is this normal?

[Neilds]

At my last club, all free slots could be booked into by other members, it was a great way to meet the other members, get a regular pool of playing partners etc. Also ensures everyone can get a tee time and allows the club can maximise the income by getting members out the way early and visitors booking in later (visitors couldn’t book into these free slots, only members). I assumed it was the case at all clubs…

I then changed clubs and where I am now it’s all booked via intelligent golf. If a one ball books in then that the whole slot is booked up, only they or the pro shop can add another player. I was disappointed by this and wished I’d asked before I joined, because how else do you get to meet the other members if there isn’t a comp on?

Then one day, it all changed and you could book into these free slots, great news. I popped into the shop a few days later and said to the pro it was much better this way ‘ah, erm, we’ve had to change it back I’m afraid’ and went on to say that the system couldn’t cope with it and more than 4 players were able to book into the same slot. I think that was a tactful way of saying ‘a load of the old cronies moaned that people were booking in on the time they’ve always booked’! Annoying.

As for the OP, I’d go with it and make the most of it. You’ll probably find the others are good company, encourage you and actually end up helping you in some way, whether that’s improved focus, course management etc.

I suspect you are being told a few porkies by the pro shop. We use IG and have no such problems. It can also be set to 3 balls for comps etc, block out slots for groups or societies so I think your club don't know how to set it up properly.

 

[Peter_Drake_teacher]

Im pretty much a solo player, i dont know anyone who plays, so usually book a round at one of the quieter times. So im not waiting behind a group or holding anyone up as i hack my way round trying to beat 100. I'd booked a round yesterday at my club for tomorrow morning, as there was nothing 20 minutes before or after the time i'd booked.

I went online today to see if anything on the par 3 for later this afternoon, and My solo booking was now a 4some, none of which i know. If a club is merging a solo with what i presume is a 3... should they not at least email? I dont have loads of confidence, and to be stuck in with 3 seems a little presumptuous. These could be scratch players for all I know. Im sure they dont want a high handicapper taking 7s and 8s regularly.

I also get that the course is looking to maximise revenue, its a business after all. but a simple mail would have helped.

Or is it normal practice?

TBH I would go with the flow and play with them. If you are like me (a HIGH handicapper) any tips you can pick up will be of value. Just take it up with the secretary when you get a moment
Peter Drake

 

[timd77]

I suspect you are being told a few porkies by the pro shop. We use IG and have no such problems. It can also be set to 3 balls for comps etc, block out slots for groups or societies so I think your club don't know how to set it up properly.

Yeh, I assumed that would be the case. I’ll try to bring it up at the agm if possible.

 

[sunshine]

Maybe this sounds a but of a cop out, but its taken me years to get to even play on a course when others are present, as i had a major problem with that, having had a very bad experience at a public course.

Tell us about your very bad experience. Sounds like this has left mental scars which you need to overcome if you want to improve your golf.

 

[Sports_Fanatic]

I've been thinking about it, and i do agree with most points above. maybe they are all course hackers too. And had the club had the decency to inform me i might have gone ahead but finding out by accident, has knocked me a bit, so i cancelled. Just let them get on with it. I will however look at bookings in the next couple of weeks and maybe look to join on one that is looking for players

Maybe this sounds a but of a cop out, but its taken me years to get to even play on a course when others are present, as i had a major problem with that, having had a very bad experience at a public course. I've also asked the club, as to why there was no notification.

I'll keep practicing and visiting the par 3. then maybe get a proper round in. if i can lift my standard.

I know some out there will be sneering, it's just how i am. I really enjoy playing, and am getting better, now playing off 29, but when others are around i currently dont enjoy it, as i feel pressured (by myself)..

Initially i think i need to join on, on my own terms, then maybe id enjoy it more..

Maybe someone on here near Brampton Heath, that wants to break 100 together..

I think you're being too harsh on yourself. 29 is still someone who plays golf and can get round a course in reasonable time and without looking too bad. Sure bad holes here and there but i expect pars are in the mix and you are averaging less than double bogey per hole.

OK, not the best golfer, but I've got a lot i go away with who are all 24 plus handicaps and it's still a great laugh even though I play to a lower handicap. Hope you keep enjoying golf whether in groups or on your own; good luck with improving but don't wait till the next handicap cut, and the next one and the next one until you decide you're OK to join in.

 

[jim8flog]

Tee booking is open to anybody who wants to book a slot with a space where there is one.

Each tee slot is worth £50 to the club - hardly reasonable for a single player to expect to play on their own unless they are prepared to pay for those slots.

Within the IG system, we use, you can use check boxes to be emailed whenever anybody books a tee slot with you.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

We use club V1 and so put your name down, or book for the group (we can book three others in) but if you are on your own and put your name down, it is normal to expect others to fill the slot up

 

[Blue in Munich]

I suspect you are being told a few porkies by the pro shop. We use IG and have no such problems. It can also be set to 3 balls for comps etc, block out slots for groups or societies so I think your club don't know how to set it up properly.

I suspect it can be set up both ways; ours is normally set up so that the first named player holds and controls the booking, nothing can be added except by him/her (pro shop/office could via admin rights but don't without the first named player's say-so). However during lockdown this was changed to allow players to add themselves to any slot to ensure that everyone could get a game.

