Tee Times - Staying or Going

[Twire]

We're voting on this issue now. We have always been rock up and take your chance, and I can honestly say I've never had to wait long to get out. Booking has never worked for me at a previous club, being self employed they are sometimes when I get a bit of free time and fancy a knock. At my previous club, at short notice you could very rarely get a tee time. We also have sea mist rolling in and out at my current club, often we've turned up, not been able to get out because of said mist, had a drink in the clubhouse and gone out when it's cleared. This approach can't be used with fixed tee times. Personally, it takes all the spontaneity and flexibility out of it for me, so I voted NO. But I think it will be introduced as we have a very large retirement demographic and it tends to suit them to be able to book.

 

[Billysboots]

Having been a member at clubs where there is no requirement to book and my current club, which uses a booking system, my preference is definitely the latter.

It did take some getting used to, but I did tire of arriving at my last place to find the car park rammed and a lengthy wait to get to the first tee, often when the fixture diary was empty. There were too many impromptu midweek roll-ups, run by club cliques, meaning that the option was a considerable wait, or get back in the car and drive away again. That didn’t suit me as a working man.

I prefer knowing that I’m getting a game, what time I’m playing, and roughly what time I’ll be done. That does mean some advance planning for peak times, but if I fancy a knock at the last minute more often than not I can get a game, especially mid/late afternoon.

I note the comment about weather causing an issue, and fortunately don’t see that as an issue at ours. If there’s a short rain delay then, invariably, the tee times are just delayed slightly and we play catch up during the day. Any lengthier inclement weather means no-shows anyway.

The only real issue we do have occasionally is a minority of members who disregard the fact we have to book, and rock up expecting to get a game when the tee is fully booked. One particularly notorious 4-ball regularly stroll to the 1st tee, and try to muscle in, even when booked members are ready to take their turn. The club have had to intervene now so often that said 4-ball are drinking in the last chance saloon. Further issues and they will be invited to play elsewhere.

 

[Mandofred]

There are plenty of ways to compromise......get the best of both worlds. But.....too many people want their way and won't accept any other option.

 

[Val]

I've always said clubs who dont use it are living in the past but accepted the reasoning behind rock up and play whether I like the idea of not. I dont like it as I want to tip and and go at my time rather than wait on a half dozen 4 balls who so happened to be there first which mean I need to wait an hour before teeing off.

 

[The Dog.]

I think the best approach would be to have predominantly booked tee times and small blocks allocated for roll-up play. I would like our club to do this but I don't think it will happen. My view is that everything being pre-booked invariably means that the same people play with each other which is not great for increased interaction between the various subsets of the membership.

 

[Val]

I will add this reference booking systems. Many rock up and play clubs have an online system for medals only and even a booking system creates issues here. I've been a member at 2 clubs who BRS for medals, 1 club allowed you to only book your own time and the other allowed you to book 3 places ie you and 2 mates. The book 3 into a time normally means times between 7.30 and 11am are gone in under a minute, a genuine fastest finger first system. The 1 slot only tends to fill quick but not as quick.

I dont like the book 3 into a comp system, golf is meant to be a social game where you get the opportunity to play with other members.

 

[Imurg]

I think the best approach would be to have predominantly booked tee times and small blocks allocated for roll-up play. I would like our club to do this but I don't think it will happen. My view is that everything being pre-booked invariably means that the same people play with each other which is not great for increased interaction between the various subsets of the membership.

What happens when more people rock up for these small slots than the slots can handle?
Booked slots are full either side, the roll up slots can take, say, 6 4 balls - what happens if another dozen members turn up..?
Equally, what if nobody turns up? Wasted tee times....
To my mind it's got to be either or...half measures will work until they don't and then someone has to sort out a mess.

 

[The Fader]

I play at a club that embraces a booking system. BRS in our case. It is all I have ever known and it works well for me. That said, I have tried to see both sides of this debate but I am honestly struggling to find any tangible benefits to the just rock up and take your chance side of things. But I accept it is a personal preference

Luckily I am retired so can pretty much play anytime but I still prefer to have my slot booked so I can plan my day. Really don't think I would be happy turning up and finding its an hours wait to play.

We do operate a hybrid system for what would pass as roll ups. The tee times are blocked off in the system and cannot be booked online. The only way to get your name added is to ring the club. You can only book yourself. Your name is added into the first available slot - you do not have a choice of time or playing partners. It's not therefore a true roll up - but its a close thing. Once all the blocked off times have gone -that's it unless there happens to be an adjacent empty tee time.

As BanjoFred said - There are plenty of ways to compromise......get the best of both worlds. But.....too many people want their way and won't accept any other option.

