Jump to content
IGNORED

Golf Now/Course Rant


Note: This thread is 3001 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Recommended Posts

Had previously booked a tee time through GN at a great price at a local course. Soon after, an emailed was received that the time had been canceled.

Called the course and they said it wasn't on their end. GN denied it, too.

Come to find out, the course HAD canceled our time and moved our tee time 2 hours earlier. The time that we'd previously booked was increased by a fair amount.

The only reason that I can figure is that the course didn't want to honor the previously booked time and realized that they could make money by cancelling and jacking the price back up. 

Really soured me on that course.

Has anyone else had that experience?

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Administrator

I don't buy rounds on GolfNow or anything, but it sounds like something that might be against the GolfNow policies.

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

Check Out: New Topics | TST Blog | Golf Terms | Instructional Content | Analyzr | LSW | Instructional Droplets

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

I would contact Golf Now about your experience, showing them your confirmation emails saying you booked that specific tee time and also the email saying your booking had been cancelled while the tee time was still available for sale.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

I ran into a problem with GolfNow this summer when I booked a Hot Deal tee time at a dream course for a few days ahead of time. I was very happy with the deal and I planned a couple of other rounds around that tee time (had a few days off and was planning on playing with friends who were also taking time off that week). I got an email from Golf Now a day before the round that the tee time had been canceled. I called customer service and she said that the course had an outing and were canceling my tee time. No apologies, no courtesy rebooking. By then, other good deals I would have jumped on that day were sold out. The lady even went so far as to say that I was "lucky" I was canceled on ahead of time because, in her words, people usually find out when they get to the golf course. I told her I didn't feel lucky and that that was a crappy way to treat customers, especially when it sounds like it happens routinely. I get that mistakes happen and wires get crossed, but if I had found out I had a meeting that day and couldn't make it, I wasn't going to get a refund. Arrogant lack of accountability like that rubs me the wrong way.

Dom's Sticks:

Callaway X-24 10.5° Driver, Callaway Big Bertha 15° wood, Callaway XR 19° hybrid, Callaway X-24 24° hybrid, Callaway X-24 5i-9i, PING Glide PW 47°/12°, Cleveland REG 588 52°/08°, Callaway Mack Daddy PM Grind 56°/13°, 60°/10°, Odyssey Versa Jailbird putter w/SuperStroke Slim 3.0 grip, Callaway Chev Stand Bag, Titleist Pro-V1x ball

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

5 hours ago, dkolo said:

I ran into a problem with GolfNow this summer when I booked a Hot Deal tee time at a dream course for a few days ahead of time. I was very happy with the deal and I planned a couple of other rounds around that tee time (had a few days off and was planning on playing with friends who were also taking time off that week). I got an email from Golf Now a day before the round that the tee time had been canceled. I called customer service and she said that the course had an outing and were canceling my tee time. No apologies, no courtesy rebooking. By then, other good deals I would have jumped on that day were sold out. The lady even went so far as to say that I was "lucky" I was canceled on ahead of time because, in her words, people usually find out when they get to the golf course. I told her I didn't feel lucky and that that was a crappy way to treat customers, especially when it sounds like it happens routinely. I get that mistakes happen and wires get crossed, but if I had found out I had a meeting that day and couldn't make it, I wasn't going to get a refund. Arrogant lack of accountability like that rubs me the wrong way.

I'm curious, @David in FL, did you ever have something like this happen when you were using GN regularly? 

Christian

:tmade::titleist:  :leupold:  :aimpoint: :gamegolf:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

On 12/6/2015 at 4:58 PM, mecoleman said:

Had previously booked a tee time through GN at a great price at a local course. Soon after, an emailed was received that the time had been canceled.

Called the course and they said it wasn't on their end. GN denied it, too.

Come to find out, the course HAD canceled our time and moved our tee time 2 hours earlier. The time that we'd previously booked was increased by a fair amount.

The only reason that I can figure is that the course didn't want to honor the previously booked time and realized that they could make money by cancelling and jacking the price back up. 

Really soured me on that course.

Has anyone else had that experience?

I book almost all my rounds with Golf Now or sometimes Golf Zing (which has less choices). I've never had a cancel and to the contrary, the courses here are pretty lenient letting me move things around, show up with 3 instead of 4, even push out a week once time when we made a mistake.

