Farleigh Court Golf Club BANNED me from their driving range today!!

[JustOne]

im not good at the technical stuff .. but like others i commend his helpfulness to others , not too many people give of their time freely anymore ..

Technical?? It's all easy!!!

Thanks for your sentiment, I just like helping people, I've seen so many people struggle with this simple (ha!) game :thup:

 

[Slab]

Hypothetically obviously... but let’s just see things from the point of view of a fictitious zippy Range Pro...

• That’s the chap who was teaching here for a full day the other week!
• He was here earlier this week too with another chap for several hours!
• Now he’s back today with a third different guy and by the looks of things he’s planning to stay till dark!
• Every time he’s here everyone stops to watch!
• An audience actually gathered round him at one point!
• He’s made no introduction & no prior arrangements to use my range like this
• He’s made no payment to use my range as a teaching facility, just pays the going rate for balls
• Folks are actually trying to book lessons with him at the front desk!
• Some think he works for me!
• He gave at least one other member a tip as he was walking past! And countless others who just eavesdrop on his lessons
• When I asked him about it the other day he said it was just a mate and it was all for free and I said ok & only then does he tell me that he & another ‘mate’ will be along at the weekend!
• Clearly he has passion & knowledge for the game but there’s a limit to everything
• My range visitors might even be meeting him at another range down the road for their free lessons!!
• Free ½ day/full day lessons! He must think I’m buttoned up the back!
• Mind you I’m the one that has to pay for all the property, salaries & running costs that even allow him the chance to teach here for free
• I’ve no idea if I’m even inured for this kind of thing
• I’ll have to put a stop to this...

Just worth considering who the victim is in this

 

[JustOne]

^
^
If you want to put the worst possible 'spin' on it then I agree with you.... can you do a list with the BEST possible spin now

• Free ½ day/full day lessons! He must think I’m buttoned up the back!

Love this!!! :rofl:

 

[Slab]

^
^
If you want to put the worst possible 'spin' on it then I agree with you.... can you do a list with the BEST possible spin now

Hypothetically obviously... but let’s just see things from the point of view of a fictitious zippy Range Pro...
(Best possible spin version)

• That’s the chap who was teaching here for near a full day the other week!
• He was here earlier this week too with another chap for several hours!
• Now he’s back today with a third different guy and by the looks of things he’s planning to stay till dark!
• I’ve taken him on to do all my lessons for free while I continue to charge the mug punters!
• Result!

 

[bladeplayer]

Hypothetically obviously... but let’s just see things from the point of view of a fictitious zippy Range Pro...
(Best possible spin version)

• That’s the chap who was teaching here for near a full day the other week!
• He was here earlier this week too with another chap for several hours!
• Now he’s back today with a third different guy and by the looks of things he’s planning to stay till dark!
• I’ve taken him on to do all my lessons for free while I continue to charge the mug punters!
• Result!

Or ...
jeez this fella is bringing his mates down

They are buying use of hundreds of balls
they have bought greens fees for the course
they have used the refreshments/cafe/bar

they have gotten my current range users talking about & possibly interested in taking lessons from me ..

Just a thought tho ......... im beginning to wonder why im defending JO so well on this subject ha ..

For the record i see both sides of the discussion and it will take the people involved to talk and get a happy resolution or JO will just find another range , talk to the pro FIRST and use their facilities

 

[Slab]

For the record i see both sides of the discussion and it will take the people involved to talk and get a happy resolution or JO will just find another range , talk to the pro FIRST and use their facilities

Have to agree with this, too many folks who clearly seek & can benefit from this for JO to give up now!

 

[Jimbooo]

I've emailed the club manager asking them to explain their actions - so I guess we'll see what they have to say (if they reply).

 

[D4RK1]

I can - just about - see both sides of the argument, but mostly I think this is really sad. I got into the game when my mate offered to take me to the range and show me what to do. I guess many of us had the same experience. How else do you try the game without shelling out cash? I have returned the favour for beginners, hoping they will catch the bug like I did.
Not long ago I played with a mate who struck the ball really well but, it transpired, had no idea how far he hit each club. So off we went to the range and spent a nice afternoon with him hitting balls and me measuring with my laser and writing it all down for him.
Over the years I have had complete strangers offering advice on the range and also asking me for help.
So when does this go from being OK to breaking some rule?
I think it is really great, admirable in fact, that you are prepared to spend so much time helping your mates. Actually, this is all really for the love of the game. I, like many of us I guess, take great joy in talking about golf, working out how to hit the ball better etc etc. This forum is, in itself, a fine example of this. It is a real shame that commerce has got in the way of what is actually a couple of guys enjoying the game and a man trying to help his mates.

I find this almost sureal.

