Booking system v no booking system

[Deleted member 23270]

Ive always been a member where it was bookings and for me this works, I couldn't be a member at a club without (I don't think).

Home life is what it is, I have young kids and need to know when I am playing to account for what I'm needed for at home.

Our club has a ball in chute thing on a Sat in winter, opening tee time the one time I used it was 8am, got there at 730 to find 7 balls already there with 2 cars in the carpark, as 8am got closer more and more cars arrived, and zero balls appeared behind mine, I teed off at half 9 behind 4ball after 4ball. In all honesty its a bad situation, it may be a roll up but not one I was aware of, but its pretty bad pracrice imho.

Tee times all the way for me

Classic ball chute abuse. Your club should ensure no ball goes into the chute until everyone in the group is there.

 

[Deleted member 25172]

That's the problem with golf unfortunately, it's an old man's game where the members go to escape for the day.

The working and family man is in the minority.

Apparently our membership is almost 50% 40 years or younger now. There’s more chance that hell freezes than us removing the booking system, which I’m personally very happy about.

 

[GB72]

I admit to being totally selfish on this one. When I played, and it has been a while now, I wanted to play around 8.30-9.00 on a Saturday morning. With tee booking, I would stand no chance. There are some people with some serious ninja skills in golf clubs who can have every tee time between 8 and 10 booked in under 30 seconds (we had tee booking for comps). So, if I wanted to play at my preferred time, I would stand little chance. Take away the tee booking system, I just turn up at 8.00 and I was pretty much guarnateed to be out on the course well before 9.00. So, from my point of view, I would rather wait around to get what I want than have the convenience of tee booking and lose a few more hours in the day as I cannot get a tee time until late morning.

 

[Deleted member 30522]

Here's, for me, why I like a booking system.
I'm done for the day workwise....
I could wander up to club and have a solo round....but..
I don't know if the tees will be free, whether there's 3 or 4 groups waiting on each tee.....
Yesterday was a write-off due to the weather so today could be busy....and the Pro shop can't see the tees and won't know how busy the course is...
But.........if only there was a way..

Yup, I was totally against a booking system, because we were able to roll up and rock on.

However what's happened now is, you can see if the course is busy, and pick a quite spell, or not, but what's happened is it's stopped the car park grand prix, as folk saw other cars there and it's a race to get clubs/shoes/trolly ready and get to the tee first. Everyone is spaced out, so pace of play is better too.

I'm a total 100% convert, and luckily so is everyone who has voiced an opinion at the club to date.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

The pro turn up and play arguments seem to use roll ups as the key defence. For those who like no booking, is there a non roll up reason why?

See my post #46 for mine. Precisely the flip-side of the same 'family' constraint that is cited for pro booking.

 

[sweaty sock]

Booking system for me, just cant see the downside.

Its always fastest finger first for weekend mornings, at 9am 10 days before. But its only fastest finger first because its so busy.

Sweeps work fine they can in effect gaurentee there spot because they have 40 blokes trying to book 10 times, which gives them an advantafe!

If its 2pm on a wednesday, theres nothing to stop me just rolling up, but i have the advantage of not only knowing how many people are in the course already, but who.

I can only imagine people who dont want booking systems are those already abusing the lack of one - see posts mentioning abuse of ball chutes etc etc

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Classic ball chute abuse. Your club should ensure no ball goes into the chute until everyone in the group is there.

That is how it worked at my place pre-covid. No ball in chute until and unless all playing were present by the tee.

 

[chellie]

That's the problem with golf unfortunately, it's an old man's game where the members go to escape for the day.

The working and family man is in the minority.

Don't forget working and family women.

 

[chellie]

When you have a booking system that goes live at a particular time you get lots of people all diving in to book a time. If there is a rollup you end up with lots of groups mixed in which is the problem at my club. It means there are no true rollups as such. You may have 5 groups in a 'rollup' going at at 10am, 10:24, 10:44 11:12 etc which spoils it. Lots of people enjoy a rollup with a couple of quid in the pot, it creates a good club atmosphere rather than everyone playing in the same 4ball every week and also is good for integrating new members.

So yes, you are being a presumptious

But why should someone else who would like to go out at 10:00 be stopped because there is a roll up on.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

But why should someone else who would like to go out at 10:00 be stopped because there is a roll up on.

