Dodging Ground Staff during the day....

[virtuocity]

At my course, there is ALWAYS a squad of grounds staff walking around and driving around in their buggy sorting out redundant bunkers and damaged bits of ground.

They don't get out of your way, so you're forced to either move on to the next hole or be very accurate with your shots (I'm a high handicapper so this completely throws off my swing).

The younger boys are noisy as well- does my head in.

Am I alone in thinking that ground work should be done very early?

 

[Curls]

Be thankful it's being done chap - you'd have a worse complaint if the place was in tatters!

The staff at ours are very good, mindful of golfers and will move if in your way/ stop their motors etc when you have to shoot. If you feel they're not being considerate then you could always say it nicely to the pro...

 

[One Planer]

Am I alone in thinking that ground work should be done very early?

It is at my track.

Ground staff are usually packed up and gone by 8.30am unless they are doing work elsewhere on the course.

We've recently had a green lifted and relayed to remove thatch under it that was holding water. We're having a new green built at present making a long par 4 into a par 5 so I expect and accept the work they do needs doing so give them priority.

 

[DCB]

Am I alone in thinking that ground work should be done very early?

They can't get it done early for all the Forumers who want to play as soon as the sun comes up

 

[patricks148]

At my course, there is ALWAYS a squad of grounds staff walking around and driving around in their buggy sorting out redundant bunkers and damaged bits of ground.

They don't get out of your way, so you're forced to either move on to the next hole or be very accurate with your shots (I'm a high handicapper so this completely throws off my swing).

The younger boys are noisy as well- does my head in.

Am I alone in thinking that ground work should be done very early?

think yourself lucky you see a greenkeeper, our lot are tucked up watching Holly Willabooby all morning.

 

[DCB]

In all seriousness though, work needs to be done as and when required. It's also very seasonal, so, during the summer good use of the available daylight needs to be made. Whilst it's great to think the staff can start early and cut the greens and rake the bunkers, there's a lot of other things needing to be done as well. That's without taking any capital projects into consideration, if the staff are involved in that kind of work.

Tough life managing all that and keeping the members happy.

 

[MarkA]

Treat them with respect, they keep your track in good order.
If there is the slightest chance they are in range don't play your shot they are a very important part of golf not nuisances to be tolerated!

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I'm concerned that we won't see them often enough at my course. Rumour has it they've had there hours reduced and few have been let go.

 

[bladeplayer]

Treat them with respect, they keep your track in good order.
If there is the slightest chance they are in range don't play your shot they are a very important part of golf not nuisances to be tolerated!

I agree but Its a 2 way street tho Mark , its your and other peoples membership that pays their wages & creates the need for their jobs ..
The greens staff in our place are brilliant so hats off to them, but they are courteous to the members & "most" of the members return that ,
If both groups realise they need the other & respect that , then their should be no real problems

 

[StrangelyBrown]

think yourself lucky you see a greenkeeper, our lot are tucked up watching Holly Willabooby all morning.

To be fair, I don't blame them

OP - have a quite word with your pro or greens convener if it's an issue. Ours are out and about quite a lot through the week, working on new drainage and sorting out dead areas where we were flooded. They do an excellent job, and as above are always on the lookout for golfers so they can move to the side / switch off motors etc :thup:

 

[stevie_r]

As it varies so much from club to club I think it must be down to the way the head greenkeeper controls/ directs them.

At the Gleddoch ground staff have 'right of way' until 0830. They are working hard at the moment doing major work to bunkers which were washed out over the winter (and have been washed out again since), if they had to move aside every time a golfer was approaching then they would never get the job done. Has to be a bit of give and take I think.

At a club not a million miles from where Crawford lives I had to wait on the first tee while a new pin position was being cut, at 1015 in the morning, that strikes me as a bit ridiculous. On the same day I found three hole plugs that were standing at least a cm proud of the green oo: When querying it I was apparently the one in the wrong, he was a new start - well try supervising him then :rant:

 

[User 105]

I've got to say ours are pretty good. They get most of the stuff done before the first tee time or in the evenings. You see them out occasionally on weekday's but never at weekends.

There's a couple of places I have played that were terrible. One they would literally drive in front of you as you were about to hit your tee shot.

The best was a TPC Scottsdale. They had a crew doing work in the middle of one of the fairways right where the landing zone was and there was little room either side of them. They had a guy standing in front calling you down and would then warn the workers if the ball was heading their way. Which mine did

He called, they didn't bat an eyelid and carried on working My ball landed right in the middle of them, he went and retrieved after my playing partners had teed off and placed it to the side of them on the fairway. Top Job.

Until I got closer and the guys I was playing with said I'd have to tip him $5

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Ours are pretty good and I am happy to see them out and working irrespective of when in the day it is. I tend to wait for them to see me if possible rather than wave or shout from way back down the hole.

 

[Mark_G]

I cannot fault our guys, always courteous and always watching out for players. I think they realise that our members appreciate their efforts, they are always open to explain what they are doing and I am gratefull they do such a good job.