Potential dilemma for a golf club manager/secretary

[Birchy]

Reading another thread a possible real dilemma for a golf club has just entered my head. Imagine your the head honcho at the club be it the secretary or manager or whatever.

A new player has just transferred into your golf club from another and has a high handicap. They have been playing at the golf club with members for a few weeks in bounce games and been shooting scores of 140 plus every round and taking their time about it.

This player has just put their name down for the Saturday competition slap bang in the middle of the field of around 200 players at 11:30AM.

Do you allow this player to play at this time potentially causing carnage and impacting on the competition round of at least 80-100 other golfers with a possibility of 5-6 hour rounds and tee times being pushed back?

Is it elitist to ask them to improve their pace of play before entering the competition?

Thoughts and reasons would be greatly appreciated.

 

[garyinderry]

two shot penalty for slow play then let him do whatever he pleases

 

[john0]

Make him play with the pensioners until he learns to play at a proper pace

 

[El Bandito]

hmmmmm...this might get contentious.

I guess it depends on lots of factors. The golf secretary needs to balance the needs of the many and the needs of the newbie.

I'm sure that there are plenty of people that will talk about how they had hit 10,000 balls in a field before they were allowed near a range, then another 10,000 before allowed on a course, then another 50,000 before being allowed in their first comp where they shot 74. This is of course ideal - and I have no doubt that it was probably the way things were done (albeit with a little less exaggeration)
However - I would guess that all clubs want new members, need new members and so the secretary probably needs to look at how pace of play is generally managed (ie are there guidelines?) and possibly very diplomatically see what he can achieve by having a chat with the newbie

 

[bladeplayer]

I dont think you can jump the gun on it , unless you have a marshall i dont think you would have much right to intervene unless a complaint was made ..

If there is a problem with slow play you then address it casually, by talking to the group ( individually or collectively ) if it doesn't improve or there are complaints then you address it officially using club rules ..

I do think it would sort itself after a couple of weeks tho , unfortunately i would say by other members not playing with the new member ..
A possible resolution would be for you the head honcho to play with the new member and make them more aware of the etiquette of golf and offer advice rather than negativity how to improve if not your overall game then pace of play , ie if your out of the hole and there is a group behind , pick up etc ..

Advise & help from people in the know 1st off tho ,

 

[HomerJSimpson]

If he's paid his subs and has a valid handicap he is perefectly entitled to play in the comp as and when he pleases. Not up to the manager, head pro or anyone elses to discriminate on ability. What happens if the club's star player shoots 95. Does he get prevented from playing next time in case he holds people up. Non starter as an issue in my book. He is free to play as and when in this or any other comp

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

No point in projecting about what might and might not happen - just need to deal with situation as it develops - or doesn't. There is clearly no issue if the group he is in maintains their place in the field and calls through in a timely manner when necessary. If not - as with any slow play it is up to his playing partners to make clear that their speed on the course is not acceptable and that they'll all be pulled up for it unless they get their skates on.

It is a lot easier to tell someone their play is too slow in the context of a competition than in casual play. Players can tell their slow partner that it is not 'them' that are bothered by the speed and laying down the law - but the 'competition' in it's broader sense.

Also - number of shots is irrelevant if he is speedy at hitting each shot

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Reading another thread a possible real dilemma for a golf club has just entered my head. Imagine your the head honcho at the club be it the secretary or manager or whatever.

A new player has just transferred into your golf club from another and has a high handicap. They have been playing at the golf club with members for a few weeks in bounce games and been shooting scores of 140 plus every round and taking their time about it.

This player has just put their name down for the Saturday competition slap bang in the middle of the field of around 200 players at 11:30AM.

Do you allow this player to play at this time potentially causing carnage and impacting on the competition round of at least 80-100 other golfers with a possibility of 5-6 hour rounds and tee times being pushed back?

Is it elitist to ask them to improve their pace of play before entering the competition?

Thoughts and reasons would be greatly appreciated.

