Golf Sucks
- Thread starter enisthemenace
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I've stopped playing the Cedar Rapids public courses, other than the occasional weekday game because of that. One day, I was waiting on the first tee and saw the starter's notepad. He had people lined up in 4 minute intervals. Absolutely ridiculous.
Turn over for golf courses just like restaurants is key, so I get it, but if you make the experience so annoying, you lose return people. CR has lost money on their public courses for a while now and it's becoming a big deal. Finkbine, the UI course in Iowa City is looking for a new management group to run the course because it lost something like 300K last year. Even one of the private CR courses sold their driving range land to a neighboring company, and that place is packed all summer.
I also think it's about having realistic expectations. I'm big on pace of play, but I also think if you are coming out as a solo on a cart at 5:00, you can just expect to have to wait a little bit. Solos who fly up behind you irk me almost as much as slow groups.
The Des Moines public city courses are all managed through a private company now. They were losing money like crazy before they made this switch but once they were actually ran like a profit center instead of a municipality they all of a sudden had all of this extra cash to improve the courses and the facilities.
When I play, it's 3 over, max, then pick up your ball.
I almost separated the posts because I knew you might think that. The first part was a response to you. The rest (generally speaking) was just a response to the thread in general.
Can we all agree that the very setup of golf creates these problems?
If you're new to softball you don't join an A league team. You play on a specific night with other C league teams. If you're new to painting other people in the painting class don't affect your painting. But in golf the good and the bad use the exact same course at the exact same time. Why isn't there a "beginners time" each week with 20 minute increments, for example? How about a low-handicap night?
Here's what I don't understand. Everyone I talk to either is or thinks they're a good golfer. I shoot about a 90 and most things online say that the average golfer shoots 100+. That makes me better than average and I still suck and am inconsistent. Where are these 100+ golfers? Because the guys in the clubhouse aren't it. The guys I talk to aren't it. They're some mythical segment that exists but apparently doesn't talk about golf other than while golfing.
So how do you make a single course appeal to the people who are average (100+ shots) in a group of 4 and to the twosome of scratch golfers? How do you appeal to an incredibly wide spread of people using the same field?
If you're new to softball you don't join an A league team. You play on a specific night with other C league teams. If you're new to painting other people in the painting class don't affect your painting. But in golf the good and the bad use the exact same course at the exact same time. Why isn't there a "beginners time" each week with 20 minute increments, for example? How about a low-handicap night?
Here's what I don't understand. Everyone I talk to either is or thinks they're a good golfer. I shoot about a 90 and most things online say that the average golfer shoots 100+. That makes me better than average and I still suck and am inconsistent. Where are these 100+ golfers? Because the guys in the clubhouse aren't it. The guys I talk to aren't it. They're some mythical segment that exists but apparently doesn't talk about golf other than while golfing.
So how do you make a single course appeal to the people who are average (100+ shots) in a group of 4 and to the twosome of scratch golfers? How do you appeal to an incredibly wide spread of people using the same field?
+100 guy here. I get around the issue by playing solo most of the time and going early in the morning. I don't go on weekends anymore. It's just not that much fun on a crowded course, and my being terrible at it and insisting on walking doesn't help matters any.
Like in nearly all sports, most guys subtract a "few" shots from their official score. I can shoot anywhere from high 80s to 102 on a given day, and I have no qualms about admitting it.
You can't please everyone, but in my opinion, courses need rangers with authority that are visible and vocal, not some 85yo retired guy looking for something to do, but never says anything. From the club house to the starter to the course, they need to be upfront with people, telling them, you should be finishing 9 in 2 hours, 18 in 4. 5 minutes max looking for a ball and if we see you backing up multiple groups, the ranger has the authority to make you skip a hole or to let groups through.
Most public courses are really not filled with a lot of hazards that should slow a beginner down unless he/she simply can't hit the ball a 100 yards. So it comes down to what many have already said. Having some common sense and not acting like you are playing the US Open.
I just think it's about using common sense and being respectful. I don't care if someone is taking alot of shots so long as they are making an effort to play quickly. Hustle in and out of your cart, limit searching for a ball to only a few minutes, don't insist everyone play in perfect order, etc. There's a difference in my mind between being slow and being disrespectful.
There are so many small courses in small towns that people could play relatively stress free. I learned on some really crappy courses, but it didn't matter because it was never packed. I was free to take mulligans, chip over the green 3 times, etc. But too many of these "temporarily embarrassed" scratch golfers are playing expensive courses at the most popular times. Also plenty of guys that only play to hang out and drink with their buddies. And that's fine, but if your group is set on playing a tough course at a popular time, there's a reason golf is a pain in the ass. That said, if it's a good group and you have a little patience, a slower round can still be a lot of fun.
To a certain degree I do feel like golf does have this setup though. Lets use the DSM area for example. If you are a 90+ golfer on an average course you probably shouldn't be playing the nicer/tougher courses like Legacy, TCI, Copper Creek, Beaver Creek, Otter Creek, Waveland, or Jester, especially on a weekend. Instead there are courses like Toad Valley, Terrace Hills, Blank, Grandview, Warrior Run, and Woodland Hills that would be a little more your speed.
I almost exclusively play 18 holes at 5 PM or later when it's not busy. I've found Sunday nights are the best. Why guys think Saturday at 9 AM is good baffles me.
I almost always play "self-best-ball". I play at times where I can take two drives or three chips because no one else is around. I've also never played anything more than a twosome. Lots of the groups of 4 or 5 either have corporate polos on or a wearing tank tops and blasting ACDC from their cart.
I almost always play "self-best-ball". I play at times where I can take two drives or three chips because no one else is around. I've also never played anything more than a twosome. Lots of the groups of 4 or 5 either have corporate polos on or a wearing tank tops and blasting ACDC from their cart.
To some extent I get it. It's not necessarily an awesome time, but it might be the only window a lot of people have to play. Lots of stuff to get in the way - work, family, kids' sports, house or yard upkeep...weekends are busy.
Yeah we typically do double-par plus one. If you get to that number you're done.