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Course Policy Change?!?!

FrancisD

FrancisD

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Philadelphia, PA
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For the past 5 years my friends and I have been frequenting a golf course which utilizes a frequent player card which grants you a free round for every ten rounds you play. We play this course probably 10 - 15 times a year, almost always play 36, sit down for lunch, get beers/apps after the round and sometimes dinner. We basically make a day of it every time we go.

On the frequent player card it states:

Play 10 times at course name and/or sister course and earn a FREE round.
Can only be used by card holder, one per visit.
Valid for any rate before 4 PM.
May be used and/redeemed at either location

We go to use our "free round" for a morning round and were told there was a policy change when the new pro started and the frequent player card can only be redeemed for a twilight round... The morning round is $85 which none of us were expecting to pay. We left after the round(if it wasn't over an hour away we would have left). No tip for the bartenders or waitresses that day, no spending any money on extras at the course, no replay money when the course is practically dead in the afternoon. This course is over an hour away for us so it is highly unlikely we will go for a twilight round.

We are so annoyed that we will probably never go back and this was a course we recommended to almost everyone we met when golfing. Great food friendly staff and a good time was what we used to tell people but not anymore.

We would probably not be as pissed if maybe an email blast went out regarding the policy change instead of learning about it when we showed up at the course...
 
FrancisD said:
For the past 5 years my friends and I have been frequenting a golf course which utilizes a frequent player card which grants you a free round for every ten rounds you play. We play this course probably 10 - 15 times a year, almost always play 36, sit down for lunch, get beers/apps after the round and sometimes dinner. We basically make a day of it every time we go.

On the frequent player card it states:

Play 10 times at course name and/or sister course and earn a FREE round.
Can only be used by card holder, one per visit.
Valid for any rate before 4 PM.
May be used and/redeemed at either location

We go to use our "free round" for a morning round and were told there was a policy change when the new pro started and the frequent player card can only be redeemed for a twilight round... The morning round is $85 which none of us were expecting to pay. We left after the round(if it wasn't over an hour away we would have left). No tip for the bartenders or waitresses that day, no spending any money on extras at the course, no replay money when the course is practically dead in the afternoon. This course is over an hour away for us so it is highly unlikely we will go for a twilight round.

We are so annoyed that we will probably never go back and this was a course we recommended to almost everyone we met when golfing. Great food friendly staff and a good time was what we used to tell people but not anymore.

We would probably not be as pissed if maybe an email blast went out regarding the policy change instead of learning about it when we showed up at the course...
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I might have raised a little hell about it and made sure people knew what the club was doing. They should print new cards with the new rules and honor all the old ones.
 
If the card said you could redeem it any time I would raise hell and give the pro a tip or two about customer service.
 
Scrap Iron said:
If the card said you could redeem it any time I would raise hell and give the pro a tip or two about customer service.
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Their Facebook and Twitter pages would be good places to review this policy.
 
Smallville said:
Their Facebook and Twitter pages would be good places to review this policy.
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I agree that is helpful but not everyone is on social media.
 
That's not cool at all (on their part). You have to communicate a significant change like that.
 
Should've asked to speak to the head pro, or anyone in magement for that matter and told them to get bent! And walk out with your finger in the air!
 
They have to honor what it says on the card and then issue new cards after they are redeemed.
Unless the course is under completely new ownership I DGAF what some new Pro/manager says.

You guys got hosed.
 
Does the card not say anywhere that T&Cs are subject to change? Or when you signed up for the card, did it say that anywhere (that is usually where it is).

The card stating "Valid for any rate before 4pm" is a very odd statement, right? I mean those would be the most expensive times, why would they state it?
 
Smallville said:
I might have raised a little hell about it and made sure people knew what the club was doing. They should print new cards with the new rules and honor all the old ones.
Click to expand...

Agree 1000%
 
JB said:
Does the card not say anywhere that T&Cs are subject to change? Or when you signed up for the card, did it say that anywhere (that is usually where it is).

The card stating "Valid for any rate before 4pm" is a very odd statement, right? I mean those would be the most expensive times, why would they state it?
Click to expand...

Not sure about other places, but the Painted Hills card was good for Painted Hills and Royal Meadows, and all the rules were on the card. I have one around here somewhere, but I believe it just said that it was good at both places and when you got ten punches your next round is free. No restrictions were on the card. We even punched it if they walked, and they could redeem the card for a round with a cart, because it didn't say otherwise.

