Booking system v no booking system

[timd77]

Hi all,

I didn’t want to hijack the ‘deal breaker’ thread and so thought it best to start another.

As mentioned previously, I’m now looking for a new club to join as mine’s closing. Choice is fairly limited now and I’ve narrowed it down to 3. The number 1 choice is only 15 mins away (the others are 25-35 mins away, more on a bad day), however, they don’t use a booking system. I spoke to the secretary the other day, I’m going to meet them tomorrow, but she was basically saying that they have comps on Saturdays (which suits me), and on Sundays it’s a case of turning up and they get everyone off as quickly as poss, teeing off from the 1st and the 10th.

The club I’m leaving has an annoying booking system where you can book 3 weeks in advance, 1 person blocks out the whole tee time, and unless you’re logging in at 7am all the best times are gone, and so I’m not coming from a great place as it is!

So anyway, I just wondered what your experience of this kind of system is?

 

[Orikoru]

Probably depends greatly on how many members there are - and what times you're wanting to play. My club has scrapped the online tee booking on weekends, proudly claiming everyone can turn up and get a game. We were disappointed because we liked being to book a time and knowing what time to turn up. But, I have admit it's been fine because we play at midday and it isn't that busy, with a three-tee start we generally get on straight away or within ten minutes.

The only annoying thing is that because of the three-tee start system, we're not allowed to tee off between 10 and 12 (preference would be 11-ish!). But generally, it's ok as long as we're getting on and easily getting round before dark in winter. If our course had a lot more members and we were having to turn up and wait half an hour or more before teeing off, then that would be completely unacceptable.

 

[PJ87]

I don't understand why people don't like or don't want booking systems

Sitting at home yest. Mother in law took kids out.. looked at my booking app course empty so booked a time .. and off I went

Even got paired up on the tee

Couldn't understand going to club to have to wait however long to get on

 

[Orikoru]

I don't understand why people don't like or don't want booking systems

Sitting at home yest. Mother in law took kids out.. looked at my booking app course empty so booked a time .. and off I went

Even got paired up on the tee

Couldn't understand going to club to have to wait however long to get on

Stone-aged members who despise change and mistrust modern technology I can only imagine.

 

[upsidedown]

Booking system works well at ours, see a free slot and dive on in ??

 

[Jason.H]

My club uses online booking. I think it works great. I can add on to others on a Saturday or Sunday no problem. I also turn up having not booked and always been able to fit in. Although my previous club had a booking system the guy at the starters hut would look for a reason to refuse you if you weren’t booked in. So if you’re looking for a new club I would spend a bit of time going to the clubs and talking about any concerns you may have before joining.

 

[nyckuk]

Booking system for me
Having moved courses in the new year from a set tee time very Saturday 7.45am (summer) 8.45am ( winter) , i was very worried about not getting a tee time using a booking system a my new course.
So far its turned out ok . Admittedly you have to be on it as soon as the tee times go live 7 days before @7.30pm .I had a issue 1 week with my Wifi and all the times were already booked or booking in progress .I checked back 10 minutes later and 2 slots were free , I reckon a couple of people in a 4 balls grab a couple of slots then discuss which one to go with , hence why the slot becomes available 5-10 minutes later.
Mon-Fri are Mixture 2/4 balls ( booking system )
Sat - all 4 balls ( booking system )
Sunday - (roll up) Haven't played a Sunday yet , so not sure how it works out

Like @pauljames87 said with the booking system you can look on the App and see when its not so busy , plus if i have to play in another group a can check their handicaps as im sure 3x +handicappers don't want to playing 20 handicapper as i wouldn't want play with them

 

[Deleted member 23270]

The best clubs are ones with a booking system that is set up so that you have both pre book times and walk up times. Win/win

 

[Foxholer]

I don't understand why people don't like or don't want booking systems

Sitting at home yest. Mother in law took kids out.. looked at my booking app course empty so booked a time .. and off I went

Even got paired up on the tee

Couldn't understand going to club to have to wait however long to get on

Probably because they have to remember to do it - and actually do it in the first place.
And the actual process can be a bit of a panic for busy times. Though they forget how long they have to wait for the roll-up style - that probably prompted the need for/use of a booking system in the first place.

