Course Marshall

[Deleted member 21258]

Had an interesting one yesterday and for the first time ever was kind of 'allocated' a course Marshall by the club for a society meet.

Don't think I have ever really seen one or experienced one that was noticeable. Anyway she gave a chat before teeing off in the morning and then again at lunchtime about all the friendly things old members golf clubs are (like shirts to be tucked in apart from the ladies, mobile phones, don't park in the members car park area, we must ensure we are round in 4 hrs, texas is a slow game to play and that she will be out there watching us and driving past etc Now I am someone who hates slow play but it was all a little 'unfriendly' and felt unwelcomed).

We were 3x3 balls and 3x4balls, off tees the 3 balls first and I am in the 2nd group out.

Anyway we were playing pretty quickly, however by the 7th hole my 3 ball had lost about 0.5-0.75 of a hole on the 3 ball in front. By this stage the Marshall must have driven past us 4-5 times.

She pulls up to me and says can you speed up and catch up the group in front (btw the 3 ball behind had lost 1.75 holes on us but that's another story)

Knowing we were playing quickly, I looked at my watch which confirmed we had played the 7 holes in 1 hr 10 minutes(we did 9 holes in just over 1.5 hours). Ignoring that we got caught up with members on the back 9, who held us up alot and she didn't say anything to them, and we ended up round in well under 3.5 hours and all groups, including the 4 balls were round in 3 hours 45 minutes.

My question is should I have said something to the Marshall or not when she approached our group just before the 8th tee and being told to speed up, even though we had only taken 1hr 10 minutes to do 7 holes but had lost 0.5-0.75 holes (I would say we had differing opinions in the group )

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I think you would have been within your rights to pose the question. Is the key that you are on the coat tails of the group in front or that you are going around within the time expected. You matched the brief that you were given at the beginning and I think you were entitled to point that out.

 

[Slab]

Yeah I think someone should have spoken to her. She must have thought you all were a bit weird when she asked you to speed up and no one said anything in reply

But that aside, I've realised it doesn't matter how far behind or how much time has elapsed or what you say in reply, or who else is further back.... when a Marshall has a word its best just to say 'thanks' and hit your next shot
(can't always do it but that's undoubtedly the best approach)

 

[PJ87]

Never get how Texas is a slow game

You play 4 tees take the best

Then play 4 shots from there

And so on.. u can wizz round as ur smashing the course! Normally winning score is -2 under

 

[Grant85]

All seems a bit unnecessary.

Surely the purpose of a marshall should be to make you feel welcome and potentially show you the layout a bit and maybe even stop on a few tees and explain the hole and where the hazards are, and how the members generally play it.

No doubt this one failed to enhance your enjoyment.

 

[Crazyface]

Never get how Texas is a slow game

You play 4 tees take the best

Then play 4 shots from there

And so on.. u can wizz round as ur smashing the course! Normally winning score is -2 under

Er....really?????

 

[PJ87]

Er....really?????

Normally when we play it the scores were rarely over par even with average golfers

Most drives on fairway for second shot.. 4 attempts to hit the green

4 attempts to sink the putts

Par almost a defo and always chance at a birdie

 

[User 99]

Normally winning score is -2 under

2 under ?

We were 11 under scratch and were third, you need to be about 15 to win at our place.

 

[Crazyface]

Sorry, I think you've misunderstood me. -2 in a scramble at most clubs would be a last place finish.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Normally when we play it the scores were rarely over par even with average golfers

Most drives on fairway for second shot.. 4 attempts to hit the green

4 attempts to sink the putts

Par almost a defo and always chance at a birdie

2 under would have you last or at least bottom 3 in any Scramble I have seen.

Ours last week - won by guys who were 14 under minus HC and they won by 1.5

It’s also the slowest format I have played in

 

[jim8flog]

Never get how Texas is a slow game

You play 4 tees take the best

Then play 4 shots from there

And so on.. u can wizz round as ur smashing the course! Normally winning score is -2 under

Over all the years I have played Texas scramble is definitley the slowest format.

