Staff on the fairways.

[Sir Slicealot]

I want to start this by saying how obviously, i appreciate the work the greensmen and groundstaff put into keeping the course in good condition..........

[rant]

Playing today, ad whilst on the 12th green, heard a load of shouting going on on the 13th fairway. Looked over to see someone who was playing having a go at one of the groundstaff who was driving a ride on mower/triple. Seems the "worker" waited for the "player" to take his 2nd shot by parking his mower in the middle of the fairway, presumably he felt he was out of reach. Needless to say, the player stuffed his 2nd shot into the rough on the left.

We proceed to the 13th, the worker carrys on mowing but the same sort of thing happens to us, he places himself, what he considers a reasonable distance away but in our eyeline. We then go down the par 3 14th, no problems but he seems to be in every fairway we play on the 15th to the 18th.

It finally comes to the 18th, he stops what he's doing, but places his mower just off to the left of the fairway, directly where i'm aiming. (i have abit of a fade - slice!!!) so like to aim slightly left. I have a slight breeze behind me and i know that i can reach this guy, sure enough, i stuff the tee shot (my playing partner does the same), we then proceed to take our second shot, the guy moves to our right (directly in front of me) but leaves the engine ticking over, and yes, you've guessed it, another bad shot.

When we come off the 18th, a young lad who works for the club is outside the clubhouse. I ask if "X" (who runs the course) is inside, the lad says no so i explain whats just happened. He tells me that the guy is only doing his job and i wholeheartedly agree, yes he is, and to be fair, doing a good job of it, "what happened if i'd actually hit him" i ask the lad and his reply was, speaking to "X" wouldn't do me alot of good as the worker is "X's" son.

To make matters worse, this guy (the worker) plays off a 5 handicap!!!

Am i being unfair? But A) I was looking at a good round till, especially the 18th and B) I'd have felt terrible if i'd hit him with the ball, something that, i'd feel was no fault of my own!!

The guy who originally had a go at him on the 13th let us play through on the 15th, so i don't know if he said anything, not that it's likely to have done him any good!

So, greensmen and groundstaff, keep up the good work, but please be more considerate and have a greater sense of self presavation in future!

[/rant]

 

[DCB]

So, when should greens staff do the work necessary to keep the course in tip top condition ?

Seriously, what are the club rules about greens staff ? Just been at a couple of places recently where greens staff have priority if they are working on a fairway or green.

 

[bluewolf]

I usually find that a quick wave to acknowledge that im about to play does the trick. Don't worry about the greenkeepers, they're all aware of the dangers. Just use the vehicle as a target line (provided it has acknowledged your incoming ball) and swing away..

 

[Ian_S]

I usually find that a quick wave to acknowledge that im about to play does the trick. Don't worry about the greenkeepers, they're all aware of the dangers. Just use the vehicle as a target line (provided it has acknowledged your incoming ball) and swing away..

Echo that. These guys have probably spent longer on the course than you have. They know golf. Just give him a wave, give him a chance to pick out a safe place, then swing away.

 

[swanny32]

I can understand where you're coming from but he's got to be out there doing his thing and if he moves miles out of the way of you then he's just wasting time, also, chances are that if he moves then he'll be in the way of someone else. Grip it and rip it, if you hit him then his problem, he knows the dangers of being out there.

 

[daymond]

I have personal experience of this. A few years ago the groundsman, a lovely old boy, was cutting the first farirway. He saw me and moved the left hand side off the fairway some 140 yards away. The inevitable happened, I pulled my drive,the ball never got more than a few feet off the ground like an arrow straight at him. It hit the lower of the two windscreens shattering it into thousands of pieces. He was a very lucky man as, had it hit 2ft higher he would have had serious face injuries.
Three things come out of this:-
1) Should equipment on a course have glass windscreens?
2) Should groundstaff be protected with metal cages? ( as often seen on driving ranges)
3) Am I liable for the damage?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

THere is a balance to be struck here. They need to be out and working on the course and if they pulled right over everytime a golfer passed through they'd never get out to do the work at all. I tend to do as others have suggested and just wave my intention to play and give them a few seconds to move if they choose. Can't say i give them too much thought once I'm over the ball

 

[garyinderry]

had a day where every time i got the green it seemed to be getting mowed. maybe every two greens throughout the round. it got quite annoying but these things have to be done. this was on my own course so i didnt mind that much. if i had of payed for a round then i would not have been impressed.

