We've launched the new forums! Read more here

Has This Ever Happened To You? Am I Over Reacting?

Back9Bully

Back9Bully

Golf is deceptively simple
Albatross 2023 Club Albatross 2024 Club
Joined
Jun 9, 2018
Messages
443
Reaction score
371
Location
Northern VA
Handicap
7
Long story incoming.....feedback is more than welcome!

Two Friday's ago me and my pops went up to our local golf course that we have been playing at for 20+ years now. We had already pre paid for our tee time at 3:10PM (we only planned to play 9). We show up at 2:30, plenty early and go to check in. The starter informs us that the other 2some we are playing with has already checked in as well. Perfect.
The parking lot of JAM PACKED, so we ask if they are running on time, he advises us they are running about 10 minutes behind. No big deal.
We head off to the range and putting green for a little pre round warm up.

Now HERE is where things get interesting, we show back up to the starter shack at 3:05, and I ask the gentlemen if we are on deck. He tells me that the group on the tee was actually supposed to be us and that he had just placed 2 walk ons in our place since we were not on time to the tee. NOW, our tee time was at 3:10, we showed up at 3:05, in prep that they were running 10 minutes behind.
The starter never yelled for our names (as the driving range is about 40 yards from the shack), nor did he go up to the group on the tee box who was waiting for about 15 minutes while this whole discussion of why he gave our tee time away was going on and tell them he had made a mistake, and the walk ons could go off when he found a gap or another 2some to play with.
So now instead of 3:10 we teed off at 3:35, only to get in 6 holes before it got to dark to play.

I grew up on this course and this is the first time this has happened to me, I was taught by the pro here for 2 years and it is by far my favorite course to play, (yes I have already talked with the pro about the situation), he gave me 2 bits of advice.
1. He is glad it happened to me, because he can earn our business back, and if it was someone else he may have just lost a customer for life.
2. It's the big boss of the course to jam pack the course any and every way possible, due to the 77 days they were shut down during the initial COVID quarantine.
but I have never seen someone willingly give away a tee time to walk ons when the 4some had already checked in, to me it doesn't seem like an "honest mistake" as the starter claimed.


P.s. I am not upset one bit by this, but it is quite annoying in the moment. Thought I would share my experience and see if anyone else had encountered something like this before!
 
You are a real mensch not to be upset. I hope the pro gave you a voucher for a free round.
 
I'd be very upset. Sounds rude and a bit shady to me.
 
I agree I would be upset given that you had already checked in and talked to the starter. I will add that in general I make sure to go to the first tee 15 minutes before my time to make sure there aren’t any issues. However given that the starter told you they were 10 minutes behind you kind of did that already. I am generally pretty paranoid about this stuff. Given that the course was jammed I get that the starter is under a ton of pressure to keep things moving.
 
I'm amazed they accept walk ons, none of the many, many courses here allow them and I'm told they never will again.

You're a good guy to take it in stride, the starter F'ed up but you kept your cool, many would have made a big stink and gotten nothing for it.
 
WOW!!!! I just can't imagine how that can happen since you had checked in prior and verified that they where running behind a bit.
I would have asked for refund/partial refund at a minimum.
 
Chef23 said:
I agree I would be upset given that you had already checked in and talked to the starter. I will add that in general I make sure to go to the first tee 15 minutes before my time to make sure there aren’t any issues. However given that the starter told you they were 10 minutes behind you kind of did that already. I am generally pretty paranoid about this stuff. Given that the course was jammed I get that the starter is under a ton of pressure to keep things moving.
Click to expand...
Totally get the pressure to keep the flow of the course, but may I also mention as it was FINALLY our time to go on the box, an employee rolled up to the shack and he sent him off the back as a single...that **** also irks me.
BUT I have never been to a golf course where the starter isn't yelling out last names when it's their time to be on deck. I mean that should be routine when the course is slammed to keep things flowing!
 
Snickerdog said:
WOW!!!! I just can't imagine how that can happen since you had checked in prior and verified that they where running behind a bit.
I would have asked for refund/partial refund at a minimum.
Click to expand...
I got reimbursed since the pro is a good friend of ours, but the way he is saying they are going to be packing the course is just not acceptable to me, even due to the lost business over the summer. It's going to hinder people from coming back after waiting 20+ min a hole. I don't know I hope things ease up.
 
It’s definitely a screw up and frustrating. People make mistakes in life and, fortunately, the pro recognizes it and wants to take care of you. That would be enough in my book to leave it behind.
 
Smryan12 said:
I got reimbursed since the pro is a good friend of ours, but the way he is saying they are going to be packing the course is just not acceptable to me, even due to the lost business over the summer. It's going to hinder people from coming back after waiting 20+ min a hole. I don't know I hope things ease up.
Click to expand...
This is a bigger issue than the mistake. You might have to make a tough decision as to where you are going to play.
 