I do sort of understand the range / Pro being a bit put out if they thought JO was another Pro on their patch but once it was established he was not I just cannot see why they reacted the way they did.

At the range I go to there are lots of people who go down in pairs and 'spot' each other. Some of the best players at my club can be found there on occasions checking each others swings etc. I have watched a couple of time as they stike the ball so well its something to behold.

Although in a very very different category I go there with a mate and if we are stuggling with a shot we talk each other through it and see if w can spot any obvious mistakes. Sure no one is going to mistake us for Pro's (we would be bankrupt) but we have videoed our swings on our phones to show us what we need to work on etc. In fact we are there tonight.

I have also had a few words with some of the good players from my club when down at the range (not attached to the club) who have pointed me in the right direction on a few things

This is useful time to develop a game and try out things.

Seperately I have had lessons and used the Pro (s) from both the range and my club - in between I have worked on the lesson on my own with lots of buckets of balls by myself or when with mates to try and 'groove a swing'

For me its completely normal to work on things on the range and while JO and the people he has been helping have spent several hours there which may be beyond what others would do it seems very very harsh for the range to take this approach to me.

I think that JustOne deserves a GM forum medal for helping out others out of the goodness of his heart and his love of the game.

I agree with the above replies and couldn't put it any better myself

 

[19thagain]

I also totally agree with D4RK1 above.

 

[londonlewis]

I regularly play golf in that region and will probably not play at farleigh golf club now.
Having said that, is the course any good?

i think it is such a shame about how you have been treated and I hope you find a new home where you can continue to share all your wisdom.
I imagine people stop and stare because you help people get results. Whereas others may not see improvements when they pay for their lessons.?!?...

 

[richart]

Slightly off track, when I was a member at Farnham Nick Faldo asked if he could use the practice ground. The practice ground is huge one of the best in the area. The club said he could as long as he paid.

 

[londonlewis]

If you want to put the worst possible 'spin' on it then I agree with you.... can you do a list with the BEST possible spin now

i think the danger to the club is that customers are now connected more than ever. People talk, customers talk and we will share the positive and negative experience we have as consumers. Businesses can no longer treat customers as a commodity to squeeze as much cash out of as possible. The main issue I see is that prospective golfers can quite easily find as much information about a course before they play or visit and they may stumble across a forum, read negative comments and decide not to visit - I'm not going as far as to say this would happen to Farleigh golf club because of this thread (as I feel the earlier arguments posted by 'slab' were very articulate and very just) but clubs need to consider how they treat each and every customer.

 

[Jimbooo]

spoke to the Farleigh GM today and he's going to get back to me after speaking with the Pro when he gets back from leave

 

[CMAC]

Slightly off track, when I was a member at Farnham Nick Faldo asked if he could use the practice ground. The practice ground is huge one of the best in the area. The club said he could as long as he paid.

I thought all PGA pro's had courtesy (within reason) of any affiliated PGA recognised golf course? if not they should have as a professional courtesy

 

[richart]

I thought all PGA pro's had courtesy (within reason) of any affiliated PGA recognised golf course? if not they should have as a professional courtesy

This was 20 years ago at least.

 

[CMAC]

This was 20 years ago at least.

I realise that, in fact it was probably over 20 years ago my Pro told me this

 

[richart]

I realise that, in fact it was probably over 20 years ago my Pro told me this

Can only say what happened, not the rights and wrongs of it.

 

[Foxholer]

I thought all PGA pro's had courtesy (within reason) of any affiliated PGA recognised golf course? if not they should have as a professional courtesy

Definitely not!

They are entitled to ask though and there's usually a positive response - and the expectation of a Reciprocal for Club Pros or some favour from Touring ones.

I believe Faldo was eventually asked not to use Swinley Forest (so much) as he was deemed to be using it excessively. It was pretty local to him. Mind you, Bernard Hunt once laughed when I mentioned playing Swinley. He'd been chucked off it years previously as his host hadn't registered his 'Professional' status! Swinley actually do give (reasonable) courtesy to Pros btw.

I know Wentworth charge Member's guest rate and have a restriction on how often. My old club used to be happy to provide practice facilities for Touring Pros, one of whom actually lived in an apartment within the property.

It's normally an arrangement between the Course and their PGA Pro, so not simply a case of turning up and expecting to be able to play for free!

 

[CMAC]

Can only say what happened, not the rights and wrongs of it.

yes I understand that, apologies if it came across differently, I was only quoting my Pro at the time and just accepted it, this same pro also said if he had a handicap of 1 he would clean up everything

 

[FairwayDodger]

Not wanting to flare this up again.... However.... I was at a different range from normal tonight (kingsacre) and they have a sign up that states "absolutely no instruction on the range", or words to that effect anyway!

Thought you might be interested.