What was the name of the course that did that to you?

I use old Taylor Made clubs from eBay and golf shops.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


On December 8, 2015 at 9:48 PM, RFKFREAK said:

I'm curious, @David in FL, did you ever have something like this happen when you were using GN regularly? 

Nope.  Never.

In David's bag....

Driver: Titleist 910 D-3;  9.5* Diamana Kai'li
3-Wood: Titleist 910F;  15* Diamana Kai'li
Hybrids: Titleist 910H 19* and 21* Diamana Kai'li
Irons: Titleist 695cb 5-Pw

Wedges: Scratch 51-11 TNC grind, Vokey SM-5's;  56-14 F grind and 60-11 K grind
Putter: Scotty Cameron Kombi S
Ball: ProV1

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

I'm sure some small percentage of courses will do shady things like that.  I maybe booked 15 rounds with golf now and never had any issues.  

There is a course right down the road from me that is very unfriendly to deal with.   Not the people but their policies are insanely bad.  So a lot of people avoid it.  The sneaky moves by courses in this thread for a quick cash grab will keep people away. 

—Adam

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

I have never used the services of GN, or others like it. I always just call the course when I need a tee time for a group. Probably cost more, but less problems in the long run I think. 

Since I go out as a single most of time, I just show up and ask if the counter guy can get me out with someone. Can't remember the last time that did not work. I have even been allowed to play on some private courses doing this. 

There was a new course several years ago that would quote a decent price and take your info for tee time. Then when you got there to pay, the price magically doubled, and there was no guy working there with the name given during the original phone call. That was the Boulder Creek GC just out side Boulder City Nevada. Never went back to it again when they did it to our group. 

 

 

In My Bag:
A whole bunch of Tour Edge golf stuff...... :beer:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

  • 2 weeks later...

I made a tee time using Golfnow, received a confirmation email, and got another email an hour later saying it had been cancelled.   I made an irate phone call to the course and they said they didn't know anything about it.   I looked at the original email confirmation I had received, and guess what?   I had mistakenly made the tee time for that same day when I had been intending to make it for the next day.   When I failed to show up, the whole thing had been cancelled and I was not charged.   I don't know who did that but, thanks. 

The thing I like about Golfnow is that on the courses I play, which are normally pretty cheap, during weekdays, there is always one time slot that is dirt cheap.   Normal price can be $30, but if you reserve, say 11:40, it's $18.   The other day, one time slot was $14.  

I'm looking right now, and at Hyde Park in Jacksonville, this coming Tuesday, December 29, for 11:40, $30, and for 12:02, $16.  

 

 

Edited by Marty2019
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

  • 1 month later...

No problems with Golfnow here, either.  I'll even do things like book the 1:20 pm hot deal on a Sunday afternoon and show up earlier.  No course has ever denied me and the wife an early start if #1 tee was open.

What I HAVE experienced is courses advising me to use their website and looking for tee times and rates that are actually BETTER than what golfnow offers.

And since they've cut back on deals/rewards/perks at golfnow, I usually book at the course website or pick up the phone and call.  Since we usually have 4 or more on Saturdays we'll play whenever to get the best rate.

dave

  • Upvote 1

The ultimate "old man" setup:

Ping G30 driver
Ping G Fairway woods - 5 and 7 woods
Callaway X-Hot #5 hybrid; Old school secret weapon
Ping G #6-9 irons; W and U wedges
Vokey 54 and 58* Wedges
Odyssey Versa Putter
Golf Balls

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Have had similar experiences. Great advertisement for courses, and great deals for us. Still, it's a PITA sometimes. Some people are hopeless at running a business, let alone a golf course.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

  • 1 month later...
On 2/15/2016 at 4:25 PM, dave s said:

No problems with Golfnow here, either.  I'll even do things like book the 1:20 pm hot deal on a Sunday afternoon and show up earlier.  No course has ever denied me and the wife an early start if #1 tee was open.

What I HAVE experienced is courses advising me to use their website and looking for tee times and rates that are actually BETTER than what golfnow offers.

