US every year they are very, very rare examples. my local track offers zero on course drinking water... its pointless, they use the example of people dying... they are just cutting corners and maximizing profits

[Fourputt]

it can be an insurance issue for a golf course but they need to offer drinking water... I know some people have died but when considering how many rounds are logged in the US every year they are very, very rare examples. my local track offers zero on course drinking water... its pointless, they use the example of people dying... they are just cutting corners and maximizing profits

In Boston I can just barely see them rationalizing it (still a dumb way to cheap out), but in a place like Denver where I live, it regularly tops 95 degrees (and often tops 100) in the shade throughout the summer, and not having water available is far more of a potential liability issue than the improbable risk of contamination. We already had one man collapse on the course, and we have LOTS of water available. I carry a couple of old soda bottles that I fill at each station.

To the poster above who was commenting on the "plastic taste"... That doesn't come from the dispenser jug, it comes from using a garden hose to fill the jugs. Our guys fill them directly from the spigot, and the water tastes fine.

[GITrDONE]

More people die from water intoxication (too much water) than dehydration

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication

The More You Know(TM)

[iacas]

In Boston I can just barely see them rationalizing it (still a dumb way to cheap out), but in a place like Denver where I live, it regularly tops 95 degrees (and often tops 100) in the shade throughout the summer, and not having water available is far more of a potential liability issue than the improbable risk of contamination.

I think there's a much greater liability in offering potentially contaminated water to golfers than simply having a golfer who chooses not to purchase or drink enough water that he collapses.

One is clearly the fault of the golf course (contaminated water), and one is clearly the fault of the individual (not buying and/or drinking enough water). I think that assuming that a golf course has free drinking water is going to be an increasingly silly assumption. This isn't even a case of "overly litigious" people making life suck for others. I highly doubt it has much at all to do with "maximizing profits" and a lot more to do with not wanting to be sued for $20M or to cause anyone sickness or death. Golf courses could pretty easily spare a few bucks a day to offer water if it didn't have the risks being discussed here, and they'd likely make it back by not losing a customer or two. So, to me anyway, it probably ain't about maximizing profits.

[dayll]

I play golf and tennis with a guy who denies himself water. He is in incredible shape and will only drink water (never a beer - god forbid!) at the end of the round or match. He believes that in the near future potable water will be in very short supply and he is training his body to live with the minimum amount. What bugs me is we often walk 18 in ninety degree plus heat or play three sets of tennis at noon and I'll be hydrating every chance I get and I'll be soaked in sweat and he'll be dry as a bone. I hate this guy! -dayll

[bg_27]

at my course they did away with water coolers, and now fill your cart up with cold bottled water at no charge, i usually take an extra bottle so i have 3 bottles on the course.

[Cleveland Gunmetal]

I think there's a much greater liability in offering potentially contaminated water to golfers than simply having a golfer who chooses not to purchase or drink enough water that he collapses.

There is a much higher chance of someone becoming sick due to heat exhaustion rather than contaminated water. If a golfer collapses, dies, gets sick, whatever on the course due to heat exhaustion you don't think the golf course is going to get sued? And again, how does water become contaminated? People put towels, their hands, etc into the cooler. Just lock the coolers so that cannot happen.

With that said I don't have a problem with courses deciding not to offer drinking water. They, however, need to have it available via purchase. They also should have some sort of notification for the golfers telling them there is not water on the course.

[Soup Fan]

I play golf and tennis with a guy who denies himself water. He is in incredible shape and will only drink water (never a beer - god forbid!) at the end of the round or match. He believes that in the near future potable water will be in very short supply and he is training his body to live with the minimum amount. What bugs me is we often walk 18 in ninety degree plus heat or play three sets of tennis at noon and I'll be hydrating every chance I get and I'll be soaked in sweat and he'll be dry as a bone. I hate this guy! -dayll

Does he sign his scorecard "Unabomber?"