Does your Club have a course ranger?

[patricks148]

Slow play is a big issue within the game and course rangers could be a way of improving pace of play. but Ive only ever seen one in the 8 years ive played and that club no longer uses one despite the fact it has a real problem with slow play from visitors during the summer.

So does your club have one?

if not Do you think it would help ?

 

[Thexindi]

Slow play is a big issue within the game and course rangers could be a way of improving pace of play. but Ive only ever seen one in the 8 years ive played and that club no longer uses one despite the fact it has a real problem with slow play from visitors during the summer.

So does your club have one?

if not Do you think it would help ?

My local doesn't have a course ranger which only job is to make sure the pace of play is decent, But during busy times staff will walk the course to make sure the pace isn't to slow.
Doesn't always work though, Pace of play is a problem everywhere.
I dont mind if your slow, old, not a good player or new I dont mind that , Just let people thru and there's no problems

 

[Imurg]

Only seen a couple from memory.
PGA at the Belfry had one last time I played there as did Wycombe Heights for a while - not sure if either do now.
Not sure Aylesbury Park even knows what a Course Ranger is.......they tried to "employ" one a few years back but it never got off the ground.

 

[Soft hands]

We had a notice that this season there are going to be stewards driving round in buggies to deal with issues such as slow play.

 

[Break90]

We have a ranger on comp days, and starters for board comps

 

[stevelev]

Ours are labelled as Marshalls, however they spend much of the time filling divots and pucking up litter .

A lot of courses pay their marshalls / rangers, ours offer free golf. If more courses actually employed Marshalls to solely monitor pace of play and areas where there are often lost balls, yes they may lose the membership fees for the 4 or five people but the perception that the club is making comps seem more important from the players point of view and the improved pace of play and possibly less people nr'ing as less lost balls on blind shots etc. I yhink this perception would then attract more members to a club that actively try to make comps and the course play at the right pace and help you acheive your best scores.

I think more courses could have a side bet where if you actually spot a marshall monitoring pace of play you win a fiver.

 

[Face breaker]

No but we could probably do with one, ain't that the course managers job though ?...:thup:

 

[Oddsocks]

The only active ranger I've seen was on the brabazon, he knew exactly how much time we had lost..... Unfortunately he didn't account that we had let the group behind through.

Our ranger is subtle.... But maybe a little to subtle

 

[HomerJSimpson]

We introduced one a while back. We're a private members club and to be honest I couldn't really see the point. He seemed to spend all the time at the first policing whether trollies had hedgehog wheels on over the winter (the club makes it mandatory) and whether 2015/16 bag tags have been displayed since subs were due 1st March. He does start medals and stablefords which is fair enough but other than that he seems a little "jobsworth" on the way he handles the other tasks. He does pootle around at times but I've never seen him actually stop and sort pace of play issues. To be honest I have no real idea what he's there to do or his remit but it does seem unnecessary as most of the time pace isn't an issue (3 1/2 hours to do a stableford on a Saturday morning yesterday)

 

[pbrown7582]

We don't have one and are quite lucky comps are 3 ball only so pace isn't too bad at around 3.5hrs 3 20 last week, although there are concerns and start finish time is required on the card to keep a track of things.b

I have met rangers twice once at Woburn and he's was very good and subtle.
The other at the new in at st Andrews and he was tearing his hair out about a 2 ball flatly refusing to go through a 4 ball.

 

[chrisd]

We've just employed one but yet to see him on the course. I believe part of the job is to challenge any non payers sneaking on the course

 

[mashleyR7]

We've just employed one but yet to see him on the course. I believe part of the job is to challenge any non payers sneaking on the course

You'll recognize him when he starts

I think it's of a non starter for us to be honest, we don't have any issues with slow play on our course. Board comps might be 4.5 hours on a Sunday but I don't think I've ever had an issue with slow play at any other times. People sneaking on the course is the main worry for the club I believe but the hours this is most likely to happen aren't the hours he's been asked to work

It's good for when societies play though as I think it's welcoming to have someone on the 1st tee who knows who we are, where we're from, why we're there, gives a steer for the 1st shot and.

 

[chrisd]

You'll recognize him when he starts

I think it's of a non starter for us to be honest, we don't have any issues with slow play on our course. Board comps might be 4.5 hours on a Sunday but I don't think I've ever had an issue with slow play at any other times. People sneaking on the course is the main worry for the club I believe but the hours this is most likely to happen aren't the hours he's been asked to work

It's good for when societies play though as I think it's welcoming to have someone on the 1st tee who knows who we are, where we're from, why we're there, gives a steer for the 1st shot and.

I know who it is

 

[Ads749r]

We introduced one a while back. We're a private members club and to be honest I couldn't really see the point. He seemed to spend all the time at the first policing whether trollies had hedgehog wheels on over the winter (the club makes it mandatory) and whether 2015/16 bag tags have been displayed since subs were due 1st March. He does start medals and stablefords which is fair enough but other than that he seems a little "jobsworth" on the way he handles the other tasks. He does pootle around at times but I've never seen him actually stop and sort pace of play issues. To be honest I have no real idea what he's there to do or his remit but it does seem unnecessary as most of the time pace isn't an issue (3 1/2 hours to do a stableford on a Saturday morning yesterday)

Every member I've spoke too thinks there is no need for him. I like that big grey weather clock thingy he has on the first tee. I normally see him driving round looking for his phone that's fell out of his pocket hahaha but whenever he has a problem he always goes back to the pro shop and moans in there about people on the course. There never is any problems only apart from when the ladies comps go out first thing. (Nothing against ladies before the white knights appear)

 

[Dan2501]

We have one at our place at weekends, and he's useless. Lets groups tee off too soon, doesn't control slow play and is as irritating as they come. I'm not sure why on earth they pay him. I'm convinced they don't pay him, and he has just stolen a name badge and rocks up at weekends so he has someone to chat to.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Every member I've spoke too thinks there is no need for him. I like that big grey weather clock thingy he has on the first tee. I normally see him driving round looking for his phone that's fell out of his pocket hahaha but whenever he has a problem he always goes back to the pro shop and moans in there about people on the course. There never is any problems only apart from when the ladies comps go out first thing. (Nothing against ladies before the white knights appear)

I agree. Any issues and he's straight back to the pro shop. If you aren't going to deal with it without driving back and moaning and asking advice what's the point in being there. I know there was issues with people trying to get off early with guests (not suppose to take guests out before 9.30 so you can sign them in) and not paying a green fee and non-members bunking on but he's never there after about 2.00 and so people can still rock up and potentially go out so he's not doing anything of value added

 

[Slab]

I think it would be a bit foolish for a club to employ a marshall without first establishing where their clog points are (and why) otherwise how would they know what problem it is they are trying to deal with (knowing there's a slow pace is not sufficient)

Most courses I play have one or more mashalls and our buggys also tell us how much behind pace we are regardless if you have sight of the group in front/behind
(group I was in was put on the clock a couple of months back, first time that's happened to me so it felt a bit weird but the group responded and made up time on the back nine)

 

[Deleted member 15344]

We only ever have volunteers on when there is a county comp and possibly big societies

 

[kevster84]

A course I play promotes this but I've never seen one. Said course has led to recent frustration with slow play causing a break in my rhythm! Standing on the tee box for 5+ mins after a good hole watching the four ball in front hack away is not good!

 

[guest100718]

Nice idea but in practice they'd have to be constantly roaming the course. I like the idea of a slow play hot line you can ring for when you catch up a group that tell you it's slow and they don't want to let you through.