9 hole course tee slots

FuzzyDuck

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My home course is 9 holes but a decent length (>3000 yards), so the expectation is that an average 9 hole round will take 2 hours. So when you book an 18 hole tee time, +2 hour slot is also reserved. When you finish the 9th it's OK to start your 2nd 9 if the tee is available regardless if you have taken more or less than 2 hours. If the tee is busy then usually the group starting the 2nd 9 will slot in as available. It's all very friendly and informal.

Yesterday I played a 9 hole course I'd never visited before and had a 1PM start, which I started on time. Now the course was very short (~2000 yards) and I also had my best ever 9 hole round, approach shots were hitting the green. So when I finished the 9th it was only 55 minutes after I had started. The 1st tee was empty so I set up to play but then was stopped by a member of staff asking when my tee time was. I replied 1PM but this was my 2nd 9. I was then informed I needed to wait for another 40 minutes before teeing off! But there is no one on the tee or hole I replied. Then 2 guys rocked up for the 2PM slot but were nowhere near ready to go, so I was reluctantly allowed to continue.

I don't often play "away" 9 hole courses but in the relaxed approach of my home club the norm or unusual?
 

jim8flog

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On our 9 hole course you only book the 1st hole starting time.

If you are playing 18 then players starting on the first and players continuing on the 10th alternate (by local rule).

The 1st/10th is a relatively short par 3 and with have 10 minute intervals to allow for this.
 

Lord Tyrion

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My first club was a 9 holer. Similar to above, you only book your start time. When you have finished on the 9th you alternate with anyone about to go out although those turning have priority if they are the first there, subsequent groups alternate. Booking two times and having to wait when it is empty just sounds daft.
 

Grant85

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My home course is 9 holes but a decent length (>3000 yards), so the expectation is that an average 9 hole round will take 2 hours. So when you book an 18 hole tee time, +2 hour slot is also reserved. When you finish the 9th it's OK to start your 2nd 9 if the tee is available regardless if you have taken more or less than 2 hours. If the tee is busy then usually the group starting the 2nd 9 will slot in as available. It's all very friendly and informal.

Yesterday I played a 9 hole course I'd never visited before and had a 1PM start, which I started on time. Now the course was very short (~2000 yards) and I also had my best ever 9 hole round, approach shots were hitting the green. So when I finished the 9th it was only 55 minutes after I had started. The 1st tee was empty so I set up to play but then was stopped by a member of staff asking when my tee time was. I replied 1PM but this was my 2nd 9. I was then informed I needed to wait for another 40 minutes before teeing off! But there is no one on the tee or hole I replied. Then 2 guys rocked up for the 2PM slot but were nowhere near ready to go, so I was reluctantly allowed to continue.

I don't often play "away" 9 hole courses but in the relaxed approach of my home club the norm or unusual?

That's very poor.

I would assume that ensuring +2 hour slots are booked out will simply mean that the tee will not be overly busy and there will / should always be a slot for players on their 2nd 9.

The last time I played at a 9 hole course - it was a council run course - Strathclyde Park in Hamilton. Me and a friend were playing and I remember it was one of the May bank holiday Mondays and it was great weather.

We had booked a tee time online - lets say it was 11am - and turned up on time. There were 3 people waiting in front of us on the tee. All were single golfers who I'm guessing had just rocked up at paid a tenner to play as it was a nice day.

Obviously we could have pushed ahead and said, we've got 11am booked, however we didn't and it shouldn't have been up to us. The starter should have been dishing out tee times at 8 or 10 minute intervals and advising people it was a 15 or 20 minute wait when they just rocked up.

When we got round after 9 holes, we were planning to play another 9. However by that time, early afternoon, there were 5 people waiting - who all looked like single golfers.

The course was actually pretty good for a muni and yes, it was good value for what we paid. But could have been run so much better with a starter giving people times and offering / arranging / enforcing single golfers to play with other single golfers.
 

patricks148

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Does seem rather ridiculous to have to wait 40 for your slot TBH, i would have thought players already on the course would have priority.
 
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On our 9 hole course you only book the 1st hole starting time.

If you are playing 18 then players starting on the first and players continuing on the 10th alternate .

The four nine hole courses I have played have been like the above.
 

jim8flog

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The club should just make first tee times 15 minutes apart. That way those playing 18 will fit in no problem.

You should be able to get three groups in 15 minutes on the first on our 9 holer.

Ten minutes is very generous

Plus you are cutting (very significantly) the clubs income with such a lengthy tee interval.
 

HamiltonGuy

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That's very poor.

I would assume that ensuring +2 hour slots are booked out will simply mean that the tee will not be overly busy and there will / should always be a slot for players on their 2nd 9.

The last time I played at a 9 hole course - it was a council run course - Strathclyde Park in Hamilton. Me and a friend were playing and I remember it was one of the May bank holiday Mondays and it was great weather.

We had booked a tee time online - lets say it was 11am - and turned up on time. There were 3 people waiting in front of us on the tee. All were single golfers who I'm guessing had just rocked up at paid a tenner to play as it was a nice day.

Obviously we could have pushed ahead and said, we've got 11am booked, however we didn't and it shouldn't have been up to us. The starter should have been dishing out tee times at 8 or 10 minute intervals and advising people it was a 15 or 20 minute wait when they just rocked up.

When we got round after 9 holes, we were planning to play another 9. However by that time, early afternoon, there were 5 people waiting - who all looked like single golfers.

The course was actually pretty good for a muni and yes, it was good value for what we paid. But could have been run so much better with a starter giving people times and offering / arranging / enforcing single golfers to play with other single golfers.


Strathclyde Park is infamous for the classic yeh 12.52 is fine come down, I wonder how many 12.52 etc they dish out as the amount of times I’ve faced similar is ridiculous
 
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