Monitoring Players On The Course

[Grant85]

Definitely a problem for a lot of courses on or near residential areas. Especially weekday evenings when there is plenty of light and very few club officials at the course.

I remember at a club last year, playing as a visitor and noticed how vociferous the shop was about putting the visitors tag on your bag.
They had a colour system so it would be pretty easy for people to challenge guys who had sneaked on.

Dalmuir (a municipal in Clydebank) was famous for this as people could enter the course at dozens of points around it.

 

[trevor]

I once had a conversation about playing for free at my last club. There were 2 people in the pro shop that left at the same time and 2 new ones started later. There were no booked tee times so you either walked onto the first tee and played or told the shop you were going out just to be polite. ANYbody with enough bottle could have walked in that first morning and said hello, nice to meet you, just going out for a game and the new shop guys would automatically presume they were members and could happily have played every week for the rest of the year.

 

[clubchamp98]

Ours has a public footpath through the middle.
Very easy to bunk on if you wanted to .
I would never challenge someone on the course it’s only peanuts.
We have a lot of students getting lost and just wandering around from college next door.

 

[Deleted member 21258]

I play at Queenswood and access is available on every tee, fill your boots

 

[Deleted member 21258]

Most courses, have access points if you are that way inclined, hard to stop people who wish to take advantage. Perhaps a 'marshall' coming round checking, iirc North Berwick had one such guy as he came over to us on the 2 or 3rd, come across it a couple of other times at away courses, but very rare.

 

[jim8flog]

Or 18 hole course 1st is right next to the lounge and visible from the office trouble is the 12/5th holes are out in the country and there is another car park.
We have a starter at weekends only but we have about 5 rangers but they do not operate in the late afternoon/ evening.

Our biggest problem is our 9 hole course which is virtually at the entrance to the club with it's own car park and the rangers often have to turf people off the course who have not paid. We get things like groups of players all sharing one set of clubs as well on that course.

 

[Jacko_G]

I can almost guarantee that you could walk straight on to 90+% of course up and down the country if you had the balls and were that way inclined.

I've never challenged anyone and I genuinely don't think I ever would.

 

[HankMarvin]

We have starters on all 3 courses and then ther are rangers out on the course, never been approached by any of the rangers but I guess they get to know you so don't bother.

 

[williamalex1]

The story goes that a past captain of ours was playing up our 2nd hole alone. Seemingly he abruptly asked 2 strangers who were playing down the 3rd if they were members and to see their membership cards.
One of the guys said yes we are both new members and produced his card and pointed to their bag tags, they then asked the past captain are you a member and can we see your card please .
You guessed it, embarrassingly he didn't have his card with him, or a bag tag .

 

[williamalex1]

We have starters on all 3 courses and then ther are rangers out on the course, never been approached by any of the rangers but I guess they get to know you so don't bother.

Everybody knows Hank Marvin supports rangers

 

[Jamesbrown]

Course Marshall. List of who’s playing, radio contact with the shop. All players must start on the first and report to the shop.
We have areas where non members could park up and jump on. We have corporate members who try and get on at the weekend mid comp. members who haven’t booked but think they can rock up and play.

Members usually police the first tee anyway as we like to know why somebody is on the tee at our tee time.

 

[howbow88]

What actual law (if any) would people who are playing golf without paying breaking? Trespassing I assume? I'm guessing that the police wouldn't ever get involved?

 

[Orikoru]

What actual law (if any) would people who are playing golf without paying breaking? Trespassing I assume? I'm guessing that the police wouldn't ever get involved?

Stealing a round of golf??

 

[Britishshooting]

I actually ended up playing 4 holes a couple of weeks ago with someone who had snuck on to try and play a few.

I teed off at like 3.30 to play a fast 9 holes and caught him up by the 5th. At the said course I don’t know many members as it’s very corporate and full of greenfees after the early morning members slots.

I wouldn’t have known until he let slip that he wasn’t a member and even queried how much a greenfee would cost for 18 holes.

Ended up having a decent discussion with him and turned out he’s played the front 9 on numerous occasions when it’s low light.

I was friendly enough about it and told him about the more flexible membership options and he claimed to show genuine interest in joining.

We walked off the front 9 together shook hands and parted, I took note of his registration and let the pro know who couldn’t have seemed to care any less.

Anyway fast forward a week and I get an e-mail saying I have £50 credit on my account for referring a new member.

He joined and told them my first name and reg of my car so I could get the referral bonus.

Back on topic however:

Course Marshall is always driving around the course in spring and summer months to ensure everyone has paid up. It works well as he is in a cart loaded with refreshments so he’s actively making money whilst doing the job and checking people have paid. We also have a starter on the first tee in the peak months for the main 18 hole course but not for the par 3 course.

Second course is very social and everyone knows one an other, it’s usually quite easy to spot anyone trying to sneak on. Not usually a problem as the pro shop is located to spot everyone coming in and out of the facility.

 

[patricks148]

main issue is clubs don't really get that people sneak on at non peak times and late evening when they can get a few holes in.

my club the starter finishes at 4pm most days, you could just walk on after that as there is hardly a sole about and one place that does have a marshal again goes home at 5pm. they had a problem with freeloaders, but hadn't grasped it despite employing a marshal.

 

[Crazyface]

[QUOTE

We walked off the front 9 together shook hands and parted, I took note of his registration and let the pro know who couldn’t have seemed to care any less.

[/QUOTE]

Hmmm. I've noticed this at other places when something is pointed out to them. Do they actually give a stuff? I think this lack of security is partly down to golf clubs attitude still being in the 1920's. Good lord man, what gentleman would sneak on to a course without paying!!!!
Maybe a system that could locate mobile phones within the golf courses perimeters, as most people have them, and showing on the course, not registered with the club...beep beep !!! Could this be done?

 

[howbow88]

main issue is clubs don't really get that people sneak on at non peak times and late evening when they can get a few holes in.

my club the starter finishes at 4pm most days, you could just walk on after that as there is hardly a sole about and one place that does have a marshal again goes home at 5pm. they had a problem with freeloaders, but hadn't grasped it despite employing a marshal.

I guess a lot of clubs just accept that a few people might walk on after these times, and weigh up whether it's worth the bother and cost of getting someone to marshall the course. The people that walk on probably aren't that likely to pay the twilight rate, so the club won't necessarily make/save money from having a marshall.

Does anyone know the answer to the legalities of walking on a course and playing golf? As in, what law does it break? I'm assuming it's probably trespassing as opposed to theft?

 

[patricks148]

I guess a lot of clubs just accept that a few people might walk on after these times, and weigh up whether it's worth the bother and cost of getting someone to marshall the course. The people that walk on probably aren't that likely to pay the twilight rate, so the club won't necessarily make/save money from having a marshall.

Does anyone know the answer to the legalities of walking on a course and playing golf? As in, what law does it break? I'm assuming it's probably trespassing as opposed to theft?

no trespass laws in Scotland, who knows.

 

[Captainron]

I play at Queenswood and access is available on every tee, fill your boots

Not sure where that is Darren??

 

[sunshine]

I've wondered this about Mill Hill, as the clubhouse and pro shop is on one side of a busy dual carriageway and the course is on the other, shielded by a big hedge. You have to walk 200 yards down the A1 to get to the subway to cross the road. Anyone could walk on unseen.