Tee booking

[patricks148]

The only real downside at ours is the same people book a load of time then cancel them last min if its not 20 deg plus and no wind. every Sat can't get an AM time when they go live, when it comes to the day usually spots cropping up, sometimes can't act on them living a 30 min drive away.

 

[Orikoru]

There’s nothing to explain. I dislike having to book a tee time and prefer the freedom of turning up at an agreed time with your friends, balls in the hat, get in the queue for the first and off you go.

Crazy opinion but ok. Surely you can just book two/three times then do exactly what you just stated anyway? The 'agreed time' being the one that one of you has booked.

I don’t really understand the logic.

If you’re going to arrive at, say, 9am for a get together with 7 mates and throw the balls up to see who is playing with whom, what’s so off-putting about arriving at 9am but with the knowledge that you have two tee times booked half an hour after you get there? You can still throw the balls up.

That has to be infinitely better than rocking up at 9am, only to find the world and his wife have done the same, with chaos ensuing at the first tee, surely? All you are doing which is different from me is queuing, and I find it really strange that you would enjoy it!

I’ve been a member at both types of club and far prefer the type where I know I’ve got a game. At my last place, where bookings weren’t accepted, I often saw the hordes near the first tee and drove straight back out of the car park.

This, 100% ☝?

 

[doublebogey7]

We introduced tee booking, as a 12 month trial, a few months before Covid hit, there was much debate before hand with a lot old timers opposed. In the meantime we have attracted around 100 (net) new members around half of whom are below the age of 40. I am sure when Covid is over those previousley opposed would like us to go back to simply rolling up, though expect most will recognise how difficult that would make it for the new members to remain with us. I expect this to be the case at many clubs.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

We were a club that were very much anti tee bookings and I was one that enjoyed the freedom to just rock up

But since moving to tee bookings then it’s quite clear that everything you have with no tee bookings can still go ahead with a little bit of organising along with all the other benefits

Roll ups/swindles - still work within a tee booking system - this time instead of waiting around if your ball comes out last you know what time you can be at the tee , but if you want to have a chat with everyone you can still turn up. We have a group of around 40/50 each week - many still turned up for a coffee and some breakfast beforehand to have a chat , some just turned up 10 mins before the tee time. People then had the extra social interaction after the game.

Ad hoc games - just look at the tee sheet pick a time and away you go

If it’s a group 4 or more - same again just pick a time , turn up and play

The tee bookings has helped our new members integrate into the club - many of them have joined two or three balls and made friendships

Gone are the days you pull into the car park to see 20/30 standing in the queue , people jumping in front of people on the 10th , the pace of play seems to be a lot easier

Tee bookings work for all providing there is a little bit of give and take and some leeway

Rock up and play just suits a certain percentage of membership- mainly the ones who are retried and don’t have time constraints

I will be amazed if many clubs remove the tee bookings when restrictions end

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Can you quantify this statement or are you guessing, what’s to stop your Club giving your roll up a 2hr slot and then everybody 20-30 guys turning up 1 - 1 1/2 hrs early to grab a tea/coffee/roll and have a chat?

All these threats about voting against things or leaving Golf etc seems very petulant.

As I noted - yes - turning up as normal for a chat is an option even with tee times booked and draw for fours made. In fact I suspect that that is what will happen as the ’meeting up’ aspect of our rollups is one thing that we feel really helps integrate new members into the club - introducing them to 30-odd members in one go - and so an aspect of club membership that we all very much value.

As far as voting. Well we have already had such a vote - about 5yrs ago I think after a 3month trial of a booking system for casual golf and it was rejected 2:1 I think - with a large % of the membership voted. Simply on that basis any proposal to continue as we are at the moment will have to be put to the membership. As @IanM noted - this is something that will be the subject of heated debate in the club and is not something that our committee can decide.

All that said I am like @Liverpoolphil on this - i was previously dead against tee booking for casual golf and really valued being able to rock up whenever for a knock - but seeing how it has worked through the last year and with a bit of open-minded thinking - I can see how the social aspect of the rollup can be maintained alongside tee booking. So a bit like as it was for our rollup being a WHS qualifier, I have moved from ‘dead against’ to ‘strong-ish proponent’

 

[rosecott]

The only real downside at ours is the same people book a load of time then cancel them last min if its not 20 deg plus and no wind. every Sat can't get an AM time when they go live, when it comes to the day usually spots cropping up, sometimes can't act on them living a 30 min drive away.

If that is what is happening, someone in your club organisation needs to be aware. It's not difficult with modern booking systems to identify members who are doing that kind of thing and taking appropriate action and making them aware that it is unfair to other members and is unacceptable.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Crazy opinion but ok. Surely you can just book two/three times then do exactly what you just stated anyway? The 'agreed time' being the one that one of you has booked.

And that is what I hate most about tee booking, people and their groups multi booking times making it harder for everyone else to try and get a booking at that manic time on a Sunday evening.
Good luck to you if you like it, personally I don’t.

 

[Orikoru]

And that is what I hate most about tee booking, people and their groups multi booking times making it harder for everyone else to try and get a booking at that manic time on a Sunday evening.
Good luck to you if you like it, personally I don’t.

You don't like it because somebody else has a fair chance of nabbing the precious time you normally play at?

 

[Bazzatron]

And that is what I hate most about tee booking, people and their groups multi booking times making it harder for everyone else to try and get a booking at that manic time on a Sunday evening.
Good luck to you if you like it, personally I don’t.

Isn't that what a roll up has been doing for years?

