Course Marshalls

[paddyc]

Does your course have one or need one.

My course has tried to get a members to be become voluntary marshalls, but no one it seems wants to take it on.
Are they seen in the same light as a traffic warden lurking around the course in their ready to pounce on the unsuspecting golfer for petty golf crimes or are beneficial

What is their role?
Can they improve the pace of play, etiquette (i.e. ticking off idiots on course, reminders about divot replacement and pitch mark repairs, raking bunkers)checking whether those playing are members or have a valid green fee ticket and more?

Having played today the course was littered with divots and I spent time replacing some as the course was virtually empty and I had plenty of time, but would a course marshall be a deterrant to those with little care about the condition of their course or a course they are visiting for the day.

Do they have a place on our courses or should golfers/members take it upon themselves to act as marshalls when the need arises.

 

[sydney greenstreet]

As has been said a few times a volunteer Marshall going up to a 4 ball saying this and that MIGHT just get told where to go, also I would say the majority repair divots and pitch marks and are not slow playing. Depends on the Course 5-6 hour rounds a NO NO, 3-4 should be the norm.

 

[El Bandito]

I think that it is a thankless task, and whoever takes it on really needs the support of the members, and some pretty good communication skills. However, I would love to see it a bit more. It only takes an inconsiderate 4 ball out early to ruin the pace for 40, 50 people following and a good Marshall backed up by clear course guidelines should help that.

 

[arnieboy]

I reckon you can blame the birds, especially seagulls, if you live on the coast for many of the divots on courses at the moment. It's easier for them to lift a divot and get to the soil underneath rather than digging fresh ground.

 

[GB72]

Sadly my experiences of course marshalls have been pretty poor to date. Both times have been at GM events (The Belfry and Forest of Arden) and both times I have been in the last group out before they let the members or other golfers on the course. On both occasions my group has been up with the group in front on a very busy course and both times I have had a course marshall sat in his buggy behind us pushing us to speed up as the event is slowing up the members. Nothing I can do and, in fact, the pressure applied played havoc with my game and, if anything, slowed the pace of play. I can see the benefit of well trained marshalls but they need to be practical in their approach rather than pushing for the sake of it when nothing can be done.

 

[El Bandito]

Sadly my experiences of course marshalls have been pretty poor to date. Both times have been at GM events (The Belfry and Forest of Arden) and both times I have been in the last group out before they let the members or other golfers on the course. On both occasions my group has been up with the group in front on a very busy course and both times I have had a course marshall sat in his buggy behind us pushing us to speed up as the event is slowing up the members. Nothing I can do and, in fact, the pressure applied played havoc with my game and, if anything, slowed the pace of play. I can see the benefit of well trained marshalls but they need to be practical in their approach rather than pushing for the sake of it when nothing can be done.

Annoying! Did the marshall not think to look further ahead? I can't see much point in him trying to hurry you if you were up with the group in front.

 

[cookelad]

One of our Spain/Portugal trip nearly had a serious run-in with a marshal at Vale do Lobo, our lad was told that his group was behind play so they should pick up and move on to the next hole, the fact that they were waiting in the fairway for the green to clear on shortish par 4 was irrelevant apparently! He soon got back in his buggy when they started talking thick scouse (think drunk Jamie Carragher) back at him!

 

[Foxholer]

Had good and bad experiences with Marshalls.

Communication/information is the key, even if only to advise that little, practically, can be done - the 'problem' may be so far ahead.

I agree re divots. I've seen birds turning them over so often. I can rarely find mine as they are normally in a hundred bits!

 

[Imurg]

I think it's sad that they're needed in the first place.

If everyone played with the correct ettiquette of the game they'd be extinct.

 

[Akie]

It's what they are there to do and how they do it that affects how useful they are to the club and course. Trying to hurry people along isn't going to help anyone, a gentle reminder if a 4 ball is genuinely holding up play should help.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

I think it's sad that they're needed in the first place.

If everyone played with the correct ettiquette of the game they'd be extinct.

hear hear.

From an earlier post it does look like the GM forum meetings must be slow affairs.

A good marshall is worth their weight in gold. I used to employ one who could sort out the slouches with a raised eyebrow.
Knowing that marshalls operate on the course can also make a huge difference to speed of play. I have sometimes wondered if a stationary buggy with a cardboard cut out figure would work.

At a new course I managed the head starter introduced me to one of the marshalls called Chester. After greeting him he limped away.
Seemingly I did not catch on. I often wondered why Chester somehow changed his name to Drew. [one for the old boys!]

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I think some people are oblivious. The group that go out on a Saturday are the first lot out and EVERY weeek hold us and therefore everyone else up. It is beyond a joke and no amount of polite persuasion, blunt telling or threats of taking it further in writing has any effect. The group I followed last weekend had lost a hole by the 4th. All we got was "one of our lot is struggling a bit today". So bloody what. Let us through and he can hit as many shots as he wants. The point is, as first group out would marshalls even think the problem would lie at the very start of the field. That group aside and apart from the two days the seniors go out en masse (and we know when it is so go out before or play off the 10th) there is very little need for marshalls. Even in comps, four hours is considered a long round and most groups get around well below this

 

[swanny32]

Our place never really has either a starter or course marshall. Sometimes the pro will start the societies off, other times during the summer he or one of the Uni bar staff will go out and check for tags but if it's one of the bar staff they'll never question slow play or mention about replacing divots etc.

I went to play Sweetwoods last September in a society day, we had a starter who got us all off bang on time and he met us half way round to make sure we were on schedule and to offer us drinks. My general feelings are that if a course has a starter/marshall then you're in for a good golfing experience, which is exactly what Sweetwoods is, so much so that I'm heading back down there in 4 weeks time and can't bloody wait!