And since they've cut back on deals/rewards/perks at golfnow, I usually book at the course website or pick up the phone and call.  Since we usually have 4 or more on Saturdays we'll play whenever to get the best rate.

dave

I'm amazed at the number of people who have experienced problems with GolfNow. I've only had one bad experience, and it wasn't the fault of GN. We booked the Hot Deal at a course we'd never played, went to the course and presented the paperwork. Immediately, the a**hole behind the register started calling us the "GolfNow Boys!" The, he made us wait and wait until we could tee off, claiming that some "members" had priority. 

Finally, we played the course, and it was far short of what their website claimed. For all intents and purposes it was a goat ranch! But they sure were proud of it! Then, when we got back in the clubhouse to have a few libations, the a**hole behind the register started berating us as the "GolfNow Boys" yet again. I'd finally had enough and yelled, and I can yell, "Hey! If you don't want people booking on GolfNow, why are you on their service?!" Everybody in the place heard me and froze. The doofus at the register shut his yap and just stared at me, because I'm sure the look on my face told him I'd bury a wedge in his skull if he gave me any more lip!

The other extreme came when I, by mistake, booked a time for for the wrong date. Totally my fault, yet GN and the course went the extra mile to ascertain that we had NOT played on the day in question. It was a "Hot Deal" which demands prepayment. My account was credited in full, and we were able to book another time on a day when we could be there. Needless to say we've gone back to that course again and again. And I continue to use GolfNow.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

I play a lot as a single in Hawaii since my wife is not a golfer - usually calling the courses makes more sense as the local nearby hotels to the big resort courses (Mauna Kea, Mauna Lani, Hapuna) get lower rates than you might find on Golfnow (especially later in the day).

I play a lot of rounds in Inland Empire and never had a problem with GN except for one time they overlooked my time and I ended up playing in fivesome with some Korean ladies (but they were fast and pretty good players to boot).

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Note: This thread is 3001 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Want to join this community?

    We'd love to have you!

    Sign Up
  • TST Partners

    Golfer's Journal
    ShotScope
    The Stack System
    FlightScope Mevo
    Direct: Mevo, Mevo+, and Pro Package.

    Coupon Codes (save 10-15%): "IACAS" for Mevo/Stack, "IACASPLUS" for Mevo+/Pro Package, and "THESANDTRAP" for ShotScope.
  • Posts