 

[ash01]

Worked on the greens at my club for 3 years in a row while I was in uni and I understand what the OP is saying from a golfers perspective.

Although the greenstaff will know what they are doing and in my experience the safest places are the fairways and greens.

Just give them a wave and let them pick a spot.

Also, why would the engine on low revs annoy you or put you off? Do you ask the birds to stop singing?

Ash!!

 

[duncan mackie]

right now they are all having a 'mare with mowing, but putting that to one side -

1. unreasonable to be concerned when they are off to one side 'in your eyeline'
2. unoreasonable to expect motors to be turned off (but tickover should be engaged)
3. they shouldn't stop and wait in the middle of the fairway
4. you should ensure they are expecting ou to play ie make contact with a wave etc

 

[full_throttle]

Never had this problem myself. In my experience when the greenkeepers are doing their job and I'm/we're on the tee, the GK normally wave us to play through. In this instance I expect then GK to be watching the ball flight as much as I or my playing partners would. Lets be honest, what is the point in shouting 'fore' when the GK staff on sitting on top of a running motor with headphones/iphones on

 

[munro007]

I have to say that the course where i am a member of just now have excellent green staff. They are so aware of everything that goes on around them. And they will go out of there way to stop and get out of your way. Unlike when i play the Braids, there green staff, don't give a dam.

 

[Foxholer]

Also, why would the engine on low revs annoy you or put you off? Do you ask the birds to stop singing?

Ash!!

Wish the bleedin' pheasants wouldn't keep sqawking at the top of my backswing!

And at The Braids, it's probably safer for them to be in the 'optimum' line!

 

[upsidedown]

Johnathon and his assistant George at our track are really good, always move to the side and throttle down if near you when playing.

 

[USER1999]

One thing that always strikes me about green keepers is the order in which they mow. It might be marginally more efficient to do it randomly, but as a golfer, it would be better to start on the 18th, and work backwards. Then every group only gets held up once. The way our green keepers work, the same group can get held up about 5 times. They drop a couple of holes on the boys in front, and look like they are holding up the entire field.

 

[Hobbit]

If he's sat there watching for where your shot is going to go, just hit it.

Think about how much time the Greens staff would waste if they had to move off the fairway and the greens for every group coming through. Think about how much time you could save them if you let them finish what they are doing, and then think about what extra work they could do with that time.

Ultimately, the quality of the course is also dependant on the help the Greens staff get from all the golfers out on the course.

 

[Imurg]

Many courses -Alex and Fundy's as an example - have signs saying that Greenkeepers have priority.
Having said that, the method some of them use does make you wonder if a more efficient system could be developed to prevent situations like Murph's.....

 

[SGC001]

Used to bug me when they were out on comp days as it's changing the condition for other groups and isn't a distraction you should have to put up with. Not bothered where they park, or if they keep the noise constant, but changing of the revs mid swing is annoying. My problem is I grew up playing other sports where it was an advantage to attend to other noise, so when I concentrate I'm listening for changes. It's not easy to retrain the brain.

Greenkeepers don't usually mow randomly they generally have a route which is efficient for time, their particular course layout and their jobs on the day. Some staff may have a slightly different mowing route to to to others, but again each staff member'd likely stick to their 'usual' route.

 

[Shaunmg]

Greenkeepers don't usually mow randomly they generally have a route which is efficient for time, their particular course layout and their jobs on the day. Some staff may have a slightly different mowing route to to to others, but again each staff member'd likely stick to their 'usual' route.

For me thats one of the problems; they should mow in order and not the quickest route. Murphthemog's post is the right idea, start at 18 and cut in reverse . It can be annoying putting on inconsistant greens. you play one thats been cut, then the next 2 haven't been cut, then the next has been cut, and so on

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Sir Slicealot, methinks you are looking for excuses.

As a young greenkeeper I was changing holes one day on a short Par 3.
I could not see the previous hole, I had just started when a visiting three ball arrive on the tee.
Loud shout of fore. I dropped everything and stood at the back end of the green, half finished job with tools and plugs lying around. They arrived on the green with some puzzeled looks on their faces and no hole to putt to. I just stood there with a wee smile on my face as they realised what a bunch of numpties they were.

Re the tractor on the middle of the fairway out of range.
One of my staff did this when 3 women were on the tee without realising they were three Pros, one of which was Vivien Saunders. Three balls ended pitching around his tractor