Tee Times - Staying or Going

[PJ87]

If the membership of my club was unhappy with the number of rollups through the week for which the tee is reserved (5 in total - including two ladies RUs and one on Saturday morning) then the members would raise the issue at our AGM. This has never happened.

Indeed there is pressure on the club from a second Saturday early morning rollup comprising a core of about 20 regulars to have tee reserved. That is being resisted due to there being the late morning one. Part of the logic is that as well as being a great vehicle for introducing new members and consolidating and enhancing the ‘togetherness’ ethos of the club, the members who play in the rollup ups tend to put a lot of money over the counter for food and drink before and after playing. Organising a rollup with tee booking but without tee reservation is a bit of a hassle.

All joining the club are fully aware of the rollups as the club puts them to prospective members as an important and valuable aspect of membership.

I note that I have just checked and the four tee times immediately before our late morning rollup block reservation remain fully available as do the three immediately following it. Also as we only have 20 entered in the RU I expect 4 or 5 tee times from 11:15am to be released shortly for general booking.

Problem I see with roll ups is that golf is constantly banging on about a problem attracting and keeping members of a younger age (the age they play other sports) yet gears up towards the traditional ways which don't suit that age bracket due to time constraints

I'll be honest I have zero interest in meeting new members I enjoy playing with the 3 other members I play with

Maybe this will change with age . However if people are working all week and get 1 day to play at weekends and there is a roll up blocking times it's not going to help them stay members

I'm lucky I work shifts so I just play whenever I want during the week and keep weekends free for more important stuff but not everyone has this luxury

Plus not everyone goes to the AGM, or knows when it is .. that's another level of membership

 

[Banchory Buddha]

No need to wait. It's already happened.

Not in Scotland.

 

[Deleted member 3432]

If the membership of my club was unhappy with the number of rollups through the week for which the tee is reserved (5 in total - including two ladies RUs and one on Saturday morning) then the members would raise the issue at our AGM. This has never happened.

Indeed there is pressure on the club from a second Saturday early morning rollup comprising a core of about 20 regulars to have tee reserved. That is being resisted due to there being the late morning one. Part of the logic is that as well as being a great vehicle for introducing new members and consolidating and enhancing the ‘togetherness’ ethos of the club, the members who play in the rollup ups tend to put a lot of money over the counter for food and drink before and after playing. Organising a rollup with tee booking but without tee reservation is a bit of a hassle.

All joining the club are fully aware of the rollups as the club puts them to prospective members as an important and valuable aspect of membership.

I note that I have just checked and the four tee times immediately before our late morning rollup block reservation remain fully available as do the three immediately following it. Also as we only have 20 entered in the RU I expect 4 or 5 tee times from 11:15am to be released shortly for general booking.

Really forward thinking of the club to release some tee times so close to the actual tee time. Fantastic for the those who have a life other than golf.....

 

[PJ87]

Really forward thinking of the club to release some tee times so close to the actual tee time. Fantastic for the those who have a life other than golf.....

Nail on the head, some people have the chance to go down the club basically all day, play whenever fits in and mayb a meal after

There is nothing wrong with the above. However surely now days it's not as common as it was

Thursday for example we teed off 10:02. This was because I started work at 15:00. Approx 1hour drive from club so gave me just enough time

Id of played earlier but my playing partner does split shifts until half 9 so earliest he can play is 10:02 ...so it was one of them weeks that it's 10:02 or reduce the number of holes (which we do sometimes to fit in around work, many times I've walked to the car after 9 and he carries on for 18 .. but If I can squeeze in a few more I'll play until 12 when there is a path to car park)

Surely having tee times via an app wouldn't be an issue for those not wanting them ..go to club ooo it's completely free for next hour .. right we booked for 20 mins time crack on

I just don't get the no tees argument

 

[Banchory Buddha]

What if you want to play in a roll up but can't because you can't get a tee time? What if there is a visiting party booked in at that 8-9 time and you can't play? What if there is a competition the morning you want to play, but you don't want to play in the comp? What if you want to play on a Tuesday morning, but it's blocked out for the ladies? etc etc etc. People just aren't going to be happy unless they get things the way that they want.....unfortunately, everybody doesn't want the same thing.

I'm one of those people that if the clubs I am playing at stopped all roll ups and went straight booking for everything.....that would be the end of golf for me.

I agree. As I posted earlier and in the past, those prime times on a Saturday or Sunday morning shouldn't be locked up for roll ups. Maybe one roll up at the most, any others should be put later in the day (in my opinion) to allow just for what you mention to happen. But.....both sides on the whole just want things to go their way and are not willing to compromise. I am.....but I seem to be in the minority. Compromise.......everybody should be willing to......but they aren't.

the great compromiser

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Nail on the head, some people have the chance to go down the club basically all day, play whenever fits in and mayb a meal after

There is nothing wrong with the above. However surely now days it's not as common as it was

Thursday for example we teed off 10:02. This was because I started work at 15:00. Approx 1hour drive from club so gave me just enough time

Id of played earlier but my playing partner does split shifts until half 9 so earliest he can play is 10:02 ...so it was one of them weeks that it's 10:02 or reduce the number of holes (which we do sometimes to fit in around work, many times I've walked to the car after 9 and he carries on for 18 .. but If I can squeeze in a few more I'll play until 12 when there is a path to car park)

Surely having tee times via an app wouldn't be an issue for those not wanting them ..go to club ooo it's completely free for next hour .. right we booked for 20 mins time crack on

I just don't get the no tees argument

I’ll note again that there are seven tee times completely empty immediately before and after the reserved block. Any member not wishing to play in the rollup has plenty of alternatives late morning today. That’s often how it is.

