Operators - do golfers call you from the course on mobile phones?

[Michael Moore]

Although I attempt to portay Maine as a pastoral haven which is exempt from certain horrors of modernity, let's not kid ourselves.

Here, I have observed a distressing trend. Golfers who are dissatisfied with the pace of play or the temperature inside the water coolers have been whipping out their cell phones, dialing up the pro shop, and demanding remediation.

To all of those who toil behind the counter - are golfers on the course calling you up and driving you crazy?

[Kalen Braley]

I've done this.

Why not let the golf shop know when there are people either playing very slowly or otherwise being disrespectful on the course?  I see it as a courtesy call to them to be thier eyes and ears on the course.

[Chris Cupit]

Absolutely.  I'd say 30% of the time it is for an excellent reason--pace of play issue, cart issue or minor medical emergency.

The overwhelming majority of the time it is for stupid sh*t--what's my handicap, can you send out Tony with bloody marys to hole #4, what's  the hole location today, check me in today I'm here, put me in the dogfight I forgot to sign up (usually called in after 3 or 4 excellent holes!) and of course, my favorite, is it raining at the clubhouse???

But....that's the business and you either embrace it and get a kick out of helping somebody have a good day or you let it get to you and you smoke, drink and swerve for small animals

[Kevin_Reilly]

I've done it from a land line on the course, and glad I did.

[John Kavanaugh]

I try to always call in my halfway house order....Dumbest thing I ever did was call in and ask for two large pizza's from my favorite joint to be delivered during the round.  I've got to give the pro credit because it was a beautiful sight seeing him come over a hill with pizza's in tow.  I ended up selling my driver that day for $100, joining the Moose and spending the proceeds on tequila shots for the house.  

[Cory Lewis]

To all of those who toil behind the counter - are golfers on the course calling you up and driving you crazy?

Happens all the time, sometimes for good reasons: water, safety, pace of play

sometimes for really dumb reasons: my favorite was the guy who asked if somebody could come out and mow the rough on 15 because his group always loses balls on that hole. 

Another one I don't like is when they call to ask if somebody can bring them beer.  I guess I can understand this if the course has a beverage cart person and you haven't seen them in an hour, but not on a golf course with no beverage cart!

Just last week I had a guy call me from the golf course demanding to know why the tree on #9 was cut down.  Are you kidding me?  And this guy was seriously pissed off about it on the phone. 

Ok rant over, I'm sure other guys have some good stories too.

[Mike Sweeney]

I grew up wih The Finnegans. Michael Finnegan had a heart attack at Overbrook Golf Club (PA) at roughly the age of 38. My brother-in-law was the surgeon and Michael never had a chance. Nobody had a cell phone at that stage of life, so who knows if it would have made a difference.

Portland is in Northern Massachusetts and is on the cell phone grid. Cell phones are now part of our lives both for the good and the bad.

Change is good right Mr Moore! 

Like most of these threads on etiquette, it is all situational.

Proves the Mucci theory that you really want and need a benevolant dictator, because rules just really don't work.

[John Moore II]

Yes, I have gotten these calls. Sometimes I don't mind, like at times, people will call in to say we are actually out of water on the course. We try to limit them having to call in about slow play by having rangers on the course. Actually, staff members call in about play moreso than members do. I have not actually ever gotten a call from a guest.

[C. Squier]

Growing up I worked at my local muni, 8th grade through college.  On my last day ever, I got a call with about 15 mins left on my shift.  It was from the weekend skins game guys, claiming a cow was loose on the golf course.  There isn't a cow farm within 10 miles from the course, so I thought they were just giving me crap since they knew I'd be leaving.  I promptly hung up the phone and laughed.

Two mins later, same call.....but I could tell they were serious.  Long story short, I spent the next 4 hours trying to find someone to help get a frickin' bull off the golf course.  Even better, it was all during the Tiger Woods / Bob May shootout at the PGA and I missed the entire thing. 

In short, I've made a pact with myself....if I see a cow on a golf course, just keep on walking. 

[Eric Pevoto]

The best was at Downingtown CC: a rainy day with 5 golfers (FIVE) on the course. 

