Annoyed by arbitrary course closing time (while it's still light out)...

lazychicken

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I played a round this afternoon/evening at a nearby course in Frisco. We were a threesome and I had booked the 4:30pm tee time on GolfNow last night for this course which I had only played once before.


The course was predictably busy for a beautiful Sunday afternoon, but not awful. We were behind a group that seemed to be a tad slow, but then we noticed they were having to wait on tee boxes for the group in front of them, so it was all good. Just typical Sunday afternoon golf on a public course. We were content to wait, enjoy our round, and not rush anyone.


And then this happened: At about 8:15pm we were teeing off on #17. The shadows were getting a bit long, but we felt like we had enough light to finish the round. After we teed off, we noticed the marshal driving up carrying all the flags from the previous holes. He immediately started barking at us that the carts are supposed to be back in the cart barn at 8:00pm and we need to pick up our balls and head in.


We were stunned. Obviously this was the first we've heard of this rule. We're not regulars at this course, but nothing was said when we checked in. The marshal claimed there was a sign about it in the pro shop. I dunno, we're pretty observant people who like to follow rules, but none of us saw a sign and not a single employee we encountered in the pro shop mentioned anything about it.


But more to the point, I booked the round on GolfNow which did not list an 8:00pm hard closing time among their terms and conditions. So since I booked on GN and I agreed to be subject to their cancellation policy, it doesn't seem like there would be much room for any additional significant rules to be added at the course anyway. Once I was within their cancellation policy, could I have even said "Oh no, I don't agree to that rule so please cancel my reservation"? They would have tagged my credit card for the full amount.


Look, we all know courses have lots of typical, traditional rules that aren't covered in the GN T&Cs and that's completely fine. For instance, we got to the course today and, due to rain earlier in the weekend, the course was cart path only. That obviously wasn't in the T&Cs, but it is a normal function of weather and golf so it was fine. And I know when I book a late afternoon tee time there's always the threat of losing playable light before we can finish, I'm not complaining about common sense here. I'm annoyed because we booked it, we played it, and we still had light, but then a marshal imposed what I believe to be an arbitrary closing time and artificially removed our ability to finish the round.


And I know how petty and #firstworldproblems it sounds to complain about not completing 2 holes. But we're golfers here, right? We want to finish the round if at all possible! (And I had a good round going...)


For what it's worth, there were maybe 5-6 very angry groups that drove by after the marshal came by and before we could pick up the balls we had already hit. Every group was complaining about what happened, and many of them were regulars who said nobody had ever before kicked them off at 8:00pm with plenty of playable light left.


We're planning to call the course tomorrow to follow up. Just wondering if anyone else has ever had this happen.
 
That's pretty aggressive for a Marshall who probably gets paid in "free rounds." I've always despised the rule that courses close before it's dark. Especially in the summer when you get finally get in 18 after work!


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Yeah my course basically "closes" at five, meaning last tee time is at 450. I just wish the had a 5-6 option for nine holes. No one is on the course (too hot) but it would still be nice to have this option since I know a lot of times they close up before 450.


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Which course was this? I live in Frisco and play most of my golf here. I've never run into that, but I also rarely play that late. It'll be nice to know which course I need to avoid at that hour.
 
So they accepted greens fees for 18 holes and apparently expected play to be completed in 3:30 hours yet nothing was done to usher along the slow play before you?

Yeah, I'd thank the marshall for his rudeness and then I'd complete my round. Call the cops. He removed the flags but not the holes. I could accidentally hit a miraculous shot! ?

Seriously, after that I wouldn't be going back so I'd for 100% certainty finish my round as intended upon initial booking.
 
Marshall's wife must have been in his ear!
 
My former course closed before darkness.
There were things they had to do and doing it in the light was easier.
To me its also why greens fees are cheaper later in the day.
 
Courses around here will usually have a hard stop for when carts have to be back. Makes sense to me. Someone's got to get the cart in, washed, etc. And if there's 1-2 groups on the course playing late they're preventing them from going home. Walkers they'll usually let stay out.
 
I would just shoot GN an email or call. Seems like something that you should have been made aware of either by them or the course before teeing off.

The fact that they close isn't odd, how it was handled though, doesn't seem right.
 
Courses around here will usually have a hard stop for when carts have to be back. Makes sense to me. Someone's got to get the cart in, washed, etc. And if there's 1-2 groups on the course playing late they're preventing them from going home. Walkers they'll usually let stay out.

Same around here. I think I've seen it either on course website or somewhere in the clubhouse
 
Courses around here will usually have a hard stop for when carts have to be back. Makes sense to me. Someone's got to get the cart in, washed, etc. And if there's 1-2 groups on the course playing late they're preventing them from going home. Walkers they'll usually let stay out.

This was our course. They would let you stay out if walking (they only allowed walkers after 3pm) and there was a sign in the cart barn that said carts had to be returned by X Time and flags may be pulled.
 
