Compulsory entry into competitions on Saturday morning

[Swango1980]

Presumably, this is simply based on the amount of interest your members have in competitions.

If there is a lot of interest, then the Club will ultimately have to reserve a significant amount of time to competition starters on that day. It gets to the point that it doesn't make much sense in booking so much time to comps, and then trying allocate smaller periods of time for casual golfers. It makes more sense to simply book up the whole day for the competition, and if members want to play that day, then they just have to play in the competition.

I suppose one element of this is, can all members play in that competition? For example, if it is not open to ladies or juniors, then that could be controversial because they simply cannot play on that day.

If there is not a lot of entrants to competitions, then I wouldn't see the point in your club doing this. Because you'd then have significant durations of the day where nobody is playing golf / allowed to play golf as they don't want to play in the comp. Unless they just fill up these tee slots with visitors.

 

[Numan]

We do this - Sunday is comp day and if you want to get on the course on Sunday morning then you have to enter the comp - pretty much every weekend there's something on.
Saturday is a roll up Stableford so you have the choice.

I don't think I've ever heard anybody complain about it.

Thanks. I think that culture feels embedded at your Club and it's the change that's causing the issue. it has also affected a small group of older members who never play in a comp but wish to play at 10am on a saturday.

 

[Numan]

Presumably, this is simply based on the amount of interest your members have in competitions.

If there is a lot of interest, then the Club will ultimately have to reserve a significant amount of time to competition starters on that day. It gets to the point that it doesn't make much sense in booking so much time to comps, and then trying allocate smaller periods of time for casual golfers. It makes more sense to simply book up the whole day for the competition, and if members want to play that day, then they just have to play in the competition.

I suppose one element of this is, can all members play in that competition? For example, if it is not open to ladies or juniors, then that could be controversial because they simply cannot play on that day.

If there is not a lot of entrants to competitions, then I wouldn't see the point in your club doing this. Because you'd then have significant durations of the day where nobody is playing golf / allowed to play golf as they don't want to play in the comp. Unless they just fill up these tee slots with visitors.

We don't have mixed competitions though there are always a competition available that every for every member can enter eg ladies

 

[Numan]

So ladies play at the same time?
That would be absolutely horrendous

we have both ladies and men.

any issues at our club are usually caused by the older male members whose pace of play can be very slow

 

[Arthur Wedge]

No chance this would happen with us , we reduced the amount of comps at weekends because people wanted to ensure they had their social golf

So we only have 2 at most Saturdays for a comp- most of the time just one and also one Sunday a month

 

[Numan]

Effectively stopping a fully paid up 7 day member from playing prime time Saturday morning unless they "comp" is totally unreasonable.

It would be a deal-breaker for me even though as gentleman of leisure I can play through the week. If I was still working I would be very vocal in my feelings.

Totally agree with @Imurg- I decide when and how I play my golf.

Competitions are great and I mostly join in - but some Saturday mornings, I like to play social golf.

OP - has your club provided an explanation for the change?

Not many reasons given

As regards 7 day playing anytime the response has been . tee times are reserved for competitions, teams , ladies at various times and this is just another example of that

 

[The Fader]

Not many reasons given

As regards 7 day playing anytime the response has been . tee times are reserved for competitions, teams , ladies at various times and this is just another example of that

Is it the same though?

I would assume the Saturday Comp requires many more fee times to be blocked off than for a team match for example.

Plus it's Saturday - one of the days you generally pay "extra" for as a 7 day member.

As I said - I feel it is an unreasonable restriction on your membership.

If there are enough of you feel the same way - make an issue of it through whatever formal channels exist at your club be that the committee
or an EGM.

 

[chrisd]

We have most of our club competitions on a Sunday. If you don't enter then you can't play until early afternoon. Generally our comps have an entry of about 110 players. I'm sure not everyone likes it, but with the number who do enter suggest that it works. Most of our "rock up" competitions are mid week.

 

[D-S]

If the competitions are full it doesn’t mean that this is necessarily a successful, popular strategy. It just means that the players who like playing in comps all the time are getting preferential treatment.

