I would like to know if Mr. Tallman identifies himself as a manager of a golf club when he travels to play golf, and if so, the nature of his motivations. Is it a matter of professional courtesy? Are raters considered to be part of the industry and worthy of the customary benefits?
It is remarkable that something so many don't "give a shit" about generates so much discussion and angst. I get it. There is a potential conflict of interest. No one should shed crocodile tears for those hard-working, well-motivated, mostly objective course raters. And while they may not do God's work, they must be doing something that gets everyone up in a lather three or four times every year.
As to freebies, give me a freaking break! I've been around to a number of site gatherings over the years and have found realtively few quick draws when it comes to the wallet. I can think of a few guys who have been very critical of raters and their free golf, yet they had no qualms accepting comp rounds as my guests. What's good for the goose is not always so for the gander, apparently.
How would I react in a similar situation as described? I would explain succinctly, but completely and honestly to my host, and apologize for any confusion and discomfort I had inadvertantly caused. Hopefully this will be sufficient. As a former rater with a national publication, I ALWAYS wrote or called the GM, DoG, or HP well in advance of a planned visit to ask for permission to play and rate the course. I typically got the name of the contact person at the club for my round, and normally asked for that person very discretely. One of my goals when viisiting a private club was to be as invisible to the members and staff as possible, though I ALWAYS checked in briefly afterwards to thank them, and followed up again with a personal note of appreciation.