Tee Times - Staying or Going

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

That's fair enough. I'm not really arguing with you, as you say it's preference, but I can't stand waiting around without any guarantees I guess. That would proper wind me up.

I guess I am OK with turn up and play (or turn up and wait my turn to play) as that is what I have done for the last 50yrs...from a young teen at my local muni until now. I’ve never been a member of a club that has tee booking for all play.

 

[Jamesbrown]

And that is why I play at 11. Takes up most of the day so there's no time for any nonsense activities with the wife.

Absolutely rolling!

 

[jim8flog]

Our slots were all booked slots long before Covid. One change that was made is that all slots have to have a members name in so singles pairs and 3 balls can be made to to 4 balls.

Come June whatever date I would have though that track and trace will still need to be in place.

 

[jim8flog]

When we went to all booked we had the usual rants form the expected groups but it very quickly quietened down when they realised that most of the time they get to play at the same sort of times as that had always done.

One person tried to bring it up as AoB at the AGM but nobody else present took part in the discussion so it went nowhere and only took up a few minutes of time for him to say his piece and the Captain to say duly noted.

 

[Springveldt]

Sounds simple but often is not. Depends when the tee times are released and, often even quick your internet connection is. You will have people with the details of 4 or 5 different people going on to book tee times etc. I am not joking when I say that times between 7.30 and 10 are booked in the first 5-10 minutes.

You would hate my place then. Tee times go live at 18:00 on a Tuesday for the Saturday comp 11 days later and by 18:01 every tee time before 12pm is booked, maybe not the full 4 ball booked up but there is at least 2 names in every slot. It's absolutely mental.

Looking at the tee sheet right now, it's been live for 4 minutes and there is nothing before 13:20 now.

 

[Deleted member 3432]

You would hate my place then. Tee times go live at 18:00 on a Tuesday for the Saturday comp 11 days later and by 18:01 every tee time before 12pm is booked, maybe not the full 4 ball booked up but there is at least 2 names in every slot. It's absolutely mental.

Looking at the tee sheet right now, it's been live for 4 minutes and there is nothing before 13:20 now.

Most places with a sizeable membership are like that.

The big issue as I see it is people put their names down with the intention of maybe playing and then if they don't fancy it remove their name close to the day. I stuck my name down to play this Thursday morning to make up a fourball. Arrived home from work tonight to find the other 3 have bailed out

Someone will fill the slot, don't care who I play with.

The interesting thing with all this talk is that those that who have 'always' played at a certain time because it suits them don't seem to realise that other people have probably wanted to play at these times also but have been frozen out by the various groups/cliques or whatever you want to call them that have had these slots sown up.

Now the shoe seems to be on the other foot and its not going down well.

I've quoted Springveldt here but its more of a general comment in that clubs have many members who are trying to get a game at similar times and something has to give. Just because certain groups have had a particular tee time for years means nothing we are members of equal standing no matter how long you have been there. All members should have an equal crack, don't put up barriers to new and younger golfers.

 

[dronfield]

At our club the general consensus appears to be that the booking system has worked well, and so hopefully it will remain in place.
The club does block out certain times in the midweek to enable the larger roll up groups to continue.
I do enjoy the fact that through booking a time i know exactly when i will be playing rather than turning up and finding a queue on the 1st, as did happen at times - particularly in winter.
One thing i have missed is the Sat morning roll up, which is no longer possible - other than the regular 4 ball i play with, i only see the other members either out on the course, or in the clubhouse post round.

 

[SammmeBee]

Sorry, I don't understand what you mean?

Before covid there were no tee times, the committee recently asked for the views of the members and the majority of members wanted them scrapped.

How many members have you in total and how many play in the roll ups? (And how many responses to the Committee).....

 

[SammmeBee]

A problem at our place is people booking slots when they go live, then not turning up. No one registers in the pro shop so there's no way to monitor it.

Make them register in the Pro Shop maybe.....?!

 

[jim8flog]

A problem at our place is people booking slots when they go live, then not turning up. No one registers in the pro shop so there's no way to monitor it.

We use IG. We have to log in and confirm our presence before going out. It is part of covid track and trace so surprised your club does not have some sort of system in place.