 

[IanM]

Newport does it. Every Saturday from April to October.

It is tooooo much. (In my view)

 

[Billysboots]

I’m not sure this is that unusual. We have comps pretty much every weekend, albeit some are Saturday, some Sunday. The committee book the tee for the purpose of running those comps, so if you want to play during those allotted times, you play the comp.

It’s worse during winter, as Winter League is held Saturday and Sunday throughout both qualifying and knockout rounds.

 

[Springveldt]

My old club did this. Every Saturday from April to end of September there was a competition of some sort and the only way to play before 2pm was to play in the comp. No one was allowed out before the comp either. Didn’t bother me and I quite liked it.

Current club alternates between Saturday and Sunday but with a difference that you can grab a tee from first light until 07:30 if you want to play before the comp. Again, doesn’t bother me as we book into the comp over the other weekend day, we like playing in comps. Even our Wednesday round we will pay into the midweek sweep rather than play a social round.

 

[Voyager EMH]

When its a club competition Saturday, it is 7:30am to 1:22pm for the competition in 3-balls. From 1:30pm it is open for casual/social play in 4-balls.
From April to September it is 2, 3 or 4 Saturday comps a month. We have some weekends when the comp is on a Sunday. Same system.

This coming Saturday, all slots are taken except the last 2 at 1:14 and 1:22.
There are a few places to join 2-players in a slot in the later morning.
It is fully booked from 7:30 to 11:38.

Competitions are popular and well attended.
I think the club have the correct approach.

 

[upsidedown]

Not compulsory at ours, Ladies also have alternate day competition too and any ladies wishing to play Social golf can do too, the only stipulation we have is that you play in the format of day i.e 3 balls if Medal on.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Firstly, we dont have tee bookings. We have a comp more or less every Saturday, and some Sundays. The monthly medals are the last weekend of every month, you just log in on the system and play when free to do so. They aren't compulsory to play the course that day, unless as below.
The only comps that have times are the club championships and the champion of champions. The first being over 2 days, the second 2 rounds on a Saturday.

To insist any play must only be in the comp at a weekend is out of order

 

[Old Colner]

Saturdays are competitors only up to about 4.30 or even later depending on how many or how late the last entrants are teeing off, always been like this and the same at most in the area.

 

[PaulMdj]

We have Comps every saturday and sunday, 52 weeks a year (depending on which day of the week 25th Dec falls)

Tee reserved 0700-1200 for Comps, Societies, visitors, members wanting to play a casual round all free to play after that.

Never been an issue, never heard anyone moan.

I’d expect anyone joining a Club to do their research before joining any Club to see if it suits their needs, nobody is forced to join a Club against their will.

I have a lot of sympathy if a Club was to change how they run their Comps/bookings at weekends if it wasn’t compatible to what members wanted.

If the Club is being inflexible I’d expect members to vote with their feet.

 

[Swango1980]

We have a comp most weekends, alternates between Sat and Sunday.

First tee is around 0745, until around 11-11:30, for the morning starters. Then around 12:30 to 13:30 for afternoon starters.

Between that, there are a few slots for casual golfers. Although tee often booked in afternoons for Mixed and/or Junior events as well.

Evenings all week, usually Millionaires golf

 

[KenL]

So ladies play at the same time?
That would be absolutely horrendous

Not as horrendous as your comment, whatever the intention.

 

[KenL]

We have Comps every saturday and sunday, 52 weeks a year (depending on which day of the week 25th Dec falls)

Tee reserved 0700-1200 for Comps, Societies, visitors, members wanting to play a casual round all free to play after that.

Never been an issue, never heard anyone moan.

I’d expect anyone joining a Club to do their research before joining any Club to see if it suits their needs, nobody is forced to join a Club against their will.

I have a lot of sympathy if a Club was to change how they run their Comps/bookings at weekends if it wasn’t compatible to what members wanted.

If the Club is being inflexible I’d expect members to vote with their feet.

That is just mad. On every weekend morning you can’t invite guests or have a fun bounce game with 3 pals. Madness.