I've had it with my course !

[Society_Fan]

Can't believe they are going to complain!!! It is not like you hit them or anything!!!
Seriously I feel the same way as I play as a single golfer a lot and rarely get waived through, but have not resorted to endangering anyone.
save your money, and do the pay and play

 

[greensman]

Ok Colin, point taken.Travel 10 more minutes up the M53.Junct 1, Bidston and Leasowe are screaming out for members,and if you don't fancy travelling that far,

Hi Colin
I am intrigued to know what course you are talking about.

 

[colint]

Didn't really want to mention the course as for some reason I didn't to give it any more problems, but what the hell. Course is Prenton

 

[19th]

One or two thoughts on this.

Why did you join a course that is so poorly maintained in the first place? If it is only this winter's pounding that you are complaining about, we all have had to endure the aftermath of this and you can't blame the greenkeeping staff.

Why did you not just pick up your ball and walk through? If they were as slow as you make out there must have been free holes ahead of them.

Will another club want a golfer that resorts to hitting drives over the game in front when frustrated? Any 'golfer' that did that to me would be in danger of enjoying my Footjoys. Having experienced the knock-on effects of the damage a golf ball did - concussion and the resultant permanent damaged eyesight to one eye causing a failed medical for that dream position - makes me rather annoyed with this behaviour, as you will appreciate.

 

[colint]

I joined the course in the summer when it was in good condition. Granted the weather was awful over winter, but other course very nearby have recovered much better / quicker which leads me to belive that the groundstaff are at fault.

There was no option to walk through to the next hole otherwise I would have, I've had to do this on many times at this course. I like to think that I'm respectful to other players on the course, and play by the rules, but if I meet a match of obviously rude, incondiserate members then I have no problem reacting in kind if they've ingnored numerous opportunites to allow me through.

If I thought there was a danger of hitting them with the drive I wouldn't have done it, but seeing as they were looking for yet another lost ball 100 yards up the fairway I was confident they would be safe

 

[19th]

I joined the course in the summer when it was in good condition. Granted the weather was awful over winter, but other course very nearby have recovered much better / quicker which leads me to belive that the groundstaff are at fault.

There was no option to walk through to the next hole otherwise I would have, I've had to do this on many times at this course. I like to think that I'm respectful to other players on the course, and play by the rules, but if I meet a match of obviously rude, incondiserate members then I have no problem reacting in kind if they've ingnored numerous opportunites to allow me through.

If I thought there was a danger of hitting them with the drive I wouldn't have done it, but seeing as they were looking for yet another lost ball 100 yards up the fairway I was confident they would be safe

I'll bow to your superior knowledge of greenkeeping but was this poor level of greenkeeping not evident when you considered joining - in comparison to other courses around?

I take it as there was no option to walk through, that this fourball was 'behind the game in front NOT in front of the game behind' ie not holding the course up. You therefore, by forcing your way through, would then be in front of them, holding them up or perhaps you felt that you could then put pressure on the new game in front as well and overtake all the games to accommodate your single status. Not only has a single now got full status on the course but non single games must stand aside and allow them through! Don't think so.

The person that hit the ball causing the damage referred to in my post, was confident that it was safe as well!

 

[viscount17]

the only down side to leaving has to be if any course you join might expect a reference from your last.

still, check that your committee hasn't adopted 'single player has no standing' as a local rule and go for an 'aggravated display of ignorance of etiquette'.

 

[colint]

19th, I'll avail you of a few more facts to save you making more assumptions.

The greenkeeper changed last year, due to financial difficulties some restructuring took place which has not been for the better.

There were plenty of perfect opporunities for me to be allowed through and be left a safe distance from the match in front, but no opportunity for me to just nip across to the next fairway or tee.

The fact that I didn't hit them proves that I was safe to play through, clearly the person who hit you, assuming it wasn't deliberate and I can't for one minute think why someone would want to do that to you, lacked either judgement or ability or both.

Getting back to the topic, I'm actually thinking more along the lines of viscount now and just suffering it for another 6 months. I haven't been proposed and the prospective clubs so theres a good chance they might look for a reference

 

[19th]

The fact that I didn't hit them proves that I was safe to play through, clearly the person who hit you, assuming it wasn't deliberate and I can't for one minute think why someone would want to do that to you, lacked either judgement or ability or both.

Colin,I am not making a big thing out of this - it is just that we can all see situations from differing viewpoints.

Take your above comment....you sound like a boy racer on a Saturday night that has just managed to squeeze in before the oncoming car hit him....''I did not hit him which proves I was safe to go through''. NO! It does not!

