Sorry, but i just dont understand it.(clubs attitude)

[HomerJSimpson]

I know Mitcham very well. Its one of my old stomping grounds. Basically they have members queing from around 6.00am to get a time for their mates on the non-members slots before 7.30 and then its run as reserved times for members up until the tee becomes open to all.

They've never really had a reputation as being the most enticing of clubs and I've never felt any inclination to join it. I don't actually think it is that great a course. They have never made non-members feel particularly welcome in the clubhouse, and it has always come over as a club with lots of weird and archaic rules that seem to get in the way for members and visitors alike. There are far better courses around (Richmond Park - 2 courses)

 

[Robobum]

Booking systems are really simple.

Who admins it?
Who takees bookings?
Who takes payment?
Who sorts out system to take and record payment?

Cost, cost, cost.

Take the blinkers off for a bit, it was a real pain as it impacted on you and your desire to play on Saturday morning. But if they already have something that works for them, where is the need to implement unecessary layers of systems and admin??

Drop the bone and move on. As you say , you don't like their unhelpful attitude so you wouldn't enjoy playing there anyway.

 

[Oddsocks]

robo, they are costs that any business's have to factor, does that mean you cant order a drink because they have to pay a bar member? Most booking systems are run by pro shop staff, so i dont see why this could be any different. but it seems homer just identified the main issue. members pre que for non members slots, so its far from first come first served.

 

[TheJezster]

I live in Mitcham, only around a 10-15 walk away from the club. When I started playing last year I played there a few times, and I've played there once of twice this year too.

It was the club which made me wary about joining a golf club because of their attitude. Totally unwlecoming and extremely unhelpful. The bar area especially, it's like walking into a hick joint, with everyone related to each other and people stop talking as you enter!!

I like the course, it's easy and not long. But I would never want to be a member there. I joined Wimbledon Common, which is a little further away but TOTALLY different in terms of friendlieness and helpfulness.

I will still play Mitcham from time to time, but mainly in the week if I have a day off I think. Their weekend slots are nonsense for the reasons you state.

Not a friendly club at all.

 

[Robobum]

Ok, no probs. It's your view and fair play for sticking to your guns.

I'm at a member's club for a good reason, I don't have to book a tee time and if you want to play on a green fee then you turn up and take your chance. If they introduced any booking system I'd be off somewhere else in a flash.

 

[Oddsocks]

robo, around london most busy private clubs are requesting tee bookings, im with you in the fact that tee booking on private courses is a big no no for me, when i was a member at shirley park i loved the fact that i could roll up and play any hour of the day, just join the cue, then hit the tee.

maybe my original post was a bit vague as such, my problem wasnt with booking, or the fact that it was a members club that has restricted tee sots available for non members, it was the clubs attitude towards their system.

It seems regulars who know the club (jezster and homer) would deem this as normal there, for that reason i doubt ill ever bother attempting to rebook. 3 attempts, same crappy unhelpful attitude all 3 times.

 

[Dodger]

I cannot understand why any club does not take at least a £10 deposit on any visitor booking.

Non refundable unless an outside factor means they can not play such as flooding.

My place used to book folk in without so much as a deposit then come a gorgeous day in June when folk were clamming for tee times and the 4 visitors failed to turn up for what ever reason then the club was left with a dead tee time that we had got nothing for.That has changed for the better now.

It also amazes me that there are still a lot of clubs where booking is not needed........it must be a different world up here.

 

[USER1999]

It is, and it's a cheaper one too.

 

[RGDave]

Why would you have tee off for non members later in winter months when daylight is shorter, and tee off earlier in summer when there is load of late tee bookings going on,

I'd have thought this method was ideal for a members club....which is probably the problem therefore for a visitor.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Mitcham has alwaysd been a rather uninviting place for non-members going as far back as the early 80's when I started frequenting it. A definite chill in the locker room and bar and not always great service in the pro shop. The problem is that it is non-members getting there at silly o'clock in the morning and queing to book the specific non-member times up until 7.30 that make it almost impossible to get a plce in the system as the same faces are there in week in week out (the fourball susually take it in turns to kip/wait in their cars).

Yes I agree a booking system and deposit system would be fairer and more equitable but they've never shown any inclination to want to move down that road and so its stuck in the dark ages of sitting in the car park and rushing to get first dibs. Even the old fashioned shute would be a better way forward

 

[RGDave]

I cannot understand why any club does not take at least a £10 deposit on any visitor booking.

It's the logical thing....or what about a deposit of one full green fee per group? That way, if some players drop out, then some poor bloke will turn up just to rescue his deposit, or split it between the group that cancelled.

 

[Golfmmad]

I really don't see a problem with booking a tee time. In fact I prefer it. At my club it's alternate tee slots - member - play and pay- member....etc. In these hard times a club should maximise all tee slots, so a booking system is the most cost effective way. One of the reasons that I prefer a booked time is you know time wise, exactly where you are, not waiting around and wasting time. A round of golf takes up enough time as it is, without having to wait around for your slot. When I first started playing, one club I used to go to, it was ball in the chute and sometimes it wasn't unusual to wait around for up to an hour. Nowadays I steer clear of places such as these.

 

[Airlie_Andy]

I must have lead a sheltered life as I've never played at a club without booking a tee time first. I occasionally ring my club in a morning and see if it's busy or not and then just turn up if it's quiet. I can see both arguments on this but I do prefer to know that I've got a guaranteed tee time when I turn up.