If he's shooting 140 every round, he shouldn't have been allocated a handicap. The CONGU rule book states that if a player returns 3 cards that fail to justify a handicap of 28.0 then the committee may at their discretion allocate a handicap of 28. It doesn't say that everyone gets a 28 handicap.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

If he's shooting 140 every round, he shouldn't have been allocated a handicap. The CONGU rule book states that if a player returns 3 cards that fail to justify a handicap of 28.0 then the committee may at their discretion allocate a handicap of 28. It doesn't say that everyone gets a 28 handicap.

I took the 140 as an exaggeration to make the point. In any case surely it doesn't matter - we all have bad rounds - especially when new to a course.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

If he has a valid handicap and has paid his fees then there is no reason to do anything before the event. If during the round his play is slow then action would need to be taken - his score Is irrelevant. I would expect the members he was playing with to help him move along at the right pace as not to impact on the rest of the course.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

I took the 140 as an exaggeration to make the point. In any case surely it doesn't matter - we all have bad rounds - especially when new to a course.

On the contrary I think it does matter. Someone shooting 140 every round whether at a new course or not needs to improve before being allocated a handicap. If you said he shot 100 every round it would be a different story, let him play but make sure he is encouraged to speed up.

 

[garyinderry]

how can someone play faster in a medal if they keep putting their balls into the trees? they have a right to look for each ball for 5 minutes!

telling someone to play faster is only going to make them play worse than they already were.

 

[pbrown7582]

If he's shooting 140 every round, he shouldn't have been allocated a handicap. The CONGU rule book states that if a player returns 3 cards that fail to justify a handicap of 28.0 then the committee may at their discretion allocate a handicap of 28. It doesn't say that everyone gets a 28 handicap.

that was my first thought too.
if hes been given a h/cap be it 28 or 8 and you have open booking policy i dont think you should pre judge, let the situation be dealt with at the time, if more than a hole is lost then provided they let groups through it should still run ok?

 

[HawkeyeMS]

how can someone play faster in a medal if they keep putting their balls into the trees? they have a right to look for each ball for 5 minutes!

telling someone to play faster is only going to make them play worse than they already were.

They also have a responsibility to keep up with the group in front. If they aren't good enough to do that, then maybe they should only be playing stablefords?

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Shall we make a list of who should and shouldn't be allowed to play golf comps ?

My list is simple

Should- everyone with a handicap who has paid their membership fees and greens fees

Shouldn't - people that don't fit into that category above

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Interestingly I just looked at the results for our last medal. There was a guy off 28 who shot 142 (8, 12, 7, 5, 6, 4, 5, 4, 9, 7, 12, 6, 14, 9, 10, 6, 4, 14). I know everyone has bad rounds but 44 shots over handicap? I don't care what anyone says, you have to question whether he should be playing as I know I would have the right hump if I was in that group.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Shall we make a list of who should and shouldn't be allowed to play golf comps ?

My list is simple

Should- everyone with a handicap who has paid their membership fees and greens fees

Shouldn't - people that don't fit into that category above

Seems reasonable enough to me.

 

[duncan mackie]

exactly this happened recently at an event I attended, and it was a shotgun start so the course was packed from the first minute.

140 was the players good round, and they didn't even have a handicap!

did it make any difference? None at all - it's not generally about the total score, but about how the player conducts himself around the course.

the event was the H4H day :thup:

 

[Birchy]

Ok lets move the situation on 2-3 weeks.

This person has been playing in competitions 2-3 weeks running and is generally causing mayhem holding the field up. Multiple complaints from members have been made. Rounds are taking 5 hours plus minimum and people aren't finishing rounds. The warnings and penalty shots have fell on deaf ears as they aren't bothered about winning or even competing they are just out there for a knock around and to enjoy themselves.

How would you as the person who makes the decisions address this?

Ban this person from competitions and be called a golf snob?

Allow them to continue and see more and more members get disgruntled?

Do you try to think of a process to help stop this situation ever happening to begin with?

The more I think of this the more I reckon its a massive issue that probably rears itself at a lot of golf clubs at some point in time.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Seems reasonable enough to me.

So the guy who shot 44 shots over his handicap is fine to play