Smryan12 said:
I got reimbursed since the pro is a good friend of ours, but the way he is saying they are going to be packing the course is just not acceptable to me, even due to the lost business over the summer. It's going to hinder people from coming back after waiting 20+ min a hole. I don't know I hope things ease up.
Click to expand...
Glad they reimbursed you.
I understand the lost business, but everyone was in the same boat. They will lose more of there regular players (like yourself) if they do that. They need to take a really hard look at different ways to recoup $$'s if they are hurting that bad. Packing the course is not the answer.
Really hope they figure something out.
 
Tenputt said:
This is a bigger issue than the mistake. You might have to make a tough decision as to where you are going to play.
Click to expand...
That's the main issue now, it was all good until he told me he has marching orders from up top to pack the course. When I told him it was 20 min a hole he said that was pretty fast lately. I think I may have to find a temp home course to play at until that craziness calms down.
 
Snickerdog said:
Glad they reimbursed you.
I understand the lost business, but everyone was in the same boat. They will lose more of there regular players (like yourself) if they do that. They need to take a really hard look at different ways to recoup $$'s if they are hurting that bad. Packing the course is not the answer.
Really hope they figure something out.
Click to expand...
My point exactly!
 
I can understand the course wanting to try to recoup some of its losses, but I'd have been annoyed, myself. As @Tenputt wrote: Your Pro is going to make it up to you, so I'd let it ride. But if they're going to continue to pack the course that way, personally, I might look for other places to play.

The first two or three times I played (I just started playing this year) I had difficulty getting used to the idea of having of people behind us, that were faster than us, creating pressure on us to move smartly. I got used to that. I'm still mindful they are there, and to move along as smartly as possible, but no longer feeling pressured by that to the point it interferes with my play. But what you're describing does not sound like a fun way to play golf.
 
Tenputt said:
This is a bigger issue than the mistake. You might have to make a tough decision as to where you are going to play.
Click to expand...

Frankly it is part of the draw of a private club. Our season is mostly over but public courses were jammed all summer. The course I played before I joined somewhere the starter never yelled out names loud enough to draw someone over from the range. If you were on the putting green you might have heard him.
 
I'll play devils advocate, IMO you should have been checking back in a lot earlier than 5 mins before your tee time even tho they said they were running behind. Especially when a course is packed, every minute is precious. I always wait around the #1 tee box 15 mins before I am supposed to tee off in case something comes up, because it happens more than not. Sucks your round got cut short, but when the days are shorter it really is imperative to get out as early as possible to beat the dark.
 
Plain and simple, this is wrong.
 
When you check in and are given a time, they should mark it on their sheet and have a loudspeaker to announce your name and 5-10 minute warning.

This is not on you.

If I were them, I'd give you the money back and a free round for the aggravation.
 
Chef23 said:
Frankly it is part of the draw of a private club. Our season is mostly over but public courses were jammed all summer. The course I played before I joined somewhere the starter never yelled out names loud enough to draw someone over from the range. If you were on the putting green you might have heard him.
Click to expand...
Yes, this would be the big draw of belonging to a club for me. If the courses are as crowded again next year as they were this year, I may make the leap. The 5 hour plus rounds are so frustrating.
 
I wouldn't get mad if it happened just that one time. Things are crazy everywhere right now.

However, yeah, the knowledge that they are purposely packing the course would have me reconsidering if I still wanted to play there. Intentionally introducing crowding and slow play is a poor business model. It's probably going to hurt them in the long run more than it will help in the short term. Someone who runs a golf course should know that.
 
I probably would have been less polite....especially with the starter
 
choppstixxx said:
I'll play devils advocate, IMO you should have been checking back in a lot earlier than 5 mins before your tee time even tho they said they were running behind. Especially when a course is packed, every minute is precious. I always wait around the #1 tee box 15 mins before I am supposed to tee off in case something comes up, because it happens more than not. Sucks your round got cut short, but when the days are shorter it really is imperative to get out as early as possible to beat the dark.
Click to expand...
I totally get that stand point too, we thought 3:05 with 10 minutes behind would put us at 3:20 with the way the course was running. Lesson learned the hard way I guess. lol
 
WICHITAREJECT said:
I probably would have been less polite....especially with the starter
Click to expand...
In talking with my pops about 10 feet from the started while we waited to go off I next, I made multiple comments about man Ted is going to hear about this for sure!
The starter wasn't to fond of my comments to say the least. ;)
 
Seeing similar here in California. As soon as it's clear, the starter sends the next group. Which leads to the back up on the following holes. I just make sure I'm aware what tee time is teeing off so I'm ready to go.
Playing most often as a single, I have to pick the courses that allow online booking for 1-4 players, so hopefully I can get on. Many days there aren't any tee times, or it's only after 3:30.
I would learn from it - most courses now have extra carts and people to deal with Covid restrictions so more financial pressure. And in my local area we went from 8 courses down to three over the last 7 or so years.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top