What's your worst experience as a guest?

[garyinderry]

He was a particularly weird guy, though. But as you say, a weird end to what had otherwise been a great day.

Lovely day. I hadn't noticed any of the stuffiness the place had a bit of reputation for. Everyone I spoke to was fine and we had no bother at all. This strange barman managed to trip the clubs reputation up at the final hurdle.

I would have no problems playing there again. That kind of thing doesn't leave a sour taste in my mouth, I just found it utterly strange behaviour.

 

[richart]

Not really had one. Hugh Grant ignoring me, and not even saying thank you when I held the door open for him at Sunningdale ?

 

[Slab]

Surely in a members club every member is empowered to enforce club rules and standards. Or am I missing your point.

Think you're missing it a bit...

That's like saying in a members club every member is empowered to cut the grass on the 18th green or pull a pint behind the bar or decide on membership applications or how much subs should be or anything else concerned with operating and running a golf club

Club rules and policies exist for members (& visitors) to comply with and adhere to, not enforce

Member status gives no 'enforcement powers' unless the club decide on it (& I havnt seen any that do)

 

[Slicer30]

Kilkenny Golf Club not once or twice but trice , they must have the rudest members anywhere , and i will be the first to say the lady members in our place are one of the best things about the club in Kilkenny ive never met any as rude .. saying hello sholdnt be a chore

Incident 1.... we were due to play them in a match so we are entitled to a practice round at their course , we ring and book a practice time that suits the course & us , we turn up , go to the pro who welcomed us and gave us cards etc and we go to the first tee , we were a bout 10 mins early but were told to go when buzzer rang on 1st (blind tee shot) 3 groups of 3 lady members arrive on the tee and ask us have we (forgive this) our balls in the shute .. What ?
Seemingly there is a shute and u place ur ball in it to q up , nobody told us that when we booked or turned up , we went around to the pro who came out but no way would they let us play even tho we were booked , we informed them we would be ringing the GUI.. we didnt bother of course

Incident 2

The day we played the match we were there early in the clubhouse as there was a match between Pool & Everton on think it may have been FA CUP semi (could be wrong) two members walked in and switched on the golf , yes i appreciate its a golf club but we had been there and were watching the match , in fairness the barman did get it back on .. but it shouldnt have happened , neither should Andy Donkeys goal ha ha

(The young guy i played against and his caddy were sound )

Incident 3 we were playing a society outing there as we were putting on the 13th . 4 members rocked up to the 14th tee and set up , they were still teeing off as we approached the tee , they ignored us and walked on , one of our members rang the clubhouse (i know before the high horse brigade start , his phone was off and he turned it on ) whoever answered the phone said they would get someone out to sort it , of course it never happened ...

Love the course but i wont go back again

I found Kilkenny one of the most unwelcoming of places I have been to in the South - took an Austrailian buddy of mine on a short tour before he flew home for good. We were living in Dublin so had a few days driving about Waterford, Wexford, Tipperary and Kilkenny.

Was amazed at how unfriendly it was in Kilkenny, hated the place. Everyone you spoke to Scowled at you.

 

[chrisd]

Think you're missing it a bit...

That's like saying in a members club every member is empowered to cut the grass on the 18th green or pull a pint behind the bar or decide on membership applications or how much subs should be or anything else concerned with operating and running a golf club

Club rules and policies exist for members (& visitors) to comply with and adhere to, not enforce

Member status gives no 'enforcement powers' unless the club decide on it (& I havnt seen any that do)

Certainly mine did a few years back but it seems to have lapsed with changes in Captaincy and committee. Members were asked to politely remind members of the dress code if they transgressed and also the member if he had invited improperly dressed guests.

I think that the reasoning was that it was the members in a members club who vote for the type of dress code they want and therefore should be willing to help police it

 

[Slab]

Certainly mine did a few years back but it seems to have lapsed with changes in Captaincy and committee. Members were asked to politely remind members of the dress code if they transgressed and also the member if he had invited improperly dressed guests.