I accept the sarcasm in your reply but it was my brother that was unfortunately hit - not me!

 

[colint]

19th, you can't really judge how safe or otherwise it was to play through so it's a pointless debate. My judgement was that it was safe, albeit ruder behaviour than I normally adopt. I think we should just agree to disagree on this

 

[greensman]

Hi Colin
I feel your pain, I have been a course manager for many years and I can honestly say that the last few seasons have been the worst... Weather, finances, changes in Chemical legislation are all making our jobs very difficult indeed. I know these sound like excuses but sometimes we just have to provide our customers with what Mother Nature throws at us. After the arctic winter, the one thing we were all hoping for was a good spring... instead we have a drought, dry winds and very little growth.
Some courses suffer more than others and as you say, your course was very good last year, I played last July and the course was in great condition. Believe me, as soon as the weather improves so too will the course.
I may be biased as I know your Course Manager, he has been your greenkeeper for a few years now and although still a young buck he comes with plenty of experience and a good pedigree. He is enthusiastic and I am confident he will overcome this difficult challenge.

Kind Regards

 

[painterboy]

19th, you can't really judge how safe or otherwise it was to play through so it's a pointless debate. My judgement was that it was safe, albeit ruder behaviour than I normally adopt. I think we should just agree to disagree on this

Cannot really judge how safe or otherwise it was to drive over peoples heads?
It was completely irresponsible of you to do it,and by doing so lost any moral high ground in any discussion regarding etiquette.
You should apologise to them and at the same time take the opportunity to explain how frustrated the situation made you.
Or perhaps you don't do apologies?

 

[colint]

greensman thanks for the input, I do sympathise with the greenkeeper as I don't think we're blessed with the best draining piece of land, but some of the decisions made over the winter just made me scratch my head. There's a meeting regarding the greens next week for the members so hopefully something good will come from it.

painterboy, as I've said, they were in the rough at the side of the fairway looking for a ball (again), so my earlier statement of driving over their heads was an exageration.

I couldn't really give a stuff about moral high ground, they had obviously been ignoring the rules for over 2 hours, so they'll get as much respect as they offered me ie none, and definitely no apology

 

[Parmo]

They bloody pallentined our greens the size of a two pence coins and half filled the holes... Bloody council green keepers who don't play golf..

Why do this in spring and then not even bloody water the greens, it was a total joke putting last weekend???

effin ruined the greens for the season.

 

[Pants]

Why do this in spring and then not even bloody water the greens, it was a total joke putting last weekend???

effin ruined the greens for the season.

Isn't it strange that there are a hell of a lot of "golfers" who know more about the art of greenkeeping than the professional greenkeepers do. Do they watch your swing and tell you what you are doing wrong? or do they just have a quiet chuckle and then moan on their forums about golfers hacking up their courses?

I bet you would rather they hollow tined the greens in the depths of the winter when you might not be inconvenienced. Trouble is that they probably wouldn't recover for many months if they did that.

 

[CannyFifer]

The course I play is owned and run by the college that trains greenkeepers from all over the world. I'm sure they see me and have a snigger at times they are good though and are always working away on the course. Parmo likes a grumble so dont take it seriously, I dont

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Whether or not they were only xx number of yards away and so safe to hit over the top isn't the point. What would have happened if you'd hit a bad one?

If as has been said the greenkeeper is trying to do his best don't you bite the bullett and see how the course recovers and plays now that summer is imminent. Ask the committee for a definitive singleton ruling so you know where you (and others stand) and go from there. Otherwise leave and join somewhere else but most clubs will ask why you left (and some I know check)

 

[Pants]

Parmo likes a grumble so dont take it seriously,

He does, and I don't.

But it does get my goat when people spout on and complain about subjects that they (apparently) know nothing about. As far as I am concerned, greenkeeping staff in the main deserve, but rarely get, nothing but praise for what they do for us golfers - often having to work in inclement conditions where the run of the mill golfer would be scurrying for shelter.

Rant over

 

[19th]

I am happy that I am not the only one to see 'blame' in the OP.

A rant is acceptable but the follow up effort at justification was not.

End of!!

 

[GreyBeardedLefty]

Hi All,new to this.
This as been my first year as a member of a club and after reading the your comments about Colin's woe's i was in the same boat and i'm afraid to say it nearly made me pack the game up but for my mates talking me out of it.
I am not a very good golfer but i do enjoy going out for a round or two. I have now gone back to Pay and Play until i look at all the options open to me and to see what suits me best.We have a 9 hole course close by called Swanmore, friendly, not rushed, and other golfers ask if you wish to join them. Enough said, happy golfing season to you all .

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