This way seems to fit the compromise bill quite nicely.

 

[Mandofred]

I play at a club that embraces a booking system. BRS in our case. It is all I have ever known and it works well for me. That said, I have tried to see both sides of this debate but I am honestly struggling to find any tangible benefits to the just rock up and take your chance side of things. But I accept it is a personal preference

Luckily I am retired so can pretty much play anytime but I still prefer to have my slot booked so I can plan my day. Really don't think I would be happy turning up and finding its an hours wait to play.

We do operate a hybrid system for what would pass as roll ups. The tee times are blocked off in the system and cannot be booked online. The only way to get your name added is to ring the club. You can only book yourself. Your name is added into the first available slot - you do not have a choice of time or playing partners. It's not therefore a true roll up - but its a close thing. Once all the blocked off times have gone -that's it unless there happens to be an adjacent empty tee time.

As BanjoFred said - There are plenty of ways to compromise......get the best of both worlds. But.....too many people want their way and won't accept any other option.

This way seems to fit the compromise bill quite nicely.

Pssst....don't tell anybody you've agreed with BanjoFred.....

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

To all those that say there is no downside to booking, how do your rollups work? We have very few rollups (midweek only) and random groups invariably book times in between the rollup guys, such is the nature of a 'fastest finger first' system.

 

[Billysboots]

To all those that say there is no downside to booking, how do your rollups work? We have very few rollups (midweek only) and random groups invariably book times in between the rollup guys, such is the nature of a 'fastest finger first' system.

Our club set aside tee times for us on a Saturday morning when there is no competition, the deal being that we accept new members who want a game to help integrate them into the club.

We get half a dozen times, so not a roll up in the strictest sense, but it allows us to draw teams and play some fun formats.

 

[Mandofred]

What happens when more people rock up for these small slots than the slots can handle?
Booked slots are full either side, the roll up slots can take, say, 6 4 balls - what happens if another dozen members turn up..?
Equally, what if nobody turns up? Wasted tee times....
To my mind it's got to be either or...half measures will work until they don't and then someone has to sort out a mess.

In reality, I've never seen it happen. All the groups I've seen and played with fit within their time allotment. Good weather in the summer and it can get close to going over, bad weather no problem at all. There are pretty stable numbers of people who play in these groups and they don't change much....you get a new person every once in a while. Sometimes that person stays with the group, sometimes they join another group or find a small group of people that they want to only play with....no issue. At the club I've recently added as a 2nd, I'm in roll-ups on Wed and Sunday mornings. They are allotted 50+60 minutes. As soon as the teams are picked if there are more than 3 or 4 groups the later ones run over to the 17th so they don't have to wait and there is more time to fit more into the allotted time. Since I joined it hasn't even come close to having too many people. The course has PLENTY of openings....it's not rammed like a lot of people on here seem to have to deal with. If I had to fight hard just to get a tee time, that would be the end of my golf.

 

[Orikoru]

To all those that say there is no downside to booking, how do your rollups work? We have very few rollups (midweek only) and random groups invariably book times in between the rollup guys, such is the nature of a 'fastest finger first' system.

When I go on IG to book a tee time, there is often a band of an hour or two that are blocked out and in red, that you can't book. So I've always assumed these have been set aside for regular roll-ups or some group or another. Otherwise I don't know why it would be like that.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Having been a member at clubs where there is no requirement to book and my current club, which uses a booking system, my preference is definitely the latter.

It did take some getting used to, but I did tire of arriving at my last place to find the car park rammed and a lengthy wait to get to the first tee, often when the fixture diary was empty. There were too many impromptu midweek roll-ups, run by club cliques, meaning that the option was a considerable wait, or get back in the car and drive away again. That didn’t suit me as a working man.

I prefer knowing that I’m getting a game, what time I’m playing, and roughly what time I’ll be done. That does mean some advance planning for peak times, but if I fancy a knock at the last minute more often than not I can get a game, especially mid/late afternoon.

I note the comment about weather causing an issue, and fortunately don’t see that as an issue at ours. If there’s a short rain delay then, invariably, the tee times are just delayed slightly and we play catch up during the day. Any lengthier inclement weather means no-shows anyway.

The only real issue we do have occasionally is a minority of members who disregard the fact we have to book, and rock up expecting to get a game when the tee is fully booked. One particularly notorious 4-ball regularly stroll to the 1st tee, and try to muscle in, even when booked members are ready to take their turn. The club have had to intervene now so often that said 4-ball are drinking in the last chance saloon. Further issues and they will be invited to play elsewhere.