That times will be released about now, means that there is scope for players booked after the rollup to check and rearrange for a little earlier if they so wish.

Key thing is that at my place the rollups are valued for what they bring to the club and the membership, and they are not considered the preserve of a essentially closed group. They are completely open to all. If they were not, orvfelt to be not, then that would be a problem for me.

Seems to me that whether or not reserved tee times for rollups works depends very much on the nature of the club and the membership. I get that what my club has might not work in other clubs, and for other memberships. Horses for courses.

 

[PJ87]

I’ll note again that there are seven tee times completely empty immediately before and after the reserved block. Any member not wishing to play in the rollup has plenty of alternatives late morning today. That’s often how it is.

That times will be released about now, means that there is scope for players booked after the rollup to check and rearrange for a little earlier if they so wish.

Key thing is that at my place the rollups are valued for what they bring to the club and the membership, and they are not considered the preserve of a essentially closed group. They are completely open to all. If they were not, orvfelt to be not, then that would be a problem for me.

Seems to me that whether or not reserved tee times for rollups works depends very much on the nature of the club and the membership. I get that what my club has might not work in other clubs, and for other memberships. Horses for courses.

What if you plan in advance and can't wait until the day for the roll ups to be released?

 

[Deleted member 3432]

What if you plan in advance and can't wait until the day for the roll ups to be released?

Without knowing the playing profile of the club I would be worrying that there are empty slots on a Saturaday morning......

 

[rulefan]

We have small number of 'roll up' groups with pre allocated times. However none have a restricted 'membership'. Typically the largest group which has nominally about 80 players has 9 time slots allocated. The first 36 to turn up before the first time get a game. 10/15 minutes before the 1st time the draw for groups is made. Play is best 3 from 4. To the best of my knowledge no roll up plays individual stroke play. This largest group have allocated time 3 days a week but all others only on one day. There are no allocations at weekends. BRS is our system.

PS. With the current COVID situation the large group book times with the 'organiser' who makes and publishes the draw.

 

[Banchory Buddha]

What if you plan in advance and can't wait until the day for the roll ups to be released?

Have a time booked, but as SILH says, switch your time if it suits better when those times are released.

Surely for a grown adult that's not a difficult thing to do?

 

[PJ87]

Have a time booked, but as SILH says, switch your time if it suits better when those times are released.

Surely for a grown adult that's not a difficult thing to do?

That suits some people maybe but life is far more hectic now for some and if golf is really concerned about keeping membership levels of certain age groups then some practices need to adapt

However as I said Tee times are key which you have said here book then change

What about the clubs who don't have them? Seems utterly ridiculous...turn up at some point on a weekend and hope for the best

By all means I don't mind drawn tee times for comps if you are told in advance so you can block that day out as you know ur busy

But no tee times Is just a mental outdated practice

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

What if you plan in advance and can't wait until the day for the roll ups to be released?

I’ll note again. Today there are seven completely free time slots spanning the late am rollup block reservation of 10 tee times (1hr20mins). Also I note that from 2pm today there are only four times with bookings and after 3:30pm not a sole has booked a tee time.

I agree with view on ‘no casual play times booking‘ being more ’what was’ than ‘what works today’. I was very much against booking, my experience of using tee booking system through the pandemic has completely changed my mind.

 

[Banchory Buddha]

That suits some people maybe but life is far more hectic now for some and if golf is really concerned about keeping membership levels of certain age groups then some practices need to adapt

However as I said Tee times are key which you have said here book then change

What about the clubs who don't have them? Seems utterly ridiculous...turn up at some point on a weekend and hope for the best

By all means I don't mind drawn tee times for comps if you are told in advance so you can block that day out as you know ur busy

But no tee times Is just a mental outdated practice

Totally agree, as I said further up the thread, we only introduced booking with Covid, we won't be going back to a free for all, online booking sheet is here to stay.

 

[PJ87]

I’ll note again. Today there are seven completely free time slots spanning the late am rollup block reservation. Also I note that from 2pm today there are only four times with bookings and after 3:30pm not a sole has booked a tee time.

Could that have something to do with sunset being 19:20 so people want to play before that?

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Have a time booked, but as SILH says, switch your time if it suits better when those times are released.

Surely for a grown adult that's not a difficult thing to do?

..or simply let club know that if any tee times are released that you’d like one of them please.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Could that have something to do with sunset being 19:20 so people want to play before that?

Yes - for a four ball perhaps. But doesn‘t stop me playing into the gloom, and a two ball would easy get round before dark.

 

[PJ87]

Yes - for a four ball perhaps. But doesn‘t stop me playing into the gloom, and a two ball would easy get round before dark.

However once again that's your situation, not everyone's

But isn't it also the case they morning times are always the peak times because people want to get back for other things. Like the football. Family outings etc

Which is why afternoons are normally a lot less busy no?

 

[chellie]

..or simply let club know that if any tee times are released that you’d like one of them please.

How much extra work would that be for the club though!

 

[SteveJay]

I'll be honest I have zero interest in meeting new members I enjoy playing with the 3 other members I play with

Thats all very well, but the last two clubs I joined I didn't know any other members. One had roll ups every week and drawn competitions, and I made good friends with loads of people within weeks. The second one has no drawn competitions and obviously no roll ups since I joined.

Roll ups and drawn competition tee times are brilliant for new members who join, as I did, having relocated with work to a new area.

 

[IanM]

I must be very lucky or a bit daft. We're just getting on with it.

Gone from no booking to all booking. There's always the odd gap if you just want to turn up. Upping the green fee to reduce visitor numbers has helped too