    • Loving the deal I made.
    • Day 590, June 15, 2024 Worked the same as yesterday (link here to my Member Swing topic) on the QuadMAX and the same pieces. Clubhead speed stayed around 93-95 most of the time (after five warmups in the 89-91 range).
    • Some updates after using the Titan Elite for three rounds. This will be a semi-random assortment of thoughts. Battery The Titan Elite still says it has a full charge, so I'm not worried about the battery at all. Though a CR-2 battery will seemingly last more than a full season, the documentation for most of these rechargeable batteries says they'll last about ten rounds with Bluetooth on, and 40+ with it off. Not quite the years I get from a CR-2, but… not so few that "range anxiety," errrr, "battery anxiety" is a real thing. Plus, more carts have USB chargers for phones these days, and the supplied USB-A to USB-C charger should charge in a cart. (I keep a pair of USB cords in my golf bag these days anyway.) Heft and Magnets Previously in reviewing the NX9 I remarked on little things like the feel or heft of the unit as well as the strength of the magnet. Neither are concerns with the Titan Elite: the aluminum body gives the TE a satisfying heft, and the magnet — beneath the Precision Pro logo on the left side of the rangefinder — gives a satisfying pull with good strength. The Precision Pro App I won't be reviewing the app's functionality beyond that which directly interacts with/affects the Titan Elite. You can use the app to keep score and do other things, but I'm going to talk about MySlope and the Bluetooth connection almost exclusively. Basic App Features Unlike some other apps that require your phone to stay pretty much loaded up at all times, the Precision Pro app can work in the background. To get into the app quickly, you'll find a notification present on your lock screen at almost all times. Tap it and you're back into the app. The app will do basic performance tracking, but it's limited. Here you can see I selected a Driver, and basically, you do this when you're standing on the tee and, when you arrive at your ball, you tap a button to end tracking and the distance of your tee shot will be noted in the app. It's basic, and may fulfill a need, but I won't ever really use it. Slope Both the Titan Elite and the app feature slope capabilities. In the rangefinder itself, it's as you expect: you switch a button on the top of the rangefinder, and the slope turns on or off. It works just as you'd expect, and is nice and accurate. I'll say more in the MySlope section later. A small quibble: I have found myself accidentally hitting the button and toggling slope on/off a few times when grabbing the Titan Elite from the cart (it has a great magnet to stick to the cart). Accidentally turning the slope on could cost an honest player strokes in an event, so I wish the slope switch was either tougher to toggle, in a different location, or ideally, both. Also, the state isn't super obvious, to you or any people you're playing with, while other rangefinders make the state more obvious. In the app, you can turn slope on to use GPS/map elevation data to tell you what the effective playing distances of shots are, as seen here: MySlope I've never really cared for slope in rangefinders because I've never been totally certain that the slope calculations were right for me. Though you probably could assume about a 45° landing angle (which makes the math pretty easy - one yard up or down would equate to one yard longer or shorter in distance, until you get to larger elevation changes), the Titan Elite pairs with the app to let you put in literal launch monitor stats (not just carry yardages) — ball speed, launch angle, and spin — to calculate a ball flight/trajectory to adapt to any type of situation. In testing, I don't have the largest of slopes at Whispering Woods, but the numbers have felt pretty spot on. I'll continue to test this, particularly at some courses around Pittsburgh, and will post should I notice anything more. If you don't have the launch monitor stats for all of your clubs, you can either estimate the ones in the gaps, or just leave them blank and the app will make estimates. They'll still likely be better than the standard guesses from other rangefinders. MySlope requires your TE to be connected to your phone to work, though I haven't sought clarity on whether it will continue to work once you've connected the device to your phone the first time or whether the Titan Elite reverts to a stock slope model. I've emailed and will let you know the answer. GPS The Titan Elite has two modes — laser rangefinder mode and… GPS mode. The GPS uses your phone (and the Precision Pro app) to give you front/center/back yardages. Toggling is as simple as tapping a button on the top of the Titan Elite. For example, you can see "147 playing 144" in the laser mode, then tap a button and see that the front/center/ back are 143 / 155 / 167. You have almost all of the information you need to hit a good shot to the fat side of the green. 😄  Of course, GPS mode requires that your phone be with you (and somewhat recently woken up, as I had a yardage for a hole three holes ago once when I hadn't used or awoken my phone in awhile). I prefer to play golf without my phone on me, so on days when you can park a cart nearby (a push cart or a driving cart), no sweat. But on cart path only days? You might get some odd numbers, and should rely only on the laser rangefinder mode. In other words, if you have your phone on your or very close nearby, this is a nice feature. Otherwise, you won't find yourself using it much. Perhaps a future version will have a GPS chip in the rangefinder itself, and can do a little calculating (even if the map is just sent to the rangefinder from the phone on each new hole or something). Find My Titan If your Titan Elite disconnects from the phone for more than two minutes, you'll get an alert. If your TE is still with you, you can dismiss this, otherwise, you're shown a map with a red dot where your Titan Elite was last connected to your phone. It's not true "Find My" because the Titan Elite doesn't have a GPS chip in it, doesn't connect to the phones of strangers, etc., but it's helpful to know when you last used your Titan Elite, and given the range of Bluetooth isn't too far, and two minutes isn't too long, you should have a pretty good idea where your TE was last "seen" by your phone. If you get close but can't find it, you can ping your TE and it will beep. Some Extra Photos The eyepiece, like every other rangefinder I've used for the past decade or so, is adjustable focus. The USB-C port for charging and the Bluetooth on/off switch: The case is not quite the same as the usual "latch the elastic over a post" type case, and I kinda like this variation a lot. The slope on/off switch is the one with the green showing (green = slope is on). The button with the two arcs on it is the mode switch button: pressing it will switch between laser range finding and GPS range finding.
    • Great to hear. I am looking forward to making a trip. Tough to find a day right now but hopefully soon
    • Get the feeling Bryson is going to pull this off and win his second US Open
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Welcome to TST! Signing up is free, and you'll see fewer ads and can talk with fellow golf enthusiasts! By using TST, you agree to our Terms of Use, our Privacy Policy, and our Guidelines.

The popup will be closed in 10 seconds...