Pre-pandemic we did not use tee booking for casual play. There might be a ton of folks at my club intending to go out...but pre-pandemic if you and all of your playing group we’re not standing by the 1st tee then you were not in the Q, even if you have a ball in the chute. If I wanted to play I’d simply get myself by the 1st tee and ask who there was back of Q. I knew then how many groups were ahead of me and could decide whether to wait or not.

I have no idea which way the membership will vote when later this month (after the 14th June decision for 21st Y/N) it comes to making the booking/no booking decision. The same vote 5 yrs ago had a strong no booking majority. I think that it’ll be a lot closer either way.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

What happens when more people rock up for these small slots than the slots can handle?
Booked slots are full either side, the roll up slots can take, say, 6 4 balls - what happens if another dozen members turn up..?
Equally, what if nobody turns up? Wasted tee times....
To my mind it's got to be either or...half measures will work until they don't and then someone has to sort out a mess.

We currently have blocks reserved for the three or four main rollups the club more formally recognises and points new members to. The Sat roll up has ten times. We register on the system our wish to play in advance of the Thursday preceding. The draw is made on the Thursday and we are informed of our Sat tee time.

If I am too late and the 40 places are taken and entries are closed then I simply book myself into the tee time soonest available after the last rollup tee time. I then ask the club to include me in the rollup up comp (haven’t had to do this yet so not sure the details of how it’s done). If I am very keen to play in the rollup I can usually get into the 40.

Wasted tee times. Yesterday morning is the Thursday rollup with a large tee reservation. I decided at last minute Id like to play in it if I could. I looked on the system and saw some free places in the rollup block reservation. As entries were closed (and draw had been made) I couldn’t myself grab a slot. But all I did was contact the rollup organiser and shop and ask them to pop me in to my chosen free slot with those already there. Any completely free tee times in the block are made available for anyone to book. They just have to do what I did - and they don’t have to be in the rollup comp unless they so choose.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

When I go on IG to book a tee time, there is often a band of an hour or two that are blocked out and in red, that you can't book. So I've always assumed these have been set aside for regular roll-ups or some group or another. Otherwise I don't know why it would be like that.

We use IG and our roll ups are recognised by the block booking being shown as a competition. My club had decided that our three or four main roll ups should be WHS qualifiers and so they are identified and treated like any other club comp.

 

[jim8flog]

To all those that say there is no downside to booking, how do your rollups work? We have very few rollups (midweek only) and random groups invariably book times in between the rollup guys, such is the nature of a 'fastest finger first' system.

We do not have rollup per se mainly swindles. The organisers know roughly who the regular players are and between them they book the number of slots that are generally needed leaving gaps on some of the slots so that anybody deciding they want to join in adds their name in one of the vacant slots.

I often book a slot either side of the swindle times so that if they have too many I still get to play or others can join me in that slot and play in the swindle - I just let the organiser know I have booked an extra slot.

 

[Deleted member 25172]

I've only ever been a member at a club with a booking system, but if, for whatever reason, they'd decide to remove it, I would leave in an instant to a club that do have bookings.

Get to the club to find yourself having to wait 1-2 hours worst case. Nah. I cannot see one single upside with not having a booking system.

 

[chellie]

I've only ever been a member at a club with a booking system, but if, for whatever reason, they'd decide to remove it, I would leave in an instant to a club that do have bookings.

Get to the club to find yourself having to wait 1-2 hours worst case. Nah. I cannot see one single upside with not having a booking system.

I can only think it suits people with nothing else to do all day.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

I've always said clubs who dont use it are living in the past but accepted the reasoning behind rock up and play whether I like the idea of not. I dont like it as I want to tip and and go at my time rather than wait on a half dozen 4 balls who so happened to be there first which mean I need to wait an hour before teeing off.

In the 1990's, at the peak of a golf boom, I was managing what was then regarded as the busiest municipal courses in the UK.
Things came to a head when I realised that the 1st tee queue for the rock up and play 9 hole course was about 100 yards long and the folks teeing off would be finishing their round before the last folks in the queue would be driving off. The 18 hole course was similar but not as popular as the 9 holer.

I introduce an electronic 7 day booking system which went down like a lead balloon and usage numbers dropped considerably.
I was being asked some serious questions by my bosses.
I quickly realised that folk were actually very happy with a rock up and play system.
However.
That was at the peak of the boom and I stuck with my decision.
After the settle down period folk enjoyed being 'organised' and not queueing up at 4am for a weekend tee time. Turning up on spec to find a lengthy queue for a sunny evening game no longer happened and folk still turned up for a bad weather tee time. Numbers started creeping up to the busy periods.
Eventually it worked well and with the obvious downturn in the popularity of golf it proved to be a good decision.