No one, not even Mac, is against employees playing for free where they work. I can't imagine anyone against a professional courtesy given to people in the industry. Come on Mac, what the hell were you thinking.
Professional courtesy to someone in the industry? Like a golf course raters? This thread clearly illustrates to me the entire problem with the golf course industry. Seriously, you all are cracked!
It is insinuated that I treat people at my clubs like indentured servants, when in fact that is the farthest thing from the truth. Anyone who has ever met me and/or hung out with me at a golf course can attest to that. And all this stems from the fact that I say employees should have to pay for their golf. Heck, when I was at Merrill Lynch employees didn't get to trade commission free...and I know for a fact, they still don't. Viable businesses don't give away their products for free. If the golf is free, what is next? Food? Clothes? Golf balls? If you guys are giving these things away, how do you make up for it? Assessments, higher monthly dues, higher initiation fees? Probably. What happens when the economy tanks and you can't raise prices? Oh yeah, that is right...you go out of business or sell to Trump.
I re-iterate that John has a great point about giving away things for free. It hurts the club/course/industry...there is no doubt about it. If a club, from the upper levels of management, makes that call, fine...they are doing it for some reason, but if someone other than the head of the club (or its board or whatever the main decision making body of said club is) makes a decision in the field to give something away, that is a whole 'nother story...and has the potential to hurt the club and to me this is akin to stealing.
I re-iterate that I am not in the golf business and am not privvy to the insider dealings of it, but if this stuff goes on routinely...is it any wonder the industry can't make money and has to look to upping prices charged to their patrons/members to try to simply break even?
I said I would bow out, but it appears the status quo in the industry is anti-business (or business ignorant) and, therefore, is leaning towards (or has been) charging its customers way too much for too little...and this won't last. As is evident by the news de jour.