Melvyn,
Satisfied ? Absolutely NOT !
When trying desperately to promote hickory golf to the multitudes from 2001 - 2003 using the good technology available, I found the response pathetic, to say the least !
I must have around 3000 ++ email addresses of clubs / secs / golf contacts etc on my pc. If I sent out an email shot today offering a free ...whatever...I would expect maybe 10 - 20 to respond and perhaps 30 - 50 requesting removal from address book ?
I've always believed (in Scotland, at least) that clubs were a kind of brotherhood that were created for golf to promote all things golf ! As far as my experience is concerned, I soon became disenchanted and disgusted by the communications infrastructure of the golf club system ?
Now, plenty of excuses can be conjured up for such apathy, but at the end of the day, courtesy plays a major part within the entire golfing world - IMO ? Having served and encouraged golfers all my life, I don't think I was being selfish in thinking that my time had come for a wee bit of (simple) payback via the great internet technology ? It wasn't to be, and my message wasn't posted for the ordinary golfer to see.
I remember the first committee meeting I sat at at my local club. Various business was discussed and then came the mail. The sec picked up the bundle lying before him, told the committee that there was nothing of interest in here, and promtly discharged the bundle into a bucket waiting conveniently close by !
The short of it is - that my brother Harry and myself made a point of order regarding the mail issue, and thereafter we were handed the mail at every meeting ! Yes, there was a great deal of what might be called junk. But there was also posters and requests from "sister" clubs for Open tournaments and the like. We found that it wasn't a massive task to pin up the info for members to see and then discard when "out of date" !
On the positive side, there were the few who understood the "try" being made in the name of golf and it's history from our perspective and their responses were a spur for us to keep going.
Thanks to the responders in golfing life - they are the ones who make golf what it is - and what it is SUPPOSED to be !
Alfie.