When the tee is booked out to the rollup - is the rather glib answer. Even then, if someone asked to go out before the Sat rollup I play in, then the rollup may well give up that tee time if it has the scope to do so...though that is less likely these days as tee times not required by a rollup are released c.o.p Tuesday prior to the Sat. When there was no booking system it was down to balls in chute determining order.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

So about to head off to the club and checked booking system. Two 2 balls between 2:30 and 3:00 and a single at 4:30pm..and that's it. Love having a tee booking system for the visibility it provides - and I never thought I'd say that

 

[spongebob59]

Dartford didn't have a booking system which was great if you played in the comps and were part of one of the established swindles. I found it annoying when I wanted to get the odd game and there wasn't a way of seeing if there was a space.
Canterbury has booking after 9 at the weekends, so roll ups could go out before then but that may have changed. Overall I think this is a fair compromise and being able to see the spare tee times is a plus for me.

 

[CountLippe]

My problem with our booking system is that it is unpoliced.

If I discover today that I have time for a game tomorrow, the sheet for the morning is fully booked (and probably has been for some time), yet I know a significant number will not turn up.

In the past I could have just turned up - maybe had a short wait, but I'd have got a game.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

My problem with our booking system is that it is unpoliced.

If I discover today that I have time for a game tomorrow, the sheet for the morning is fully booked (and probably has been for some time), yet I know a significant number will not turn up.

In the past I could have just turned up - maybe had a short wait, but I'd have got a game.

If any system is not run correctly then there will be an issue. The system is not at all fault in the instance you give, the lack of managing it, and the culture of the club are the faults from the sounds of it.

 

[Deleted member 30522]

So about to head off to the club and checked booking system. Two 2 balls between 2:30 and 3:00 and a single at 4:30pm..and that's it. Love having a tee booking system for the visibility it provides - and I never thought I'd say that

Completely the same. If it hadn't been for covid I doubt we'd ever have introduced one, now I'd never want to go back

 

[Deleted member 16999]

My problem with our booking system is that it is unpoliced.

If I discover today that I have time for a game tomorrow, the sheet for the morning is fully booked (and probably has been for some time), yet I know a significant number will not turn up.

In the past I could have just turned up - maybe had a short wait, but I'd have got a game.

We have a system were anyone cancelling at the last minute for non genuine reasons or frequently cancelling, have their booking rights suspended.

 

[GB72]

So about to head off to the club and checked booking system. Two 2 balls between 2:30 and 3:00 and a single at 4:30pm..and that's it. Love having a tee booking system for the visibility it provides - and I never thought I'd say that

I do get that benefit and I do see the benefit of being able to plan but it does not help those with commitments etc. In my case, work all week, weekend afternoons are family time and so an early start on Saturday or Sunday is required. The lightening keyboard skills of certain members and my old club meant that getting a tee time before 10.30-11.00 on a weekend was unlikely for events where a booking system was run. Thus, for me, turning up and queuing won out every time.

 

[chellie]

When the tee is booked out to the rollup - is the rather glib answer. Even then, if someone asked to go out before the Sat rollup I play in, then the rollup may well give up that tee time if it has the scope to do so...though that is less likely these days as tee times not required by a rollup are released c.o.p Tuesday prior to the Sat. When there was no booking system it was down to balls in chute determining order.

Is your roll up open to both men and women? We both work so a Saturday am time is precious to us. We want to play golf together on a Saturday when there is no comp. We also need a set time due to commitments with GD later on.

I can still remember a man shouting at me on the first tee "That I had taken his tee time" Found out later that he was part of a rollup who had always had that time prior to tee bookings and before our time at the club. Also used to be men only playing on a Saturday morning if there wasn't a men's competition on. I did make it my mission to always book that time for some reason

 

[timd77]

I do get that benefit and I do see the benefit of being able to plan but it does not help those with commitments etc. In my case, work all week, weekend afternoons are family time and so an early start on Saturday or Sunday is required. The lightening keyboard skills of certain members and my old club meant that getting a tee time before 10.30-11.00 on a weekend was unlikely for events where a booking system was run. Thus, for me, turning up and queuing won out every time.

This is where I’m at, the booking system where I’m at currently is ridiculous and so I’m lucky if I get a time before 11am on a weekend. Im hoping that the new club’s system of turn up and play works well and that I don’t have to queue up too long. 30 mins or so would be absolutely fine, but having to wait around for an hour or so and still not getting off until 10+ would be a nightmare.

 

[Mandofred]

But why should someone else who would like to go out at 10:00 be stopped because there is a roll up on.

Why is your complaint just about roll ups? What about Ladies mornings blocking times out? Every comp, weekend or otherwise?...it's at least every other Saturday during the 4-5 warmer months....not to mention Sunday Open comps. I was blocked (after already having a tee time) yesterday because of a Union league comp. The zillions of "visiting parties" taking lots of slots? There are lots of things other than roll ups that take up pretty good sized chunks of tee slots. Why is it that roll ups seem to get under some peoples skin....? Yet....they seem to ignore all the other events that take that same 10am slot you want.