 

[DanFST]

And that is what I hate most about tee booking, people and their groups multi booking times making it harder for everyone else to try and get a booking at that manic time on a Sunday evening.
Good luck to you if you like it, personally I don’t.

I don't like that about rollups, Seniors with all the time in the world having monopoly on slots. Just because it's the way it always has been.

 

[Mandofred]

*Membership clubs get to make their own rules.
*If membership clubs choose/vote etc to get rid of roll-ups and go strictly booking.....they can do this.
*If membership clubs choose/vote etc not to get rid of roll-ups....they can do this.
*If membership clubs choose/vote etc to do a combination of both (my fav)....they can do this.
*If I want to join a club, but the rules are something I can't live with.....why would I join?

I don't like that about rollups, Seniors with all the time in the world having monopoly on slots. Just because it's the way it always has been.

Why not move the Saturday morning (as an example) roll-ups to later in the day so that the people who want to play as fast as they can can do so? Sounds good to me.....

 

[Billysboots]

The only real downside at ours is the same people book a load of time then cancel them last min if its not 20 deg plus and no wind. every Sat can't get an AM time when they go live, when it comes to the day usually spots cropping up, sometimes can't act on them living a 30 min drive away.

We have an expectation at ours that you cancel unwanted tee times giving at least 24 hours’ notice.

There is always some leeway in that, as it is accepted that people won’t want to play if it’s hosing it down, and there may be valid reasons for late cancellations.

But if it becomes apparent that members are abusing the system then the club have always been quite up front - they will withdraw your tee booking privileges until you can demonstrate that you won’t take the club and it’s wider membership for granted.

 

[chellie]

If that is what is happening, someone in your club organisation needs to be aware. It's not difficult with modern booking systems to identify members who are doing that kind of thing and taking appropriate action and making them aware that it is unfair to other members and is unacceptable.

He's mentioned it lots of times and I've said before to tell someone at the club. Still appears to be an ongoing issue.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Isn't that what a roll up has been doing for years?

The rollups at my club have never had tee times reserved for their use. If I wanted to play in the middle of the period during which a rollup would go off then there was nothing stopping me. With tee reservation required (currently) each of the rollups have been allocated a set of tee times and so unless you play in the rollup you can’t get a tee time.

That said if I wanted to sign on three visitors to play - say Thursday morning when the clubs largest rollup goes off (often more than 60 strong) - I am pretty sure the rollup wouldn’t be too bothered if i asked nicely to have one of their tee times rather than require us to play in the rollup - as I would have been able to do pre mandatory booking system. The truth is I just know to avoid Thursday morning though I think some unreserved times are kept available - but not sure on that.

 

[patricks148]

If that is what is happening, someone in your club organisation needs to be aware. It's not difficult with modern booking systems to identify members who are doing that kind of thing and taking appropriate action and making them aware that it is unfair to other members and is unacceptable.

Alas, lots have brought this up, but the club appear unwilling to do anything other than just tell people not to. spoked to Comm members, but nothing gets done.

TBH the club needs to implement some form of det, for serial offenders. its been suggested removal of booking prev for X, i'm not holding my breath

 

[patricks148]

We have an expectation at ours that you cancel unwanted tee times giving at least 24 hours’ notice.

There is always some leeway in that, as it is accepted that people won’t want to play if it’s hosing it down, and there may be valid reasons for late cancellations.

But if it becomes apparent that members are abusing the system then the club have always been quite up front - they will withdraw your tee booking privileges until you can demonstrate that you won’t take the club and it’s wider membership for granted.

Alas its the same people do it week in, last year we got the 9.30 Sat booking every friday night when the guy that booked it 3 weeks before canceled. this year he's been leaving it till early morning if he and his wife don't fancy it, which on current evidence is every Sat

 

[Deleted member 16999]

The rollups at my club have never had tee times reserved for their use. If I wanted to play in the middle of the period during which a rollup would go off then there was nothing stopping me. With tee reservation required (currently) each of the rollups have been allocated a set of tee times and so unless you play in the rollup you can’t get a tee time.

That said if I wanted to sign on three visitors to play - say Thursday morning when the clubs largest rollup goes off (often more than 60 strong) - I am pretty sure the rollup wouldn’t be too bothered if i asked nicely to have one of their tee times rather than require us to play in the rollup - as I would have been able to do pre mandatory booking system. The truth is I just know to avoid Thursday morning though I think some unreserved times are kept available - but not sure on that.

What if 2, 3, 4 Groups etc asked nicely to have one of their tee off times?

60 people for a roll-up is fantastic, probably spend a bit in the Clubhouse and Pro Shop and exactly why they should be given a block booking, it shouldn’t rely on their goodwill as to how many people they let push in.

If the Tee is booked, either join in or find another time.

 

[Billysboots]

Alas its the same people do it week in, last year we got the 9.30 Sat booking every friday night when the guy that booked it 3 weeks before canceled. this year he's been leaving it till early morning if he and his wife don't fancy it, which on current evidence is every Sat

I’m amazed the club tolerate it.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

You don't like it because somebody else has a fair chance of nabbing the precious time you normally play at?

Not really. Without tee times, I would meet up with the small number of us for balls in the hat at 7:30, then get in the queue for the first. There is no tee royalty at my club, and only the Captain has privelege, no one else

 

[rulefan]

Not really. Without tee times, I would meet up with the small number of us for balls in the hat at 7:30, then get in the queue for the first. There is no tee royalty at my club, and only the Captain has privelege, no one else

What if my small group wanted to play at 7.30?