 

[Tashyboy]

Every Tuesday and Thursday we have a roll up. From 15-20 lads turn up. A couple of weeks ago someone booked one of our tee times. So three of us struggled to get in. There was a tee time where only one persons name was down and 3 x anonymous. It had been like that for 8 days. I asked our secretary if we could drop in. He said “ no as it will be filled”. I asked if we could drop in with a single player who had 3 spots. He said ” no”. Reason being, it’s one of his best mates and his wife plays with them. So six spots empty and three players struggling to get on the course.
Suffice to say we were bogged Off.
What did we do, we turned up as normal. The person who was down as one and 3 anonymous. Played as a two ball, they dropped in with our fiddle. So it sorted itself out.
Oddly enough, we usually go for the same times every Tuesday and Thursday. One of the lads collared me yesterday.He has been in to see the Secretary and asked why he has given another tee time to the ladies when we have used it for years. Answer
“ because they asked for one”. they have not had over 8 women in the time we have played. Why not give them the one earlier.
I sympathise with clubs trying to please everyone but it seems common sense is not that common at times.

 

[GreiginFife]

Every Tuesday and Thursday we have a roll up. From 15-20 lads turn up. A couple of weeks ago someone booked one of our tee times. So three of us struggled to get in. There was a tee time where only one persons name was down and 3 x anonymous. It had been like that for 8 days. I asked our secretary if we could drop in. He said “ no as it will be filled”. I asked if we could drop in with a single player who had 3 spots. He said ” no”. Reason being, it’s one of his best mates and his wife plays with them. So six spots empty and three players struggling to get on the course.
Suffice to say we were bogged Off.
What did we do, we turned up as normal. The person who was down as one and 3 anonymous. Played as a two ball, they dropped in with our fiddle. So it sorted itself out.
Oddly enough, we usually go for the same times every Tuesday and Thursday. One of the lads collared me yesterday.He has been in to see the Secretary and asked why he has given another tee time to the ladies when we have used it for years. Answer
“ because they asked for one”. they have not had over 8 women in the time we have played. Why not give them the one earlier.
I sympathise with clubs trying to please everyone but it seems common sense is not that common at times.

This statement here sums up what's wrong with roll-ups and one reason that I am not particularly fond of them. They seem to think that they have elevated rights over "normal" members, including (but not limited to) the right to tee times of their choosing.

They are not YOUR tee times, they are available tees to the whole membership.

I had the temerity to book a 2 ball amongst the Thursday roll-up when I was off work on holiday. I was accosted on the first tee by the "swindle chairman" and asked why I booked the tee. "Because it was available" says I. "Do you know how inconvenient it is that you've taken one of our tees?" says he. You can imagine my riposte to that which included a request for him to provide ownership rights evidence to said tee time.

On the OP, we use BRS and in the winter when tee times are compressed, if a tee booking has less than 4 members (does not count for visitor bookings) then it's fair game. This is to provide the opportunity for all to play (except in the midst of the swindle, of course). In the summer this tends to be switched off, but you can still ask the pro if he can slot you on to a booking, he'll know if it's an "accommodating" member (or group) and advise accordingly.

 

[Tashyboy]

This statement here sums up what's wrong with roll-ups and one reason that I am not particularly fond of them. They seem to think that they have elevated rights over "normal" members, including (but not limited to) the right to tee times of their choosing.

They are not YOUR tee times, they are available tees to the whole membership.

I had the temerity to book a 2 ball amongst the Thursday roll-up when I was off work on holiday. I was accosted on the first tee by the "swindle chairman" and asked why I booked the tee. "Because it was available" says I. "Do you know how inconvenient it is that you've taken one of our tees?" says he. You can imagine my riposte to that which included a request for him to provide ownership rights evidence to said tee time.

On the OP, we use BRS and in the winter when tee times are compressed, if a tee booking has less than 4 members (does not count for visitor bookings) then it's fair game. This is to provide the opportunity for all to play (except in the midst of the swindle, of course). In the summer this tends to be switched off, but you can still ask the pro if he can slot you on to a booking, he'll know if it's an "accommodating" member (or group) and advise accordingly.

The bold bits
I totally agree with you and if you read all my post I went into see the club Secretary and asked if we could play in other empty spots and was told no. Maybe I could of worded “ our” into one of “ our regular” playing spots. But the meaning was the same.
Again the available tees are not available to the whole memberships if one of “ our regular “ tees times is all of a sudden passed over to the ladies.

 

[GreiginFife]

The bold bits
I totally agree with you and if you read all my post I went into see the club Secretary and asked if we could play in other empty spots and was told no. Maybe I could of worded “ our” into one of “ our regular” playing spots. But the meaning was the same.
Again the available tees are not available to the whole memberships if one of “ our regular “ tees times is all of a sudden passed over to the ladies.

The ladies have a right to access to tees as well. Just because you have use a tee slot "for years" doesn't imply ownership of that tee slot. Again, it's this thinking that puts me (personally) off roll-ups.

"Our" and "our regular" do not mean the same thing. I did read all of your post, but none of what followed detracts from the fact that your roll-up has implied ownership of the tees and you felt the need to go to the secretary rather than just accept that someone else booked the tee and have to behave like everyone else that wants to book one of "your" tee slots but can't.

We'll never agree on this point Tashy, my personal opinion on roll-ups has been formed over many years at different clubs, all with the same common theme of implied ownership, purely on the basis of "we've done this for years". I drank in the same pub for years, doesn't mean I have special rights to it.

 

[thebigreason]

Whilst I have broken 100 a few times now, I would say 50% of the time I am above that. I am also in Coventry, you are more than welcome to come for a round with me, we can smash it round together. At the end of the day, we have all paid to play, as long as we stick to the golf etiquette (not going too slow for example), then I don't give a damn about other people - plus most people won't say anything anyway, they've all been where we are at with our golfing!!! Drop me a message if you want.