Conversations over who the driving, walking backwards and forwards between 2-3s ball to decide which one is going to be hit, getting everyones agreement. PLaying wqalking to recover balls than going back to were they have to hit from.

I do not know where you get the -2 from, last two Texas scrambles I played, funnily enough both in the last week, our teams had 12 birdies and 6 pars, in one comp we were beaten on count back and the other we came second,

with handicap allowance the winning tem were 19 under par.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Normally winning score is -2 under

You are going to get a surge of away golfers coming to play your TS Opens next year. They will all fancy winning if -2 is currently taking the money .

 

[GB72]

Worst experience I had with a course marshal was the GM day at Forest of Arden. Despite all groups in the GM comp being up with each other, the marshal kept pushing us as the last group despite being the least able to impact on pace of play or was parked on the tree line near every hole waiting to pounce if we slowed up at all. The reason behind this, members were queued up on the 10th tee to start as soon as the last group of the GM comp went past and it all seemed a bit of a show for the members that they were doing something to speed up the groups ahead.

 

[Deleted member 21258]

I would tend to agree 4 ball texas is not a fast game. We play 3 ball and 2 ball texas, which are fairly fast especially as most have buggies and are mid-high handicappers, so collection of balls is fast and removes a lot of the extra hitting required to get a bogey or double/blob by 3-4 players. In the afternoon even though we were held up again, round easily under 4 hours.

For us normally par is about the winning score for pairs and 2-3 under for 3 balls before handicaps, so similar to pauljames87 scoring in his society(which probably has similar handicap levels).

Grant85, you are completely correct that she did not add to the enjoyment, which was a shame as the course and greens were cracking but I will not be returning there on one of my days. It was all so unwelcoming and felt like you were herded round so the members could have your money for the least time spent on the course Had quite a few comments on the day from guests about the Marshal and life is to short to get hassle from people.

I wish I had said something but smiled and did not. Wife says I did the right thing

 

[shortgame]

Doesn't sound like the marshalling was done very well. If done properly it can help the day go well. When it's overly officious it certainly can impact on your enjoyment. I would have (and have before) said something.

Regarding scrambles, always start off as a pretty quick format but that seems to ebb towards the back 9 when more discussions happen about which ball to play. Oh and in all the ones I've played in nett 58 or better is normally needed to have a sniff of the prizes

 

[patricks148]

can't say it surprises me TBH. Only experience i have is of course marshals they are pretty inept and don't do what they are supposed to.

Only place up here that has them is Royal Dornoch and its a waste of time. scared to say anything to the bulk of the Americans with caddies who are clogging up the course and take 5 hours and never let anyone though.

 

[pool888]

Always found scrambles very quick to play compared to normal golf, there is no (or at least very minimal) searching for lost balls, everyone plays from the same place so you get a good idea of club selection from your partners and there's only one putting line to study rather than everyone looking at their own line, and hopefully much less putts as once you've holed out that's it your onto the next tee.

 

[ademac]

Only ever had bad experiences with marshall's and have had to have my say with them.
We played The Old Course in 40+mph winds, most people walked in and the ball was being blown off the tee etc. Marshall told us we weren't keeping time and got a bit funny so I asked him to hold the ball on the tee for me whilst I hit it, he soon shut up and backed off.
Also had a Marshall at the belfry who kept coming over to me to tell me that he made a group in front walk 2 holes as they were slow, he said we were keeping pace but kept coming back over for a chat. I had to tell him to please be quiet and leave us alone as he was slowing us down!
Funny folks those Marshalls.......

 

[Jamesbrown]

We have a Marshall, or if he’s not on anyone from the shop will pop out, refreshment cart is also a Marshall.

I’ve had to phone the shop for the Marshall a few times.
Had to text my mate in the group behind us a few weeks back to phone the Marshall on our group.
Me and a mate was playing with two other members who were deathly slow. And in a buggy. No idea how to use one efficiently.

 

[Orikoru]

If you knew that you'd taken 1 hour 10 minutes, then I don't think there would be any harm in telling her that you'd taken 1 hour 10 minutes. She may have just said fair enough and moved on. If she was assigned to your society as you said, then she must have had an idea of when you teed off anyway.