I think that the reasoning was that it was the members in a members club who vote for the type of dress code they want and therefore should be willing to help police it

Probably a good thing. The ability to pay a subs fee doesn't mean that an individual is skilled (either socially or in a business sense) to represent & communicate correctly with other fee paying members and visitors (potential members) on behalf of the club in terms of club policy

 

[chrisd]

Probably a good thing. The ability to pay a subs fee doesn't mean that an individual is skilled (either socially or in a business sense) to represent & communicate correctly with other fee paying members and visitors (potential members) on behalf of the club in terms of club policy

Nor does the ability to be elected to a committee in my experience

 

[Slab]

Nor does the ability to be elected to a committee in my experience

lol true enough!

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Think you're missing it a bit...

That's like saying in a members club every member is empowered to cut the grass on the 18th green or pull a pint behind the bar or decide on membership applications or how much subs should be or anything else concerned with operating and running a golf club

Club rules and policies exist for members (& visitors) to comply with and adhere to, not enforce

Member status gives no 'enforcement powers' unless the club decide on it (& I havnt seen any that do)

At our place it is asked of the members to ensure their guests comply with dress codes and also its up to the members and staff to ensure people comply with the dress code etc so if a member sees someone incorrectly dressed then there is no reason to stop asking the person politely to comply with said dress code

 

[Hacker Khan]

Had an issue before even playing atthe club. Was looking to join around the Preston area and had a nosey atPenwortham. Anyway they have an automatic barrier you need a code to enter toget in. As I was a visiting had no codeso buzzed the button to talk to the pro to let me in. This was taking a fewmins as no answer at 1st when a member pulled up behind and started to throwhis arms around in the car followed by beeping his horn.

The pro let us in but the guy in thecar was quite clearly not happy with slight delay. As I parked up he tutted andmoaned under his breath walking to the club house. I apologised for the delay(despite not being my fault) and tried to explain the issue but for some reasonhe just did not want to know and just looked down at me.

I decided to mention this to the prowho know who the guy was and advised we have some members who are like this andtry not to worry (which I found bizarre). I made my mind up there and then thiswas not the club to join and left.

Blessing in disguise I bumped intothat bloke as I joined a really friendly bunch at another club J

I had exactly the same once when I was leaving a club near me in Notts but on the way out. Needed a key code to get out but the pro shop hadn't mentioned this to me. So I was trying to ring them when up comes a member behind me in his car. I got out to explain that I did not have the code but instead of telling me what it was he told me that all members should know the code, asking me why I did not know the code. I explained I was a visitor and no one has mentioned it to me, and he then kind of started telling me off for not knowing it. He seemed determined to not give it to me and left me trying to ring the pro shop, but eventually worked out after a minute that unless I moved he could not get out. So he gave it to me and then said 'make sure you get it yourself next time'. What a charmer, I thought.

So I sent a letter off to the club informing them of this and they sent one back starting Dear Miss

Ironic thing is they email me every couple of weeks advertising membership deals. Funny that...

 

[Hacker Khan]

At our place it is asked of the members to ensure their guests comply with dress codes and also its up to the members and staff to ensure people comply with the dress code etc so if a member sees someone incorrectly dressed then there is no reason to stop asking the person politely to comply with said dress code

True, but I am struggling to get my head round the mentality of someone who thinks they need to march across and tell someone to tuck their shirt in. It's all a bit 'back at school' to me. I would understand if someone was practicing pitching off a green or racing the golf buggies. But as for most other things like untucked shirts or the wrong coloured socks then surely life's too short?

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

I paid a full day green fee at a course and tee'd off in the morning on my own as nobody invited me to join up with them. Got to about the 5th hole and I was waiting on the tee for the group in front to move out of range when 2 ladies finished the hole in front, walked past me and tee'd up a ball on their tee. I walked up and told them I was waiting to play the hole. One of them replied that there was a ladies competition on and I was holding up the whole course and that I had to stand aside and let all the ladies play through. I politely explained that the group in front was holding everyone up and I was waiting on every shot. She said they were playing through to which I replied firmly but politely informing her that they weren't. I had paid for 36 holes and if I stood aside I wouldn't get 2 rounds in and if her club was happy to accept my money then I was entitled to play the course twice. She decided to back down and grudgingly said I better carry on then.

I spoke to a member in the bar at lunchtime and mentioned the incident, turned out he was a past Captain and he was livid, couldn't have been any more apologetic and said he would talk to the ladies as the club policy was to allow single players standing on the course (this was before the rule change).