A suspect 2 handicap surgeon who normally played alone (and who, if you played with him, always played better the day before) got stuck behind THE foursome.  He called the shop whining that the group wouldn't let him play through.  He's got an entire golf course and this is ruining his day!

Still amazing that he couldn't figure out how to work this one out on his own.

[Jed Peters]

I've called before, and do quite often if "something's wrong".

But then again, I'm tight with the guys in the shop.

[tlavin]

I use the cell phone to occasionally call for a round of adult beverages and the occasional cigar from the middle of the golf course.  I love technology.  It is my friend.

[Carl Rogers]

At Riverfront, a course that is spread out, we use the cell phone to call the Pro Shop when we encounter extremely slow play ... not that is does any good .......

[Michael Moore]

Nobody had a cell phone at that stage of life, so who knows if it would have made a difference.

Mike - If I ever start to go down when we are playing together, please call 911 directly ! !

"Pro shop, hold please . . .     . . .     . . .  thanks for waiting, how can I help you?"

"Mr. Moore is turning purple."

"OK, I'll call the ambulance."

"Real quick, can I get a tee time for next Saturday?"

"Sure, what time?"

"How about eight-ish . . . "

"Sorry, we're booked until ten that morning."

"Got any specials on logoed merchandise?"

[D_Malley]

at our public course we frequently get calls from the course, some for good reasons, many for stupid things.  we have a large staff of rangers, many retired.  most of these guys now have cell phones, i keep kidding them that i want to post ranger cell phone #'s in all players cart each day.

[Scott_Burroughs]

I've called on a few occasions when there's no drinking water put out.....literally....most of the time,  it's that the water jugs weren't put out at all.   My old club had a habit of thinking that in the cooler months, the body no longer needs to drink.

[Doug Siebert]

Some of the courses around here no longer put out the water jugs, because they are concerned about lawsuits if someone gets sick from the water, i.e. if the jug is contaminated or whatever.

Though like the ban on carrying any sort of beverage (not just alcoholic beverages as before) into the U of Iowa's football stadium due to supposed concerns over "terrorism", I think this might just be a convenient excuse to increase revenue.

[Jim_Kennedy]

Doug,
There have been instances of sickness/death attributed to water coolers on golf courses. It may be a 'convenient' excuse used by some courses to sell water, and thereby increase revenues, but the proper management of 'free' water costs someone.


There is only one place on our course where cellphones work and it's not well known, thankfully.

[Peter Wagner]

Doug,
There have been instances of sickness/death attributed to water coolers on golf courses. It may be a 'convenient' excuse used by some courses to sell water, and thereby increase revenues, but the proper management of 'free' water costs someone.


There is only one place on our course where cellphones work and it's not well known, thankfully.

Jim,
You have to put the water jugs under your Food & Bev department to fix the problem of bacteria.  Many clubs have the jugs handled by the greenskeeping staff but they haven't been trained properly and the jugs aren't cleaned daily and people get sick.

Have the maintenance staff deliver the jugs at night to the kitchen for cleaning and pick them up in the morning.
- Peter

[PCCraig]

When working in the Pro Shop at the local muni in Wilmette, IL. I got a phone call during an outing that there was a large naked man running throughout the course. I thought it was a joke but headed out to see if it was real.

Sure enough there was the man, and he was running faster than the golf cart could go.

Turns out that it was an insane man that escaped from a nearby hospital/clinic. He ran through the golf course and was picked up at a major intersection nearby.

[George Pazin]

When working in the Pro Shop at the local muni in Wilmette, IL. I got a phone call during an outing that there was a large naked man running throughout the course. I thought it was a joke but headed out to see if it was real.

Sure enough there was the man, and he was running faster than the golf cart could go.

Turns out that it was an insane man that escaped from a nearby hospital/clinic. He ran through the golf course and was picked up at a major intersection nearby.

Story of the year, thus far, thanks for sharing.

[PCCraig]

If only I had a recording of the radio converstaion I had with the Head Pro that day.

"Dennis--you are not going to believe this..."