 

[CountLippe]

Make them register in the Pro Shop maybe.....?!

Thats what your supposed to do... Book on IG and see the pro before heading out. In reality it doesn't happen. It's not a big problem now we're back to 4 balls, just an observation.

 

[3offTheTee]

We have been devised today that if slots are not taken ON THE DAY by 9.30 members can book for that day and it does not count for the 3 active bookings in a 7 day period. This seems sensible as now people can play 7 days a week if they are flexible as to times

 

[Orikoru]

We've just had an email saying from now on you'll be able to book to start on the 10th tee, instead of just the 1st tee. I have no idea how that can work without a logjam though. Surely once you've played the front nine there's a good chance you then bump into people who have booked the 10th tee?? How silly.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

At our club the general consensus appears to be that the booking system has worked well, and so hopefully it will remain in place.
The club does block out certain times in the midweek to enable the larger roll up groups to continue.
I do enjoy the fact that through booking a time i know exactly when i will be playing rather than turning up and finding a queue on the 1st, as did happen at times - particularly in winter.
One thing i have missed is the Sat morning roll up, which is no longer possible - other than the regular 4 ball i play with, i only see the other members either out on the course, or in the clubhouse post round.

Once the restriction on numbers that can gather indoors is lifted, the same gathering of rollup players before the first group goes off will be possible whether a tee booking system is used for it or not. If my club keeps tee booking for all Sat golf there is nothing stopping me turn up at 9:30am as we always did to join the rest of the Sat 10:30am rollup guys even if I have a much later tee time.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

We have been devised today that if slots are not taken ON THE DAY by 9.30 members can book for that day and it does not count for the 3 active bookings in a 7 day period. This seems sensible as now people can play 7 days a week if they are flexible as to times

We were able to drop many weeks ago the limit on number of advance bookings we could have in a rolling seven days. Tough that you still have a limit in place.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

We've just had an email saying from now on you'll be able to book to start on the 10th tee, instead of just the 1st tee. I have no idea how that can work without a logjam though. Surely once you've played the front nine there's a good chance you then bump into people who have booked the 10th tee?? How silly.

Nightmare for us. Used to have it but stopped two tee starts a few years ago due to log jam at 10th tee causing rounds to take forever.

If you do go two starts you absolutely must have clearly defined protocol over ‘right of way’ to starting the 10th.

A previous club where it worked OK had the protocol that if a group playing the 9th had all their balls on the 9th green then that group had right to play tee off as soon as they got to the 10th tee. Often what would happen is that a group would start and tee off on the 10th but if the group on the 9th had ‘play through’ rights the group starting their round would recognise that right; stand aside and let them tee off and play through.

Whatever the protocol is, it has to be clear and all must adhere to it without pushback to a group with the right to play through. Otherwise disagreement, argument and angry and frustrated golfers.

 

[woofers]

We've just had an email saying from now on you'll be able to book to start on the 10th tee, instead of just the 1st tee. I have no idea how that can work without a logjam though. Surely once you've played the front nine there's a good chance you then bump into people who have booked the 10th tee?? How silly.

I would have thought that the booking system software would accommodate for that.
Lets say the system is programmed for each 9 hole (1-9, and 10-18) section to take 2 hrs, and booking starts at 7.30am on both tees. That would mean no bookings can be made on the 1st or 10th at 9.30am as the 7.30am group will be playing through.
The software program should block out the tee time on the 1st or 10th 2 hours after the booked tee time.

 

[Orikoru]

I would have thought that the booking system software would accommodate for that.
Lets say the system is programmed for each 9 hole (1-9, and 10-18) section to take 2 hrs, and booking starts at 7.30am on both tees. That would mean no bookings can be made on the 1st or 10th at 9.30am as the 7.30am group will be playing through.
The software program should block out the tee time on the 1st or 10th 2 hours after the booked tee time.

That makes sense in theory but how often does a four ball complete 9 holes in exactly two hours? Let alone a two ball? ?

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

That makes sense in theory but how often does a four ball complete 9 holes in exactly two hours? Let alone a two ball? ?

That‘s the sort of thing that causes problems.

 

[SteveW86]

I really hope they stay.