And again, not sure about other places, but you didn't sign up, you just got the card when you checked in and presented it any time you played. No terms and conditions sheet or anything. We always honored them, any time, any day. It was just a business card size punch card.

But yes, having the statement "Valid for any rate before 4pm" is odd. Especially since we accepted them any time, and liked it when they used them for an afternoon/evening round.

Seems like the golf course would rather give up a morning round than to lose out on the afternoon round they would have played, as well as any food and drinks the group would have purchased. Not to mention taking a chance on losing future business from these people, regardless of if there was a policy change. The old cards should have been grandfathered in under the old policy, especially since the old policy was printed on the cards.

A course can do whatever they want, but I know what we would have done, and it would not have been what this course did.
 
Smallville said:
I might have raised a little hell about it and made sure people knew what the club was doing. They should print new cards with the new rules and honor all the old ones.
Click to expand...

^^^^ This I would have done this
 
FrancisD said:
For the past 5 years my friends and I have been frequenting a golf course which utilizes a frequent player card which grants you a free round for every ten rounds you play. We play this course probably 10 - 15 times a year, almost always play 36, sit down for lunch, get beers/apps after the round and sometimes dinner. We basically make a day of it every time we go.

On the frequent player card it states:

Play 10 times at course name and/or sister course and earn a FREE round.
Can only be used by card holder, one per visit.
Valid for any rate before 4 PM.
May be used and/redeemed at either location

We go to use our "free round" for a morning round and were told there was a policy change when the new pro started and the frequent player card can only be redeemed for a twilight round... The morning round is $85 which none of us were expecting to pay. We left after the round(if it wasn't over an hour away we would have left). No tip for the bartenders or waitresses that day, no spending any money on extras at the course, no replay money when the course is practically dead in the afternoon. This course is over an hour away for us so it is highly unlikely we will go for a twilight round.

We are so annoyed that we will probably never go back and this was a course we recommended to almost everyone we met when golfing. Great food friendly staff and a good time was what we used to tell people but not anymore.

We would probably not be as pissed if maybe an email blast went out regarding the policy change instead of learning about it when we showed up at the course...
Click to expand...


I agree and probably would do the same except for for the tipping part. Not their fault.
 
Ignore me and my lack of reading comprehension :alien:
 
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I think what he meant was that the group left immediately after their round, therefore no earning potential for the service staff
 
aklawitter said:
I think what he meant was that the group left immediately after their round, therefore no earning potential for the service staff
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Yes. Sorry. See that now. Thanks.
 
Yep totally misread sorry about that
 
JB said:
Does the card not say anywhere that T&Cs are subject to change? Or when you signed up for the card, did it say that anywhere (that is usually where it is).

The card stating "Valid for any rate before 4pm" is a very odd statement, right? I mean those would be the most expensive times, why would they state it?
Click to expand...

It's just a stamp card they hand you when you pay, no terms or anything like that.
 
aklawitter said:
I think what he meant was that the group left immediately after their round, therefore no earning potential for the service staff
Click to expand...

Yes that's what I meant.
 
We finally got to talk to the pro and he said it's his course so it's his rules and if we don't like it we don't need to play there.

I see this guy lasting a long time...
 
FrancisD said:
We finally got to talk to the pro and he said it's his course so it's his rules and if we don't like it we don't need to play there.

I see this guy lasting a long time...
Click to expand...

i would try to find a way to contact management/ownership. they need to know.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I think the valid at any rate before 4 pm means those are the requirements of the 10 purchased rounds.
 
Tee1Up said:
I think the valid at any rate before 4 pm means those are the requirements of the 10 purchased rounds.
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Yeah, probably. But at any rate, they were still due their free rounds.
 
If the card states the round is redeemable before 4pm, they cannot deny that. I would have raised all kinds of hell until it happened, reminded them the amount of business I bring them, and then never return unless an extra free round was provided. There are far too many good golf courses available to be treated like that.

On another note, I feel bad for the bartenders and waitresses in this case. As much as it sucks what the course did, it's not their fault (Unless the OP meant to say they didn't spend any money with them and therefore no tips).
 
FrancisD said:
We finally got to talk to the pro and he said it's his course so it's his rules and if we don't like it we don't need to play there.

I see this guy lasting a long time...
Click to expand...

Again, you should've told him to get bent. And mean it with the tone of your voice... Maybe pull out some redneck sh!t and start spitting chew on his shop floor, maybe clog thee old toilet.
Just throwing some ideas out there. Just being obnoxious is all!
 
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