Etiquette

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You don't confront first - you communicate first and then if that doesn't work you confront and then sanction. You have to give people the opportunity to change habits

We had issues with people and where they took their trolley and the rules and guidelines were communicated to members including possible sanctions - it worked with people following the guidelines and people's attitude towards their trolley use etc changed.

Communicating effectively and the right way has been proven to work - it's a powerful tool.
 
Clubs have been trying to get members to repair pitch marks for years and still a lot of clubs have greens with lots of marks on them. Clearly education isn't working is it? Similar with bunkers and the problem isn't changing? How do you get membership to change when a large majority have the mindset that the problem isn't them (same with slow play). If education ain't working how do you improve un-repaired greens?
 
Liverpoolphil said:
You don't confront first - you communicate first and then if that doesn't work you confront and then sanction. You have to give people the opportunity to change habits

We had issues with people and where they took their trolley and the rules and guidelines were communicated to members including possible sanctions - it worked with people following the guidelines and people's attitude towards their trolley use etc changed.

Communicating effectively and the right way has been proven to work - it's a powerful tool.
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Funny that Phil as you seem to have lost your ability to communicate,I suppose just ignoring things is the other option hoping it goes away.
 
HomerJSimpson said:
Clubs have been trying to get members to repair pitch marks for years and still a lot of clubs have greens with lots of marks on them. Clearly education isn't working is it? Similar with bunkers and the problem isn't changing? How do you get membership to change when a large majority have the mindset that the problem isn't them (same with slow play). If education ain't working how do you improve un-repaired greens?
Click to expand...

Which is what I am saying, everyone knows what they should be doing, these issues have been discussed for decades and never seem to be solved, you can search on every forum since forums began and the same issues have been discussed, but wait, we didn't have social media in them days so now all those offenders will read about themselves and feel guilty and all change, or maybe not :mmm:
 
Liverpoolphil said:
You don't confront first - you communicate first and then if that doesn't work you confront and then sanction. You have to give people the opportunity to change habits

We had issues with people and where they took their trolley and the rules and guidelines were communicated to members including possible sanctions - it worked with people following the guidelines and people's attitude towards their trolley use etc changed.

Communicating effectively and the right way has been proven to work - it's a powerful tool.
Click to expand...

Sanctioning the customer that pay the wages and the bills?

Good luck with that
 
Fish said:
Which is what I am saying, everyone knows what they should be doing, these issues have been discussed for decades and never seem to be solved, you can search on every forum since forums began and the same issues have been discussed, but wait, we didn't have social media in them days so now all those offenders will read about themselves and feel guilty and all change, or maybe not :mmm:
Click to expand...

There have even been campaigns on social media (GM have done it as have others), posters in clubs etc and the message never gets through because members never see it as their problem. I don't see how you break the communication barriers
 
If I could get pedagogical on your asses for a minute, then you need to 'educate' them better. If you want behaviour to change then, simplifying it a bit, you need to address knowledge, skills or attitudes, or a combination of them. So in this case when it comes to pitch marks then is it an issue with the knowledge that they are supposed to repair them, probably not, deep down everyone knows that they are supposed to. Is it an issue with the skill of how to repair them, possibly in some circumstances, especially for those new to the game, but in general probably not the main reason. So that just leaves attitudes, they know they should, they know how to do it but for whatever reason they do not value doing it.

So when you come to 'educating and communicating' with them you need to make sure you are using the right method to target the issue. Don't address the skill and knowledge if you are mostly trying to change attitudes. Mentioning it on notice boards and score cards may help a bit as it is a constant reminder, but you need to really get the people to have a change of heart. So try methods such as 'meet the green keepers'. A passionate 10 minute talk by a green keeper on what they do and how they are proud of their greens will have a significant effect on peoples attitudes. Hey, include it in the hour long 'get to know the rules and what to do on the course' session that Fundy so excellently suggested. Get the green keeper featured in newsletters, blog on the web site, that kind of thing. That will change many more hearts and minds with regards to pitch marks than trying to bring in some draconian fining system.

A 'stick' approach can be an effective way of making people learn, but if the learning is seen by the individual as 'non essential' then that kind of approach will only have limited success.
 
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Yet again someone earlier blamed seniors. Maybe our club is unusual but the several dozen seniors I know do repair pitch marks, do rake bunkers, do play at a reasonable pace and do observe other issues of etiquette. Maybe it is something to do with our age!
 
arnieboy said:
Yet again someone earlier blamed seniors. Maybe our club is unusual but the several dozen seniors I know do repair pitch marks, do rake bunkers, do play at a reasonable pace and do observe other issues of etiquette. Maybe it is something to do with our age!
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I'm personally not blaming it all on the seniors. Plenty of golfers of all ages play at weekends and usually we'll out in a roll up about 8.00 and even then we see freshly made marks or unraked bunkers. Some must have been done ahead of us (all ages in the preceding role up - not just seniors) and never repaired. It's a problem across golf club membership, not just one section
 
arnieboy said:
Yet again someone earlier blamed seniors. Maybe our club is unusual but the several dozen seniors I know do repair pitch marks, do rake bunkers, do play at a reasonable pace and do observe other issues of etiquette. Maybe it is something to do with our age!
Click to expand...

Its not just seniors nor juniors nor new players or players who have been playing for years - seen it with the whole spectrum of golfers
 
Thinking out aloud here.

Is the answer for every course to have a marshall who goes around and if they see any "Bad etiquette" they then step in and educate ?
 
upsidedown said:
Thinking out aloud here.

Is the answer for every course to have a marshall who goes around and if they see any "Bad etiquette" they then step in and educate ?
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Course Marshalls would be great - they just cost money
 
upsidedown said:
I would envisage they'd be committee members for private members clubs. maybe a subsidy from County for others ?
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Committee members have a lot to do as it is - as well as having their own lives and jobs of their own.
 
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