There is a member of this club on here

 

[Deleted member 15344]

True, but I am struggling to get my head round the mentality of someone who thinks they need to march across and tell someone to tuck their shirt in. It's all a bit 'back at school' to me. I would understand if someone was practicing pitching off a green or racing the golf buggies. But as for most other things like untucked shirts or the wrong coloured socks then surely life's too short?

Because clubs like to maintain their standards

Clubs have dress rules - rules that if you want to play on the course you need to follow

So if someone asks you to tuck in a shirt or wear the right socks then they will be doing it for a reason - obviously as long as they are asked politely

If people don't feel they should comply then they won't be able to play the course

 

[Slab]

Because clubs like to maintain their standards

Clubs have dress rules - rules that if you want to play on the course you need to follow

So if someone asks you to tuck in a shirt or wear the right socks then they will be doing it for a reason - obviously as long as they are asked politely

If people don't feel they should comply then they won't be able to play the course

All fine in theory but as we know many members cant even filter themselves in using a 1st & 10th two tee start without a referee or even how/when to let a following group play through! So it should be no surprise that many members have no clue how to talk to someone politely about a perceived breach in club policy

I'll wager also there's a decent sized population of club members that last looked at their stated club policies the same day they last looked at a rule book

 

[Deleted member 15344]

All fine in theory but as we know many members cant even filter themselves in using a 1st & 10th two tee start without a referee or even how/when to let a following group play through! So it should be no surprise that many members have no clue how to talk to someone politely about a perceived breach in club policy

I'll wager also there's a decent sized population of club members that last looked at their stated club policies the same day they last looked at a rule book

Many member ? Or possibly just a small minority that we use to judge many on ?

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

At our place it is asked of the members to ensure their guests comply with dress codes and also its up to the members and staff to ensure people comply with the dress code etc so if a member sees someone incorrectly dressed then there is no reason to stop asking the person politely to comply with said dress code

Quite

And so also if I see a guest dragging or pushing his trolley through our heather - when there are signs all over the places telling players to keep out of the heather - I'll pull the visitor up - politely. Or if they are incorrectly dressed on the 1st and I can't find the pro or steward I'll mention the dress code - politely. And indeed any general misbehaviour or misdemeanor on the course - such as climbing over boundary fences to get into neighbouring farmer's fields to get a ball - I'll mention. And I think it would be expected of me. I'm surprised that some clubs don't have such expectations of their members.

A few years ago one of our ladies playing the 9th pulled up Chris Evans (she didn't know who he was) for teeing off out of turn on our 6th - when big sign said to give priority to players teeing off 9th. He got all uppity and vowed to never return.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Because clubs like to maintain their standards

Clubs have dress rules - rules that if you want to play on the course you need to follow

So if someone asks you to tuck in a shirt or wear the right socks then they will be doing it for a reason - obviously as long as they are asked politely

If people don't feel they should comply then they won't be able to play the course

Still agreeing with you LP

 

[Slab]

Many member ? Or possibly just a small minority that we use to judge many on ?

Many


OK plenty examples on a concentrated forum like GM but we only hear about the instances that forum members come into contact with. Just imagine all the unreported instances that go on too...

If 10% of club members are members of GM and only 10% of instances are reported & 10% of those make it to the forum I make it that a breach in club policy is poorly handled by a 'course captain' once every 17 seconds!

 

[patricks148]

Quite

And so also if I see a guest dragging or pushing his trolley through our heather - when there are signs all over the places telling players to keep out of the heather - I'll pull the visitor up - politely. Or if they are incorrectly dressed on the 1st and I can't find the pro or steward I'll mention the dress code - politely. And indeed any general misbehaviour or misdemeanor on the course - such as climbing over boundary fences to get into neighbouring farmer's fields to get a ball - I'll mention. And I think it would be expected of me. I'm surprised that some clubs don't have such expectations of their members.

A few years ago one of our ladies playing the 9th pulled up Chris Evans (she didn't know who he was) for teeing off out of turn on our 6th - when big sign said to give priority to players teeing off 9th. He got all uppity and vowed to never return.

If you see people on the course using a DMD do you march over and tell them they have an unfair advantage?

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

If you see people on the course using a DMD do you march over and tell them they have an unfair advantage?

I'll march across and ask to see it so that I confirm that it is legal