 

[CliveW]

We use an online system and it works well. Booking from 10 days in advance, only problem is it can be a free for all for medal tee times. Originally the booking time went live at midnight ten days before but it was moved back two hours to 10pm because the older members were complaining they were tucked up in bed by midnight!

 

[patricks148]

I've only ever been a member of a club that has a booking system. At my home club I don't ever have to book a time unless I have guests. During the week I play in a roll and on Saturdays a reg 4 ball what one of the other guys arranges the times.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

No booking system at my club, and I am very glad the booking system was removed after CV19 restrictions. I wouldn’t want to be a member of a club with booking only.

 

[Neilds]

We have booking system, been in place since covid and members voted to keep it in place. Can book 8 days in advance which I think is better than the 3 weeks that some people are mentioning. There must be lots more cancellations when people realise 20 days later they can’t play

 

[HomerJSimpson]

No booking for me. It was our USP and I understand why we had to have it for track and trace but in my opinion we should have defaulted back to our constitutional position once that had gone. All the new members have never had a chance to see how well rolling up can work and yet are expected to vote. Of course they'll go to booking times

 

[Slab]

It'll always come down to what suits the individual and their circumstances

Booking system every time for me. I need to know a) I can play & b) what time to start
Often there will be an AM or PM, maybe the whole day, booked out to external comps/Opens as well as regular roll-ups & groups to join or avoid
One of my regular PP's travels an hour to get to the course. Imagine not knowing when/if you'll tee off

it’s a case of turning up and they get everyone off as quickly as poss, teeing off from the 1st and the 10th.

^^^^ This would give me the fear
it's probably no where near as haphazard as it sounds, it just screams folks teeing off when group in front are 'out of range' and ramming one group directly behind another off both tees. Most of the ingredients for a slow round right there. Made worse if you've already been hanging around a while since you turned up

 

[Pathetic Shark]

Damn, how did we miss this one from the "Thread Bingo"?

 

[Imurg]

We've always no booking with the exception of Tuesday mornings(ladies) and Sunday mornings (men). As with everyone else we had to run a full time system during COVID..
We reverted to standard as soon as we could.
Many, but sadly not enough, of the membership liked the booking system and wanted to keep it.. equally sadly, the Board publicly stated that they were against having full time booking and a vote failed to keep it.
I'm torn on this. I like the idea of the booking system as it means you know when you're playing and you have instant visibility as to how busy the course is.
On the flip side, of we had a booking system, I wouldn't be able to rock up at dawn and get out for 9 holes before work without worrying about booking..
On the whole I'd rather we had a booking system.
The first hole often has a queue and, with no set times, people tee off as soon as the group in front are out of range. This leads to bunching by the 3rd or 4th hole and slows everything down.
With a set gap, the 1st group will have finished the hole before the 2nd group gets to their Yee shots...
Another good reason for having a booking system is that you know who is out on the course and how many rounds are being played.
Booking system for me..

 

[Wildrover]

My club brought in a booking system and most people hate it. Other than comps I play a lot of swindle/fiddles golf and it is ruining it. We had 6 times spread over 3 hours on Sunday, the social side is disappearing, wasn't an issue before. It just fastest finger first for weekend times.

 

[Yorkhacker]

We have booking 6 days in advance at noon. The time is a pain, but I think it is to enable people to phone the pro shop to book times. I find 6 days works well as I aim to play at least Monday, Wednesday and Friday as well as one weekend day. That means I'm only usually on the course once a week when the bookings open and I can make the booking between holes.

I never used to play at weekends before covid as you just rolled up and queued, so I find it great knowing exactly when I'm going to tee off.

 

[HampshireHog]

We didn’t have one before COVID, and as soon as we were able to drop it we did.

Apparently, we are going to reintroduce booking in a hybrid model from April, details pending.

Personally, I’d prefer not to have booking, weekend bookings were gone in 2 minutes of being posted. Missed out on a few weekends last time. No flexibility to change plans depending on the weather is another factor.