Last night at 8PM we got "course closing in 30 minutes" when we were teeing off on 15. We had an hour and a half of light still. Guys in front of us not playing ready golf so it took us a little longer then 30 minutes. We were able to finish the round. I am blaming this situation on the 3 OB tee shots I sliced on 16. To funny had a a good round until then. I never slice. I duck hook.
 
I played a course the other week, four of us tee'd off at 6.12 with two buggies but we were told that the buggies would have to be back by 8 as they needed to cash up and lock up, which is fair enough, it also meant I got my £50 deposit back (for the buggies)

Did 9 on the buggy, 9 walking.

The fact they never told you though, I'd have been very annoyed.
 
Courses around here will usually have a hard stop for when carts have to be back. Makes sense to me. Someone's got to get the cart in, washed, etc. And if there's 1-2 groups on the course playing late they're preventing them from going home. Walkers they'll usually let stay out.

This is exactly how it happens at the course I work at. We have a hard time for when carts have to be in. They can walk as much as they want but I need that cart. I know it's not the case here but you would not believe how many time groups will
Try to get in "extra" holes.


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This is exactly how it happens at the course I work at. We have a hard time for when carts have to be in. They can walk as much as they want but I need that cart. I know it's not the case here but you would not believe how many time groups will
Try to get in "extra" holes.


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I think that's why a lot of courses in the area will just say "All you can play for $X after 4PM" - don't say it's an 18 hole rate, and if people want to play until the sun goes away, they can.
 
That's a show stopper for me. We have about three months where the days are long enough to get a round in after 4:30 PM. My buddies and I always time our rounds to finish at last light, it's wonderful, no crowds, good pace and the heat of the day gives way to a cool breeze. We are very fortunate to have courses where the customer comes first and we don't have a marshal yelling at us.
 
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I suppose I get the cart back by a hard time thing. What can ya do? they got to get things done. That said, would have been nice if you were aware of this.
But pulling the pins and emptying the course even for walkers imo is a bit too much. Firstly why cant they just pull the pins the next morning as they take care of the greens? Secondly, with all the hype about growing the game and how the industry is dying, etc, etc, I would think they would let people play long as they can. Now the OP and his group know this course is no longer an option if they want a late round and also find it important to try to finish.

Trying to finish a round before dark can be an annoying thing. If I go to a course after work and find I cant get out by a certain time I don't even bother. I hate when I want a round and know that finishing is most likely going to be a long shot at best. Anyway sorry to here what happened cause I know its disappointing and kind of a bummer.
 
I really dislike when I get to a course for an awesome evening round and they look at me like, dude carts have to be in at 6...... it doesn't get dark until 830 haha. I understand that people want to get home i do, but when summer allows you to play later i feel the courses should be open longer. I see it as no different than other seasonal jobs.

I play on summer solstice every year to get at least 3 rounds in, sometimes 4. One year i played at a different course that said I could play all day, but cart needed to be in by 630. Sunset was at like 9:20 or something like that. frstrating (and yes absolutely 1st world probs haha)
 
8pm this time of year is early.

That expectation should be laid out both at the course and via golfnow since you are paying for an 18 hole round that would fall in line with their posted pace of play times.
 
The course I play every week has a posted time for the carts to be in. We have been told that it was so the kids can get all the carts cleaned and put away before its completely dark out. Your situation sounds different but still pretty odd, I've never heard of anyone removing all the flags at the end of the night.
 
The course I play every week has a posted time for the carts to be in. We have been told that it was so the kids can get all the carts cleaned and put away before its completely dark out. Your situation sounds different but still pretty odd, I've never heard of anyone removing all the flags at the end of the night.

Really? Almost all of the courses here remove the flags at the end of the night. When I worked at the course years ago, it was one of my jobs actually.
 
Really? Almost all of the courses here remove the flags at the end of the night. When I worked at the course years ago, it was one of my jobs actually.

Some courses around here do, some don't. A lot of the munis will have an honor box for early in the morning rounds or just let season pass holders out so they'll leave the flags in for the people who show up crazy early - because we're so far east, the sun is out enough to play by 5AM here in the middle of summer.
 
Really? Almost all of the courses here remove the flags at the end of the night. When I worked at the course years ago, it was one of my jobs actually.

I have never worked at a course so I really don't know for sure, but have been on plenty of courses at or near dark and have never seen anyone removing flags.
 
I'd be upset also. This time of the year I would think courses should be open until the last tee time out completes their round.
 
Communication is the key... Have a hard closing, it should definitely be mentioned and obvious by signage.

I think I can only remember one course asking for carts returned "early" like 6pm and it was on a late summer Sunday.

Can't remember seeing flags removed at night except for some holes near roads. A super told us it was unreal how many flags they had stolen from a particular green near a road. In fact they used cheap flag poles there because they disappeared so often. For courses that use red, white & blues to mark front, middle & back pin locations, I can see pulling them at night so the super can redistribute the next day's holes accordingly.
 
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